Freshly baked on a table, served by a person on a table, delicious and worth the wait!

Amazing food. Been there once with a friend a few months back, it was hard to get in back then. Now it's even worse with closing of the Abeno Too. Amazing okonomiyaki, very good sashimi (first time trying it, but I've been told it's pretty good from a knowledgeable friend). They make the okonomiyaki next to you so no stress involved and you can see that they're honest. Service is also happy to give recommendations. Just be careful with the big option. I ate sashimi and 80% of the big okonomiyaki. Was heartbroken to leave some behind. Tried to go there for an occasion and couldn't book a table for two (on a Tuesday) with 3 days heads up. Book early. read more

Abeno - Light and apparently very healthy dessert - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

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Yummy Okonomiyaki... I have had this more then once in Japan and I can tell you it's just as good here in London as it is in the land of the rising sun, The only difference being someone cooks it for you rather then you cook it your self as you do in Japan. As always the Japanese staff fall over them selfs to make you feel welcome and comfortable, Customer service is brilliant... The food is super fresh and very tasty and to top it off it's a very good experience and would go down well if on a first date or just taking the other half out for some browny points :-) Can be a little Pricey but eating in London generally is, don't let this place pass you by. read more

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This is excellent restaurants. Best food ever in this place. their food quality service was sp pretty

If you want to explore the speciality of Japanese okomoni yaki, this is the place to try very close to the British museum.full of people and very popular. But it's not my thing, I mean the sauce is a little too sweet and the dough doesn't taste that good. Soft not crunchy. And It's just the essence of the food, no other taste, feeling like eating a dough directly. Looks like the Korean seafood pancake read more

Abeno - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

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Fact: Japan is my favorite travel destination. Fact: I love okonomiyaki Fact: I love that I can get some made in London OK, so it's a little pricey for what it should be, but it's London and you saw what this city did to the burrito, right? You'll be central, you'll be paying for the table-entertainment of your server mixing, grilling, flipping and juuszing on your grill. I have to say, I really wish more places in London would embrace this style of table-cooking and service. It's a lot more social, ceremonial if you will, it makes eating a bit more interactive and the food becomes more of an occasion than just a function. The deluxe size was ok if you're not super hungry, you can top them with noodles or go larger. There's other sides and dishes of course but when in Abeno, do as the Osakans do. (order okonomiyaki). It's better than a couple of other ones I've had around town, give it a try! read more

Amazing personal service, the meal is cooked right in front of you on your own personal grill. Peaceful space and delicious ingredients.

I just got to know the word OKONOMIYAKI last night with a bunch of my food connoisseur friends. Abeno is such a wondrous place perfectly when you crave for savoy pancake, Japan style. Tthey make it right in front of you!!! It's a 2 min walk from British Museum so it's quite nice to have brunch over Abeno or post your museum visit for a quick bite. All staff members are so attentative, resourceful, and friendly. The FIVE STAR doesn't just come with the food :) Hope you can try it and share my feelings. read more

I have been to other Japanese restaurants here in London and also in Germany before. I think this place is definitely a good place to go for a lunch when I compare it with previous ones. pros: taste helpful staff price for the meal cons: interior design is so average price for drinks tiny table space due to grill on the table very cold Air conditioning read more

Abeno - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

Oh Abeno, Abeno... You are simply an amazing dining experience! Unique, unequivocally delicious, full of flavour, creative ingredients and so much fun to watch being made right at your table. If you have never had Okonomiyaki, basically, well, um... ok, it's kind of like a big Japanese omelet that is fried up on a grill at your table. You can choose from a load of different options - I had the London which has pork, bacon, cheese and salmon in it (I added corn 'cuz I loooove sweet corn!) Hubby had the Tokyo with squid and prawns in it. Then they bring your ingredients to the table in a bowl, crack and egg in it, whip it up and then start to fry it on the table... it takes about 15 minutes to cook, then when it is done, a sweet bbq(ish) sauce along with a Japanese mayo is swirled on, topped with seaweed powder and those fish flakes that come alive when sprinkled on anything hot. Viola! And the best part, you eat it right off the hot grill, so every bite to the very end it hot, crispy and as delicious as the first bit. I can't wait to go back again. Thanks so much Mr Alex S for taking us to such an amazing restaurant experience. read more

Thank you, thank you, thank you Abeno. Thank you for fulfilling a couple of things for me. Firstly, I've been quite jaded with the Japanese places in Leamington. Wagamama is fantastic, don't get me wrong, but it's not TRUE Japanese food, is it? More so commercialized goodness for a bunch of white people. It's not that it's bad, it's just a bit blaaaah. Secondly, thank you for fulfilling a dream of mine and finally having okonomiyaki. And by God, it was delicious. The wait was horrendous for our party of four, but hey, we are newbies. I'll remember to make a reservation next time: PINKY SWEAR. Thank you kind hostess chick for making the googly-eyes with one friend and getting us a table. You're the bestest! The okonomiyaki was divine. You prepared it, fresh, in front of me, much to my delight. I almost spilled my ginger hot toddy, I was so giddy! Fresh eggs, mushrooms, veggies, quail eggs, and various spices/herbs/oils I can't even begin to remember. I do remember the Japanese mayo though. That was just WEIRD. No, Japan. Just ... no. Great experience. I added it to my "places that are bad ass and must frequent again" list. Because, you know, you rock. Although I am tempted to try the dim sum which is super close by as well .... decisions!! read more

I enjoyed the food so much that I want to go back for a second today...! So the service wasn't the greatest but it wasn't the worst either... we still gave the waiter a tip! I found both the Kimchi squid and the garlic squid really salty! But it was really tender biting into it. Watching the waiter cooked in front of us, smelling the sizzling okonomiyaki made me more hungry! Just hoped they had a better vantilation because we literally smelt like the food when we stepped out... I think if I was still hungry, I would have taken a bite out of my own arm! LOL! Price wise was decent but a bit pricey... I still think it's worthy! Some of my friends think that this is too pricey just for an omlette.... it is not exactly an omlette and it tastes way better than an omlette, especially with the Japanese mayo and I think it's a bbq sauce on it. YUM! Thinking about it is making me drool! I think people should try it out. If you're extremely hungry, I wouldn't recommend you to go just because you'll be watching them cook in front of you and you can't eat until it's cooked. read more

One of the best yelp finds since we arrived in London! Normally you need a reservation for this location but since it was early on a Monday evening we were able to be seated with no problem. An extremely warm and welcoming women (maybe owner) explained Okonomiyaki to us. I've only heard of this but have never eaten it. OH MY GOD Okonomiyaki!!!! I had to make a formal apology to my stomach and soul for denying both for so long. Okonomiyaki is a "pancake" that consists of a batter made of flour and grated yam "nagaimo", shredded cabbage and egg. You can top your pancake with an endless list of choices. It took us a while to decide what to order but finally selected. I had prawns and squid and my husband chose the Kobe beef. Both were cooked on a flat top in the middle of our table by our very experienced waitress. Each one was topped with two sauces, fish flake and dried seaweed flake. It was one of the best things I've eaten in a very long time. The service, food and overall experience was one of the food highlights of our London trip. read more

Abeno - Tokyo Mix - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

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Easy access from tube. Wonderful Japanese food, quick service and very fresh teate. I persoanlly like the Sushi and hot sake. They have menu for veg options, do ask them. read more

While in London, we went on an adventure to Abeno for lunch after I'd asked Alex S about okonomiyaki. He assured me this was the place to go, so off we went. Abeno is a smallish place, with nice Japanese decor (but not too over the top) and friendly staff. We were seated at a table for 4 but with the extra exciting addition of a grill right in the middle. We ordered some nigiri rice as well as our okonomiyaki, all opting to go for the London mix of bacon, cheese, pork and salmon. Weird combination, I know. The okonomiyaki is cooked right in front of you on the grill by the chef. It is really awesome to watch and adds a real element of fun to your meal. After checking the Abeno website, I see there are 7 steps to okonomiyaki enlightenment, which I will share with you: 1. The arrival. A trolley with the ingredients arrives for you to gaze at. 2. The mixing. The chef will mix together the batter right there are the table in a mesmerizing fashion. 3. The pouring. The batter is poured onto a very lightly oiled grill. 4. The shaping. It is pushed into a nice round shape. 5. The cooking. Well, that's kind of happening from stage 3 to be honest, but you get to hear the satisfying sizzle of the batter cooking away. 6. The flipping. Right before it's flipped, the bacon is added so that it is nicely cooked when it it flipped over. 7. The decoration. Once the okonomiyaki is done, it is decorated with Kewpie mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce (a little bit like a BBQ sauce). So, what was the taste verdict? Exceptional, it was absolutely perfect and I loved every bite of it. The strange combination of ingredients worked, and it was really a lovely lunch. We unfortunately had to dash off but the staff packed up our partly eaten okonomiyaki into boxes for us to finish later on that day. I'm glad to say even a few hours later it was still just as tasty. Nom! read more

what a fun place to eat at! the okonomiyaki is made right in front of you on a flat grill. you also get a small metal spatula to cut up the pancake after they've finished. interactive food. i like =) the wafu is delicious! they make the hotcake right in front of you and then bring out the green tea ice cream, red bean, and whipped cream on a small plate. yum! wish there was one of these in the states. read more

Abeno - Tokyo Mix - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

IIII don't knoww mann. I just don't knowww. I was stuck between giving Abeno a three and a four star rating becauuse... I just. didn't. like. the... okonomiyaki...YEAH I know, there. I said it. Everyone who wrote a review seems to think okonomiyaki is the best thing ever, but really I just thought it was a giant ball of stir fry. I mean, yes, in essence okonomiyaki is just that, right? They mix all of your ingredients in a bowl and fry it all in front of you. Lots of oil to grease up the grill as it doesn't all cook in one go; they cook some of the mix, then cover it, then fry it a few times more while adding a little bit more ingredients every time. I decided to forfeit an extra 4 pounds to add noodles too as I wasn't sure if it would be filling enough.. It was definitely more than filling! But I think it was all the oil and it tasted like most of my stir fry asian food but put together more uniquely. Granted, I chose a pretty standard order with pretty standard Asian ingredients you'd find in stir fry. It was their special dish for the day which had some organic pork (emphasis on organic, my guess is that's why it was the special), quail egg, some onions, cabbage, carrots, dough, etc. The waitress recommended that I try an okonomiyaki with cheese and I played it safe and ordered the mediocre! I just thought there'd be too much Western fusion by getting a cheese dish, but I know better now. So, I'm not going to give the place 3 stars just cause I made a poor choice, my tip is to try something more unique and go for the crazy mixes. Other than my okonomiyaki choice though, I thought the service was quite lovely. The kind waitress explained to me exactly what she was doing as she made me my dish and I thought that was really nice of her. She also gave me good recommendations, if only I had listened :) I think I'll also ask if I can try frying the batter myself next time as it looks really fun to cook and I can portion my sizes better without it being a giant greasy pancake the size of my head. read more

Every single thing about this little piece of Osaka in London is perfection. To experience the Okonomi-yaki being prepared in front of you is simply beautiful and the taste is even better. Yet, the passionate, knowledgeable and skilful staff cooking/serving are as a important part of the experience as the food itself. I couldn't wait to go back even before I left on my first visit, so I definitely will. read more

Okonomiyaki. Full stop. I hadn't heard of the dish before stumbling into this hidden gem just a few steps from the British museum but worth giving it a try. The service was very good and the food was quality. read more

One of my favourite meals while in London. I haven't tried Okonomiyaki before, and this place was insane. Had to go there twice and definitely will come back whenever I'm in London. The staff was super friendly and the place has AC, which for the summer in London it makes a difference. read more

I like Abeno. Why? Because I love Okonomiyaki. I can't help feel amazement that hardly anyone else does this though. I have been to Japan and love this dish. So Savoury, sweet and tasty all at same time. Abeno does it well, right in front of your eyes, for a fair price too. It's a typical Japanese street food, casual dining dish but it's so good. I love food that is cooked fresh in front of you, a visual spectacle that is a lovely treat right before your eyes. read more

I wish I could give it 4.5 stars. Service was great and they were so so so nice, food was awesome. Fun place to eat, but you will wind up smelling like cooking. read more

Fairly out of the ordinary. However, at first, I just didn't know if I meant "out of the ordinary" in a negative or complimentary sense. Yes, it is Japanese food. Yes, it it was tasty. So I suppose the criteria was met. If you do not know what they serve here, the best way I can describe the Okonomiyaki style dinner is like a custom-made omelette/pancake with any of the ingredients that you should wish to include. Best of all, it is cooked at your table! It certainly adds to the entertainment. However, if like me you are perpetually hungry, the tantalising smells and sites that emanate from in front of you while you are required to summon all of your internal patients to hold on for just a few minutes more for it to cook - agonising! Once it is cooked, they provide it with your option of sauce or not. I went with the sauce. It was tremendous. So all in all a great experience in this small but refined restaurant. Make sure you put aside the time to dine here, it is definitely not a grab and go type place. It was not too expensive either, fairly reasonable. If you want something different. While you are out and about in this part of town, go kit check it out. I'm sure you will not be disappointed. read more

Abeno is the first place where I have ever tried Okonomyiaki. Good to know such stuff exists ;) Food was great, we have tried many different starters and small meals. Staff was very helpful, and enxplained us everything one might need in order to make good Okonomyiaki decisions ! It was also a warm treat after walking around humid and chilli London. The table where you sit, has large pan heating pan in the middle, so you will be always nice and warm there :) read more

I had never had okonmiyaki before, but I am glad I got to try it. It is a custom made omelette style pancake, and I had mine with tofu. They cook it on the hibachi in front of you and you can top it with certain sauces and bonito flakes if you wish. I really enjoyed it. I was also quite happy to see they had a sparkling sake which I enjoy but is very hard to find. Service was good and friendly, and the meal was reasonably priced (especially for London). A definite recommend if you are in London. read more

Eh. Stopped by here because we thought we'd grab a quick snack after heading out from the British Museum. Boy were we wrong. We were told that it would be 10-20 minutes but nope. We waited there for 35 minutes until we got our ONE okonomiyaki. Now if it was a good okonomiyaki, maybe I'd give it some slack but really there was nothing special about it. They were frugal about the toppings, it was soggy and there were barely and pieces of pork belly in it. Okonomiyaki is one of the easiest things to make and somehow they've managed to make it average. Oh and they charged an outrageous amount for one tiny little piece - about the size of my hand. read more

Okonomiyaki power! Forget that West End show, when you can go to Abeno to see some Japanese food wizardry! Ok, so maybe it's not as exciting as Billy Elliot. But this place is certainly entertaining, besides being yummy. Okonomiyaki, the speciality here, is prepared fresh, from scratch right in front of you. They bring the ingredients out in bowl, mix it in front of you, then cook it on the hot plate that's built into your table. It may sound a bit gimmicky, but it feels authentic. Here's a visual: http://www.abeno.co.uk/about_okonomiyaki/index.html And unlike sushi sometimes, I find this Japanese food totally filling, so it satisfies those with a healthy appetite. Vegetarians will find lots of options too. Tucked down a little street on the way to the British Musuem, this restaurant doesn't feel too loud or overwhelming. Just make sure you make reservations, as this little spot books up fast. read more

I love Abeno! This might just be my favourite place to go for a meal in London because I'm always so happy here. The restaurant is a cosy, warm place near the British Museum and the okonomiyaki is yummy. I have tried the tofu, the seafood and the chicken with asparagus which is my favorite, but they were all great Japanese pancakes. It is fun watching them make it at your table and it's a good place to take a visitor so they can experience something different in London. It's not haute cuisine, but it is yummy and a great place to go with a group of friends. read more

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This is the restaurant that made me fall in love with okonomiyaki. I came here with my husband on Valentine's Day once, and our server actually prepared our okonomiyaki in a little heart shape. Little details that really made me love this place. It is pricey, but the quality speaks for the cost. During lunch hours, the menu is a little cheaper, but it's a great place to have a date in the evening. read more

This place is awesome. Walked in and felt like I was in another country, Japan. The layout, presentation, staff and most of the customers here are Japanese read more

The food here has wonderful flavour and the service is excellent, with waiting staff who not only prepare the food at your table, but are knowledgeable and can answer questions about the dishes and accompaniments. The miso sauce is fantastic too! The two problems (that it drops a star for) is that food takes a long time to cook so not ideal if you're on a 1-hour lunch break, and the portions are not as big as they could be, leaving you feeling a little less than full. *Edit they now have a larger option so you can be full up read more

Just had my first ever Okonomi-yaki and I've got to say, I'm sold! I've been wanting to try it for ages but for some reason just never got around to getting to a Japanese restaurant that served it, but tonight was the night. The process is mesmerizing. The waiter comes to your table with a bowl full of the ingredients - egg, cabbage, 'tempura batter' and fillings, mixes them right up and pours it slowly on the grill built into your table, forming a nice little circle. As the first side fries up, he starts to cook the pork and lays it neatly on top of the batter mixture covering the surface. He places a lid on it and leaves it to cook. Then after a few flips here and there, he brings out an array of sauces and toppings to adorn the pancake in more deliciousness. We had the Inaka mix of pork, corn and Konnyaku, which is a mixture of yam and seaweed. Delicious! We also had the Om-soba with chicken, which is basically fried noodles wrapped in an omelette - a great choice, and then topped the meal off with a refreshing mango sorbet. I'll be back! read more

Japanese BBQ at its finest. Prices are reasonable - you can fill up on amazing food for £15 if you order properly. Their okonomi-yaki is out of this world. Pop the noodles on top for an extra £4.50 and order super deluxe size, and you'll be full for two days on just £15.50 if you order the pork version. Staff is very friendly and responsive, always smiling. The ambiance is nice enough, and it's not so loud as there are only a handful of tables. This one is preferable to the same shop over by Seven Sisters, as this one takes reservations. Don't try same-night, however, as they're tough to get less than a day out. read more

Osaka! Good. Ikanamabananasomething! Good. Service! Good. I ate about 15 pounds worth, and it was interesting to watch them cook the food on the teppanyaki, despite no onion volcano. read more

Lived in Osaka and haven't had as good a Kansai meal since , throughly enjoyed this place. Very authentic Kansai food. Natto fresh and delicious. Good sake options and staff very friendly and well versed. Fun place and excellent food read more

Good and light food, nice and exciting experience, good price, kind staff, good wine choice. you can talk with your partners without shouting (difficult in London) and the smell coming from the food cooked at your table is totally acceptable. So many guests from Japan in a Japanese restaurant ...do mean a lot! read more

This was a very interesting place to dine. I came here for a quick lunch with a friend. We are both studying abroad here in London and we were getting sick of eating sandwiches. So I just found this place and it was pretty good. We split a Tokyo and Osaka okonomiyaki and it was pretty delicious. The staff was very friendly and service was great. I do not recall what we ordered for dessert, but it was very unique (but small and overpriced). So I recommend you eat and then find your sweet tooth craving somewhere else. read more

Tucked away on Drury Lane is a little place called 'Abeno'. It may not be flash or two-hat dining, but the food is almost impossible to beat. Fresh ingredients (you have to try the salmon sashimi) pierce your nostrils as you sit down. The staff come and cook many of the meals on hot plates which are in the middle of your table, facilitating a very friendly back-and-forth between diners and waitstaff. I phoned up and was told by one of the staff that the place was fully booked but that he would call me back if anything came free. 20 minutes later he called back and got me a table. If you like Japanese food--or if you just like really well-cooked fresh food--you need to come here. Just a stone's throw from West End theatres, the perfect way to end a night. read more

It's nice, but my expectations were a little higher. Ordered the tokyo mix and the omu-soba, the Tokyo mix was pretty standard, but I'm not sure if I liked the omu-soba since it had some hot bits and other bits cold. Hmm maybe it's supposed to be like that. Still, if you like okonomiyaki Abeno is probably a safe option. read more

Abeno - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

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This is a great restaurant to visit if you are looking for an 'experience' as well as a delicious meal. I was first taken here by a Japanese friend who rates it very highly, and have been going back (for the odd treat!) ever since! The first thing I noticed about this place was the very authentic decor, and the beautiful Japanese paper on the menus - different on each one - is a lovely touch. But best of all are the 'Okonomi' pancakes which are cooked for you on a hot-plate at your table, as these are delicious and quite unlike anything I've had elsewhere. The desserts are also well worth a try, and they vary according to season. Make sure you pick one with the delicious macha green tea powder for a memorable finish to your meal! This restaurant is quite pricey, but deservedly so. Good for special occasions. read more