Kintan - London

Receptionist was really rude and inflexible. We were 9 people and she wanted us to fit in one table. She even raised her voice at us when we said we couldn’t fit. Even before we finished eating they were rushing us out and she was already giving us the bill. We asked for still water in a bottle and they gave us tap water and charged us for it. The food is good but service is not worth it. We even heard the other table talking about how they ordered a different flavor of ice cream. They gave them a completely different flavor without asking if they were okay with it because they were out. Overall, very bad service.

I celebrated my 28th birthday at Kintan Japanese BBQ yesterday, and the experience was a delightful mix of highs and some areas for improvement. A special appreciation to Yume, whose exceptional service stood out amidst the bustling atmosphere of the packed restaurant. Despite the crowd, Yume was incredibly attentive, ensuring my celebration felt like an authentic Japanese experience. Now, onto the star of the show—the food. The chicken garlic noodles were a revelation, and the spring rolls impeccable. The butter garlic tenderloin was a savoury delight I had to order around 4-5 times because I couldn't stop eating it. These dishes showcased the simplicity but also culinary excellence of Kintan. However, the addicting cabbage and cucumber, while pretty good, left me yearning for a touch more intensity. Nevertheless, they played a crucial role in cleansing the palate, especially when paired with the well-cooked rice. Turning to the service aspect, Yume's efforts shone brightly, mitigating the occasional delays in service from the non-English speaking staff. Despite everyone being friendly, simple orders sometimes took longer than expected. Yume's efficiency and understanding turned potential hiccups into a memorable birthday experience. On the ambiance front, my only gripe was the limited Japanese-speaking staff, which impacted the overall feel of the restaurant. While the non-Japanese staff were friendly and accommodating, there's a certain authenticity that comes with a predominantly Japanese-speaking team that was missing. This, coupled with the limited restroom facilities for a place of this size, resulted in a slight deduction in the overall ambiance rating. In terms of price, the quality of the food justified the cost. I look forward to revisiting Kintan in Holborn, hoping that with time, the areas for improvement will be addressed, making it an even more authentic and enjoyable Japanese dining experience. Thank you Kintan. Thank you Yume. See you soon.

Very dissapointed with the food quality. The Beef is as Tough as Nylons. Have been in this restaurant since day one. Not worth the money and time. Beef is so chewy and tough. Staff need to be trained how to handle food.

Evening started with nobody greeting us at the door and the upstairs bar being in an absolute state. Had to go down and ask somebody to tend us to a table, to which we were told to go upstairs and wait some more, by a rude Asian man with a bowl cut (front of house seemingly), literally to wait one minute and bring us down again??? Brought to our table, which was not even ready as there were no plates or cutlery there. We proceeded to order one of the sets for 2 people, to which we had asked if we could switch out the chicken for something that was the same price to which my partner had done previously. The same guy who brought us down stared blankly at us and just said no we can’t do that with a very demeaning tone. Moments later, he started to shout and swear at one of his female colleagues and stormed off and all staff started to collect in a circle to have a gossip session. Starters were served, kimchi cabbage, miso soup and prawn tempura. Still no plates or cutlery to eat this at this point and had to wait for about 5 minutes for someone to actually attend to us and get them. Nobody had switched the stove on for us at this point either. Meat platter served, had to ask for water twice before actually getting served. The meat was good, bibimpap was served but had a small portion of rice. Waited ages for someone to clear our plates, we had stacked everything and wiped down the tables to prompt them to clear it. Had to ask for the dessert to be served as well as this was forgotten. As we were eating dessert, we were handed the bill at the same time. Mid way through our dessert, one of the waiters came with a card reader which was very rude as we were not done eating. The food itself was not bad, a little overpriced for what it was, but the main let down was the customer service. It was a special night for us, heard good things about this place but was a complete let down. Safe to say we will not be returning again.

I visited this place with a group of friends and we absolutely enjoyed it. We had the Kintan course for 4 which came as an assortment of rice, vegetables, chicken, pork and 3 plates of prime beef. For this platter most of the meat comes uncooked but marinated so we grilled it ourselves on top of the table which was a fun experience. You have to try the Green Tea cheesecake! Our group liked the restaurant so much we visited again in the same week.