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    Dozo

    3.6 (76 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars
    Open 12:00 pm - 3:00 PM, 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM

    Dozo Photos

    DOZO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - Dozo

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    Reviews With Photos

    Mira C.

    amazing food! my friends and i all got different variations of the donburi and we all loved it. i got the cod fish donburi and would recommend 10/10. the ambiance was dark and perfectly moody. service was good and workers were friendly but nothing to write home about. i just really loved the food. my bowl was scraped clean by the end of dinner

    Chris M.

    Nice Japanese restaurant with good food and quick and efficient service. I had a Unagi Don which was really good and as part of the Lunch Menu costs only £9.90 that is a very good price for the area.

    Wagyu and toro roll
    Lisa V.

    I don't know why this place has low ratings! They had amazing tasting rolls. There toro and wagyu roll tasted soft and juicy- as well as any other dish that I had. Minus star goes to the dirty bathroom. And they don't make you take off your shoes when going on the floor tables (which is also a half minus) And also it's a Chinese and not Japanese run restaurant. But food was great! Service :8/10 Food :9.5/10 Ambiance/ cleanliness: 6/10

    Lava roll
    Jacqueline C.

    Was torn between giving Dozo three or four stars - while the dishes aren't exactly the most authentic, they were yummy and this is probably one of the better among the sea of Japanese restaurants in Soho. Even though my friend and I had a reservation, the maximum dining time was 1 hour and 15 mins only. With that said, the food came quick and service was efficient. We decided we had to try the Lava Roll since we've seen so many pictures posted on this. It's quite creative and yummy but I wished the eel pieces in the Lava Roll were bigger as the sauce and toppings were pretty overpowering. It's something I've tried once and probably won't need to order again. We also got a 9 piece sushi set and a soft shell crab roll to share. The fish to rice ratio were perfect for both and they definitely did not skimp on the avocado for the soft shell crab roll. I'd definitely order these again over the Lava Roll!

    Yasai tempura and tofu bento box (not pictured: miso soup)
    Christina W.

    I had a solid late night meal at Dozo last night with a couple of friends. We arrived at 9pm, and they were able to seat us right away. The atmosphere inside was warm and cozy, but I wasn't a huge fan of the seating arrangement. In lieu of actual tatami mats, there were lowered tables that you have to climb and maneuver your way into. A bit awkward if you've got a dress on like I did! We got edamame to share and I ordered the yasai tempura and tofu bento box. The edamame was average -- there were a few sprinkles of sea salt on top, but the salt wasn't evenly distributed across the beans so there were a couple of bland bites. However, I was pleasantly surprised with my bento box. For around £15, it came with miso soup, rice, salad, perfectly crunchy veggie tempura, and four pieces of crispy tofu with a delightful teriyaki-esque sauce drizzled on top. A filling meal for a rainy Saturday night. I'd eat here again if I were in the area and craving sushi!

    Yee Gan O.

    After some disappointments at recent Yelp ramen Club outings, I may just have unearthed a gem for our next ramen club event I spotted Dozo when wandering round Soho recently. I was in the mood for some warming ramen and in amongst the comprehensive Japanese menu, I spotted a ramen section offering tonkotsu and tantanmen ramen amongst other offerings. The way they wrote the descriptions gave me a strong sense that they were aiming for authenticity in their product, so in I popped The interior is nicely decorated though the seating may not be as practical as it's pretty. Tables have raised platforms around them, making it look traditional Japanese tatami place settings but with holes for you to put your legs into. Women with short skirts, beware as it will be hard to get into the table space elegantly! I opted for my favourite tonkotsu ramen, looking forward to a rich, complex broth reflecting hours of long boiling of pork bones to obtain that fatty goodness. I also augmented my meal with a side order of o-toro nigiri On arrival, the ramen looked very promising with dense milky broth and it didn't disappoint! Heavenly goodness with every mouthful Moist, succulent cha shu pork and appropriately just runny-yolked nitamago egg proved yummy companions to the fresh noodles. It brought a smile to my face However, the star of the meal was yet to come. After being spoilt with some superb o-toro on holiday in the USA, I have found it difficult to find similar quality o-toro in the UK. Well, the version here at Dozo proved to the best in the UK. It had just arrived fresh that morning and was sweet and melt in the mouth tender I am looking forward to bringing the Yelp Ramen Club here to break our recent poor run. Just have to remind the ladies not to wear short skirts!

    Lin L.

    A bit expensive, but the volcano roll and the unagi are sheer awesome!! I have to say the service is so so. Seems they are not worried about their traffic. Well designed modern Japanese food, even a bit "intentional".

    The restaurant
    David M.

    We headed there for dinner. They LITERALLY LOCKED THE DOORS on us as we read the menu. I realize it's a horrible time to be American. I'm tired of the judgmental nature we've received throughout London. Ridiculous really. We were quite a bit away from their closing times. The group of 5 behind was let in, we were not. If you are American, I would STRONGLY discourage this restaurant. We ended up at Hot Pot around the corner. Great experience.

    not so spicy tantanmen
    Josy A.

    Hmmm...I might have been slightly too excited about this place after seeing the other yelpers ramen reviews. Unfortunately I wasn't very impressed by the ramen. *sigh* Good things: - The staff were really friendly and helpful - You can book a table! Most London ramen-lands make you line up outside and wait, so it was good to be able to call ahead and book. - The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as some of the other ramen options within walking distance. - Some of the other food including donburi looked pretty good - The décor and atmosphere were nice Less Good: - Don't expect uber authentic Japanese food. The owners and staff are Chinese and Malaysian which is fine, but it just means the flavour is a little Chinese-y-Japanese. - There are a few other issues like spelling mistakes on the menu that might confuse Japanese people. (Like writing Tonkatsu instead of Tonkotsu) - My "tonkatsu" tantanmen wasn't spicy at all (it was basically Tonkotsu broth with a little layu dribbled in.) The meat was minced, and not amazing quality, and the pieces were so small that they sunk to the bottom of the soup, so I didn't eat most of them. Ah well.

    Volcano Maki Signature Dish
    Fu M.

    I have no words for the food here and 5 stars are just not enough!!! The Volcano Maki is to die for! All the dishes are so tasty and there is so much choice you can get a bit overwhelmed. The service and the ambience of the place are pretty unique as well. What an amazing Japanese restaurant in Soho. It is a bit pricey but it is so much worth it. Better to book a table as it is insanely busy...always!

    Volcano Maki
    Maggie T.

    Me and my friends decided to come to this restaurant that I've visited once. They are really famous for their volcano maki and dragon maki, so we decided to order the volcano maki this time along with eel fried rice, salmon sushi, and salmon don. But we've waited for more than 30 minutes for the food and it didn't come until we were about to leave. It's really disappointing since we used to enjoy dining in this restaurant. And the waitress just told us to wait because the kitchen is really busy while customers that arrived later than us already paid the bill and left. The food is as expected. The volcano maki is a bit cold but still pretty tasty. Surprisingly the best dish of the day is the eel fried rice, rich in flavour and outstanding presentation. I would say the food is decent and satisfying. However we waited way too long to have a pleasant evening.

    Salmon Don, tofu, salmon salad and others
    Alice Ř.

    Went to Dozo tonight and had loads and loads of food and have to say, all of it was good, pretty fresh and generally a Soho standard. Sushi was really nice but as previous reviews mentioned, I would not recommend going for the ramen as you can get better one next door in Bone Daddies. I had a Salmon Don which was loads of fresh salmon and rice and it was delicious. I also tried their prawn tempura which was amazing as well. What I have to mention as well though is their plum wine. As everything else, it is quite expensive (and if you are looking for something similar but cheaper, go to Eat Tokyo) but the plum wine was unbelievably strong and delicious. In Eat Tokyo you get a red liquid which is very mild and sweet but here, you have a drink with amber colour and tons of alcohol in it. Shame it was not a bit cheaper, would have easily drunk a lot of it and give more stars.

    Kuanyin C.

    The unagi don is quite salty, the sauce on the rice is not really suitable with unagi. The decoration and atmosphere is good. But the staff kept walking beside you. It made me feel not comfortable when the staff kept looking whether you finish the meal or not. If you would like to have a relaxing meal with your friend, it's probably not a good choice.

    Tonkotsu ramen - broth a disappointment

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    6 years ago

    Great service! Sat outside, enjoying wine and sushi with my partner in Soho. Japanese are great at service! Would recommend.

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    12 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Bad customer service. They really rushed you out. The food was decent. But I was just really turned off by the customer service.

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    13 years ago

    Great value for Soho area! Very friendly staff. Large selection and generous portions.

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    9 years ago

    Sushi is delicious but other food just so so. Absolutely need to book a table in advance

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

    Lovely service, sashimi and bento boxes - especially the surf and turf

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    8 years ago

    Unacceptable policies and attitude. Furthermore, the food does not deserve its price tag.

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    13 years ago

    I've visited a fair amount of Japanese restaurants in my life time and Dozo is one of the better ones I have visited. Good good.

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    Page 2 of 2

    Review Highlights - Dozo

    A bit expensive, but the volcano roll and the unagi are sheer awesome!!

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Hare and Tortoise - Duck andd rice

    Hare and Tortoise

    3.9(44 reviews)
    1.2 miBlackfriars
    ££

    This branch is near the river and is located underground with no windows. Black decor throughout…read morewith a serene sense of Zen and calmness. Small attractive tasty dishes. Generally good service and ambiance. Grilled salty mackerel is very good, as is their crispy soft shell crab (a classic dish). Calamari is excellent though be warned: it's spicy! If you are a fan try their tuna tartar (see photo).

    A little hidden away, but definitely worth the descent into the catacomb-like interior…read more The vibe is intimate and the food is a legit take on Asian Fusion; mostly Japanese-inspired, but definitely with a bit of Chinese and Thai in there. The starters alone are worth a trip, and there were so many I wanted to try, they're actually all I had. Don't judge. They were amazing. The Pumpkin Croquettes were a slightly sweet and crispy version of traditional croquettes, deep-fried to perfection, with a light and smooth finish. Two will set you back a mere £3.10. While the spring rolls are good, I highly recommend the Vegetarian Duck Rolls, made with slightly sweet tofu skin, spring onions, cucumber, and Hoi Sin sauce. Three of those healthy rolls are a whopping £4.60. Finally, the Chicken Yakitori was also a dish worth it's weight in pounds, char-grilled to perfection and doused in a sweet yakitori sauce. A few skewers costs around £4.10. The rest of the menu is not only enormous, but sure to please any seafood-lover, especially sushi. They serve just about any Asian-inspired dish you can think of, including salads, ramen dishes, rice dishes, noodles of many different varieties, tempura, and sushi rolls, with a perfectly-paired sake menu to boot. But really, those side dishes are to die for.

    Photos
    Hare and Tortoise
    Hare and Tortoise
    Hare and Tortoise

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    Ribon

    Ribon

    4.1(16 reviews)
    1.2 miBlackfriars
    £

    Thanks to Katie B for stepping in as interim Yelp Ramen Club organiser in Josy A's absence…read more Ramen Club 8.0 took place at Ribon and Katie went to great lengths to make our booking and also to make sure that they had ramen available - for large parties, it's best to warn them as they only make a limited amount of broth each day When you get to the restaurant, don't be put off by the fact that the ground floor looks shut because it is shut! Descend the stairs to the subterranean dining room. Our party of 15 took over most of the main dining area though there are private rooms, which also offer karaoke The starters were my favourite part of the meal with the black cod and chicken karaage being top of my list even though the portion size was tiny for the cost. As far as ridiculous prices go though, I think my glass of orange juice from a carton for £3.30 was criminal - I can get 2 litres of Tropicana for less. Other starters like the pork and kimchi were rather bland The ramen was a disappointment. The broth was rather bland and the chashu was dry. Perhaps in keeping with the rather mean attitude to the volume of food served, there was no egg. In an age when Bone Daddies and other ramen joints in London have raised the bar, bowls like this won't cut it any longer It was a really fun evening but the food wasn't up to scratch, especially the ramen. Roll on, Ramen Club 9.0!

    Thank you Katie B for being a star and getting such a huge crowd of us involved in ramen club!!…read moreRibon was a strange ramen experience...ramen is only listed as a side note on the specials menu, but after seeing a photo of their ramen in the magazine "zoom Japan", I was keen to try it. Ramen: The miso soup was really good; hot and delicious... BUT my noodles seemed like over-cooked, squidgy cup-ramen noodles. I liked the toppings, but I was sad not to have an egg, and the cha siu was forgettable. So all in all the ramen isn't as good as many of the other ramen-joy-lands in London. Plus they took aaaaages to make, even though Katie had told them in advance that we would order lots of noodles. Izakaya menu: We also tried the agedashi dofu (really nice, but without much dashi!), the karaage and the gyoza. They were all lovely, and the general izakaya menu sounded full of tasty dishes. I'd be up for trying more of them. Other: A group of my friends from Japan have been here several times, and they all really liked it... so I know this place could be amazing. I'll have to come back to try non-noodle items, and to have a sing in their karaoke booth.

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    Ribon
    Ribon
    Ribon

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    Sushi Tetsu

    Sushi Tetsu

    4.8(23 reviews)
    1.3 miClerkenwell
    ££££

    For his birthday, my friend's only wish was to come here for an omakase and I cannot stop thinking…read moreabout it! I had to make about 200 calls to get a reservation but it was worth it. There are two sittings for omakase each day, one at 5:30PM and one at 8:30PM. The interior is very intimate and each sitting serves 7 people only. Bookings are made at least two weeks to one month in advance depending on their policy which changes from time to time. They only accept reservations through phone calls and based on my experience, it was pretty hard to get through so I'd definitely recommend reading through their website for what to do to secure yourself a reservation. My friend and I both got the sushi & sashimi omakase, which comes with three plates of sashimi, 7 pieces of sushi (all seasonally selected!) and a sweet tamago at the end. The sashimi and sushi are all seasonally selected and exotic! I got to try gurnard and turbot sushi which I've never had raw before! The fish is not only high quality and delicious but prepped and presented beautifully too. The variety of condiments selected for each sushi was carefully thought out, elevating each mouthful. The service was impeccable as was the food. The chef's wife and the waiters always came to check-in with us and walk us through the proper dining etiquette. Under the chef's wife's recommendation, we also shared some sake and plum wine. It was lovely watching the chef prep and make each piece of sushi, exhibiting his intent and passion with every movement. The whole session lasted a little over 2 hours and we enjoyed every bit of it! I highly recommend checking out Sushi Tetsu at least once in your life! Not to mention the omakase was only for £96 (excluding alcohol and any service charge), which is cheap for the amount of food you get and cheaper than many other omakase meals found in London.

    Went for dinner with a friend, who had to call 139 times to get a reservation. But it was worth it…read moreall. She had omakase, whilst I had a la carte. I had a combination of octopus sashimi, tuna sashimi, squid nigiri, sweet shrimp nigiri, jumbo shrimp nigiri, scallops nigiri, tuna rolls, razor clam rolls and yellowtail hand roll. Everything was remarkably fresh and perfect, down to every ratio of sushi to rice and the temperature. Afterwards, we commented whether we would ever be able to have sushi elsewhere. Ambience was very cozy and intimate. Maximum seating of seven seats, hence very difficult to get a spot. Felt like I was in a local restaurant in the heart of Tokyo. Perfect for an intimate date or professional meal. Service was also top notch. At times, I felt they were a bit too mechanical, but I guess precision and propriety are part of the Japanese experience. Would go back in a heartbeat.

    Photos
    Sushi Tetsu
    Sushi Tetsu
    Sushi Tetsu

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    Dozo - japanese - Updated May 2026

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