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    Tokyo Diner

    3.9 (191 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Closed Closed

    Tokyo Diner Photos

    TOKYO DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Tokyo Diner

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    salmon teriyaki bento box
    Iris P.

    a small shop on a corner of chinatown. stopped by on a friday evening 6pm and since there are no reservations, i waited about 15 mins for a table for two. we were served hot tea from the get go. both of us ordered bento boxes and they came out quickly, steaming hot. the flavor of the salmon was splendid. loved the wakame as well. wish there were a bit more vegetables tho. a filling hearty meal, but slightly pricey (£26).

    Chicken Katsu Curry
    Deborah C.

    I stumbled upon this place on a Saturday night after a day of exploring the city and was craving Asian food. I got here around 6pm and was seated right away since I was a solo diner. They even had a table set up for parties of one, which I thought was cute. I ordered a Chicken Katsu Curry, which came out quite quickly. It was a huge portion that I couldn't finish by myself. The service is friendly and everyone speaks Japanese (even those not ethnically Japanese, which I thought was nice). I would definitely come here again but not as a large group or during peak hours, as there were so many parties waiting for a table by the time I left.

    Sushi, sashimi and salmon combo.

    Service is S-rank in my book and I'll mention why later. Sushi was good too! Salmon was fresh and everything tastes good. Generous with the ginger and a bit frugal with the wasabi paste I've noticed but I suppose Brits don't use much wasabi? Either way one of the waitreesses there noticed I left my sunglasses at the table and she ran outside to bring them to me. Outstandingly kindof her. If I ever make it back to London I'll have to try the bento boxes!

    Oyako Don and Chicken Katsu Curry
    Cindy P.

    My boyfriend and I were craving Japanese food and found this place online! It was a little hard to find the place, but I recognized that we found the right place based on the menus that were placed infront of the windows. When you are seated, they bring out free hot green tea and rice crackers. I think that it's such a good idea! We ordered the Oyako Don and Chicken Katsu Curry. The Oyako Don was good and the portion was big. I thought that my boyfriend's order of the Chicken Katsu Curry was small, but it still satisfied him. Once we were finish eating, we walked outside and noticed a sign that said if you're feeling extra hungry, you can tell them and they would give you extra rice. I feel like this place is so generous and the service is good!

    Chicken Katsu don
    Clèm B.

    An amazing and real Japanese restaurant! I really feel like I was back in Japan The restaurant itself is really small but feel comfy and welcoming, especially on a cold day. The atmosphere and the decoration really reminded me the kind of restaurant I've been on a weelky based when I was living in Japan. The service is nice, quick and they're paying attention when you need more water or warm tea. The food itself was delicious and as good as in Japan! I ordered the chicken katsu don: it was big and fullfill and warm, exactly what I was expecting ! I totally recommend this place for people looking for real japanese food and for Japan's restaurant atmosphere. Of course it's much more expensive than the same in Japan but, the price worth the quality and these real japanese culinary experience.

    Chicken karaage
    Carrie U.

    I was skeptical about eating Japanese food in Chinatown, but I was pleasantly surprised. They have a pretty limited menu but do cover the basics. I ordered zaru udon and chicken karaage. The zaru udon was average. The chicken karaage looked really ugly but ended up being moist and tasty. It is higher than my standard of normal pricing for Japanese food, but for the area seems average. Seating is limited but there is a downstairs section if you're not picky about being able to see out a window.

    Teriyaki chicken tits with extra rice
    Jenny M.

    If you are exploring Chinatown, this place is hard to miss. Husband and I decided to share a bento as we wanted a light snack (but weren't starving). We ordered their teriyaki chicken bento and paid extra for substituting the thighs with chicken tits. The neat thing about ordering here is you can ask for a bigger portion of rice at no extra charge. We did that and even though the portions were good, everything was so bland. From the teriyaki chicken tits to the assorted marinated veggies - ehh. Really fresh sashimi though. Good presentation but probably will venture off to try another place for Japanese bento. Side note - if you bring in bubble tea from another place, you cannot consume it in the restaurant. Side note 2 - The black shaped large ceramic spoon in the center of the bento holding three green beans is not to be used as a spoon...oops.

    Jessica K.

    I'm shocked I've never written a review for this place before, but seriously my favorite Japanese restaurant in London! It's one of my priorities to eat here at least once during my stay, and been here more than I can count even before it became so popular. Definitely happy for their success! Typically I always order the salmon don, but I've tried the salmon bento box as well and thoroughly enjoyed both. I had ordered the crispy tofu, which was so fresh and silky! Amazing!!!! The restaurant offers authentic Japanese cuisine as well as the tradition of not accepting tips, which is pretty cool. Feels like I've been transported straight to Japan! My favorite restaurant!!! Try it!!

    My salmon bento-box, a flashback to Japan!
    Elisabeth C.

    I really like Tokyo Diner. It's by far the best affordable Japanese restaurant I have visited outside Japan. I will admit that having first tasted Japanese food in Japan, I'm truly spoiled and have always found it hard to find the same level of excellence elsewhere. The vibe of this place reminds me very much of Japan though and that adds to the experience. I have been here on three occasions and would definitely return. I tried the bento box with salmon the first time and thought it was definitely worth the value. The next times I tried the sushi (simply delicious) and a good bowl of curried udon. The free tea that is served makes me incredibly happy and I'm happy that the restaurant is relatively small, even if that means you usually have to wait for a bit to get a seat.

    Tofu katsu ju - really good and under £8!
    Ed T.

    You've likely walked past Tokyo Diner a dozen times and never thought twice about it. It's the fun looking Japanese restaurant in the middle of Chinatown, and to be fair, you've probably been walking to a Chinese restaurant when you have actually gone past it, so fair enough if you haven't been in. Stop! Go in. Eat. Enjoy. Tokyo Diner offers some truly authentic Japanese food, with great service and atmosphere. The dishes on offer are exactly like what I saw on offer while I was going through Japan, and it was great to see such traditional dishes like cold noodle dishes or the simple tofu side dish with spring onions and ginger. It's not exactly the cheapest restaurant, both in Chinatown or for Japanese food in London, but when you consider there's no tip asked for, green tea is included and the food is great tasting (plus you can order extra rice for free), there's not much you can really complain about! 4 stars overall for great service, great food, but not the best nor cheapest!

    Katsu don

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    3 years ago

    Actually decent Japanese food in China town. Quick service and they specifically spell out their tip policy. Loved it.

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    3 years ago

    We happened to find this place after watching Harry Potter musical and it was delicious and very good servicemy daughter loved it so much

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    3 years ago

    Restaurant no longer there. After searching for some time, we arrived to find no Tokyo Diner... Disappointed!

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    Tokyo Diner Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Tokyo Diner

    I can confirm that you get free green tea with refills and snacks, and absolutely no tips.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    People searched for Japanese 543 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    Hare and Tortoise - Duck andd rice

    Hare and Tortoise

    3.9(44 reviews)
    1.1 miBlackfriars
    ££

    This branch is near the river and is located underground with no windows. Black decor throughout…read morewith a serene sense of Zen and calmness. Small attractive tasty dishes. Generally good service and ambiance. Grilled salty mackerel is very good, as is their crispy soft shell crab (a classic dish). Calamari is excellent though be warned: it's spicy! If you are a fan try their tuna tartar (see photo).

    A little hidden away, but definitely worth the descent into the catacomb-like interior…read more The vibe is intimate and the food is a legit take on Asian Fusion; mostly Japanese-inspired, but definitely with a bit of Chinese and Thai in there. The starters alone are worth a trip, and there were so many I wanted to try, they're actually all I had. Don't judge. They were amazing. The Pumpkin Croquettes were a slightly sweet and crispy version of traditional croquettes, deep-fried to perfection, with a light and smooth finish. Two will set you back a mere £3.10. While the spring rolls are good, I highly recommend the Vegetarian Duck Rolls, made with slightly sweet tofu skin, spring onions, cucumber, and Hoi Sin sauce. Three of those healthy rolls are a whopping £4.60. Finally, the Chicken Yakitori was also a dish worth it's weight in pounds, char-grilled to perfection and doused in a sweet yakitori sauce. A few skewers costs around £4.10. The rest of the menu is not only enormous, but sure to please any seafood-lover, especially sushi. They serve just about any Asian-inspired dish you can think of, including salads, ramen dishes, rice dishes, noodles of many different varieties, tempura, and sushi rolls, with a perfectly-paired sake menu to boot. But really, those side dishes are to die for.

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    Hare and Tortoise
    Hare and Tortoise
    Hare and Tortoise

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    Ribon

    Ribon

    4.1(16 reviews)
    1.2 miBlackfriars
    £

    Thanks to Katie B for stepping in as interim Yelp Ramen Club organiser in Josy A's absence…read more Ramen Club 8.0 took place at Ribon and Katie went to great lengths to make our booking and also to make sure that they had ramen available - for large parties, it's best to warn them as they only make a limited amount of broth each day When you get to the restaurant, don't be put off by the fact that the ground floor looks shut because it is shut! Descend the stairs to the subterranean dining room. Our party of 15 took over most of the main dining area though there are private rooms, which also offer karaoke The starters were my favourite part of the meal with the black cod and chicken karaage being top of my list even though the portion size was tiny for the cost. As far as ridiculous prices go though, I think my glass of orange juice from a carton for £3.30 was criminal - I can get 2 litres of Tropicana for less. Other starters like the pork and kimchi were rather bland The ramen was a disappointment. The broth was rather bland and the chashu was dry. Perhaps in keeping with the rather mean attitude to the volume of food served, there was no egg. In an age when Bone Daddies and other ramen joints in London have raised the bar, bowls like this won't cut it any longer It was a really fun evening but the food wasn't up to scratch, especially the ramen. Roll on, Ramen Club 9.0!

    Thank you Katie B for being a star and getting such a huge crowd of us involved in ramen club!!…read moreRibon was a strange ramen experience...ramen is only listed as a side note on the specials menu, but after seeing a photo of their ramen in the magazine "zoom Japan", I was keen to try it. Ramen: The miso soup was really good; hot and delicious... BUT my noodles seemed like over-cooked, squidgy cup-ramen noodles. I liked the toppings, but I was sad not to have an egg, and the cha siu was forgettable. So all in all the ramen isn't as good as many of the other ramen-joy-lands in London. Plus they took aaaaages to make, even though Katie had told them in advance that we would order lots of noodles. Izakaya menu: We also tried the agedashi dofu (really nice, but without much dashi!), the karaage and the gyoza. They were all lovely, and the general izakaya menu sounded full of tasty dishes. I'd be up for trying more of them. Other: A group of my friends from Japan have been here several times, and they all really liked it... so I know this place could be amazing. I'll have to come back to try non-noodle items, and to have a sing in their karaoke booth.

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    Ribon
    Ribon
    Ribon

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    Sushi Tetsu

    Sushi Tetsu

    4.8(23 reviews)
    1.3 miClerkenwell
    ££££

    For his birthday, my friend's only wish was to come here for an omakase and I cannot stop thinking…read moreabout it! I had to make about 200 calls to get a reservation but it was worth it. There are two sittings for omakase each day, one at 5:30PM and one at 8:30PM. The interior is very intimate and each sitting serves 7 people only. Bookings are made at least two weeks to one month in advance depending on their policy which changes from time to time. They only accept reservations through phone calls and based on my experience, it was pretty hard to get through so I'd definitely recommend reading through their website for what to do to secure yourself a reservation. My friend and I both got the sushi & sashimi omakase, which comes with three plates of sashimi, 7 pieces of sushi (all seasonally selected!) and a sweet tamago at the end. The sashimi and sushi are all seasonally selected and exotic! I got to try gurnard and turbot sushi which I've never had raw before! The fish is not only high quality and delicious but prepped and presented beautifully too. The variety of condiments selected for each sushi was carefully thought out, elevating each mouthful. The service was impeccable as was the food. The chef's wife and the waiters always came to check-in with us and walk us through the proper dining etiquette. Under the chef's wife's recommendation, we also shared some sake and plum wine. It was lovely watching the chef prep and make each piece of sushi, exhibiting his intent and passion with every movement. The whole session lasted a little over 2 hours and we enjoyed every bit of it! I highly recommend checking out Sushi Tetsu at least once in your life! Not to mention the omakase was only for £96 (excluding alcohol and any service charge), which is cheap for the amount of food you get and cheaper than many other omakase meals found in London.

    Went for dinner with a friend, who had to call 139 times to get a reservation. But it was worth it…read moreall. She had omakase, whilst I had a la carte. I had a combination of octopus sashimi, tuna sashimi, squid nigiri, sweet shrimp nigiri, jumbo shrimp nigiri, scallops nigiri, tuna rolls, razor clam rolls and yellowtail hand roll. Everything was remarkably fresh and perfect, down to every ratio of sushi to rice and the temperature. Afterwards, we commented whether we would ever be able to have sushi elsewhere. Ambience was very cozy and intimate. Maximum seating of seven seats, hence very difficult to get a spot. Felt like I was in a local restaurant in the heart of Tokyo. Perfect for an intimate date or professional meal. Service was also top notch. At times, I felt they were a bit too mechanical, but I guess precision and propriety are part of the Japanese experience. Would go back in a heartbeat.

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    Sushi Tetsu
    Sushi Tetsu
    Sushi Tetsu

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    Tokyo Diner - japanese - Updated May 2026

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