Sadly So Restaurant’s food just doesn’t hold up against the competition, particularly given the price. We had the Tuna Tataki and the Scallop with Daikon salad for starter. I was actually a bit offended to find we were served such poor cuts of tuna — filled with cartilage that was impossible to chew — surely no good Japanese restaurant would be seen serving that?! The flavour of the salad was actually quite nice, but was ruined by being quite soggy and the scallops being overcooked. Our mains were the tonkatsu and the soft shell crab sushi. The tonkatsu was probably the best dish we had but that didn’t stop it being slightly burnt. On the plus side — I did thoroughly enjoy the sauce served alongside it. The soft shell crab sushi was fine. Despite our waiters and the staff being generally attentive and friendly, this couldn’t really make up for the food. There are plenty of better, cheaper, places less than a minutes walk away from here.
Fernando K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Cambridge, MA
Excellent experience at So Japanese. Didn’t eat much as it was out second sushi restaurant of the night, but all nigiris and the roll we tried were great. The Chef also gave us some complementary torched salmon and it was not just a nice touch, but also delicious. Also had a nice conversation with the manager at the end of the dinner. Great place, will go again!
Soomin R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
A few friends and I went for a simple dinner, and everything was delicious. I ordered the spicy tuna handroll and hot udon. I absolutely loved my handroll — possibly the best I ever had in London, full of fresh tuna and flavours. My udon was solid as well, though I wish it had been a bit more flavourful. My friend ordered agedashi tofu and aubergines to share, and both starters were spot on. Service was generally good and prompt as you would expect of a reasonably nice Asian restaurant. I spotted quite a few Japanese businessmen dining too, which generally is indicative of an above average service standards. Ambience was average — would have expected a bit more sophistication. We dined downstairs, which was generally alright but I personally wouldn’t have preferred in general. A solid Japanese place to try if you’re around Piccadilly!
Muji L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
Fois gras jyu(rice) was amazing but would suggest that you share because althought the portion is small, it can get quite heavy after awhile. The sashimi was quite fresh. We also ordered a wagyu beef tataki which was yummy too. This restaurant is quite pricey though, so maybe for a treat occasionally :)
Brian D.
Rating des Ortes: 1 London, United Kingdom
Went on 5 June at 7pm. We were seated promptly with menus. After 15 minutes not a single employee came to our table. We got up. We left.
Victor G.
Rating des Ortes: 2 La Jolla, CA
Friendly and fast service. Unfortunately, the sushi and sashimi were less impressive and the presentation resembled a cheaper restaurant than the price actually charged. I did not order any cooked items on the menu so the two stars may not give them justice.
Ben R.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Irvine, CA
I went there on a date on a Friday at 9. The size of the crowd was perfect for that because it was half full and pleasant décor. There were some people leaving shortly after we got there and they started to haul in the trash by 10:30 so wouldn’t get there later… The choice of beer and saki was good and we had a good cheap cold saki. We ordered the sushi special platter which had a mix of spicy salmon roll, various sushi and sashimi. The meal overall was good and the fish was fresh! The reasons I give it only a 3 is because I probably wouldn’t go back again. I like having a choice of good rolls and that was few here. I also like a slightly more lively atmosphere with prompt encouraging drink service. If these things aren’t important to you then it’s a great place!
Jennifer P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Las Vegas, NV
Not as great as expected. Service was slow. Menu selection was very limited. Not sure I would go back as there are much better options in the city. good food quality and pricing. Great for friends but not entertaining clients.
Napualokelani K.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Woodbridge, VA
If I were rating only on quality and taste of food, this place would get 5 stars, however, add in quality of service and it gets reduced big time. Perhaps the lack of service was because i stopped by when lunch service was winding down, but it took over 10 min to get something to drink and 10 more to order and then nobody else came by until i interrupted someone for the check.
Sudie L.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Strand, London, United Kingdom
One simple word: fantastic! Japanese food at its best and most authentic. Majority of customers are Japanese and so are all the chefs and staff.
Ayed K.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Atlanta, GA
The shrimp Tempura was barely ok… Had to pay for Miso soup(should be a given). The sushi was So so. I definitely had better sushi in other major cities(mind u Tokyo, San Francisco, Atlanta are some of them, so I might be biased). For London cuisine, it’s good. NOT worth the price paid though(and I am on an all expense paid budget)
Mark G.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Toronto, Canada
I thought the sushi was actually pretty good and it was fairly priced. The one thing I’d say was lacking the atmosphere — it was pretty empty on what should have been a busy night
Shiva R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
Overall I quite enjoyed my experience here. The mains can be a bit pricey but the sushi and the starters are all pretty reasonably priced. We had the Agedofu starter which wasn’t quite what I was expecting but still was pretty good. The sushi was fresh and delicious and the scallops my friend had looked great and were really well presented. The staff here was really helpful and were really honest in helping me pick a tea. They do sort of require some catching of attention because they don’t just often come check on you. The atmosphere is nice. Everything is quite modern and sleek looking. This place might not be a constant go-to spot, but I would recommend it as a nice first date sort of place as it seemed like many of the people there were on one.(Some of which were going better than others. The first date happening directly next to our table was hilariously painful to watch, but I suppose that is a different story)
John G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Brighton, United Kingdom
A trip up to Town, plus my mission to Get to Know Sushi brought me to this eaterie. A really good discovery. There is a huge selection to choose from, and they do Specials. Apparently there is a famous Roll named The Mackerel Timber Roll, and it’s back! Whoopee! but I had enough to deal with reading the vast menu already presented. Fabulous surroundings, as was the staff and food. We shall return,(the wife’s still not keen)!!
Trang H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, United Kingdom
Tucked in the middle of nowhere in Soho, lost amongst the numerous restaurants and small streets, is this little gem of a japanese restaurant. You’ll most likely walk by it if you’re not looking closely, but look look and look for it, because it’s THAT good. I had the sushi & sashimi platter. This means«whatever fresh fish was brought in today» deliciousness. The types of sushi and sashimi will change from day to day but the constant thing is the elegant simplicity of a a well-prepared dish. And it’s absolutely yummy. The staff is attentive and ever so polite(a rare treat in London unless you’re going to fork out the money and sometimes not even then). The sake martinis are quite good and marries well with the sushi&sashimi. If my pocketbook can handle it, I would be here every night. Verdict: My new favourite sushi restaurant in London(thanks Sunmee!).
Gerd1
Rating des Ortes: 5 Bretten, Baden-Württemberg
Leckeres Sushi. Das Lokal ist sauber, die Toiletten auch. Preis Leistung ist in Ordnung. Immer wider gerne
Kai H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Singapore, Singapore
I like to think I know a fair bit about Japanese restaurants and this one is definitely a good authentic mid-class sushi diner just off Regent street. The décor, plates /glasses and cutlery are classy and I like to perch on the bar like a regular with friends. Their website is pretty good and rewarding. Book in advance and you can get upto 40% off which is a bit ludicrous. In fact the other night I rung up and asked for a discount at very short notice and they gave it. You do need to be a very nice with the staff. For two people with the discount, you can eat a quality sushi/sashimi platter for two and enjoy a couple of beers all in for 50GBP in central London. That’s great value.
Connie L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Boston, MA
I always get hesitant having sushi when I’m in new areas. If it’s a bad experience, it ruins my tongue’s last memorable fling with amazing fish and Japanese food. And my tongue is high maintenance. But So gave me a confident pep talk regarding London’s Japanese food scene. I had some plum wine(a highly recommend) and ordered a Chirashi. The sashimi was fresh, it was REAL crab — not imitation crab, rice was good, and ginger was sweet and tart. Most of all, I love hearing Japanese, gouchisousamadeshita! In terms of the physical restaurant, it was nicely lighted, and had an upscale French-Japanese feel. Some would say it’s a bit pricey, but I wasn’t too bothered by it since the price was worth the quality and value. Besides, what else do you expect for good sushi? Obviously not Yo! Sushi prices. I am sure there are many more authentic Japanese restaurants in London, but for now, until I am introduced to something better, I will return to So for some more tongue action.
Shayan S.
Rating des Ortes: 3 London, United Kingdom
So is what I’d call a «so-so» restaurant. On a forgettable part of Soho(Warwick street), that might actually be a good thing. I’m not a real sucker for touristy restaurants, so the further away from the neon light’s of soho, the better, in my book. That being said, it’s not cheap. Even with a 25% discount(which we got online on their website). 55 pounds for 2. They don’t have unfiltered sake(to my knowledge), which was a bit of a bummer, as we were spoiled for options when we lived in the South Bay(California). The salmon/tuna sashimi is really very good, and you can tell that the fish is fresh. The soft shell tempura is not bad. I like the fact that the tempura is not over battered. The crab was juicy, but pretty tasteless. The fried tofu was good, very subtle tastes, but again, not as good as what we’ve had elsewhere. The atmosphere is dry, quiet, and sterile, however the staff is really sweet and nice, and as always, I love the fact that everyone says good bye when you leave. In a city where there’s so much choice for decent japanese, So doesn’t stand out, in a good way or a bad way.
Chrissy B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 London, United Kingdom
How does a sushi place manage to be both excellent and completely forgettable? It’s a special gift I guess and So Restaurant has got it. It could be because of it’s location, perhaps the non-existent atmosphere, I really can’t put my finger on it and although I enjoyed my dining here, I can’t really call it an experience either. It’s on the pricey side(cheaper than nobu though) but the sushi is really quite good, although my salmon was served far too chilled for my taste, everything else including my sea bass sashimi was delicious! Really, top notch sushi like a few other of my other favorite London sushi haunts. Look around online and you can find a discount for dinner here, and you certainly won’t be disappointed by the food, I’d just say don’t bring your friends visiting there as it’s a nice place but manages to be neither an authentic japanese restaurant nor a hipster sushi fusion bar. Up to you if you want sushi or atmosphere, or both.
Juncal P.
Rating des Ortes: 5 London, United Kingdom
Really nice food… I used to go there very often, as they offered a 50% discount deal with the Tastelondon card. Not anymore, and I really miss it! It is a bit pricey, but the food is to die for, specially the black cod in miso and the ice cream dessert! If you are looking for a place for a special day… this is it!