Nobu Berkeley St

Poor and arrogant service

Food: average, no better than Roka / Zuma etc
Interior and atmosphere: ordinary, a bit tired already
Service: what is that woman at the reception on the ground floor??? Unintelligent, arrogant, not looking at guests when she is supposed to be talking with them – not so good looking, even. Others were ok.

So, if you don't know Japanese food and haven't been to really good restaurants, this is your place.

Horrible

Absolutely horrible service. Been there for my birthday. The service is so bad, they don't even card what would you prefer. They even didn't remember to snake a special desert, although they were asked to do it! Actually after telling them that they forgot a candle, they didn't even say sorry. Just brought a pathetic plate with some cookies and candle.. Nothing else:( absolute rubbish and waste of money. Plus horrible out if date interior but service is just below any level… Never again

Having tried Nobu Park Lane and enjoyed the lunch experience thought to try dinner at Berkeley St. It was a late table as I booked a little late in the day but figured I was not being served in the peak hour so all should be well. I arrived early at the bar and grabbed pre-dinner drinks… the atmosphere at the bar was great with a mixed crowd and live DJ. Made my way upstairs in time for my table only to be told it was not ready and I should go back to the bar… first mistake. As I did not have a plan B in mind, I waited. Finally at the table we ordered the sushi platter and sashimi platter. An hour and fifteen minutes later we were served. Second mistake. I would advise to order each of these dishes in ten trnaches so they are served as thety are rolled or prepared. The food when it did arrive was fantastic… however, it would have tasted better if I was either prewarned on timing delay or advised at the time of ordering… the only explanation I was offered was that they were busy… at which point I felt like I was another number in a restaurant that needs to churn out diners. I will stick to lunch at Nobu Park Lane.

A constant classic which obviously does life of its hype (some of it deserved) but is no longer the absolute Japaneese in-place in town it used to be (give that to Zuma). Food is classic Nobu variety and not really different to their other locations but very good and reliable quality you can't fault (but you're paying the price). Enjoy people watching in the bar downstairs, particularly later on weekends

“Nobu or “No Boo””

Nobu Berkeley is situated right in the middle of Berkeley Street in Mayfair, and later on most evenings, has its usual 'club type" queues at the entrance, maintaining its mystique of what awaits inside.

On this evening I met with some friends from abroad first for a drink at the chic bar downstairs, before being told that though I did not book, they could accommodate the three of us with a table for dinner. And so we wandered upstairs to the usual welcoming cries in Japanese, and were seated at the back section of the dining room away from the main window section. Here it is a little less atmospheric, and almost rather claustrophobic as there is a level of noise and rebound echo which makes conversation almost impossible.

Anyway to the food and service which has been honed and perfected for an eternity at so many Nobus globally, and though seamless as it always is, there was not such a fresh take in my mind somehow. My guests were also a little bemused but not overly impressed and why it was I am not sure any of us could pinpoint. At the end of the day I think it was the extremely loud environment that dis-enabled us from either fully enjoying the food or any conversation, making most senses as it were, a well shaped blur rather than a truly refined or exquisite experience of any sort.

The crowd on a this mid week day evening was also mostly “touristy” it seemed and could be described as mixed rather than international. By this there is a inference that there were diners from all walks of life, but it seemed quite a few could be on the brash end of the spectrum, adding to the overall loud environment.

So all in all I am not sure I can say that Nobu did not deliver, but just that due to a number of factors some circumstantial, the end result was much less epic than reputation has led one to expect.

A group of 12 and I went for dinner on a Saturday night. The food was great. The service was terrible to the point of almost killing the evening.
The waiter kept getting things wrong, but he clearly had his routine for this down pat – deny, deny, deny. He would insist the person had ordered the dish in question, and only if a couple of people could corroborate the contrary, did he back down. In particular, he, then his manager, were aggressive to one of my friends, and I wish now I'd backed her up more, but I was off at the other end of the table chatting with other people. She was really embarrassed to be ‘making a fuss’ though in fact she just didn't order the dish. She just backed down in the face of the waiter and his manager. Later he tried it with another 2 of the people on the table, and we just remained firm because we could see it was a pattern. It's a shame because the food was special. Just be prepared for bad service.

sat at the counter as a walk in, stafff were polite and attentive, we had sliced yellow tail, yummy and tuna salad was excellent, rolls are not as good as zuma, but still very nice, we were able to give our oders direct to the chefs behind counter which was nice. we did not have alocohol, the drinks here are just too overpriced , i reckon they are marked up 5-6 times, but bill came to just over £100 and we were stuffed, would go back but at the counter, its more fun and much less formal.

Review – Nobu Berkeley Square

What three things makes a great restaurant? Well great food for a start springs to mind, outstanding service perhaps and reasonably priced food. Well two out of three is not bad. I’m at Nobu Berkeley Square and some of the prices on the menu remind me of the winning amount being paid out for picking five correct numbers on this week’s lottery.

As I enter this restaurant from Berkley Street and hand over my coat to one of the two very welcoming ladies at the desk, I then feel slightly awkward as I am then left to my own devices. Naturally they must have assumed that I had been before and I cannot bring myself to disappoint them so I hover for a moment and then head off in the opposite direction. I am sure they would have been more happy to show me where the actual restaurant was, if I asked, but deep down somewhere inside me, I just feel that I do not qualify for that extra special customer service. I’m told they often have many celebrities here and personally I doubt if they are left to wander the ground floor alone. Nevertheless, I’m a big lad and make my own way and soon end up in the downstairs bar. It’s quiet vast and I imagine has a real buzz about it at the weekend, but sadly it’s completely empty on this Friday afternoon I visit. By chance, a fellow diner appears who is in the same predicament and asks the barman where the restaurant is. He points to the stairs so I head up and as you reach the top you make somewhat a grand entrance at the main desk and from now on, the service is impeccable.

I sit at the sushi counter with a another couple and have the chance to watch the chefs in action. The whole operation is very well oiled and efficient and their preparation of the ultra-quality fish is seamless with very little communication needed. Clearly everyone knows their role and the wheels of fish preparation just roll effortlessly.

I order on recommendation the Nobu Bento box and a nice glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. My waiter is keen to check I have no food allergies and I feel tempted to tell him, fish as a joke, but do not have the courage as I am sure he has heard it all before.

My bento box arrives and is placed in front of me and the lid is removed with a certain amount of ceremony to reveal two layers, one of hot food, the lower of cold. On the top layer I have before me, tempura rock shrimp, black cod and spicy garlic rice with warm vegetables as my hot option and some nice sushi, sashimi and a salad for the cold section. I am also given a nice miso soup. The waiter indicates that I should go with the hot dishes first to enjoy them at their best. Of course, presentation is first class, but unfortunately, placing a lid on top of crispy tempura has the effect of immediately making most of it soggy as the steam created diminishes that super crunchy tempura they do so well. Happily, not all of my tempura is soft. My black cod is beautifully cooked, but again I wonder if the skin which is left on should be crispy or was crispy originally?. It is good and still has that distinctive cod taste . The vegetables are just al dente and the garlic rice is outstanding. My lower section of sushi and sashimi is super fresh and very moorish.

The price was £33.00 for the bento box and perhaps a tiny bit overpriced, but maybe not so much as my glass of wine at £8.50 for a small measure, but hey it’s Friday and I now know my way back to the entrance all on my own.

Overall a wonderful experience with exemplary service and I can see what the fuss is about.

The Emperors new clothes. Being a regular in Londons finest eateries , I was looking forward to my first visit to a Nobu restaurant. Oh dear. I was very dissapointed. I found the bar downstairs gloomy although it had a great range of spirits. The dining room was just as gloomy. The delivery of food was rapid, but I do not appreciate a member of staff trying to clear our plates before we had finished certain dishes, apparently to make space? The food was average at best. When you consider the eyewatering cost, the service and food should be top draw it really was not. If anybody wants a fantastic dining exoperience there are some amazing alternatives, Dinner, Ramsey Hospital rd and the newcomer Pollen St Social to name a few. This place seemed to be full of groups of men only? The only people I can imagine going there twice would be the bridgers and tunnelers who think Closer is a good read and think they might spot a"celeb".
To summarise avoid this restaurant , it is a complete rip off. There are far better restaurants in London

I usually prefer this iteration of Nobu to it's posher sister up to road – it's much less formal, and ideal if you just want to grab some yummy sashimi.

The quality of the ingredients is crucial in Japanese cooking, and here raw scallops, salmon, squid etc just sing… The room is very much like a very upmarket canteen, and is always buzzing. The service can be incredibly fast, so it you're looking for a dining ‘experience’, you really do want to go to the other restaurant! Last week we were in and out within an hour, and that included about 10 dishes!

Make sure you try the rock shrimp tempura, the yellowtail and jalapeno sashimi, the blackened cod, the tamago (here stuffed with rice), the bento boxes, the wagyu – it's all going to be good! Oh, and it has a very moody and groovy bar downstairs – perhaps if you want to lengthen your visit you could go to the bar first, then move upstairs.