Benihana

People don’t usually treat vegans well especially when set menus are involved but I was pleasantly surprised. We were catered to perfectly and we got our food at the same time as everyone else.
Had the miso soup, vegetable tempura, hibachi vegetables, hibachi rice, vegetable papillote and fruit salad. Kore wa oishiidesu — delicious.
Excellent atmosphere, polite and attentive staff and a nightclub next door.
Definitely drop by if you enjoy Japanese cuisine and enjoy fire tricks every now and then x

Went to this place for lunch today. It was a fun experience. Both the waiter and the chef were very welcoming. The food was good, just regular hibachi. There wasn’t anything special, but wasn’t anything terrible either. The waiter told me that they didn’t have lots of customers during lunch time, so if you are looking for a quiet place to have a good conversation with those who you dine with, then this might be it. Overall, I think it’s an above average Hibachi restaurant, a safe choice to go for a quality lunch.

Its been a little while since I wrong a review — time has been limited recently. Anyway! I popped into Benihana last night in St. Pauls and had a brilliant time. We had the blackened cod and the tuna steak which came with a really nice start of prawns and onion soup. The cod and tuna was served with really nice vegetables and salad.
One of my favourite restaurant chains! Never disappointed and always made to feel welcome with great service.

Good to go with a few people and have your own chef cooking in front of you. Funny, tasty and the decoration is really cool and new.

If this was in the US, I’d give it 2 stars, but understanding the overall blandness of food in the UK, I’ll give it the 3 stars. I’ve been here a bunch of times for work dinners, and while there are good deals on occasion (23 GBP eight course set menu, and the all you can eat sushi — seen it at 12 GBP and 17 GBP), the food is bland. If you order steak, get it a temperature less than what you want… they always, always overcook the steak. The chicken and prawn are bland, but the saving grace for the meal is always the mustard sauce. I would drink it if I could (or if no one was looking). The sushi is pretty solid here… slightly better than Yo Sushi, and a good deal when it is all you can eat. Overall, I go here cause I love hibachi, but if it was in NY, I’d go elsewhere.

Minutes away from St Pauls, this American born chain is perfect for tasty Japanese food with flair.
My parents, who were staying in the nearby Grange hotel, had been to their Vegas chain and was chuffed to find a venue on their own stomping ground.
The service was friendly, and the girls serving us were very sweet. Our main waitress (we had about 3 in total) was a trainee and it was obvious that she was pretty new. «This wine would go brilliantly with fish.» Just so happened to be the most expensive and 3 times the price of the one we’d chosen. We also had cocktails, which at £9.50 a pop, weren’t exactly value for money. These are the reasons for a couple of stars being knocked off.
We went for the set menu — £22 for 8 courses, can’t go wrong. Our chef, Ben, cooked all the food in front of eyes with plenty of showmanship. He made a volcano out of onions and butterflied the prawns with amazing precision. This was absolutely the highlight of the night.
The food was delivious, but because of the speed at which all the courses came I ended up feeling full before half of my courses hit my plate.
The service was fairly hurried, but was very happy and attentive. I’d go again with a group of friends or a work crowd before a night out. Not exactly relaxing, but a real experience.

Great Japanese nosh cooked in front of you on the hibachi. I like this place, quite chic, great city location and all the theatre of the cooking. Best for groups really.