Jin Kichi in Camden

This is a great izakaya restaurant. Very attentive staff, quick service, and a vibrant atmosphere. I got miso soup, the sashimi set, grilled skewers, and the pancakes as dessert. The sashimi set was very good and the grilled skewers were tasty and flavourful

My happy place! Love it so much

Best sushi in London! Food was exquisite, so fresh and delicious - particularly the grilled eel and cucumber and gyozas. Service was amazing too!

Really good food especially the fish! But what a difficult service especially at the beginning. Very slow then it got better Overall worth the visit.

Delicious sushi - friendly service :)

Absolute favourite restaurant. The food never disappoints. Wonderful sushi, agedashi tofu, tempura, skewers….mouthwatering. My only criticism is it’s incredibly expensive.

Amazing place - a hidden gem in North London.

Fantastic fresh food.. great service

It says it's been open since 1992. There's no need to ask about the quality and whether it's delicious or not. 33 years has confirmed the quality. Thank you to the shop that never stops developing and recruiting fresh ingredients for customers every day. We are happy every time we come to eat at #We love Japanese food❤️🙏😁

One of my favourite Japanese restaurants. Nice food and friendly staff

The food at Jin Kichi was undeniably good, with fresh, authentic flavors that made the meal enjoyable. The yakitori was particularly well-prepared, and the sushi was of high quality. However, the service left much to be desired. Despite the restaurant not being overly busy, the staff seemed inattentive and lacked the warmth or efficiency I expect from a dining experience of this caliber. We had to wait far too long for our orders and struggled to get the attention of the servers. While the food was impressive, the subpar service made the overall experience underwhelming.

I’ve been here more than 10 times. Always amazing and pretty sure it’s the best Japanese restaurant in London. Must try grilled stuffs !

Very warm and cosy atmosphere. Delicious food. You see their respect for the craft. Only negative is that the turnover is too high for a chilling dinner.

I come here at least once a month because it is the best Japanese restaurant in Hampstead and surrounding area. I usually order the bara chirashi. The food is usually very good, but today it was not at the same standard. The octopus was hard and chewy so I left it behind. The hostess is not very friendly. When you make a reservation online for the sushi bar there is no assigned seat. We arrived exactly at 12:30 - our reservation time and asked to meet seated on the most “protected” side of the sushi bar. She said I reserved later than someone else, and if they reserved before, they have the best seat on the sushi bar. This is not clear at all in the website and makes no sense. The people that took the best seats in the sushi bar arrived 15 mins late. The hostess was unfriendly and had a rude demeanor which set us for a stressful start of our meal, which was sad. The waitress kept kicking my chair through the whole meal as she passed behind me. So, overall not a great experience today.

Skewers are always my favourite! Chargrilled flavour is awesome 🥰 Friendly staff and very decent tempura Don (lunch set). Defintely encore!

Very good restaurant, authentic vibe and design, truly delicious food - we love to return every now and again. Often full to the brim, so reservation is recommended! Main downsides: rather pricey & tables quite cramped together.

The food and sake are all amazing!

Thank you for the amazing food! Good quality food! Well seasoned Kushi/ yakitori! This is a hidden gem in London !

Very cute izakaya style restaurant with delicious food. I got the chirashi bowl - portion size was great and has a great selection of seafood. We also had the black miso cod which just melted when you tried it. Would highly recommend!

Amazing food as always love the sushi The black seaweed salad is something unique and not found this yet in other Asian restaurants in london Noodles broth is flavourful and fulfilling The sushi bar experience is great Great food and economical prices

Loved it, here the food was delicious, and the staff where great. Would definitely come back again.

The food is excellent. Confusions among staff who serve a table, so slow / poor service.

Friends recommend me to visit this small shop which is so fully booked. And I truly understand why because thwy really did a good job. The caucasian skewer chef is really good! Timing is great, everything right on. Considering I came from HK where yakitori shops are so common and popular, this shop’s quality is comparable! Skewers are very good, while sushi and maki are cool too. The menu has a great diversity ranging from starters, skewers, sashimi, to grilled beef and noodles. Definitely would return and try more other food. Price is reasonable 🤭

Best sushi and nigiri in Tokyo.

I used to work here, It's the most authentic Japanese restaurant you'll ever come across and enjoy. All the staff are very friendly too and very efficient.

Flavourful authentic Japanese food. The orders from the grill took a bit too long to arrive, that was the only downside. The restaurant is busy, but we got a table with no reservation around 9PM

Tuvimos una gran cena de sushi. La ensalada hijiki era delicada y salada el Toro ella era deliciosa y cremosa. Esta brocheta de pollo también estaba buena y también lo estaba el hongo shiitake seguro que la berenjena horneada era excelente aunque tomó mucho tiempo. Vale la pena esperar. No teníamos una reserva, pero nos dejó entrar si prometimos salir dentro de dos horas y lo hicimos.

Esta fue nuestra segunda visita a Jin Kichi y nos encanta! Es un restaurante japonés de barrio en Hampstead y afortunadamente, un poco por debajo del radar para los turistas. La comida es excelente pero no llamativa en absoluto (a diferencia de algunos restaurantes japoneses en Londres). Además del sashimi y el sushi de siempre, también tienen un fantástico mostrador de parrilla, donde puedes sentarte y ver al chef cocinar, lo que para nosotros fue uno de los aspectos más destacados de la visita. Gran ambiente también - clientela es generalmente local y no - nadie está tomando fotos para Instagram! ! Gracias - sin duda volveremos pronto!

Food tastes good, but over 40 mins to serve the food, starving to death.

Service & food is impeccable! Prices are great.

We've been going to this restaurant for 40 years now and it is the most glorious Japanese food.

It's nostalgic. It was still there. I worked here for a bit about 30 years ago. It was interesting to see people there who seemed like wanderers. Will the management be the same as it was back then?

Very nice place, helpful staff even if a little slow in bringing the wine to the table. The quality of the food is excellent although for the quantity offered the price is slightly higher than average. However, it is still an excellent place to definitely try!

Finally, an original izakaya in London

Great local yakitori and more restaurant. Always busy for a reason. Slightly on the pricey side for that you get. Service could be a bit faster as we had to wait a while before someone came to take our order despite already asking once. We sat in the basement and food splatter marks on the walls detracted from the overall experience. It's still definitely worth a visit if you have never been. The food is never disappointing.

Without doubt the best Japanese food in the whole of the UK. Over 30 years Jin Kichi has stayed true to its heritage and creates visual and tasteful delights from their incredible grilled skewers to the black cod and stunning sashimi. You need to book but it’s worth it!

Their yakitori is the best in town. Visiting this place will stop my craving to go to Japan. 😀 always our go to restaurant if we want a decent authentic Japanese dinner.

This is such a great place for dinner! Amazing skewers and izakaya. On the pricey side but I guess it's Hampstead and you pay for quality.

Lovely, small neighbourhood restaurant. The service was charming. The food was fantastic (my friend and I were still talking on the way home about how perfectly textured the udon was). When you first look at the menu, it's possible to feel a little sticker shock, as there are some platters with hefty price tags, and quality sushi is never cheap. So you could, certainly, spend a lot here if you wanted to. But it's also possible to have a wonderful meal here without breaking the bank, so don't let sticker shock put you off. We started with a tuna roll for my friend (which she said was excellent), and a lamb skewer for me (smokey and flavourful), then we split a succulent chicken katsu and that fabulous yaki udon. Add in drinks and service, and the bill came to £64, which feels like terrific value for food of this quality. We'll defo be back!

Hemos estado en Jin Kichi muchas veces para almorzar y nos encanta. Ofrecen grandes ofertas de almuerzo. Jin Kichi siempre está ocupado. Decidí reservarlo para la cena de cumpleaños de mi esposo el 7 de agosto. Cuando estábamos tratando de decidir qué pedir, pregunté si el tazón de sushi chirachi a 59 libras (precio) era lo suficientemente grande para 2? El camarero gofeó un poco y dijo que podría ser, pero no parecía seguro. Mi marido y mi hija hicieron sus pedidos y yo pedí el cuenco de chirachi para mí. Llegaron los platos de mi marido y de mi hija, pero pasó una hora y los míos aún no habían llegado. Cuando preguntamos el camarero dijo que pensaba que había decidido no pedir nada en absoluto. Hizo el pedido. Pasó otra media hora y el tazón de chirachi finalmente llegó. Contenía 2 de todo y fácilmente habría sido lo suficientemente grande para compartir. (¡Deberían dejarlo claro en el menú!) Mi esposo pidió otro plato y el camarero le dijo que haría el pedido, pero que tendría que comer rápido porque necesitaban la mesa. Nos hicieron esperar 1 hora y media por nuestra comida y luego dicen que tenemos que desalojar la mesa. Cuando mi esposo explicó que no nos íbamos a ir ya que yo solo estaba empezando mi tazón de chirachi en ese momento, el camarero sugirió que nos trasladaran a otra mesa. De nuevo mi marido se negó. Nadie preguntó si necesitábamos algo más, más agua, más saki... cuando llegó la cuenta, automáticamente habían añadido una gratificación de 30 libras para el camarero. No queríamos hacer un escándalo, pero el servicio NO había sido bueno y toda la vibra de cumpleaños había sido destruida. Me encanta Jin Kichi pero esta fue una experiencia terrible. La calidad de la comida era buena, pero dados los precios cobrados, el servicio era lamentablemente deficiente.

This is the most authentic Japanese restaurant I’ve tried in London. Has the feel is a small neighbourhood restaurant in Japan, with friendly staff, tasty food with a wide selection of dishes.

Best Japanese in London. Excellent sushi bar and service is friendly and welcoming. A real community establishment.

It’s good and have a lot of variety. Had heard a lot about this place being amazing but we were underwhelmed. Maybe we ordered incorrectly or it was actually too authentic for us :) .. would prefer maido or even atariya .. or the likes of taka. Ine which is in the same neighbourhood is better as well.

Hands - abajo el mejor restaurante japonés en Londres; la comida es comparable e incluso mejor que en algunos restaurantes que visité en Japón. No he probado nada en el menú que no sea bueno, pero el udon, yakitori, agedashi - tofu y unagi maki son algunos de los mejores. Es un ambiente tan íntimo y los olores que obtienes cuando estás sentado al lado de la parrilla son celestiales. Hazte un favor y visítala, pero debes reservar con bastante antelación (alrededor de un mes) porque es muy popular.

Went for a random meal somewhere we’ve never been before and it proved to be a very different experience. The food was tasty, varied and very shareable so an ideal place for the indecisive or for those wanting something different. Friendly staff and close to the station so overall an enjoyable experience.

One of the best Japanese restaurants in London where has the real authenticity of Japanese food

Great service but food is not great and overpriced. The black cod took a while to come and was meant to be marinated in miso but was plain and lacked flavour.

Good food with amazing vibes. Although not Japanese Origin, I thought it felt very authentic. Open kitchen allows me to see the chef prepare food while waiting and eating. I would recommend to love ones.

Great place and fresh food! Definitely highly recommended.

Really authentic Japanese, lots of options, all of them delicious. The service was excellent too.

I haven’t yet tried every Japanese restaurant in London but in my mind this is as close to Japan as you can get. The Yakitori and grilled options are divine and the sushi is some of the best in the city. The ideal place for special occasions for the sushi connoisseur.

My compliments to the chefs for the high quality food always served with surprising speed and consistency. Very much grateful to the waitresses and waiters for service that I acknowledge cannot be rated as anything but perfect. Yours and truly, with regards Kurt

The best Japanese restaurant in the world! Been going since 20 years and the quality never changes!

For a restaurant that specialises in yakitori, I found their grills to be just average. There's definitely a better yakitori spot in town. The yakitori, in general, were quite dry and overcooked; the beef tongue was particularly tough, and the prawns lacked succulence. The assorted set didn’t offer great value for money. On the bright side, the sushi rolls were excellent. Considering the high prices for a neighbourhood restaurant, the overall standard of food didn't quite match up to the price tag. I appreciate the friendly and prompt service. The restaurant expansion was much needed, but the seating is still a bit tight.

A very good proper Izakaya . The food is consistently of great quality my only slight criticism is that despite the refurb and the larger space it is still not a comfortable place to be as it still feels very cramped . Nor can you have a leisurely lunch if you get there from 1.30 onwards . These are minor things but since Cafe Japan no longer opens for lunch it’s pretty much this place or nothing for this area .

This is a case of not enough stars, should be 10 stars for this place. A fantastic experience, service was superb, we had a few questions which were answered with no trouble, the older waitresses are so lovely, like aunties serving your food. And the food, it is absolutely delicious, maybe went a bit overboard (pun intended) but the menu all looks amazing. So we went for the chefs selection nigiri sushi, it was amazing, tuna, salmon, octopus, seabass, bonito etc, not a fan of roe but I think they would replace if you asked before ordering. The tempura and salmon teriyaki were great but the skewers were unreal, and the king prawn was massive and juicy, you can see them being cooked to perfection behind the counter on the hibachi grill. It's all very straightforward but skills at the highest level. It is expensive, but it is worth it, other than my green tea sour was not sour enough, and they didn't have any konomono starter left, but other than that, an absolute stupefying pleasure. Super recommended, and can't wait to go back. Arigato gozaimasu!

Wow, this fantastic tuna natto is absolutely delicious! The sushi and skewers are so fresh and tasty. The staff here is really nice too. Can't wait to come back again and I felt I am in japan :)

Wonderful authentically Japanese food, so tasty. Great atmosphere too. Love this place!

Authentic Japanese at an affordable rate, the lunch deals were great

Great quality Japanese food. I love the atmosphere as well, it feels like I'm actually in an izakaya in Japan.

I approved both the service and atmosphere of this beautiful Japanese style restaurant, but the food there was really really disappointing. We initially were impressed by the authentic look of the restaurant, it came out that the food isn’t making it up. 1. The rice roll - the seaweed paper is SOFT and you have to eat almost all the rice to get to the salmon. 2. The sushi roll - i didn’t take pictures of this but the rice is warm… and it definitely doesnt taste better than even Wasabi to be priced at that. 3. Skewers - these are good! Indeed! But this is the only one good dish among all we’ve ordered 4. Soba - I understand we ordered cold soba but this is way beyond cold, it is FREEZING! The noodles themselves also dont look nor taste fresh. It’s like they’ve cooked it for very long and stored them in iced water… and the sauce is tasteless also… 5. And be ware of the sake tasting menu, it actually costs you more than ordering each sake shot on the tasting menu individually. One of the sake was run out and they replaced it with an even cheaper one, feels like scam but we made the choice, who’s there to blame. So we paid £40 per person ended up craving for some more KFC. (Again, skewers were worth it, but that’s all)

Was expecting more from the food given the authentic environment and higher price. But really food was meh (other than the skewers). First time having onigiri with soggy seaweed, which wouldn’t be if served fresh. Warm sushi ruined the raw sashimi inside.

It used to be excellent. Last two times been terrible. So sad!

On 11.01.2024, Jin Kichi was given a food hygiene rating of 1 ("major improvement necessary"). "Management of food safety" is rated as "Major improvement necessary". Do an online search for "food hygiene ratings" and search by postcode NW3 6UG to see more details for "Jinkichi Ltd".

I dislike writing bad reviews and never bother with them, however I genuinely wasn't happy with the service. I've been here twice, however the second time around wasn't as great as the first time around. The first time I visited, we had no reservations, was treated better, not rushed, food was cooked properly, etc. This was on a busy day also. The second time around, my partner had booked a reservation weeks in advance. We were given great seats. This is where the problem arises: Our food was served to us extremely late, some of the food (chicken skewers) were not cooked properly. Our booking was for 20:00PM, We were also told that we needed to leave the table by 20:40PM (?) Our food arrived to us by 20:25PM-20:30PM leaving us barely any time to eat and making us feel extremely rushed. Our chicken skewers came last minute as we asked for the bill... Something to also keep in mind is the hygiene rating of 1.

The best Japanese restaurant in London

Mentioned as one of Kate Moses favourite places on social media, we booked out a lunch ( it only lasts for 2-ish hours ). The restaurant is small, yet warm and has an authentic feel. The menu is varied and has lots of options for both veggies and meat eaters ( though veggies beware you could be sat next to some meat at the bar.) The sushi was exquisite, as was the tofu. The chicken katsu was the most succulent and delicious version of the meal we had ever had, and is enough for a return visit on its own.

Good service and very good food quality.

Very tasty.When eaten, it is very smooth on the tongue.

A charming Japanese restaurant with a cosy ambiance. This tiny looking restaurant has two sections – one section for sushi/sashimi, another for grills, plus extra seats downstairs. Food quality is top-notch – Mikan Dai (mandarin red snapper) Sashimi blew my mind! I’ve never experienced such Sashimi even in Japan. I loved it so much so that I orderd it twice 😳And the grill dishes were equally amazing. It is on pricey side but for authentic Japanese food lovers, it's a must-visit.

Been meaning to visit here for a while and we finally came here for my partners birthday. One can find authentic and tasty izakaya food and sake on the menu. Vibe in the restaurant was great it felt like we were back in Japan. Can get very busy but we were lucky enough to get a same day reservation. It’s on the expensive side we it is within our expectation. We will be back for special occasions.

Not a huge amount we can say here, a tiny Japanese restaurant serving fantastic sushi. We went for our family Christmas meal and had a fantastic time. Fairly reasonably priced, considering some of its peers a few miles into town. Highly recommended.

A unique gem in Hampstead. Very versitile manue. Not just sushi. Very high quality food.

The expansion has made it easier to reserve. But we were rushed by the service throughout and most dishes were uninspired, badly prepared either too cold or lukewarm with mediocre ingredients. Sushi was meh. Of course the skewers were still fantastic.

Best Sushi Ive had since I lived in Japan!

Neighbourhood diner experience at a fine dining price. Our recent experience at Jin Kichi was very average. The waitress was unwelcoming and service was slow. It appeared like we were being a done a favour. Seems this Hampstead old timer is becoming complacent because of the crowds trying to get in.

Been visiting this restaurant for 13 years now and it has never disappointed. It’s my favourite restaurant in London.

Feels as though I was back in Japan. Quality is fantastic even in Tokyo standards. Those of you who know Japanese food, I totally recommend.

Incredibly tasty meal and a very affordable price.

Really good Japanese food. They serve sushi, sashimi, yakitori and soba. Everything we got was flavorful, authentic and amazingly fresh. The hamachi sashimi was really fresh, the spicy tuna roll had really good flavor and the lamb yakitori tasted amazing with a nice smoky char flavor. The tempura soba was also very good with a clean dashi and nice al dente soba noodles. I was visiting the area while on vacation and this was the best restaurant I dined at while in the UK. Service was also friendly and stellar. Highly recommended!!

Amazing wagyu beef! That was the highlight of our night. Tender and well cooked! Sushi portions are on the smaller size compared to other sushi restaurants.

Sat downstairs kinda out of the way, food nothing special, had Katsu chicken came with a little lettuce? No rice.. never heard of that.. the sashimi was small portion?.. really not worth the £180 ... not sure what the hype is about. Maybe coming from Vancouver my expectations were high..

Loved it. Best tempura King prawns I've ever eaten, succulent tasty chicken terriyaki cooked over a grill in front of you and amazing udon noodles with pieces of crispy pork that just took the dish to a new level that I've never experienced before. Can't wait to go back. Staff were so helpful too. Highly recommend for a taste of Japan.

The quality of sushi is excellent , the grilled fish was missing a sauce (supposed to be black cod Miso certainly not Roca equivalent). Prices are not cheap ... And quantity rather small. We were asked to leave at short notice only after 1.5hours ... We pushed back so we can have some rather forgettable deserts. Bottom line : for sushi it is still one of the best for the rest you have better options.

Always five star. Exceptional ingredients, beautifully prepared

Some of the best Japanese food I've had anywhere in the world and reasonably priced too. Wonderful service and great atmosphere. A real joy to eat here. Can't wait till the next time.

Good food, but not sure if I want to come here again. I felt extremely rushed to leave and wasn't able to relax. Additionally, the staff was rude to other staff members, which made me uncomfortable as a customer.

Jin Kichi is a gem! Chanced upon it when we were walking around Hampstead and so glad we booked for lunch the following day. It’s such an authentic joint with an extensive menu. Great prices for their lunch sets. We ordered quite a bit. The sashimi was exquisitely presented. The yakitori set lunch hits the spot with the warm rice served. Daughter says the salmon onigiri is one the best she’s had. Staff were very kind and very attentive. Space reminds us of dining in a Tokyo. It’s a special little place.

The grilled skewers are amazing! must try- ox tongue, chicken wings, chicken gizzards. The grilled prawn and salmon jaw are also super tasty. Love the salmon onigiri as well, everything is just superb. 5 stars food, service, and ambiance- an authentic Japanese izakaya experience.

焼き鳥セット、とろたく、なめこ汁をお願いしました。 なめこ汁になめこが全く入っていなかったことが残念でしたが、味は悪くありませんでした。

Best Japanese Grill and sushi!!!! The black cod is just amazing and the staff is friendly.

Amazing Japanese restaurant ! I would recommend 100%…it’s very clean, the food is amazing especially the sushi if you are a sushi lover. Feels very authentic and the service is good. Make sure to reserve otherwise it’s difficult to have a walk-in seat

Great Izakaya style Japanese restaurant. Menu is varied, includes sushi, tempura, yakitori, mains. Also has a nice sake selection. Highly recommend the yakitori (grilled skewers).

Amazing restaurant, lovely team who really care about your experience and the food they serve.

I visited with my Japanese wife and 7 year old daughter. We were seated immediately - I had made a reservation for 6.45. The restaurant's request was that we leave by 8pm. Service was crisp, fast and accurate, controlled by the female head waiter. Food was delicious. We had sushi, aubergine, many skewers, natto roll, sake, and more. Ultimate comment: my Japanese foodie wife said we should go back and take friends. Praise indeed. We didn't leave the table until 8.25. The restaurant was fine with this. Also, there was a lovely friendly and relaxed atmosphere in the basement space that we shared with a boisterous extended family enjoying a birthday celebration, who we chatted to.

Jin Kichi used to be one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in London and I had been here for more than five times for different occasions. Sadly I have to give it three stars this time because of the dining experience. The wait for the grilled items was simply too long. My visit was on a Saturday night so I was only allowed 1.5 hours to dine, which was clearly stated in the reservation system and I was supposed to leave at 19:30. However, I waited for one hour for the grilled food and it didn’t arrive until 19:35. During the wait, a waitress asked me to place the last order - but my first order wasn’t even arrived at that time. The skewers arrived so late and the waitress was apologetic (not her fault of course), and although no one hurried my group to leave, we managed to finish the food in 10 minutes as we felt the time pressure. We all came here for the grilled items, but it’s such a shame that we were in mad rush to finish them in the end. My previous visits at Jin Kichi had always been pleasant. I appreciate their grilled food is freshly prepared so I always expect some wait, but an-hour wait for 10 skewers was not reasonable. The sushi was also just so-so. I’m not sure if I’d visit again. To me I’m more inclined towards an izakaya-style dining experience, which I could take my time to enjoy the food, beverage, lively atmosphere and warm hospitality. Perhaps this restaurant is getting too busy and popular, and I don’t feel the same anymore.

Unassuming place that feels a little like Japan. A lot of the customers appear to be Japanese and it's no surprise why. The place is known for its skewers (usually served in izakayas), however the rest of it was also wonderfully tasty. My absolute favourite was the nabeyaki udon, which looks simple but was absolutely stunning, a must-try. Amazing little gem and can't wait to visit again. Service was excellent.

Interesting place. I wasnt a big fan of the broth (ramen) as it seemed not very rich but everything else was nice. I would recommend.

I was looking forward to dining at Jin Kichi to try a more authentic approach than what most central London places have to offer. Great first impressions! The interior and atmosphere really took us back to Japan. Humble furnishings, but so true to form of a simple and cosy izakaya. We sat at the grill counter, it was amazing! Some Kushiyaki skewers were a bit underwhelming, but still an enjoyable accompaniment to the sake and beer, which we had loads of ) The menu is huge, perhaps too big for my liking. I’d drop the noodles and the bowls and focus on grilled foods and sushi (which were executed perfectly btw). All in all - very enjoyable, a nice local spot. Would recommend, especially if you’re in that area.

Such good food! Service super quick! Overall a great spot!