Engawa Restaurant

Booked to come here on the 13th December as it was my partner's birthday (having been here may times in the past) and we weren't disappointed.

We opted for the Christmas special menu (£135pp) which consisted of essentially all things beef. Many of the dishes were absolutely outstandingly good, this restaurant can never be accused of compromising on quality that's for sure!

Our of all of the dishes served there was only one that was slightly lacking (I couldn't actually taste the beef) and that was the 'Hokkaido-Kombu marinated Kagoshima Beef, grated radish, Ponzu, chives and okra sauce'. It was still a wonderful dish, however the okra was overpowering and so that's all I could taste.

We added an extra dish (KAGOSHIMA TEPPANYAKI STEAK) and I highly recommend anyone else does the same (it's a shame the menu didn't include this to be honest), as this is what the restaurant is mainly famous for (it is exquisite!).

All in all, the meal, the ambience, the service was outstanding, and I will continue to visit this restaurant as long as I'm able to.

great food and good portiuon, sushi is quite fresh and flavoursome

First visit to Engawa and I hadn’t really looked at the menu until we arrived. At first glance it didn’t look too promising as there was limited vegetarian dishes for my partner and not much fish choice for me. However with the help of the waitress and chef we both enjoyed delicious food with amazing presentation.

I’ve Been here several times and afraid this time it just wasn’t as good. 3 soups in the taster menu is way too many. The starters weren’t very interesting and one of them (another soup!) had turnip in that has not been cooked through so couldn’t eat it. Sadly won’t be coming back

Hygiene
The chef had the mask under his chin the whole time working behind the counter

Service
The only waitress in the restaurant were rude

Seating
Overcrowded seatings in a tiny space

Food - 14 Hakozen box was terrible
1. Unpeeled carrot in the cold beef stew
2. A cold piece of beef fat along with some turnip
3. Rice was hard
4. Sashimi was fishy and in room temperature 🤢
5. Onion tempura was awful
6. Mini chirashi was so fishy
7. Pumpkin croquette in some extremely salty sauce
8. Slimy okra sauce with a mashy dough

Presentation
Phenomenal. Perfect for Instagram.

Drinks
Soho garden cocktail was good!

I went for the 50% off lunch offer, it’s understandable if they swap some of the expensive ingredients out. However, all the basics were not there... the flavour and how they prepare the fish and rice. Thankfully I didn’t pay full price £50!!!

Some of the best Japanese food I have ever had. Expensive but in my opinion worth it!

What an experience, Engawa truly stands out
Went for the Special Christmas menu and it was perfectly executed. Each dish beautifully plated, and tasted as good as it looked, highly recommend. I cannot wait to go back

Thank you for taking such great care of us and look forward to going back

One of the best Japanese restaurant in London. Freshly prepared and tasty food. Highly recommended!

The food was very good but not great (as you would expect from the price). The half price lunch offer is still too expensive!

Beautifully presented fantastic food! Highly recommended!

Attentive service, amazing food and ambience too. Our host was very kind in accommodating to us and explaining the courses. Can't wait for our next visit!

We got the 50% online lunchbox deal. Charming, discreet, service, beautiful interior and some seriously high-end Japanese food. Such a treat.

Food was insane and the staff are super cool and down to earth! Can’t wait to come back

Complete Waste of money with rude staff

Brilliant food beautifully presented, we truly enjoyed the experience!

Awesome place. Proper flavors and quality. Friendly and professional staff.

Excellent restaurant, the food was delicious and service was great!

I thought going to a small place would prove issues for a friend get together but it was the opposite and minus some rather obscure dishes within the appetizers, it was one of the most thoughtful dinners I’ve had. We all enjoyed it and is now on my recommended list.

Excellent quality Japanese Wagyu Beef, A small restaurant with a relaxed but good service.

Beautiful good both from a visual and from a culinary perspective. Service was very attentive and we felt looked after.

Nice cosy place, serving amazing food. Beautifully presented but also tastes great!

We went to engana a couple of years ago and it was absolutely delicious. Unfortunately this time, we didn’t have the same experience. Nothing really stood out. Not a good value for money at all. The place is lovely, service great, beautiful food presentation, but the taste wasn’t great. A bit boring.

Food was absolutely delicious, the service super nice and attentive (but not too much, either). It's pricey, but absolutely worth it - and omakase menu is plenty of food, delicious, delicious food!

Food was excellent and sashimi was fresh as we remembered from our first visit.

However they should work on customer reception upon arrival. We arrived 10-15 min early - as considerate guests do. It is understood that during COVID it is not always possible to wait inside the restaurant. However the receptionist simply told us we couldn’t go inside and pointed to the table inside saying “there is another customer still sitting at your table”. He could have politely offered us a seat on one of the outdoor tables or even in the courtyard. When we asked where we could wait, he casually waved “outside” and went back in.

Had we not been here before and remembered the excellent food, we would not have been so patient. It is a real shame the overall high standards have been let down by such a “couldn’t care less” attitude at reception.

Really incredible 5-course Omakase menu that my wife and I both opted for to celebrate our anniversary - my wife made an early error in ordering an additional sea urchin dish, which took us to 6 courses and my wife barely made it through the phenomenal sushi and sashimi, let alone the Wagyu beef and Black Cod. I had a brilliant time, not least because I also ended up eating half of my wife’s final 2 courses. The ambience was quite cool and understated and we felt the prices were reasonable if not cheap - but then you get what you pay for. The staff were very attentive but not overbearing which is always a fine balance in a small restaurant but they got it. Final tip for anyone considering the Omakase menus - make sure you’re hungry for the 5 courses, otherwise go for the 3 courses. We would only have missed out on the chef’s specials, which for us were the tomato noodle soup and the tempura parsley with miso sauce. This would have likely made room in my wife’s belly for the subsequent main and dessert, which made its way into my belly instead! (Couldn’t let any go to waste!) Great evening and they are taking what Covid precautions they can during this time, which is reassuring.

A fantastic dining experience. The sake flight with tasting menu, superb. Service excellent. The food was wonderful, very enjoyable, thank you.

This place deserves a Michelin star. The omakase was amazing, service attentive... Overall excellent!

The Omakase menu was excellent - very fresh ingredients, presented beautifully and put together in a thoughtful manner. The manager was welcoming; service was attentive but not intrusive.
The restaurant space is small, neat and appears very clean. We felt that the overall dining experience is just as good as we recall from pre-pandemic times. Booking in advance is recommended to ensure appropriate distancing.

It's the second time we have been to this restaurant. This time we decided to go a la carte focussing on the Wagyu beef. The 100g Hida steak was excellent and reminded us of when we ate it in Japan. We also took a few other dishes that we all enjoyed very much!

Wonderful restaurant, as good as the previous experience 3 years ago. Tasty and tasteful food prepared with care.

We had asked for a table and we’re originally seated at the bar but needn’t have worried as they moved us to a table after we had a cocktail each. They accommodated dietary requirements very well and even brought my husband a birthday dessert with a candle. They were really helpful, and we had a special evening. We’ve been once before and really enjoy the food. It is quite unique but the flavours take us back to our travels in Japan.

Perfect Japanese restaurant. One of our favourites that never disappoints.

Tasting menu was incredible. Went for sushi option, was not disappointed!

I think the waiter/ waitress should wear mask during their work

Very lovely boutique restaurant with a nice intimate ambience. Had the omakase menu and it was delicious, particularly the wagu. Great for trying things I wouldn't normally and knowing what I'd order more of next time. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive and cocktails were also amazing.

amazing food and service; we had the 5 course taster menu with Wagyu beef and sake pairing- staff was exceptionally polite and knowledgeable about the food and sake; will go again.

Went to Engawa for my boyfriend's birthday to surprise him with authentic Japanese beef. Went for the Omakase 3 course and it was the best Japanese food experience ever! Such an array of different flavors and the beef was amazing and presented beautifully! I wish there was more of the Wagyu beef! It is on the expensive side but you definitely get your money's worth of food, set in a beautiful location, Engawa is perfect for a special occasion!

Great food！

Excellent location in the heart of soho and joyful high quality and innovative japanese cuisine . I'll return

Came here to celebrate my husband’s birthday and was very impressed. Engawa shows the same attention to detail that we experienced from our numerous visits to Japan.