Brilliant food and service. Most dishes are made in front of you by experienced staff who talk you through the process. Very enjoyable experience. Love it and will definitely come back. Also try the strawberry roll dessert

Visited as a solo diner on a weekday afternoon. The staff were polite and friendly. I was offered hand sanitiser as I arrived and was seated quickly. Since it was my first time eating okonomiyaki, the server gave an informative explanation of what okonomiyaki is and how its cooked. I ordered the Osaka okonomiyaki and a glass of plum wine soda. It was interesting to see it prepared in front of my own eyes and the end result was delicious - a flavourful and rich pancake with a wonderful mix of flavours. The quality of food was unquestionably high.What really let the meal down was the value for money. As a solo diner, I paid just under £30 (after the 12.5% gratuity) for a meal and one drink that still left me feeling hungry. While they do offer a larger size, the already high prices deterred me from ordering it. Additionally, the way the gratuity (12.5%) was snuck in on the bill without me seeing the menu itself was downright dishonest. Since first posting, I have reviewed the PDF menu on Abenos website, and the gratuity is buried 3/4 down a page of blurb. Disappointing that yet another restaurant would taint the diners experience by requiring them to be on their guard instead of enjoying a relaxing experience. This is a tradition imported from America that needs to die. If a restaurant needs higher prices to be sustainable for the business and its staff, just raise the prices and be honest about it. Dont mislead customers with a hidden gratuity and then leave diners feeling awkward when they realise the meal was even less value for money than first advertised.All in all, I left with an appreciation for okonomiyaki as a dish, but with no desire to return to Abeno as a restaurant itself. The value for money simply wasnt there.*Review edited following restaurant response*

A yummy okonomiyaki restaurant in the heart of London. Perfect place to eat after visiting the British museum.Loved everything we ate and the agedashi tofu was super tasty with a chewy-ish skin and tasty sauce! Loved! :)

An amazing experience for an amazing meal. Being my first time trying okonomiyaki I had a great time, extremely friendly staff, good food and a comfortabe environment. Just be sure to book your time slot, as we hadnt and so had to wait around the local area for a couple hours, but was definitely worth it.

Such a delightful experience at Abeno tonight. Wonderful tastes and flavours that transported me back to Osaka. Really reasonably priced and really family friendly (with my two noisy infants)

Real okonomiyaki. Not Japanese cuisine adjusted for British taste (i.e. no chicken to replace pork, everywhere)

It felt like we were back in Japan! Delicious food, good range of okonomiyaki and other dishes. Fresh food cooked at your tablet, staff was lovely and really attentive. Will recommend and come back.

I visited here around 2010 and enjoyed it. I have since lived in Japan for over 4 years and had my fair share of Okonomiyaki. I recently revisited the restaurant with my wife.Abeno does a great job of serving up authentic tasting okonomiyaki, although they have a few unusual inventions on the menu if youre feeling like going off-piste.The staff are very helpful and friendly and will happily talk you through okonomiyaki if youve never had it before.Okonomiyaki served here all seem to be Osaka style, though you can add noodles to make it more like Hiroshima style if you wish.Only real negative is the price. Compared to what youd pay in Japan, this is a bit much and I wouldnt say it represents true value for money.When all is said and done though, it was very tasty and an enjoyable experience.

The staff and customer service here is great! I found the food a little bit overpriced, I understand a big part of the cost is someone cooking on hotplate at your table which is a nice experience. However found it a bit pricey for what it is. My friend had the Tokyo special and said it was pretty good. I had the tofu option, which was a quite bland (I know its tofu), but as a vegetarian I am limited with my options. The tofu agadashi was great! The sake cocktails are yum, but small, Id recommend beer.

This place is one of the best for Okonomi-yaki!I tried the kiso mix which was so tasty, also love the fact that they are making it in front of you on the table, such a nice experience and service! I couldn’t conclude without a strawberry roll, also made in front of us! High recommend

Amazing food and service. Would definitely come back!!

Their takeaway DIY okonomiyaki is great! Definitely worth it for cooking with friends/family. Great service and sweet staff too

My favourite restaurant anywhere so far! Okonomiyaki is the food of the gods.

Amazing service, food and prices, will definitely come again!Service was very friendly and helpful.

If youre looking for authentic Japanese food, then look no further. Great service, reasonably priced, and 懐かしい flavors of Osaka. Best place to get your okonomiyaki and yakisoba fix.

Happy with the service and food. I was a bit indecisive and decided to order the mochi, bacon and cheese okonomiyaki. Glad I did because the mochi added a nice glutinous texture. Very tasty, very umami.The okonomiyaki was cooked and garnished by a staff member. Be careful about oil spatter on your clothes—you’re sitting close to a hot plate, so some spatter is bound to happen. Also, I presume the condiments weren’t left at the table because of COVID, but the okonomiyaki was very flavourful and I don’t think I would’ve added anything else.I found the price to be a bit high, which is really my only critique.This is the first restaurant my husband and I visited post-lockdown. They’re still taking precautions, which is good. They’ve placed a table at the entrance where you can sanitise your hands, scan the QR code to get the menu on your phone and voluntarily participate in the NHS Track and Trace. Staff are wearing masks. Seating is a bit cramped, however, and you can be in close proximity with other patrons—just FYI if you are concerned about this.

Allright! I have to first confess it was the very first time I ever tried Japanese cuisine and I cant compare it.I find it surprisingly amazing to watch how they cook it for you at your table( you might be thinking Oh! I will smell all over but trust me This is so worthy, plus your mates will be same so no embarrassment there👍🏻)You should definitely try Okonomi-yaki ... is a combination suitable for every taste... I went for spinach and cheese, And shared a bite from my friends of mushroom combination and one another with chicken and broccoli wich all are great... top up with too sauces ... yummy ( there are options of sea weed and fish flakes, but Don.t add them unless you are a big fan of sea food)The PLUM whine is Insanely tasty, sweet and delicate ( ladies go for it, but not only ... Mans, if you appreciate liquor kind taste, treat yourself)Finishing with pancakes (hot-cakes with chocolate chips) and chocolate Ice Cream is the Perfect dot to end the experience.I loved to celebrate with my friends here a Birthday girl.Thanks a lot to our hosts.

A fantastic little restaurant. Okonomiyaki is not common over here, making this an extra special treat to have it authentically cooked on a hot plate in the centre of the table. Interesting mix of flavours, and side dishes are very tasty and generous - the prawn & vegetable tempura is especially good. Lovely range of drinks, apricot soda makes a nice accompaniment. Booking ahead is recommended but easy to do.

This place is the one I always prefer. I go to many restaurants but to this one I keep coming back again and again. The crew is very professional and the food they cook is so good. I would always prefer to have a good dinner in this place. I recommend this place with pleasure.

Exceptional food, the best I have had in ages. Cooked freshly and expertly in front of you as the chef talks you through the process. Excellent welcoming and accommodating service (thank you for treating my grandma like a queen!!!) We will definitely back. Great for any occasion and with any group of people!

Really liked this small but excellent Okonomi-yaki restaurant which will make some dishes on the table hot plate. Lovely food with japanese beer, served with good cheer from staff, all family I was told. What more could you want. Definitely on the return too list.

It was delicious. I recommend Tokyo-Mix plus Modern-Yaki.

So excited I found this place in London, the authentic and super tasty okonomiyaki. Brought back memories of Japan!

One of the best and authentic Japanese restaurants in central London.Wonderful service and food made me remember my days visiting Japan.Abeno serves the traditional Osaka food - Okonomiyaki in fresh and prepares it in front of the customer, what a great experience.

Great service, decent food. The matcha dessert was a pleasant surprise.

Absolutely loved the experience. The most authentic Osaka-style okonomiyaki in London! Customise them your own way. Yummy, filling, highly recommended. The staff is very welcoming and attentive. Arigato!

Amazing service and food.The staff were very hospitable and knowledgeable as well.We loved everything and will definitely come back.

Delicious food. Great yaki soba, okonomiyaki and karaage. Good service. For those who are new to teppanyaki, they do all the cooking for you on the tables. I will note that the food does take a decent amount of time to fully cook and so starters and drinks are recommended. It is also quite expensive but its worth it for special occasions or if youre curious about the food. I wouldnt go in groups any larger than 4. It will be difficult to get full.

Really delicious - and unusual as a way of eating. All cooked in front of you. Fabulous night out

The service and the food was exceptional! Would 100% recommend this restaurant and definitely would come back again! 🥰

This place never disappoints. They serve awesome food for fair prices, there are no long waits even when the place is full.

They serve large portions and for convenient pricing. kind staff. Never disappointing.

Really authentic and delicious food! Great customer service. Highly recommend!

If you are hungry make sure to ask which are the quick side dishes! Its lovely to see delicious food being cooked in front of you with a very polite and respectful staff; right after spending a day in the British Museum is a perfect way to finish

If you want to discover another side of Japanese food, try Okonomiyake at Abeno

Abeno is like being in Osaka while being in London!!!The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful! Think this may just become our new favourite restaurant in the whole of London!Suggestion: if you want to go definitely book as there can be a long wait. It will be worth it just depends on how hungry you are when you get there 🙌🏻🙌🏻

A small but lovely restaurant. Tried okonomiyaki and om-soba, both are nice. Portion is not big so if you’re hungry go for luxury deluxe of okonomiyaki

Excellent lunch spot. It is not very busy at lunch time.We ordered the Osaka lunch set and Om soba lunch set. Both was delicious. The pancake was cooked in front of us which was interesting to watch. We also had the hot cake for dessert which tastes very similar to pancakes.The service is excellent as it is expected from a Japanese restaurant.

Yup, the real deal. Super tasty okonomiyaki (cooked in front of you), very friendly staff, clean, welcoming. Just an amazing experience overall.

Really great food, and the staff were amazing. Vegetarian options were available.

Ive been a few times and I absolutely love this place. The staff are engaging and they love to educate you about Japanese language and culture, I could not recommend this lovely restaurant enough!

The best Japanese food Ive had in London. Enough said :)

Fabulous service and food 👌 highly recommend, fresh authentic Japanese dishes.

As always a lovely experience.The food is amazing and the staff is simply the best.Absolutely recommended!

Average okonomiyaki sadly when I had high expectations.We went with 6 of us and perhaps temperature wasnt hot enough for making for all of us, it was too soft inside, it wasnt ready or cooked enough, then over cooks while you eat as its still on the same hot plate.Im Japanese so I know what authentic Okonomiyaki is.

I had my first Okonomiyaki at Abeno Too.I recommend Tokyo mix, modern yaki, super delux!

Staff are soooo kind, amazing organic food and great atmosphere. Would recommend!

Good okonomiyaki at a reasonable price for London. Friendly staff and clean and positive environment

The food was delicious and the portion sizes were really good. Friendly service and the tables were nicely spaced out so it felt covid secure. Will definitely be going back.

First time we tried okonomiyaki after we had heard so much about it. The staff was very friendly, explaining everything enthusiastically and with patience. The okonomiyaki was excellent. Our visit was a perfect introduction to this wonderful dish. We will definitely come back for more!

Was my first time in the restaurant, really enjoyed it.

Good Japanese food cooked and served at your table in cases where this is possible.

I love Abeno! Not only is their okonomiyaki delicious, but the desserts are too. What’s not to love?! They also do hot cakes!

Might be the best Japanese food I have had in London, not to expensive either..

Cozy Japanese restaurant tucked south of the British Museum. They cook the okonomiyaki and other dishes on the hot steel griddle in front of you. They staff is super nice and friendly helping you navigate the menu and telling you about the different ingredients. Food is great and a unique experience.

Very authentic okonomikayi!

Always great food and service. Love coming here

MUST VISIT! This is a family run Japanese restaurant focusing on okonomiyaki, and its up there with with best okonomiyaki Ive had including in Japan!!! The service is phonomenal, not intrusive but personal with some of the food cooked on the table in front of you! The family and staff were so good at service, this place is a must try if in the area, lets support small businesses that care!

One of my favourite restaurants to go in London. Having the food cooked in front of you is an experience I enjoy every single time - and Ive been here probably around a dozen times by now. Staff are very friendly, Covid measures are in place. Look forward to going again.

Very good service...staff very helpful with the menu for first timers...good food

Delicious okanomiyaki cooked fresh at the table. Great service.

Amazing experience in unique themed restaurant in london. Super friendly staff relaxed atmosphere and top quality ingredients. A true gem in a touristy district

Very unusual but very tasty Japanese food

Went twice and both time had good food! The deco is pretty simple but sufficient. The staff were really nice but quite slow and you really need to try hard to draw their attention! But the main event, the okonomiyaki was really tasty! You have to have it with all the sauce! And liked a few other starters too! Not a big fan for natto though... guess this is quite personal.. Really recommend this place! Kyoto sundae was really yummy!!

Had a Pork, Squid and prawn Okonomiyaki and cucumber and seaweed sunomono which really reminded me of when I went to Japan for the first time. It was so lovely. Staff were fantastic cooking this at my table.

Freshly made okonomiyaki and hotcakes for dessert. Really good!

Great experience at Abeno ! Service and staff are really great, super friendly and helpful. You do great job guys, thumbs up !I liked the concept of having the food prepared in front of you. It brings relax and casual atmosphere. Definitely a place to go with few friends to catch up.No let’s talk about the food. I got a mix feeling. I really like the vegetables Tempura. Very light and the batter is just right and not oily at all. Must order !Ordered- 2 okonomi yaki : Tokyo and Osaka. I liked the lightness of the dish but still try to taste the difference between both. One is supposed to have Kimchi (haven’t tasted it at all) ...- Mix Soba noodles (scallops, pork, prawns) didn’t like the dish. Too dry and heavy ... missing some sauce...- chicken Soba Rice: fried rice was well done but flavourless due to lack of seasoning ... and still wonder if the chicken stayed in the kitchen ...- gobu salad with burdock: liked it but very simple dish with more salad leaves than the main ingredient...- seasonal vegetables with sesame sauce: very tasty and well seasoned but too small portion ...To conclude I really enjoyed place, the experience and the staff but food wise it’s a disappointment especially for the price asked.Total bill £77 (no dessert and drinks)

Great food and service. Try it

Amazing food and great service. This will certainly be one of our go-to’s when in town.

Had the pleasure of finally trying out some okinomiyaki which I missed out on while I was in Japan. The service was really great and timely, all of the food was delicious and beautifully presented in true Japanese style. The okinnomiyaki is prepared on the table in front of you which really adds to the experience, I will say though that you may want to dress in light clothing as it will get pretty hot. The okinomiyaki was delicious and I very much enjoyed eating it with the mini spatula. The dessert was great with something new to discover with every layer. Highly recommended to visit if you can, word of advice you do need to book a table in advance and you will have 2 hours for your meal which they are fairly strict about. Will most definitely be back to try some more options.

Authentic, really well done food. Excellent staff. Brownie points for extensive traditional Japanese dessert menu which is rare in London.

Excellent okonomiyaki for a reasonable price.

This is the best place to get Okonimiyaki. The staff here is Japanese but very friendly. They consult you very well for your dietary preferences. I am a vegetarian and they have clear markings and ingredients on the menu. It saves you from egg and fish flakes if you dont eat them. Avocado gyoza were definitely a must. I tried spinach and cheese okonimiyaki and it was so filling and worth it.

Have visited Abenaki a couple of times now and I’m always very impressed with everything, from the range of options on offer, to the incredible service, and - of course - the absolutely amazing food.A great, authentic okonomiyaki restaurant with generous portions, expertly cooked and served. A really fun place for a delicious laid-back meal.

Amazing food! It brings back nice memories of visiting Japan. There’s a very good selection of okonomi-yaki and other Japanese dishes and drinks. The sake cocktails are just perfect. The place is usually busy, so you have to be very lucky to get a table without booking. Therefore reservations are recommended!

このレストランは素晴らしい。とても美味しかったです！Amazing authentic Japanese restaurant. The staff are so helpful, friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and so interesting to watch being cooked Infront of you. Would definitely recommend.

An excellent foray into something new for me, lunch with a bit of theatre prepared and served in front of you on the embedded hot plate within the table. Very friendly staff, patient and accommodating with the newbie! Recommended.

Cozy restaurant with great customer service and delicious food. Absolutely worth it.

Delicious okonomiyaki, best Ive had in London! Lovely staff too.

Staff were really friendly, food was delicious and were able to choose whether we cooked the okonomiyaki ourselves or have someone do it for us at the table!

Great atmosphere, amazing food, wonderful service. Definitely coming back!

One of the best okonomiyaki in London - it’s delicious and not too oily.Things I‘ll recommend:- generally all food cooked in front of you on the teppan- okonomiyaki- we recommend having all sauces and add pork to your selection- the Japanese hot cake we had is pretty good - we particularly like the matcha ice creamWe didn’t get a chance to try their gyoza and tempura but they seems delicious.Make sure you reserve before going as it can get really busy.

Always enjoy the food and service at Abeno. Okonomiyaki is one of my favourite Japanese food. The menu at Abeno is wide and lets you enjoy a variety of Japanese dishes like Yakisoba, and Omsoba too. The desserts are authentically Japanese too. Whats not to love about this place? I will always recommend to friends who are interested in Japanese cuisine to give this place a try.

Solid food with very skilled staff. Would very much come back again

Loved every bit of it. Lovely staff, very helpful, they explained everything as newcomers and first time experience.Will definitely return for more.

Probably the best okonomiyaki I’ve had outside of Osaka

Interesting experience. Nice food.

Cool okonomiyaki experience in London, but dont expect it to be like Japan. Prices are on the higher side (£15 for a super deluxe) and will get you satisfied but not full. The food itself was tasty, but it took a long time (part of the experience) for the whole process of gathering the ingredients into bowl and cooking it - dont come on a lunch break. Service was very friendly, however just not a place I would go back to unless you loveeeeee okonomiyaki.

Absolutely brilliant, the staff were really friendly and explained what they were doing while they made our okonomiyaki. The food was incredible and reasonably priced. Had a great time would definitely go back again, great for couples and groups!

Really great customer service, and even more delicious okonomoyaki. If you want a good okonomoyaki this is the best place to go!

Everything was delicious and the staff friendly and helpful. Definitely worth going

Abeno is a really good restaurant, the interior design is really minimal and you wont judge it as a 4 star restaurant but as soon as you try their food experience you will love it.The staff is friendly and reserved so I can suggest it if you like to have an oriental relaxing dinner with your beloved.They serve proper Japanese food which is not the classic sushi so dont expect to have a bunch of rice and raw fish, instead, you should try their okonomiyaki which is so tasty.I will definitely return from time to time :-)

Broad okonomiyaki selection. Tasty and washes down well with a glass of iced mugicha.

Delectable okinominyaki in a fun setting. The wait staff are very friendly and accommodating. They have a large whisky menu, as well.

Family owned and run business. Amazing service and delicious food.

The avocada tofu gyoza was really good!! We had the pancake with pork and noodles on top of it, it was really satisfying to see how they bake the pancake. The staff was really friendly and helpful. I will definitely come back.

Loved it. Fresh food. Great that its made fresh in front of you. Lovely service. Very tasty!!!

Probably one of the best Japanese restaurants in London. The place is small and cosy and the waiters are incredibly friendly and polite. If you order teppanyaki, it will be masterfully cooked right in front of you on an iron griddle. I absolutely loved the food! Definitely recommend Abeno to anyone and will visit it more in the future.

We hadnt booked in advance but I would recommend doing so as the venue is fairly small. However the food was really good and worth the price! Tastes similar to the okonomiyaki I ate in Japan.

I came to Abeno Restaurant as It had been recommended to me as a place that serves real Japanese food. I was surprised to find out that Japanese cuisine isn’t just sushi. I’m fact, we didn’t have any rice at all. Instead, we ordered a number of very interesting sounding meals. It was all fantastic. A series of small meals led the way to the star of the evening- okonomyaki ( I guess it’s like a Japanese omlet) . All the food was prepared from freshly chopped ingredients and fried in front of us on the hot tables ( just like in the movies). The people preparing the food would accompany the process with a small story of each meal’s origin....it was truly entertaining. I had never learned so much about food in a restaurant. Not to mention the deliciousness of that! What I really liked as well is how they use seasonal ingrendients in their menu- something that the waitress was very proud to mention. I never been to Japan but after the visit to Abeno, I have another reason to put the country on my bucket list- fantastic cuisine. 5 stars from me!