Itadakizen London Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food here is insanely good."
• "Every bit of each meal was delicious...plenty of different flavours dancing on the table for us!"
• "Incredible flavours, consistently fresh ingredients and some of the best ramen I've ever tasted."
• "The vegan calamari and nuggets tasted just as good if not better than their meat alternatives."
• "Everything was seasoned and flavoured perfectly. I wouldn't have guessed I was eating vegan."
• "Their spring rolls were amazing, tempura was crisp, mapo tofu was soft and juicy, tonkatsu ramen was yummy."
• "All the flavours and textures are phenomenal and you don't even miss any meat!"

Cons:

• "We spent nearly £70 on food but were left hungry, barely enough for one person."
• "The food was just delicious and it was so nice to have the choice of everything on the menu as it’s a vegan restaurant."
• "The sushi roll was dry and also not particularly flavorful."
• "Not particularly fresh-tasting or flavoursome and the dessert tasted of drying cement."
• "The food is standard, nothing outstanding and slightly overpriced."
• "Also very expensive for small portions - £90 for 2 people."
• "An overall underwhelming and disappointing experience."

Service

Pros:

• "The staff is exceptionally helpful and friendly."
• "Service was friendly and efficient, with all our food arriving within about 15 minutes."
• "The service was great."
• "The service was also exceptional <3"
• "Staff were polite, helpful and quick."
• "The staff is very polite and friendly."
• "Staff were friendly and attentive."

Cons:

• "No hot tea offered for free."
• "The service was fine, although even though only two tables were occupied the wait staff seemed very busy with something and it took a while to get our bill."
• "We were told to make our last orders by 9pm when the place does not shut until 10. I felt so rushed with my food and the waitress took the food I was still eating without asking."
• "The service is the worst I have experienced in a long time, not because they were rude, but the waiter was just plain inept."
• "The service could be better, we were sitting at the far table in the back close to the food collection point and the whole evening the waitress was standing less than 1/2 meter away from our table. Very intrusive."
• "The service was almost non existent. We had a booking and when we arrived, it took ages for someone to take us to our seats."
• "After 40 minutes the waitress brought the bill and said that she needed the table."

Atmosphere

Pros:

• "We were seated in their lively restaurant."
• "Great food, cozy vibes, Itadakizen is a paradise for those who want to try Japanese food but with a vegetarian/vegan filter."
• "The place itself feels so homey and the food there is great."
• "A small space with a cozy and calming atmosphere and the most delicious food."
• "The whole atmosphere was so welcoming and warm which gave us a feeling of being in Japanese friends house."
• "It's a small restaurant, nice and cozy."
• "The whole environment is cosy and charming."

Cons:

• "Also sadly there was a very rowdy group next to us in this small restaurant who ruined any atmosphere there could have been."
• "This place is not too spacious with tables standing quite close to each other and conversations of others can be easily overheard."
• "All you feel is a flat, dull, atmosphere, everyone eats in silence or with furtive whispers, no one seems to be comfortable sitting there."
• "Decor is terrible, place is dull, grotty, no hint of Japan or indeed you would not know the place is vegan."
• "Sometimes the place smells like playdough which is weird."
• "Also very expensive for small portions - £90 for 2 people."
• "Found the restaurant a bit hot/stuffy and loud but still a nice atmosphere."

Value

Pros:

• "It is very affordable and the food there is really good."
• "Very cosy and they do small plates for very reasonable prices."
• "More than enough to eat for £22."
• "Fairly priced for the amazing quality you get."
• "Great meals that include a combination of courses are modestly priced at under £15."
• "For the price the food is amazing."
• "At £15 for a main and starter it's hard to beat."

Cons:

• "The drink selection is very limited for a tapas-style restaurant."
• "Good quality food and nice options, however the whole experience was let down by the portion sizes."
• "The prices can add up when getting a lot of small dishes, but not unreasonably so."
• "The mains are reasonably priced but the starters are on the pricier side."
• "Price is on the higher side."
• "And with an average of £8 a dish the portitions are quite small and underwhelming."
• "The food was overpriced (£36 for tiny dishes that didn’t fill us up at all)."