wagamama royal festival hall

Service was was good, it took a while to take my order as they were busy. Not understaff just very busy. And staff were very kind and friendly. Food was great, I liked the katsu bao delicious however I found that the meat was a tad small for the bao. Gyoza was okay not my favourite. The location is great just across the bridge, and plenty of sitting. Most sitting is communal. So if you have a lot of things with you its hard to place them. Floor or chair beside you is the option.

My partner suggested this as she had tried Wagamama's previously. I had great expectations considering their" bowl to soul" claim. My partner had the vegetarian Katsu curry with extra tofu and I got the Chilli Chicken Ramen+Pho. We got the bang bang cauliflower to share. I have to say the bang bang cauliflower was the standout. I rate them for presentation but sadly that's all. My partner found her Katsu alright. They didn't add the extra tofu into the curry either just in a separate bowl. My Ramen Pho was underwhelming. The pho did not have any body to it. The service was great.

The food is not the best. It's lacking in flavour, it all felt like it didn't had spices, just blend food. One of the plates was really sweet, couldn't finish all of it cause it was a little overwhelming. Service is alright, it's not the best. They explained how to pay and it was so fast, that we didn't understand at first what the waiter was talking about. It's kinda confusing and for someone who never did that, it would be good to also have that information in the paper on the table. We sat outside cause the weather was nice. Find another place, cause it's not worth the price.

This wagamama location is nicely tucked away despite being very close to the main tourist spots such as the London Eye. Our server James was absolutely immaculate; so kind, charismatic and knowledgeable about every dish on the menu. We are vegetarian and had PLENTY of options to choose from – our food came out very quickly and was delicious & fresh. We don’t have a wagamama in our country and were shocked by how amazing & flavourful everything was, especially considering this is a chain-restaurant which often tend to be a hit or miss. The bill can be paid via a QR-code which is super practical and speeds up the entire process. We loved it here and will be coming back! Update 08/25: Had an incredible experience here again. Food came out even quicker this time. A small mistake was quickly rectified. Only thing you guys should work on is the cleanliness of the restrooms.

Walkable from the Marriott county hall. Quick service. Well made food. Plenty of vegetarian choices. Cannot go wrong for a quick meal out after a long day!

Food was so good , can never go wrong with the food they serve and the servings are decent size too !! A big thanks to HECTOR he had great customer service skills , absolute legend !

I have visited this location a couple of times and had a great experience. The food is amazing. It was busy but that's to be expected given the location. My absolute favourite dish is the Teriyaki Steak Soba

Wagas is always a good place for a chain restaurant. This time I got the brisket ramen, which was a bit disappointing, thought it would have more flavour, but still good. The yuzu fried chicken was really good.

Wagamama is my favourite restaurant chain and my friends were visiting from LA so I had to bring them. They loved the food and fresh juices and enjoyed that we could eat a healthier option. I'm usually a katsu salad girl but branched out to the curries and they did not disappoint. There was no issue putting my rice on the side either. I also love that they still offer complimentary green tea with your meal as this is a staple of mine at home too. For a Southbank location they do well to seat you quickly. The staff are every hit and miss though. Our server forgot numerous things we asked for then charged me for adding a protein to my food when I didn't have any topping, let alone the most expensive one! I waved down another server to help and she was so lovely and discounted the meal for us. Bad service to start with but definitely made up for my the waitress who took over.

Super slow and poor service, didn't try the food given the lack of responsiveness. Not as crowded as other establishments and it is clear why. To be avoided

Pretty high quality food and experience, obviously not the most authentic but there was a variety of Asian dishes and we dined right by the London Eye so it was a solid choice. Impressive that the waitresses remember all the menu options by number.

This is not real Asian food, no flavor. This was an utter disaster. Better off somewhere else in the airport.

Just as great as I remembered....this was our 1st food stop visiting London and it was perfect. We were sat immediately, food was served quickly, and we loved it all. We ordered the most tender fried squid appetizer, the chicken katsu, the chicken curry and also a phad thai. Portions were generous and we loved every bite.

One twin lives in London, he other in Washington DC. Visited Wagamama London together EXACTLY five years go. went back again today and had wonderful chili chicken ramen. We thoroughly enjoyed it, the delightful staff and good food..

This is the first meal we had in London. The location is great, but everything we ordered is not good. We had the worst ramen and rice bowl here. Maybe the uk is the desert of good food.

Incredible setting and environment and service was quick and efficient. They forgot our waters twice tho. Food was affordable and delicious big in portion. Highly recommend when stopping in south bank London or overnight layover. The pad Thai was amazing and the ramen was delicious, broth was cooked great and noodles were tender.

Extremely mid food and service and not a lot of flavor. Sauce was the only good thing.

The food and service was amazing. There was no wait to sit and our server was very personable! i would recommend wagamama to anyone that is near hampsted

09/12/17 What to eat on a blustery day? Wagamama!! This restaurant is not far from the London Eye. It is a British based chain inspired by Japanese flavors. We came here after the London Eye and the place was packed. I don't think we waited more than 5 minutes. Our waitress was outstanding and friendly. Restaurant was warm and toasty. Several of us had a cold and got tea. We placed our orders and didn't have long to wait until we made it back to our hostel. I got teppanyaki with some pickled ginger. It was outstanding. The serving was large and filling. The taste and flavor were on point!! My son got the short rib ramen and said it had amazing flavor. He was pleased with the amount. My daughter got chicken ramen and was very happy with it. She said the broth had amazing flavor. The husband got curry chicken one of his favorite dishes. He kept saying "MMM", "MMM". So I know he was happy with his food. They have a variety of dishes with vegan and Gluten free choices. We all wished this chain was in our town of Reno, NV, USA.

Loved it. Midweek dinner around 7 and place was packed; lots of family style seating but also 2 and 4 tops. Asian fusion is best description. Had veggie gyoza. Not so good. Katsu curry - which I love - was delicious. Mr Muscle braved through it and had a teriyaki bowl. It was good. Really enjoyed this meal. Menu is full of options including GF and vegan. Rices, noodles, ramen, soba, teriyaki...all looked good. 2 starters and 2 dinners for less than 50. Service was a little scattered but they were super busy. Great location...view.

Was looking for a good place to eat in London near Traflager square and all my yelp 4 star places had 1 hr waits. Too long so I wandered into Wagamama. Mix of Japanese and British style with the food being very Japanese. I had the noodles with beef extra spicy. It was very nice, lots of veggies, a nice flavorful broth. The beef was cooked perfectly medium rare and put into the bowl. The service was excellent, very friendly and quick. I understand its a chain but don't let that put you off. Its worth a visit.

After seeing a few Wagamamas walking around London we decided we should give it a try. There was a huge line at this location, but since we were not SUPER hungry, we decided to get in the queue, but it was impressively fast. We didn't wait more than 20 min to be seated. The food was very good, although less traditional than what I expected. I would label it as modern Thai, or Thai with a twist! Service was just ok, our server would get lost at times. The price was pretty fair, considering we each had a meal (a Pad Thai and a Ramen soup, and we each had sake) Over all it was a good experience it and many locals love it. @FrancescaMusica

Wagamama is a japanese chain restaurant. There are several locations throughout London and there are a few in the US (NYC & Boston). While we were visiting the Southbank my daughter saw Ramen and immediately asked if we could go there for dinner. I'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants, especially while traveling, but she had been so good on her first European trip we decided to go, plus they had a lot of outdoor seating. I'm glad she asked, because this place was quite good. Service was a little spotty, but they were busy. It was a busy Friday August evening. We ordered some cocktails. I had the lychee martini. It was light and refreshing, perfect for the evening. We ordered a few appetizers - the edamame, gyoza, and the bang bang cauliflower. All the food was great. Portions were good for sharing. My daughter loved the ramen. We actually went to another location during our trip so that she could have the ramen again. Prices are very reasonable as well.

Okay, so.chances are this place will be bustling regardless of the time of day you come, but mostly during the late hours of the evening. It may be a chain restaurant, but that doesn't take away from the quality. These guys know their ramen and Asian specialties. You can expect to find everything from donburi to gyoza on the menu, including some healthy fresh-pressed juices and not-so-healthy booze, as well. I usually make suggestions for the restaurants I visit, but honestly, I say go with whatever you're feeling. If you want something light, try their smaller and starter dishes like the gyoza and edema me. Want a heartier meal? Definitely try their ramen, which comes in several different varieties, from duck to vegetarian. If you want something a bit different, I recommend the Shiitake Donburi, which is a huge bowl packed with goodness and perfect for vegetarians, especially if you like Shiitake mushrooms. Careful, though, it's super spicy. It's certainly not the quietest restaurant you'll dine at, nor the cheapest, but the taste and quality are definitely worth it.

Very indifferent food , bland and clearly sitting around. I've been in Wagamama restaurants in the US and they're quite a bit better. Service friendly but bathrooms unbelievably filthy. Stay away.

First time having real ramen at this place while on vacation and i must say. I am hooked!!! After coming back to the states i have been very frequent at the New York location. My favorite is the chicken ramen.

Text book hipster food. Find a popular tourist location, open a restaurant that is seemingly deeply cultured, yet cut the spice far enough back as to not offend. The Wagamama is located prime in central london, just off the walk way by the London Eye. While the menu seem to have an eastern influence, the food is really targeted at tourist that are not experienced in Asian foods. For example, the big ladle that looks orient, but is not used in any Japanese restaurant for single servings. And then the food isnt seasoned like any recipe out side of instant ramen. While I have nothing against toning the original recipe down to be more compatible with a large audience, the thought that people will walk away talking about their experience here as Asian makes me a little sad.

A great selection of good that hits the spot. Service is always friendly and the seating arrangements can seat a family very easily.

Was walking in London and happened upon this hip looking restaurant. The service was very friendly, and the food exceeded my expectations. I appreciated how vast the menu is and the majority healthy options they have to offer. They have plenty of lighter options that still will quench your hunger. The seating, however, can be tricky considering it is cafeteria style (long tables). Ask for Andrea, he is very good and will accommodate needs. 10/10 would recommend!

I didn't actually eat in here this evening. I ordered via Deliveroo for it to be dropped off to me. I LOVE wagamama. I'd eat it every meal if I could get away with it. No complaints with the food from this one. I had my usual Chicken and Prawn Yaki Soba but I opted for the Edamame beans with salt. Tasted ace!

When I crave a good, wholesome Asian meal...Wagamama is my fix! I have been to 4-5 of their outlets, but the Southbank outlet is my favorite - for the location. Must trys at Wagamama - Prawn Lollipops and Firecracker Prawns. The latter only of you have a fiery tongue. I would recommend most of their noodles and rice dishes, but may be not the coconut based ones...have had much better. But I love the colorfulness in everything they serve! One place that's got the right balance of quality and quantity.

When I told a couple of friends that I was headed to London, the first thing they said to me was, "You must go to Wagamama!" So to Wagamama I went. After a long day of sight-seeing, a nice bowl of ramen was exactly what I was craving. We started with some panko breaded prawns. Those came out seriously quickly. Almost too quickly, which made me wonder if maybe they'd been sitting under a heat lamp for a bit. But they were alright. After perusing the menu, I decided on the #35. King prawns in a cocunut broth spiced with lemongrass, chili flakes and loads of other stuff. The waiter warned me that this dish was the spiciest item on the menu. But followed that up with, "You'll probably be able to handle it though." Ha! The dish arrived and I survived the spicy. And the price was just right for the healthy portion. So, it's official: I came, I saw, I Wagamama'ed!

Amazing food!! Every dish we ordered was PERFECT! Do yourself a favor and order the Duck balls. The Pad Thai was perfect as well. Our server was amazing he got our most picky eater to try new things. This trip to London is getting better and better thanks to them! Oh there are no pictures of the Duck balls we are them too fast!! Even the Chef Mark was impressed!!

Always busy, always noisy, so please don't complain about the noise. It's quite plain to see from outside that this place is positively heaving for most of the day. It's not surprising given its locale so keep that in mind and remember it's communal tables so don't try to fly while you eat :) I treat Wagamama as an in and out experience. Order your food, scoff, pay and leave. The seating isn't comfortable and since this one is so crowded all the time, it's probably not a good idea to stay for no reason after you're done eating. Eating here can be very economical if you steer clear of alcohol and dessert. Chicken katsu is a filling and cheap option, free green tea makes it a complete meal. I don't feel the ramen dishes are as filling but hey, if that's your thing than knock yourself out. Kare lomen is where I think it's at but the Wagamama ramen is pretty decent. Seafood hete is always nice and fresh. Sides and desserts are pricey so I would stay away if you're hoping to get a meal for under a tenner per head. Wagamama's a safe bet. I will never claim that it's particularly good food but given that it's quick and available just about everywhere in London, it's one of the places I've come to embrace as a sanctuary for the cold, weary and hungry.

Been to London dozens of times - and this is a definite go-to place for me. Yeah yeah yeah - surprised myself too - as it IS a chain, and typically I do have my reservations about chains, but there was nothing commercial, or cookie cutter about the menu or dishes. You can come here and get a good fusion type Asian meal. I got the curry pork cutlet dish, which was tasty, crunchy, and had a good amount of heat. There's also a really impressive selection of smoothie, or extracted drinks. Seems really good - but never ordered as it can seem a bit heavy.

As a "Yank on holiday" looking for something quick, warm, different and delicious....... this place was great! Fresh and unique for sure!

Wagamama is what it is - curries, noodles and ramen. I personally always order one of the ramen soups - they are huge and tremendously filling! You can't go wrong! This location, despite its queues, is probably one of my favourite. It's so nice to be able to sit, look out the windows, and people watch. Lots to see in such a touristy area! Even with the hustle and bustle, the staff aren't kicking you out or rushing you onwards, which is nice. Do be prepared for a wait.... The most I've ever had to queue is 30 minutes, but I'm sure it can be a lot longer!

Wagamama, of the three times I have visited London in the last 12 months, this is the only restaurant that I have visited on each trip. In fact, it was in this location. Since it is along the river (as opposed to where the Yelp map place marker states). It is the perfect stop after a long walk around London wearing your jeans, t-shirt and scarf. That is what you do, right? Atmosphere- communal, crowded, noisy, friendly. I have eaten inside each time I have gone here, though there is a perfectly good outdoor eating area. Wooded benches help you to eat and exit quickly, while a paper placemats catch your spills. Service - Fast, fast, friendly and fast. Although most restaurants in London do not encourage tipping like in the states, hence, there is usually poor service. I think here they pay lower in anticipation that the customer will tip. I did. Food - Asian inspired, simple, delicious, and spicy (if so desired). I enjoy their Chilli Beef Ramen. It is so flavorful even though I usually spice it up even more with the side sauces located at the table. I always wash this meal down w/ a Diet Coke. Hmmmm, it so simple and oh so tasty. To eat this dish you can use either chop sticks or a bamboo ladle. I used a ladle, I am lazy. Price - Again, the conversion rate kills the American. £10.60 for the dish and a £1.90 per coke (no free refills in London) comes out to $35 w/ tip. The same meal in Boston (yes, I found two locations in the US) would cost me $15.95 w/ tip. Overall - Despite the price of the meal, I always have a great and enjoyable time at this spot. Now, how about bring one to the Queen City located here in the US (i.e. Charlotte, NC).

It was a dreary day, and we were all ready for some hot food, not of the English variety. I'd eaten my fair share of pub food for the previous 10 days and needed something spicy to warm me up on the wet day. I'd remembered this location from a business trip 7 years before, and was happy to find it still there. We were seated at one of the long tables and had at least 2, if not 3, servers taking care of us. We started with the gyoza and the chili squid. Then two of us had the firecracker chicken, and one had the chili beef ramen. I enjoyed a ginger beer to wash it all down. Everything was tasty as expected. There was a nice level of spice on the chili squid and definitely for the firecracker chicken. The portion was huge, but I managed to take out mine and some of my friend's. The beef chili ramen was warm and comforting, but not as good as the firecracker chicken in my opinion.

Dinner at 5:30 pm on a Sunday evening. I'm a huge fan of Wagamama so I was pleased to find this location right behind the Tate Modern. Plenty of open seating so we got a booth by the window with great views outside. They also have outdoor seating and at this time of year many are selecting that option. Service was fast and UK friendly. At first they delivered the wrong entree to our table. The spicy calamari appetizer was plentiful and quite good. My son had yaki soba and I had Wagamama Ramen. Both dishes were very good. The fried noodles are a little greasy, but that's to be expected. The food was standard Wagamama, and I've eaten at locations that had much better service. Overall gets the job done and definitely worth a recommendation.

Near the London Eye, this is a solid Asian fusion chain restaurant. We were STARVING from walking around all day and this place really hit the spot. There's seating both inside and outside, be prepared to sit next to strangers as the outside seats are all very close together. It didn't really bother me, I was too concentrated on shoveling the yummy food into my mouth. I had the roast duck Donburi which was AMAZING and my husband had the Wagamama ramen and he loved it. They have a nice selection of Sakes and beers to wash your food down with and the prices are all very reasonable. Service is fast and good, no complaints. Worth checking out.

Wagamama is one of the few restaurant chains to succeed in turning a great concept into a nationwide chain without losing all of its original appeal. The food is consistently good with new interpretations of healthy pan-Asian dishes added to the menu regularly enough to make you come back for more. Mind you, their chilli chicken ramen remains one of my all time favourites - a massive bowl of steaming broth sprinkled with fresh herbs and spices. They weakened over the years and added a selection of alcohol and pop to their healthy menu, but they still offer a great choice of freshly squeezed juices (so much better than many juice bars!). So why only two stars?! I have been to this particular branch of Wagamama twice in a month and experienced the most disappointing service on both occasions. The servers are equipped with devices which allows them to send the orders straight to the kitchen via a centralised computer system (pretty revolutionary when they first introduced it, but fairly standard now) - so there really is no need for long waiting times. On my previous visit the server took down the wrong order - admittedly, my friend and I changed our mind a couple of times when we saw the new dishes served to the people sitting next to us. Our server then actually told us all about her favourite curry and convinced us both to change our orders. Needless to say, I received the wrong (previously ordered) dish. This in itself wouldn't have been the end of the world as I have never eaten anything at Wagamama that wasn't delicious. But instead of apologising and offering a solution, the server wisked away the wrong order without another word and went on her break - at least this is what her colleague said when we asked to check into the order. My food arrived just as my friend had finished hers ... And the last experience was similarly disappointing, considering that a fast food concept is perfect for a pre-theatre crowd and you really have a captive audience in the undercroft of the Southbank Centre. The meal itself was great and our ramens even arrived more or less at the same time (a few minutes' difference is normal as everything is prepared fresh and in batches). However, when we said we'd skip desert as we had a show to catch, the bill was put in front of us but the server never to be seen again. Surely, taking payment is the single most important transaction from a restaurant's point .... In the end my friend had to rush ahead to pick up our tickets and I took the bill to the counter. Again, no apology or even acknowledgement ... What's going on - Wagamama, get your act together or you'll lose one of your most loyal customers!

We were seated very quickly with a large group of people for dinner. We ordered pork and chicken gyoza, and I got the sirloin steak with chili ramen. The broth was clean and it was a little spicy, but nothing too crazy. The noodles were soba type and it was overall and ok ramen. Not enough bang flavor that you expect when you eat ramen. If you're walking around the area, try it out, but it's nothing special.

Read some great things on Wagamama and braved the crowds to try it out on a Tuesday evening. Be ready to shout to be heard, but you know what you're getting into. The only reason this is a 3 and not a 4 is because what I ordered looked so appealing in the menu imagery, though the end product was bland and almost entirely lacking in flavor. I ordered the Chili Sirloin ramen and it arrived as a steaming bowl with a decent amount of onions and veggies, however the sirloin was cut into four or five thick and unfortunately ultra-chewy pieces that you really had to work. Disappointed because as I looked around, other diners orders looked so much more appealing. I want to try them again and this time I know what I;m ordering! Definitely going back for another go.

The samla curry is supposed to have a lemongrass and coconut flavor, I didn't taste any of those flavors in my food. Oh one more thing about my meal there were maybe four thin strips of chicken if I was lucky (I just want to throw it out there that iwas probably less than 4 pieces)The tori kara was great. My cousin like her liquid part of her ramen soup, though she doesn't know which she had wether it was chicken or beef she didn't like the noodles however. Our friend ordered chicken remen without the chicken don't ask me why bcas she eats chicken, ahe complained that it the broth that is didn't taste like chicken well I am guessing they decided to give her the vegetables ramen thats what I would do, why should they sit there and fish out the chicken? What the heck??? She ordered a side of plain chicken broth and she said that was better. And they call me difficult. On another note rhe customer service from the four people that assisted us including the greeter/host was great. I gave them a four star for the wonderful service we received

Japanese noodle bar that does a great value dinner, but then noodles aren't exactly expensive to prepare. The service is fine, very rushed and there to deliver orders, clearly not to look after the customers. The seating arrangement is long benches at long dining tables shared by all which creates a buzzing, cosy and casual atmosphere. Great for a quick healthy dinner, not great for a romantic meal or a long boozy lunch. They don't do starters but have some really nice fruit smoothies for £2.95, try the apple and lime juice for a refreshing kick. For main course I'd recommend the Ginger chicken udon which costs £7.75.

I've had Wagamama in Marleybone and have always considered it a really great cheap option- you get a lot of food that actually has nice flavour. Nothing out of the ordinary but not bad either. This time I ordered a noodle dish- teriyaki with salmon and it was out of this world. So many noodles! So much flavour! So many noms! Yay Wagamama I love your noodles. Also the veggie gyoza was delish.

I placed an order today for collection of a mini yasai katsu with amai sauce. I know the dish well because I've been ordering it for years - I get it because it's a good portion size and has a sauce I like the taste of. So you can imagine how disappointed I was when I got my order back to my desk (ten minutes away) to find that I had been given a completely different dish. I returned it and spoke to what I presume was the duty manager (no name was given); she went away to check then came back and told me I had the right dish. I wondered if maybe it had changed so I asked to see the menu as I was sure it was wrong - there was no picture of the dish but I asked the lady at the counter to check whether the dish I had been given had squash and sweet potato in it because I was pretty sure it had chicken. She told me there were three yasai dishes on the menu and I had obviously chosen the wrong one. Pretty sure I hadn't, I pointed out to her that the price I paid related to the one I had wanted, not the one they delivered - that was a £4 dish and my receipt clearly said £3.95. So in response she told me the note that had gone to the kitchen (FROM THEIR SYSTEM) wasn't clear and so it wasn't there fault and I shouldn't blame them for it. I shouldn't blame them. I had them re-prepare the order and checked it before I left, now I'm eating my cold yasai katsu (clearly what they had actually done was give me the wrong dish) and will never be returning to that branch again. How absolutely disgusting to get the order wrong and then blame me for it - and to argue with me even in the face of evidence to the contrary. Last time I ordered takeout from this store I was kept waiting a half hour for it to be brought out because they hadn't even cooked it, clearly something is very wrong with the management there.

Light snacking on the go @wagamama_uk. Haven't been in an age, but was craving some sort of seafood. So delved straight into the lollipop prawn kushiyaki. Skewers marinated in lemongrass, lime and chilli. Making me wish I was in Asia right now but it was a neat snack. I think the food is a very fast food version of an authentic Asian place and you know what you are getting. It's relatively cheap and cheerful.

Great food, horrendous service The food was excellent, and the kids menu had really good chicken katsu that our kids devoured. However, as we were leaving, a server chased after us, loudly demanding "excuse me, did you pay? You have to pay!" We responded that yes, of course we paid, and showed her the receipt. They should have been the end of it, but it wasn't. "Well, the system's showing that your table hasn't been paid for." Again, here's the receipt. Then another server comes over and wants to know who served us. There we are, standing by the host's station, with more and more people staring at us. The second server then grabs the receipt and runs back inside without any explanation, while the first server is explaining to a THIRD server about how "the system's showing that table hasn't paid" and "she didn't sign" something or other. Finally, after another few minutes, the second server comes back and says something about "the system was backed up" and that everything's fine, with a "sorry about that" thrown it at the end. We were rather shocked and not a little embarrassed after being publicly and repeatedly accused of trying to skip out on a restaurant bill - with our small children - and the casual "woopsie" is the best they could come up with? Did they offer to take something off the bill for the embarrassment? A coupon for a free dessert? Or just an ACTUAL APOLOGY? Absolutely unacceptable. We've been going to Wagamama for 16 years and recommending it to friends and family for as long. It might be time for a long break.

Everyone loves Wagamama don't they? It's a chain restaurant that whichever branch you go to, it seems to deliver consistently good food. There's better customer service, although it's never bad, but if you want quick, tasty food without having to book this place is a great choice. We were seated quickly and when we had to wait for a friend, we didn't feel rushed. Two of us both couldn't decide whether to go for the good old chicken Katsu curry or go for the beef donburi so we ordered both between us and the waitress have us each an extra plate. I do love katsu and it was definitely my favourite dish. I would have liked a little more sauce as it's so tasty and because there was so much rice. The beef donburi was delicious but again, there was too much rice. I had to add a fair bit of soy sauce so the rice wasn't so dry. The beef was tender and I did enjoy it. My other friend had tuna steak to have a slightly healthier option. It was a decent size piece of fish and she was impressed with it. Overall, very tasty dishes with big portions, although too much rice. Still a safe bet every time for a decent and quick meal.

3* due to sickness leading discovery of their ramen. Normally I have their chicken katsu kare, which I find slightly unsatisfying due to the lack of veg in my kare sauce and the fact that the rice is always overcooked and i always feel that their noodles are swimming in oil, or something... (which would normally render it 2*) Since I am still diseased, I had a bowl of the wagamama ramen this evening. You see, Chinese people believe in not eating fried food when they are sick because it makes it worse. So amongst fried noodles and curries and spicy food, I could really only choose between salad (hello? what summer are we talking about here? and salad is equally bad when you are sick) or a nice warming bowl of ramen. Ramen it is then. The broth was actually not bad, a little msg-y but quite tasty. The noodles unfortunately was a bit overcooked and has lost it's bite. Toppings consist of fresh watercress (yum), wakame (too little), pickley something (I love pickle anything, apart from onion!), fish (slightly over cooked), fish cake (yummy), fried tofu (ok) and grilled chicken (sliced too thick). Overall, quite satisfying. I guess it's because I come from the soupy-noodle-side-of-the-world and therefore am pretty picky about ramen... Unending glasses of free water and cups of free tea was much appreciated by my sore throat. One thing though, because it is on the south bank strip, it gets mega busy at about 6:30 when everyone comes for a quick bite pre~ whatever they are seeing... and with a "you are not allowed to move inside when it rains" policy, it gets pretty hectic and noisy inside the inside part of the restaurant especially with unpredictable english summer weather.

It was a Thursday evening and I went there looking for somewhere to eat with my wife. We were strolling by the river and spotted Wagamama. I thought to myself, 'it'll be a good experience like always'. I've had Wagamama before a few times and its always been a great experience. Its just this branch that didn't satisfy us the same way. We queued up to be seated. The waitress gave us a table next to the dish collector. The other staff didn't know that table existed. It didn't appear on their system. We ordered food and the waiter was quite rude when I asked him again what this particular dish was. There seemed to be an ongoing issue amongst the waiters and staff. They were all complaining to each other loudly infront of every one about how poor the management is. We got our food and it came separately. My wife got her food 10 minutes after me. I didn't quite understand that. During the meal apart from the ongoing complaining of waiters, the plates were being thrown in the dish collector next to us. It was a horribly loud experience! They also didn't know about our table because it didn't show on their system so they were taking our food to other tables. In the end I asked for the bill and it took them 15 minutes to bring the bill. Then I asked for the card machine and that took them another 15 minutes to bring. Only reason for my 3 stars is the food. The quality of the food is always great! The service was very poor! I don't think I'll ever go to that branch again.

Having heard a lot of good things about wagamama's, I definitely had high hopes for this chain Japanese/Asian restaurant and in some ways it met my expectations and in others it didn't. Starting with the good - the portions are huge with reasonable prices (a plus given that London prices are up there in general) and the waiters are really good at trying to get you in as quickly as possible so that your starving belly doesn't implode. The katsu curry is what everyone seems to get but it wasn't for me and I was a bit disappointed. The curry flavor is just a bit off - not exactly Japanese flavored/style - but the katsu was fine. My brown rice (nice that they have the option of white or brown) was actually not fully cooked so they were really good/quick about giving me a new plate because of that. The dish I WOULD recommend in place of the katsu curry is the grilled duck donburi (rice bowl). This is a bit more pricey (12-13 pounds) but so delicious and the flavor is on point. Also tried their korean bbq beef steamed bun (2 for about 6 pounds so a little bit more pricey but steamed buns in general are always more expensive because of their tapas nature) which was good but if you're going for bang for your buck, I'd say go for the rice bowls or noodles.

PRO: Warm, dry place to hide from the rain; like the green tea CON: Noisy, the food, little bit of honesty about the food, chef. BOTTOM LINE: If you want Asian food, go to Chinatown; don't waste your money here. As a Chinese and frequent visitor to Japan, definitely am already wary of any "Asian fusion" items, but came here for a quick snack and to escape the rain. The service was fine; appreciate the free green tea. We just had a few snacks, but specifically the steamed pork gyoza. About 5 quid for 4 pieces of gyoza (Japanese version of Chinese potstickers) wasn't a horrible price, but mind you, we ordered STEAMED gyoza. What comes out? Pan-fried gyoza...clearly pan-fried. We asked the waitress why it wasn't steamed; she brought it to the chef and said, "oh, they are steamed, but the chef fried it on one side so it would taste better." O...em...gee...were they actually trying to educate CHINESE people about how to eat dumplings and gyoza? Really...?!? Oh, and may I add, I MAKE potstickers and gyoza from scratch, including the wrappers. Would've felt a little better if she simply admitted that the chef couldn't be bothered to give us what we ordered. Whatever...the gyoza was sub-par; very bland, and not even crispy if you were going for pan-fried. Let that be a lesson to us for trying a bastardized version of asian food. If you want real potstickers or authentic dumplings, go to Chinatown. Four Seasons and Old Town 97 do not disappoint. Seriously, don't waste your money on subpar food and uncomfortable seats (yes, realize that is their business model). You can at least go to the worst restaurant in Chinatown and get better food there.

Yes, I'm that lame American who loves Wagamama and always eats at one when there's one nearby. I just always enjoy the quality of food, the friendliness of the staff, and the fact it's one of the few places I can nab an elderflower soda - a love I have that isn't quenched at home in Paris.

One thing on my MUST DO list for London trips is always a trip to Wagamama. I just love their food. I appreciate the fresh ingredients and the delicious spices. The warm dishes are especially delicious in cold weather. The staff is great--very helpful and quick. Don't expect to have an intimate conversation here. It's always overcrowded and very loud. However, it's fun for a group of friends to enjoy a quick meal.