Abeno

"There are plenty of Japanese restaurants in London, but Abeno is special in that it was the first okonomiyaki specialist in town. Every table at this spot in Bloomsbury has its own teppan—a hot plate built into the table—meaning that you get to watch your pancakes be fried and flipped right in front of you, before they make the short journey to your plate. Thankfully, this isn’t your responsibility. The servers here wield spatulas like swords, and they’ll take care of cooking your pork, squid, and prawn-filled okonomiyaki perfectly. Meaning that you and your group can sit back and enjoy the show, and also some soba." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing

"The okonomiyaki specialist is open seven days a week for delivery and collection, from 12 until 8pm. The Tokyo mix - pork, squid, and prawn - is our preferred pancake to start with, but don’t ignore the yaki-soba or the tempura either. They’re delivering across N, S, and W postcodes within 10 miles and you can order directly from the website." - oliver feldman, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak

"Abeno is your double date dream if you’ve convinced yourself you have nothing to say to two people you’ve literally never met. The reason being is that this Japanese okonomiyaki spot in Bloomsbury is as entertaining as it is tasty. Watching one of the superb chefs fry and flip everything from a cottage pie okonomiyaki to prawn dumplings, can form at least 60% of the conversation. Which is, surely, more than enough. Your other half can pick up the remaining 40%." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna

"When you’re looking for dinner and a show but have absolutely zero incentive to venture anywhere near the West End, go to Abeno. This lovely Japanese spot in Bloomsbury specialises in okonomiyaki and as soon as you walk in you’ll hear the sound of tasty things sizzling on each table’s hot plate. You can opt for the gluten-free dough for the full okonomiyaki experience, and it’s always a good shout if you’re after an activity that’ll mask any and all awkward silences. " - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Sinead Cranna

"You’ve just spent six hours—yes, six—at the British Museum with your uncle because it was either that or five and a half hours of silence after you’ve checked in on their latest Top Gear opinions. Head for the excitement of Abeno, an okonomiyaki spot with some great Japanese dishes they cook on the hot plate at your table. That’s right, a meal and a show. They serve everything from yaki gyoza, prawn soba, and kaki age tempura." - Heidi Lauth Beasley, Jake Oliver