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    Nala

    3.8 (20 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Open 12:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Nala Photos

    NALA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Reviews With Photos

    Meike B.

    At £17.50 a pop the bento boxes are not an everyday lunchtime option, but excellent for a more special occasion. The miso soup was the most delicious of its kind, the rest similarly delicious. The interior is just the right combination of classy dark panelling and kitsch decor. Like many places in Soho the basement smells musky and damp, so best try and stay upstairs.

    Pork Katsu Curry
    Linda J.

    My husband and I were looking for a quick Japanese lunch in Soho. We walked by Lingo which looked very casual, but authentic so we popped in. Food: We ordered the pork katsu curry (£8.50) and the tempura soba (£8.50). Both were very good. Drinks: One Diet Coke Price: £22.30 GBP Service: Very casual and friendly service. Ambiance: No real ambiance. Just a small, nice, and simple dining room. I believe they have a downstairs as well. Would I go back? Yes I would go back because it was not only yummy, but was a good portion of food for the price.

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    5 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Really good. Food was fresh and the presentation was great. The venue is clean and the staff are friendly. Definitely coming back.

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    Nala Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Nala

    Periferal bits like salad and miso were delicious but nothing to write home about.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Asta 3

    Asta 3

    4.8(6 reviews)
    2.7 miPetticoat Lane, Aldgate

    'Asta' (as I like to simply call it) - I have no idea of the '3' moniker, or indeed where the first…read moretwo went - is as genuine a Japanese canteen as you'll find in London. I was lucky enough to, along with a colleague, be taken here on several occasions for a quick lunch by a client (indicative of how welcoming the Japanese are!) By 'genuine' I mean no dumbed-down menus, no super-slick interiors to detract from potentially average food, and no gimmicks of any kind. The place is staffed and run by Japanese nationals as any self-respecting Japanese restaurant should be - and perhaps more importantly, frequented by them regularly, too. Service is smiling and attentive and no more that it needs to be. The food is inexpensive (~£6-8 for a bento, £7-11 for ramen, udon or donburi) and so tasty. On my most recent trip I had beef ramen with tan tan (sesame paste) soup base, and my brother had salmon teriyaki on brown rice. Both dishes had generous proportions of meat/fish, and the donburi came with a side salad and pickles. The unagi (eel) is also lovely, and the place does an extensive line in pick-your-soup base noodle bowl dishes where you have the option of shoyu, miso, and sesame as mentioned above, among others. I can't speak for the takeaway bento, but they looked pretty solid and of a decent quality. Drinks come in the familiar (Coke etc) and the more, um, 'traditional' - aloe vera juice, Pocari, cold bottled green and black teas and others. This place is rather hidden away on the fringes of the City, behind Aldgate station on the Petticoat Lane side. In many ways it's a great location as it's very much a local haunt, and in others a little frustrating as even if you're working in the City it can be a fair walk to get there and back! My advice would also be to get there early (between midday and half-past) to ensure a seat, as well as before some of the more popular items on the menu disappear. In brief summary, I couldn't really recommend this place enough if you're in the area. You'll get multi-kudos from any friends Nippon friends (or appreciators of their incredible cuisine) and have a lunch to beat the hell out of an uninspired sandwich / soft-drink combo whilst spending a similarly scant amount of your hard-earned cash. As your fellow diners would say: "itedakimas!"

    I wish I could give this place 10 stars because it is simply amazing. For lunch I got a chicken…read moreteriyaki be to box. Their rice is so delicious I could eat it alone without any other dish. The chicken was tender and flavourful and I really liked the fried potato thing that came with the side. Another great thing about Asta is that with bento boxes you can pick a variety of cold side dishes. I recommend the cucumbers and the rice noodles. Will be back!!

    Photos
    Asta 3
    Asta 3
    Asta 3 - Sesame-base (Tan Tan) and Beef Ramen with Brown Rice Salmon Teriyaki Bento

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    Sesame-base (Tan Tan) and Beef Ramen with Brown Rice Salmon Teriyaki Bento

    Asakusa - Salmon Head

    Asakusa

    4.1(101 reviews)
    1.6 miEuston, Camden Town
    ££

    This place is awesome. Walked in and felt like I was in another country, Japan. The layout,…read morepresentation, staff and most of the customers here are Japanese. Talk about authentic, this place is a gem. Just got out of a concert and needed food badly, found out this place opens late. Walked in at 10.40pm and they still took orders. Has a wide selection of sushi, sashimi and set meals. Meal sizes are just nice and the prices are decent. High quality meat, tastes lovely Lovely staff, quick service and lovely ambience. It's a nice place to chill, and have drinks. Enough seats for couples, groups and families. I wouldn't say it's kids friendly cause it feels like a place where adults come in to let go some steam after a long day (maybe it's because I'm here at almost 11pm). Also no space to park a stroller. I'm going to come back here to chill DF out lol

    We are so sad. This used to be a very reliable, authentic Japanese restaurant, but now has gone…read moredownhill. French Beans with Sesame Dressing had perfectly-cooked beans, but the dressing lacked depth of flavour and the portion was tiny. Ten Zaru Soba (cold buckwheat noodles with tempura) had tasteless, watery dip. The noodles were cooked nicely, but Tempura was very greasy. Sake Shioyaki - grilled salmon with salt - was very small and was just plonked on top of lettuce; presentation was awful. The rice portion was very mean, too. Very bad value for money.

    Photos
    Asakusa - Samna shio

    Samna shio

    Asakusa - Hot Pot Tofu

    Hot Pot Tofu

    Asakusa - Buta kakuni

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    Buta kakuni

    Nambu Tei - This masterpiece does not require explaining

    Nambu Tei

    4.3(33 reviews)
    1.2 miMarylebone
    ££

    As we look for places to eat amongst coworkers, we decided to go to a Japanese place. Not being…read morefamiliar with places to eat here in London, I looked to Yelp, and of course someone from our hotel recommended this place too. So I can say it wasn't bad at all, but it wasn't the beat Sushi I have had. I would go back for sure as the service was good, minus my coworkers chicken dish took forever to come out, as we kept having to check on it. The Uni was definitely not a bad batch as it had a sweetness and creamy texture that I would expect. Amaebi was not the larger shrimp with the fried heads, so not what I was expecting. As for the Natto Rolls, I could tell you that our young waitress made a surprising face, which made me laugh, as I could tell she was from Japan, as I was told not many Japanese even eat Natto. Of course I had to ask later and she is not a fan. Hahaha... I enjoyed it though. Enjoy.

    As another reviewer says, this is an undiscovered gem! Hidden away inside an arcade, it was filled…read moreon a weekday evening with mostly Japanese patrons. Plenty of wait staff who were quite attentive, including some who were preparing table side shabu shabu (cooking thinly sliced meat and veggies in a broth). They have a huge menu with an unusually wide selection of small dishes as well as the usual entrees. I ordered their ten piece nigiri (17 GBP), grilled miso black cod (12 GBP), and salmon belly age dashi (cooked lightly in a daikon soy based sauce) (7 GBP). All were excellent including with fresh not powdered wasabi root. Super affordable, high quality with great service -- what's not to like!

    Photos
    Nambu Tei - Nabe-yaki udon

    Nabe-yaki udon

    Nambu Tei
    Nambu Tei - Salmon donburi bowl, yellowtail nigiri and miso soup. YUM

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    Salmon donburi bowl, yellowtail nigiri and miso soup. YUM

    Shogun Restaurant

    Shogun Restaurant

    4.5(4 reviews)
    0.6 miMayfair
    ££££

    This upscale Japanese restaurant is located on the lower ground floor of the Millennium Hotel, just…read moreoff Grosvenor Square. It's lavish traditional Japanese decor that includes medieval battle tapestries and samurai armour sets the setting for some of the best authentic Japanese food in London. The choice on the menu is significant, offering many traditional Japanese dishes, as well as some variety with a unique angle. The choice and quality of sushi are among the best I've encountered. I also enjoyed their interesting beef burger, prepared with Japanese recipe but in the western manner. The staff are extremely welcoming and attentive and the overall atmosphere is comfortable and pleasant within this basement location. This kind of place will most likely attract you to come back again and again.

    A dungeon-like hidden gem. It looks like a back-alley takeaway on the outside (well, practically)…read more Don't be put off by it. Go inside. Descend the stairs. Inhale the incense. And prepare yourself for pure, simple, sushi delightfulness. Staff were incredibly friendly, explained the menu options, and food came at the right time, with the nicest presentation, and tasted delicious. My personal favourite was the sushi, although I was misled by the prawn tempura roll, thinking it was a hand roll. It was just maki. Oh well. Yum nonetheless!! Would not recommend it for a (rowdy or not) group for friends, as it's very very quiet, eclectically lit and patrons seem to want to keep it that way. (discussions were not escaping tables, with the notable exception of one older adventurous American gentleman who recently came back from Peru) This is the kind of restaurant you take someone you fancy, to whisper to her throughout dinner, and then surprise her (well, assuming she'd like to be surprised, and won't slap you in the face for being presumptuous!) with a room at the Millennium hotel upstairs afterwards. Oh yeah If you sit near the back, go have a peek at the shogun armour :)

    Photos
    Shogun Restaurant - This soup is delicious :)

    This soup is delicious :)

    Shogun Restaurant - Sake

    Sake

    Shogun Restaurant

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    Nala - japanese - Updated May 2026

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