Wagamama Covent Garden

The ramen is really good! My family enjoyed our meal here, which is priced a little higher than expected. This restaurant was also conveniently placed near the National Museum whilst we adventured around London as tourists. Staff are very sweet and the food comes quick even during peak hours. The only disappointment was that it was not entirely Japanese (since it was westernised) though it was delicious either way. A lovely restaurant and would come again!

The store: First appearances, I was confused at where the restaurant is, as the front of the store is very small. The secret is that the restaurant is downstairs, underground. You don’t feel like you’re underground though when you’re inside, the aesthetic is bright and open. They do have a couple of seats outside, but it feels quite separated / closed from the rest of the store. I arrived around 9.45pm on a Thursday (Halloween as a matter of fact), so it may well have been that they had removed the front of house member of staff already in eager anticipation for the 11pm close. The staff: Quite a mixed bag... Our server was great; welcoming, friendly, bubbly, polite, hospitable. Fast paced trying to serve everybody quickly yet still providing a great level of customer service. I asked her name, it’s Marina. Thank you Marina for great service, keep being your awesome self. However, the floor manager (I guess? They had a black shirt on, different to the rest of the staff)... Rude, brash, hostile. Certainly wasn’t welcoming, and it made it a bit awkward. This vibe was matched by reality when we saw her barking orders at the other waitresses. She did a good job of making it appear like it was a stressful Saturday night, despite there only being 4 groups (including mine) dining on the restaurant floor. Strange... The food: From the vegan menu, I had the Kara Burosu Ramen, Mixed Mushroom & Aubergine Steam Buns and also a special request of trying the Gaz Oakley vegan egg. The vegan egg is a fantastic creation and I am glad I tried it. The steam buns are even more fantastic than I remember. The Kara Burosu is still pretty good, but I think I prefer the previous recipe which saw it more of a thicker curry soup. Unless it was just that dish specifically that was slightly more watery than usual. I’ll have to have it again soon and update this review ;). Other dishes from other Wagamama’s that I’ve had and can recommend include the Vegatsu Katsu Curry (ft. Seitan), the Pad Thai and Wok Fried Greens, which are all great. The price: I was pleasantly surprised by the total cost when I got the bill for our group. I had anticipated it would be a bit more than it was; it averaged around £18 per person, in a group of four with a couple of shared plates and a main each. The price is matched with other stores around the country, and so wasn’t any extra for being in the tourist town area of central London. Compared to other restaurants in the area, Wagamama is quite affordable. Overall, I love Wagamama. This particular branch was a mixed bag, however our server Marina made our experience a great one. Because of this, I’ll return to the store again if I’m hungry and in the area.

One of my favourite places to have lunch. The chain generally has great food and brilliant staff, but this Leicester Square branch has always been my destination. The place is like a basement with many tables and little private tables too. Close to Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Soho and Covent Garden. It can be especially busy in lunch hours during business days. Apart from that, you can always find a place to sit. The staff is very friendly, but always seem super busy so not very chatty. Hope you enjoy it