Ukai
Call now
Call now
Website
Call
Ukai
Ukai brings an innovative combination of contemporary Robata Japanese cuisine, modern and sophisticated cocktails and stunning design. UKAI's menus blend the simplicity of modern Japanese cuisine with stunning influences of Mediterranean and South America flavours and techniques; the carefully crafted cocktail list mixes Japanese sakes and whiskies with European creativity and flare; and the stylish interior delivers the perfect backdrop for both an intimate dining experience and a vibrant live performance space.
Reviews (25)
Clemy Archer
Clemy Archer
Jan 17, 2022
Report
This restaurant was warm and inviting if a little dark. The food was delicious but a little smaller than I expected. I went with a group of friends and had ordered takeaway before which was also delicious but slightly larger portions. Sashimi was fresh and lamb chops (sounds random I know) but they were delicious. Staff were friendly and were attentive. Bathroom was clean.
Ho Cherrie
Ho Cherrie
Jan 15, 2022
Report
Nice interior with very good service. Good selection of drinks behind us he bar. They also featured Japanese food menu.
Bb Backup
Bb Backup
Dec 30, 2021
Report
An interesting thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. The attraction is the live music. The food is OK. The service is terrible. Lots of unqualified people trying to serve making a mess out of it. Two waiters came for us to order after we had already ordered. The drinks never came. The food came in a convoluted way. The soup at the end. Having said that, the band did their best to make up for it.
Miriam Oladejo
Miriam Oladejo
Dec 22, 2021
Report
Lovely cocktails (watch out, strong!) and cosy atmosphere. You can book a sushi dinner by the fireplace or have some drinks on the sofa. Service is always excellent.
Joel R.
Joel R.
Nov 24, 2021
Report
From brilliant to average.
Based on my previous experience I took friends who love Japanese singing the praise of the restaurant. I was really disappointed by the service it worse the food.
‐--------------------------------------‐-------------------------------------
What a fantastic experience!!!!
Exceptional Japanese food served in a trendy pub atmosphere.
Top notch personable and friendly service.
Great choice of wine; the Riesling we took was delicious!
Cannot wait for coming back!
Grant Space
Grant Space
Nov 17, 2021
Report
We came here on Halloween, and we were disappointed! They had cheap and nasty decorations all around the restaurant and it made the experience strange. It only goes to show how the place has fallen from grace. Everybody has moved to a more imaginative menu, a much cooler vibe, and a portion of quality food. I honestly can say i wont be going again.
Alan Pitchforth
Alan Pitchforth
Nov 16, 2021
Report
A late dinner with a dear friend. Fantastic interiors , dark and luscious. Lovely atmosphere with friendly talk to customers / locals? Service was lovely and the food and cocktails fantastic. Highly recommended. The bathrooms also have a charming gentleman who keeps them spotlessly clean and provides aftershave etc. Will go again soon.
Sharon Hamilton
Sharon Hamilton
Jul 26, 2021
Report
We had Waiter Service which was very professional and very friendly.
They knew their stuff which was very impressive..
The security where very helpful as I use crutches to get around and they were so helpful.
The cocktails where fantastic and the finger food we ordered was delicious and tasty.. Even the tea that they served us, was laid out with elegance.
Everything was so personal and fined tuned..
It was really nice..
Amrit Patheja Sethi
Amrit Patheja Sethi
Jun 30, 2021
Report
Second time here.
Monday night so not so busy.
Wagyu sliders were excellent but so expensive. They are only bite size and work out to £7 pounds each !
Sushi was very average.
Meal for 2 with 2 drinks each came to £120 including service.
That's pretty hefty !
Jezzer Pezzer
Jezzer Pezzer
Jun 17, 2021
Report
Excellent! Great position on the corner of Portobello and Lancaster with comfortable outdoor seating. Great on a Saturday to watch the people go by. But perhaps some seats are a little close to the road. Great Japanese food and service.
Quentin Johns
Quentin Johns
Sep 20, 2020
Report
They don’t pay their staff or contractors - left owing their security company a lot of money. Heartless. Do not work with them or give them your money.
Ada Pruska
Ada Pruska
Jul 29, 2018
Report
Amazing place, great music and of course an excellent chef! It was the best sushi I've ever eaten. Wonderful evening.Thank YOU! <3
Steven Smith
Steven Smith
Mar 23, 2018
Report
Fantastic food, great vibe and atmosphere in a very cool but relaxed area. "I'll have another Old Fashioned ... a special, no ice please."
Jacopo Ravarino
Jacopo Ravarino
Feb 03, 2018
Report
Wonderful place. Food and drinks are incredible. The staff is great especially the chef and the barman. Can't wait to return there!
Sarah T.
Sarah T.
Mar 20, 2012
Report
The food was ok. Smaller portions than I would have expected (a roll had 5 pieces instead of the more typical 6 or 7). Some things were good, the eel nigiri and spicy tuna nigiri in particular. The miso soup was blah, the tempura batter was not panko, the green tea was with leaves instead of powder, the salmon tartar daily special was underwhelming, a little over soy-sauced.

The service was atrocious. I'd read reviews saying so, but they still outdid themselves.
1) The boy got a whiskey. The waitress came back to ask if he wanted ice or not. Then she brought two, no ice. We told her we only
Mike A.
Mike A.
Feb 10, 2012
Report
Bring a friend or two to help open the door. I think it weighs about 400 lbs. The fish here is very fresh and good, I've been three times and have always been happy with what I've ordered. It's a little pricier than a lot of other places in the area, but again, you are getting quality. Hot jasmine tea is very good. The bathrooms are a mile away in some little dingy closet type thing, downstairs.

They don't take American Express, if you're into that sort of thing.
Qype User Dave
Qype User Dave
Jan 20, 2012
Report
One of the best sushi places I have eaten at in London. All clearly fresh. The sashimi was cut perfectly and was of a high quality. We also ordered the spring rolls, gyoza, seafood ramen and chicken udon. All full of flavour. We like it so much we ordered everything again (thank god for tastecard's 241 deal). The service was quick the tables were really close together however. You can hear everything the person next to you is saying in all its graphic details which was quite entertaining.
Qype User Krisfa
Qype User Krisfa
Apr 03, 2011
Report
Brilliant, fresh sushi, decent portions and excellent value with the tastecard. We came on a Saturday night, so there was a DJ spinning some generic beats and they had busted out the low/mood lighting, which was quite an experience!


I ordered the spicy salmon chirashi (thick sashimi slices on a bed of sesame seed-topped rice), soft shell crab tempura maki and shared the oysters with my friend who plumped for the Ukai Mix platter. The bill (without drinks) was only £26 with the tastecard, which I thought was an absolute bargain for a Saturday night sushi feast in the heart of Soho. I will definitely
Qype User PaulGa
Qype User PaulGa
Mar 08, 2011
Report
Decided to check out ukai today for the first time and I'm bitterly disappointed.


Ordered the vegetable udon and it was fairly flavourless and bland. My girlfriend ordered sushi and spring rolls, the latter of which turned up 5 minutes after we finished everything else.


The service was poor, we asked for drinks, were handed a drinks menu then the waiter never came back to us for over ten minutes even though the place was empty.


I'm hoping this was a one off as all the other reviews have been very positive.
Joanne L.
Joanne L.
Mar 03, 2011
Report
Venue is trendy and romantic I suppose, though I'm mostly considering it romantic because it was veeeeeery dimly lit with some candles.

Mostly what I remember from my recent dinner here is the TEENY, TINY, MINUSCULE portions. Okay yea, sushi is "expensive" and it's hard to dish out hearty servings, but honestly the portion sizes just made them look ridiculous and cheap. The chirashi "bowl" was a tiny scoop of rice and 4 slices of sashimi.. umm, what??? I've never once been able to count the number of sashimi slices in my chirashi bowl before... my boyfriend
Dahokolomoki Z.
Dahokolomoki Z.
Feb 20, 2011
Report
Ukai serves some of the best sushi and sashimi I have had in London, bar Nobu! Incredibly fresh fish. And expertly cooked prawn tempuras too. The noodles and rice dishes on the other hand were a bit of a disappointment, and worth giving a pass. Their special beef in a peppery sauce (at the end of the menu) is also definitely worth a try!


Pricewise, it is rather pricey - we had a sampling of sushi, sashimi, and tempura, a hot dish, and two non-alcoholic cocktails and the bill came up to £54 for the two of us! Luckily, we had the TasteCard, which gives 50% off - after the discount, it was an
Chris K.
Chris K.
Feb 11, 2011
Report
We normally don't go to these pseudo Japanese restaurants - owned and run by non-Japanese - but my partner found a deal from Groupon; £6 for £16 of food or drink, so we ventured out to this new territory. When we arrived at 12:40pm on Saturday, the place was totally empty. So we got a very attentive service. The good thing stops here. We ordered Chicken Teriyaki and they looked stewed. When we tasted it, it was far too dry, salty and microwaved. There was no sign of grilling, never mind char-grilling. The plate was drenched with this most horrid salty sauce - I don't think they
Qype User MissCh
Qype User MissCh
Jan 31, 2011
Report
Went here on a Friday night for dinner and drinks. The restaurant was buzzing and had a really good vibe. Food was delicious - especially the black cod - to die for! Also had one of the tastiest cocktails ever - can't remember the name but it was a gin and cucumber base - highly recommend it. The staff were also extremely friendly and attentive without being overly so. Would also recommend going to the bar upstairs for a pre or post dinner drink - again it has a great vibe and the mixologist does a great job. I would definitely recommend this place and plan to go back again soon.
Christie K.
Christie K.
Dec 25, 2010
Report
I purchased a £20 voucher from livingsocial.com which includes 4 cocktails and a sushi platter for 2. I was a little surprised at first when they gave us a menu because I was expecting like a boat full of sushi. When the sushi arrived, it seemed more like a platter for 0.75 people. Sushi isn't bad but I'd say it's similar to Feng Sushi - which isn't all that great to begin with. Cocktails are okay but a little too much on the sour side.

The trendy atmosphere is great for a drink but I would prefer grabbing a kebab somewhere down the road rather than staying for dinner.
Qype User Kristi
Qype User Kristi
Nov 07, 2010
Report
Oooh, I really liked this one!
Tucked away on Poland Street, this restaurant was a nice surprise. I had booked a value deal with Keynoir to get 4 Japanese cocktails and a sharing sushi platter at a discounted rate, so the perfect opportunity to try something new.
The atmosphere was buzzing when we went in on a Monday at 8pm - a good sign. Nearly every table was full and I loved the decor - low tables and deep colours - black glossy tables and tealight candles made it seem intimate and sexy.
We had salmon nigri, some rolls and sahimi - all presented really well and the real treat was the Japenese