Beniha

This location is now closed. But it was good enough when it was open.

Great location next to station… it’s hit or miss with the food though (been here 3 times, no consistency), although the accidental entertainment from the chefs is priceless.

The Swiss cottage branch is seems smaller than the Piccadilly branch and was rather quiet when we went.
Still we had a fab time there and the teppantaki was entertaining too.
Food is always nice although portions are on the smaller side but I think it’s lilke this for most places. The rice helps to fill you up though.
Cocktails here are nice too.
Enjoyed the experience.

Not so long ago I wrote about being impressed by Inamo (
) for serving very good food despite the whole restaurant being something of a gimmick. Back down to earth with a bump, then, after visiting a Benihana, another gimmick restaurant which serves below average food, even by gimmick standards.
It’s staid and rather wartorn inside — imagine this is something to do with the habitual flame-​throwing of the chefs — which does nothing for the flat atmosphere of a mostly empty place (we did go on a Monday evening).
We were second to be seated at our table which as Em points out below left us with a bit of catching up to do. The clear soup was good to start, however the salad of rough iceberg and a couple of cherry toms was poor (excepting the dressing). The sushi was good, though. We were told to select two types of fish or meat for our main course — we duly did. Our chef for the evening came out much to the delight of the small child on the table, and pretty much ignored us at the other end. To be honest, I wasn’t that bothered as was catching up with a mate, and did quite enjoy some of the fireshow, but he concentrated on cooking for the other party and threw ours on at the end. We ended up with something different that we asked for, not particularly well cooked and pretty much overseasoned. Never mind. I concentrated on drinking green tea and chatting to my friend.
The 8 courses for £22 deal is still a bit overpriced as far as I can see, I definitely wouldn’t pay more but did notice some others shelling out (sigh) for lobster. People on other tables seemed to be having quite a bit of fun too. Maybe we were just unlucky, but wouldn’t go back.

Benihana’s got a nice vibe and friendly staff, and they’ll seat you nice and early (opens 6pm) if you want to go to the movies afterwards. They even did a non-​prawn sushi for me, that kind of service always goes down a treat.
The theatrical cooking is fun — food is prepared in front of us on a giant hot metal plate. We nearly lost our eyebrows to the onion volcano, and one of our party got a bit splatted by a pepperpot falling in the ginger sauce, but that’s part of the experience.
Teppenyaki tables seat 8, so be prepared to share if you’re not in a large group. Allow 1.5−2 hours for your meal if planning to do stuff afterward.
Definitely value for money if you do the 8-​course meal for £22.

Went here recently for dinner with a load of mates and had a fantastic evening! Great food, great price (£18 for 7 courses!) and great entertainment from the chefs as they cook for you!
I’m vegetarian and even if I left with a happy tummy!

Benihana is great for a group night out or a family lunch or early dinner. The one in Swiss Cottage is right next to the station and really easy to find. If you’re looking for some entertainment with you food then you can’t beat it as the chef do like to put on a show. The food is good and the 7 course menu (have a look on toptable for offer) is brilliant. I came out stuffed so definitely good value for money. All in all it’s really good fun and great for a families and friends.

Had a lovely dinner at the Swiss Cottage branch of Benihana, and it was good times all around. Service was quick and efficient, and our chef was appropriately amusing. Between flaming onion volcanoes and food flipping antics, he kept our attention the entire time he was cooking.
We had a special deal that they were running, which offered 7 courses at 18 pounds, which turned out to be enough food for two people. Possibly not the best food around, but a nice way to spend an evening with friends anyway. Just note that you will come out smelling like grease

The food was deliciously amazing its cooked in front of you and the seven courses are tasty and have the absolute wow factor. The wine is good and the atmosphere lively