wagamama kensington

Went for the set menu and it really did the job. Started with gyoza, then katsu curry — exactly what you expect and honestly sometimes that’s the whole point. Warm, comforting, no surprises. Finished with coconut reika ice cream, which was light, refreshing, and a great way to end without feeling stuffed. Big plus for the service too — Nina looked after us, quick at the table and genuinely friendly, which always makes the whole experience better. Not fancy, not trying to impress — just an easy, satisfying meal that left me glad we went.

ordered the katsu curry & chilli chicken ramen, which was extremely subpar; the ramen did not taste close to authentic at all. i wasn’t expecting a mind blowing meal, but i did hope it’d be decent at least… i have no idea how this place has good reviews cause it was a very disappointing experience that warranted a refund tbh.

Went in after looking at all the great reviews but was super disappointed with the taste of the food. I ordered the chilli chicken ramen, but unfortunately it tasted nothing like a ramen. There was no umami, or depth in the broth, at all. It was just a clear broth with vegetables and noodles thrown in. It also had an annoyingly sweet taste. Tbh, the dish tasted closer to a pho than a ramen. The service was good though, the staff came to check on us a few times and tried their best to assist. But overall, disappointing food, especially given the price.

Just like in another restaurant from this chain, we enjoyed everything here. It’s not the kind of place where you’ll find something very unique or incredibly tasty. There’s no special design or fancy details either. But the portions are big, and the prices are fairly reasonable. The food comes out quickly, and the service is fast and efficient. We came as a group of four, and everyone was happy with their meals. It’s a reliable choice for a simple and satisfying meal.

You can’t really go wrong with wagamama! The vegatsu was lovely as always and the boys really likes the yuzu chicken (ironically i forgot to take a pic of that one). Starters were a tad overpriced but i think that’s a bit of a given. Drinks and deserts also didn’t disappoint!

I’ve been eating at Wagamama every time I come to London since 1997, when there were many, many fewer locations. The food is consistently good, of high quality, and it’s a reliable place to eat when touring around London and looking for something easy, wholesome, and they isn’t readily available in most of the US. The concept still amazes me. My meal at the Kensington location was excellent. The chicken on the teriyaki soba could have been a little less cooked but otherwise everything was perfect. Service was quick, easy, and efficient, as always. Highly recommended.

Firm favorite . Wagamama Kensington might possibly have more high net worth regular clients than any other restaurant on the planet. ( just saying) . Great food , enjoy sitting with other citizens of the world.

Visited Wagamama Kensington High Street for their relaunch. They are situated on the 1st floor and the dining room is large and spacious. There is an open kitchen at the rear of the dining room. The seating area is fairly large with tables and benches. The new menu was good especially the Prawns and the Spicy Calamari. They also have a new selection of Cocktails. The service was very good with friendly staff and a great ambiance.

Always enjoy Wagamama. It is reliably good and the service is decent the atmosphere is bare board, but pleasant. Really enjoyed the Katsu Curry and Miso soup.

Had to walk up three large flights of stairs to arrive. Place feels like a cafeteria which I don't think is necessarily bad. I got the spicy chicken ramen which had zero flavor at all and the potstickers also zero flavor.

I happen to pop into the UK whole working and stopped by Wagaman for a bite. The location I visited was at Paddington Square. What a wonderful place to dine. I visited for lunch. The service was prompt and servers were pretty responsive. Intried a few items. The sticky bun sliders, edamame, and sushi were fantastic. The buns were fluffy and the meat was seasoned just right. Edamame came with a choice of seasoned toppings which made a classic favorite more interesting to my taste buds. And of course, how do you go to London and not have a spot of tea. I had a mint lemon tea was very refreshing and paired perfectly with my meal. Worth the visit to this UK chain if you ever find yourself near one. Bon Apetit.

Great spot I would recommend for eating a casual meal by yourself or with friends. At the time I went, I had to work hard to walk up 2 flights of stairs. There's probably an elevator somewhere. Food (7/10): I ordered the cod ramen and a drink. I've never been to a place with the variety of Asian dishes this place has. It kinda threw me off as a red flag like one of those restaurants that sell "Asian" cuisine but the quality was still good. And the fact that a ton of people were eating here I knew it was legit. I wouldn't come here if I really wanted ramen and would go to an actual ramen shop, but as place that gives work food court vibes, this place is decent. Value (6/10): Not the best pricing but within standard values. Entree with drink is around $20. Ambience/service (7/10): Lively food court work cafeteria vibes. High ceilings like a food hall. Long tables that can fit larger groups. Someone takes your order and then you pay via phone. Work food court vibes.

Good value, the chili ramen with chicken has a nice, flavorful broth that isn't too spicy. Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5

Dinner at this really interesting restaurant! First, it's up three flights of stairs so you have to be determined to get there. There is a lift but we didn't see it until we left. Loved the minimalist vibe of the eatery. We wanted ramen and Wagamama was recommended by a local. We started with the bang bang cauliflower and it was excellent, had a nite bite to it and the sauce was nicely spicy, enough to wake up the palate! My partner had the vegan "chicken" Raman with udon noodles and a rich coconut milk sauce. My bowl was the chicken gyoza ramen with a half egg and baby Bok Choi. It was delicious with a rich spicy soup base and perfectly cooked gyoza and noodles. Sorry, no pictures! We dove in before we thought about pix! When it was time to pay I scanned a QR code, plugged in our table number and touched Apple Pay. Simple and elegant! We will go back before we leave London!

Ok food, terrible service. My husband and I visited this location on a whim, after seeing a few advertisements about it. We were seated immediately, as the restaurant was only 1/4 full. After waiting for a waitstaff for 25 minutes to order, we were finally able to wave someone over. After being advised that we waited for nearly a half-hour to place the order, the waitress was short and rude with us- took our order and didn't return. I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken Donburi and my husband ordered the shirodashi pork ramen. My husband thought his meal was good- I, on the other hand didn't enjoy mine. There was no flavor to it and there was barely any chicken. Another waitstaff brought out our order, dropped it and ran. We had to wave a waitstaff down for drink refills and to pay. We would not go back.

Very considerate of my odd allergies. Friendly staff and very patient. They even had a place for us without prebooking!

I had dinner here with my daughter. To our BIG horror we found an ant in the soup. The manager turned up very sheepish but the only thing he offered was to refund the soup. SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Stay away from this old Wagamama restaurant that seemed dated, dirty and with insects in the food! Service clearly sub-par with the other Wagamama restaurants we have been to.

Nom nom! Love this location, many stairs though...there is a lift for those who need it. The food speaks for itself, their vegetable dumplings are scrumptious. I thoroughly enjoyed the chilli lime steak ramen. There were not enough chillies in it so they gave me a side of chillies for 1£. They do give you a lot of food though. I only wish they had chilli paste to make it even spicier. This place kept me from starvation when I was a student studying in London ages ago, and I am always happy that they have retained their good quality food.

This place was pretty good. The Raman and ingredients were all fresh . The broth could've been less diluted though. In all fairness they did have an option to make it more concentrated but this being my first time I wasn't sure, so I went with the original. The staff was extra friendly and they had community seating. Be warned it's very loud. Lots of chatter in a big open room.

I tried out Wagamama for the first time yesterday because I was missing Asian food from back in the states. I wanted to go with a stellar dish that is pretty consistent with taste, so I ordered the chicken teriyaki donburi. I also ordered hot green tea, which was free! The chicken teriyaki donburi had some pretty good flavors due to the kimchi and chili oil I mixed in. However, there was the smallest portion of chicken teriyaki in my dish. There were small pieces of chicken spread throughout and it seemed like I just ordered a big rice bowl with veggies. The donburi was around 10£ so I expected a decent portion of meat. I was disappointed with the extremely small portion of chicken in my dish. Besides that I was able to enjoy the flavor of the rice. I want to give them another shot and hopefully next time I can get a bigger portion of meat in my dish.

I haven't had Wagamama since I was last im London. Still I salivate at the thought of a noodle bowl from here. I am lucky to have a relative who bought me a Wagamama cookbook on a trip to London. Soooo many fantastic recipes to take me back. :)

We can easily say, hands down, that Wagamama serves the worst Ramen we have ever eaten. Before going to London we bookmarked the best reviewed inexpensive food places to eat. Wagamama was the best yelp reviewed ramen in London so we decided we should check it out. The place was cool, modern, and filled with friendly staff. We tried some of their other dishes and they tasted alright but this review is solely based on the Ramen they serve us, which was not good at all. We ordered the Chicken Ramen and the adventure started five minutes later.... First the soup.... It was the saltiest broth we've ever experienced. We're pretty sure we'll be passing Wagamama related kidney stones very soon :(. It didn't taste at all like traditional ramen It tasted like dirty salt water with a hint of chicken broth. We swear they didn't wash the spring onions thoroughly cause dirty earth is all you could taste once your pallet worked through the salt. We would rather have had the broth from a Top Ramen package... See where we're going with this? Meat... It was grilled chicken breast. Which is pretty good in a sandwich but tasted unrelated to the rest of the dish. Does that make sense? It gave the dirty broth a smokey taste. As if someone had lit mud on fire.. Noodles... on our last Ramen review we thought Ebisu's in Fountain Valley had the worst noodles... but Wagamama takes the crown. Underdone spaghetti noodles that only had flavor because it was sitting in salt. We really feel that Wagamama has to take the word "Ramen" off their menu and just call it soup... Because what they were serving isn't remotely close to what Ramen is suppose to be. There has got to be a much better Ramen being served somewhere in London.

You make me happy, Wagamama With your blond wood communal tables and your fresh-squeezed juice. With your menu that always has something I want (which is usually chicken chili ramen with no bean sprouts.) With your menu that always has something I can afford. With your efficient service and gyoza that satisfies. Wagamama, you make me feel at home (and not just because I can see you from home.)

This place was recommended to me, and little did I know, it exists everywhere! We ordered the chicken ramen, chicken and prawn yakisoba, and tori karaage. Chicken ramen was ordered spicy, and it wasn't as spicy as we had hoped, but oh well. Still loved the noodles and the taste of the broth. Yakisoba is the way to go in my opinion. Yakisoba is comfort food for me, so I was hesitant to try it out somewhere other than home or Japan.. their noodles are a bit different, not as fried. But still really good and I loved the chicken and prawns! Karaage was the biggest disappointment. I honestly don't know where the chicken was. It was so tiny, with barely any meat, over cooked and too dry. I know each place makes their own version, but this is something I have never seen in Japan. Overall, would go back! It's in a cute area too. Just no karaage for me

Tasty and specifically: very smooth-tasting! We had the mini-Ramen, the Nikko with Sea bream, and the Curry, plus some juices and other items. All were perfect. Will visit again if nearby!

Got the coconut chicken curry and it was absolutely delicious!! I would so order it again. Very upsetting that I'm leaving town tomorrow. I would have it every week if I could! Green tea was also delicious. Only issue I had was the veggie Gyoza. It didn't taste very nice but that's just personal preference! Wonderful staff also!

Got the Tantan Beef Ramen. I love it. Perfect combination of spicy beef and little kimchi. Not too salty. Also had the Gin-fever...really refreshing with great aroma. The beef buns were delicious!

After living in Asia for for 8 years and Japan specifically for three I can be quite fussy with this kind of food. I took a long time choosing from the menu and I settled on the teriyaki chicken donburi also ordering pulled pork gyoza to share and my friends both got ramen dishes. The pulled pork gyoza was very different but delicious. The texture was so different to regular gyoza but I found the taste delightful. Both friends were very satisfied with their ramen whereas I was quite disappointed with my donburi. I like how they serve it with fresh grated carrot and greens but the chicken was very dry and unappetising. Teriyaki usually makes chicken very tender so surprised to find the meat dry. The service was very friendly (sometimes a little too much selling) and I like the canteen style set up of the restaurant with a place to put your coat and wet umbrella. I would come back here again but think I will try the ramen next time.

Wonderful. Love the ambiance and service staff. Casual dining . Booth style seating (long tables with benches). You can really order any soup noodle dish and be satisfied. I ordered a rice dish and tasted off of my friends' soups. Overall just well done! Everything tasted very fresh and flavorful. Something on the menu for everyone. Wish they expanded to the US... and if they are already here - to LA!

Not a bad place for a simple bite. The restaurants are loft style and I've eaten at a couple around London. Ramen Ichiraku it's not. Think mall Japanese meets Ikea. Service can be slow and tables are often shared so that may put off some North Americans. Noodle options are varied with ramen, soba and somen. The broths could be more authentic and well seasoned. As I said it's somewhat mall-like so my expectations have never been high. Worth a go.

This is a fun place for lunch. You sit on long benches along long tables, no individual tables here. Our favorite is chicken katsu; the noodle soups are also good. Prices reasonable enough for London. I wonder when they will make it to the U.S.

all time favorite restaurant in London. I had the lollipop Prawn Kushiyaki and the beef chilli ramen. O-M-G. hands-down, ultimate food porn. with the lack of different variety of food that London has, i am so grateful for this place. My friends had the beef kushiyaki, chicken kushiyaki, and wagamama ramen, lollipop Prawn kushiyaki= ok... but i wouldn't recommend getting it chicken & beef kushiyaki = very gushy texture, so if you aren't a fan of oysters or anything that is gushy, don't get it. But it was ok as well. Not the best but definitely not the worst. a lot of my friends did not like it though As for the ramen -- all the ramen = AMAZING!! the portion is huge so have a huge appetite when you walk in. all in all, you can simply skip the appetizers and go straight for the ramen. in the end you can have some room for the delicious flowering jasmine tea and or the vanilla tea. Service is great Food is amazing Tea good. desserts: my friends got the passion fruit cheesecake & they loved it. the apple goyza tastes like those kfc apple turnovers to me = taste of home =P

WE love Wagamama! London, New York - it doesn't matter. It's consistently very good.

Wagamama, once a modern, trendy interpretation of Japanese casual dining, has since evolved to incorporate a broad range of pan-Asian cuisine these days. This Kensington High Street branch has been around for a while and is quite popular, and almost always packed at lunch. My family and I live in Dubai where we are BIG fans of the franchise. The problem is that we find the quality of food served at the UK original, this High Street Ken branch included, far inferior to what we get in the UAE. We found the ramen, usually the centrepiece of our Wagamama order, simply bland; the Ebi Katsu way, way too oily. You want a good ramen? Walk across the street to Bone Daddies. Or better yet, come to Dubai... Waste NOT. Want NOT.

I used to love this place 6 years ago. Not the same now. It is hard to make a bad Pad Thai, but they achieved that here surprisingly. It tasted more like soy sauce instead of sweet chili and peanut. The chicken also tasted like it was frozen. I think that if you had to come here you should stick with ordering the ramen soup dishes. This place felt more like a cafeteria. Go to Banana Tree instead if you are craving McAsian cuisine.

This review is only of one dish, my beloved Yasai Katsu Curry. Yea, their ramen is on the better side of mediocre. But the Yasai Katsu Curry? That is the winner. Light, crispy tempura sweet potato, pumpkin, and aubergine, flavourful Japanese curry sauce, red pickles, and small salad, all for under £10! Every time I try to branch out and order something else, I am disappointed and go back to my beloved YKC. YKC 4 Lyfe!!!!!

VASTLY overrated. I would give it 3 stars if it wasn't so overrated. This place is ok if you're out of options... But in London? There are tons of places to find good food. The Calamari was the most disappointing calamari I've ever eaten. (it was even called chili calamari. there was no chili, and not even salt+pepper) Curry chicken was passable. The chicken itself was plain and dry. I would eat here if I needed a quick meal and there were no other options.

This family style Japanese food chain is great of those on a limited budget. The flavors are a hit or miss...some dishes rocked it while others did not. The noodle and fried rice dishes are safe bets. Seating is also family style, meaning you could be seated next to strangers. It brings out the fun and the elbows.

Very cool and homely ambiance. This canteen style restaurant is very bustling and offers a staggering variety of traditional japanese soup and noodle dishes. I ordered No.25: Chicken Chilli Ramen Soup Bowl. I swear to you i could have dunked my head in the bowl, it was that big. Needless to say i was waddling down the street afterwards like a stuffed penguin. Therefore; very generous serving, wait staff is reasonable, wait time can be horrendous during heavy traffic periods (lunch, early dinner). SAVE ROOM FOR THE DESERTS! I went with a group of people and we all ordered a different desert to try: the gingerchilli cheesecake is delectable and the coconut icecream with mango glaze is phenomenal. The plum wine is delicious, with a very generous serving; however, i find that it was weaker than other plum wines i have encountered thereby explaining the large serving size.

When you're looking for a quick and relatively large portion meal, this is the place to go. I cannot say that the food was amazing but it was tasty. I ordered the ramen with pork. The broth was mild, the veggies and meat were nice, the noodles though were slightly stuck together and a little undercooked. The best thing about this place however was the service! The waiter that set us at our table was absolutely amazing and very considerate. This made this experience great!

Me and my wife ate here multiple times we were in London last, was a little skeptical the first time since it was a chain, but the food is good quality and very reasonably priced. As most people will tell you that food in London are generally pretty bad, If you're not feeling adventurous and just want something decent, you can't go wrong.

I was really underwhelmed. Portions are huge but the food is really basic. The main flavour is the oil it is fried in, not brilliant. The meat is really tough and quite bland. I remember this being much better.

We ordered two sides because we thought they have sushi in the restaurant. Unfortunately, they don't. When we finished ordering, the waitress made us feel very uncomfortable by saying just two sides? ! I was trying to explain to her, and she interrupted me and then still kept one menu which we didn't need at all! The bun itself is okay, but the Takoyaki is too oily....

First night in London we tried this bc everyone talks abt it and nando's. We should have gone to bloody nandos!!! My food was cold & My boyfriend got his food, which after a couple minute observation, we realized it was the wrong dish!! And we asked for extra spicy and there was no spice. They didn't even give us silverware, maybe its a British thing, but in America, you get silverware & water. The service was horribly slow & after just getting off the plane the same day I was starving!! The service was actually so bad the owner came out & gave me a free dessert (which wasn't good bc who likes dessert from an asian restaurant? not i!) ohhhhhhhhhhhhh my god...lets not forget the seating. Reminded me of a elementary school cafeteria!!!!

It's kind of depressing when people write things like, "MY ALL TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN LONDON" when referring to a place like Wagamama (or even worse, Itsu, which in my most childish and unimaginative way refer to as Shitsu). I don't mind going to Wagamama, though it's not somewhere I ever really seek out. I always make the mistake of ordering something new, rather than the things I know I like (katsu curry, ginger udon noodles), though this recent trip was the worst yet. I had spicy chicken ramen which wouldn't have been that bad, but the noodles were whisky-limp, and the chicken was just a broiled chicken breast. My wifes vegetarian was, according to her, delicious (take her opinion with a grain of salt though, shes a chef). The best part of my meal was this woman with collagen lips and perhaps a body that shouldn't have been in shiny leggings, but was anyhow, jumped a massive que and proceeded to berate the waiters for not immediately clearing the table she had just stolen. You could see the sadness in her husbands poor emasculated eyes -- LOLZ!

When I first stumbled into this place to escape from the rain, I had no idea what I was in for and I almost didn't stay. I'm glad that I did. Wagamama's serves food modelled after the Japanese ramen bars. To insure that the food is delivered while hot, your order is taken tableside and then zapped to the kitchen by radio. The quality of the food is unbelievable considering that the pricepoint is much lower than the decor telegraphs. Awesome! Also, the decor of every Wagamama's I've visited promotes community fun because there are no individual tables. Instead there are long tables and groups are seated right next to each other. Don't be shy, converse with your neighbor and take in the full Wagama's experience. I love this restaurant so much that I search for it whenever I travel abroad. This restaurant truly deserves the accolades of a 5-Star rating, because without a doubt it is as good as it gets!

This is the perfect place when you want to save money, cheaper than most place and when you want comfort asian food. Tried several of the ramen noodle and it is my favorite there. I also had the katsu but i would stick to the noodle dishes.

This place is a life (and money) saver whenever I hop the pond for a visit. For less than a tenner, I can get a MASSIVE bowl of noodles and an iced tea, meet some cool new people (they have bench-style seating and are almost always PACKED, so you invariably end up finding yourself seated elbow-to-elbow with another like-minded patron). Their loft-style space is cool and well-located next to the park, shops, Ken Church street and Whole Foods and the service is fast. I love that they don't use MSG and have plenty of veggie options, although I inevitably end up getting the moyashi soba, because it's so. freaking. delish.

You walk in off Kensington High Street assuming you're walking into Wagamama but find yourself in a stairwell questioning whether you read the sign outside right. Fear not, you are in the right place, just a few floors out. Wagamama is up a few flights of stairs up or you can take the lift. The Kensington High Street branch is rarely very busy, so being seated is pretty quick. So, yes, it is another franchise. Decorated like all it's other outlets. Big, white, noisy. Like being in a canteen. The service is erratic. The food is okay. The wine is not bad. The desserts, however, are pretty damn good! So, it's alright. It'll do. Can't say much more than that.

This location in South Kensington used to be my neighborhood Wagamama. I'm not sure what my obsession with Wagamama is, but I've been to Wagamamas in Beligium, Dublin, Amsterdam, and throughout the UK. The food is Asian fusion, which I am not usually too fond of, but they feature noodles, and I love noodles! Plus, it's served with a lot of veggies and is reasonably healthy. The atmosphere helps, too. I often eat alone and I like the anonymity of sitting at the long shared tables, lost in the crowd. It's always crowded here, but the kitchen is efficient and you don't have to wait too long for your food. I like the gyoza, especially because of the chili garlic sesame soy dipping sauce. I also go for the fried udon and the kare noodles with it's rich lemongrass coconut broth. Wagamama came out with a cookbook last year, on sale at bookstores, for those of you on this side of the pond that miss the food there.

My local Wag's.. Yeah it's a chain, but the food is pretty good. If you've been before you know what you're getting and that is a generous portion of Asian fusion cuisine. One thing I am not too fond of is the bench seating configuration, but I guess that is there in order for them to turn tables around as quickly as possible. Most Wagamamas do get pretty busy. Some favorites: duck gyoza, katsu curry.. and I'm afraid I forget the others. If you're into asian fusion, give it a whirl!

Very solid meal here. I've been to the Wagamama in Boston and as soon as I saw its huge presence in London, I was very excited. This place is cheap by London standards, and provides a nice Asian-Fusion style meal. If you've had a bad food experience in London (likely), this is a solid rebound.

Pros: cheap, fast, big portions, free green tea The food is okay but not "great" nor asian. My miso soup tasted nothing like real miso and my rice dish was so oily towards the end. My friends noodles were pretty bland and flavourless and my toasted sesame ice cream tasted nothing like what I'm used to. Good if you're stoned and just wanna munch but definitely not a place where to eat good asian food

It's so nice to come back to London 4 years later and still love this place as much today as I did then. The classic bits of the menu (read: what I always ordered) are still around and they have added some new bits and bobs as well. I went with my standard chicken ramen and an order of gyoza. Delicious, filling and so cheap for London. You can also get hot green tea for free if you ask. The staff are still friendly and many times delicious eye-candy to accompany a brilliant meal. I am still keeping my fingers crossed we get one in California soon!

Casual atmosphere, good for a quick sit down bite. The host will seat you at long communal tables with benched. I enjoyed the seaweed salad (portion was surprisingly large), and teriyaki beef noodles (which were rather boring so I probably would try something different next time). The kimchee (£1) had. Great flavor and was a good addition to the meal. Service was prompt and very polite.

We had a variety of food. We started with a unique drink of mint, apple and lime - very tasty and refreshing. The food was also tasty and reasonably healthy. The service was attentive and good. Would definitely recommend this to fellow travelers.

After reading all the great reviews of Wagamama, I decided I had to try it on my visit across the pond. Expecting a normal sit-down restaurant with waitstaff, I was pleasantly surprised to find a modern, buzzing, noodle bar. The noodles and gyoza were fantastic and although I was put off by the long table seating, it ended up being really great. Everyone was really friendly and it didn't feel like strangers were sitting in on your meal. I was really most impressed with the advanced technology I saw here and other places in the UK. It was so awesome to have the waitress come and swipe your card while you were eating... why can't the US have fancy portable card swipers? I crave noodles at least once a week, so I hate that there's not a Wagamama on the West Coast. Why Boston Wagamama owners? Why not LA?