Benihana Covent Garden

I dined at this establishment on a weekend and fortunately, we were seated immediately despite arriving an hour early. The overall experience was positive, as both the ambiance and the food were of high quality. However, it is worth noting that each chef appeared to have their own unique style of engaging with customers, which resulted in varying levels of entertainment for different tables. Personally, I found it slightly uncomfortable to be waiting for service from our chef while observing the lively interactions and performances at other tables.

My family and I (a group of ten, including two minors) visited Benihana yesterday to celebrate my dad’s 70th birthday. My brother was running 15 minutes late, so we had to push our reservation back. The staff at reception were very accommodating and made the adjustment without any issues. When we were seated, our waiter, Jesus, took our drink orders. However, each time he approached us, he seemed miserable and lacked any joy, something my dad also noticed. Jammy was a nice waitress, but overall, I rate the waiting staff a 2/5—there was no sense of happiness. Our chef was very friendly and kept us entertained. However, there was one major issue. I eat fish only, and the staff had mentioned that the fish would be cooked before the meat for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, the chef placed chicken on the grill first and then, after being reminded, added the salmon while the chicken was still cooking. This was extremely disappointing. Yesterday, it was 27 degrees in London, and the restaurant was very hot. It was quite bizarre that there was no air conditioning given the high temperature, so we were sweating while eating. On a positive note, the food was tasty and very filling, and the sushi was great. Also, they kindly brought out my dad a cake for his birthday. Given our experience, including the issues with service and the lack of air conditioning, I do not recommend Benihana and will not be visiting again.