After a 15 year gap, I visited Abeno Restaurant in London again with my other half and kids in June 2024.
An easy hop from the British Museum, Abeno claims to have been the first specialist Okonomi-yaki restaurant in Europe. I have no idea how true this statistic is but this is a unique and exciting dining concept in London.
How to Abeno!
Each table has a hot-plate in the middle. Starters / sides do include dishes which are prepared in the kitchen, including an amazing salmon sashimi. However, the star of the show is the savoury pancake / omelette type creation with shredded cabbage which is cooked at your table by one of the amazing chefs. Ordering is simple – choose if you want a deluxe or a super-deluxe (bigger!) and your toppings.
My seafood-loving 10 year old went for the Sapporo with scallops, prawns, squid and salmon. My older son who is vegetarian plumped for the Kiso with mushrooms, lotus root and cheese. The ingredients are all brought fresh (and raw!) to the table and cooked in front of you. Once your omelette is cooked, the chef will talk you through the toppings and sauces recommended for your dish. We just went with everything he suggested and the omelettes were all delicious!
Desserts include a matcha ice-cream, which won a Great Taste Award in 2022. However, we were all too full of sashimi, miso soup and omelette so none of us managed one.
Abeno was a great experience and the food was delicious. The starters were a little limited for vegetarians but there was good choice of toppings for the main dish omelettes.
The where and the how
Abeno is a small restaurant in Bloomsbury, London so I would recommend reserving in advance. The booking process is a little complex. You need to call them during restaurant opening hours (Mondays to Saturdays 12pm-9,30pm) on 0207 4053211 to check they have a table available for your chosen date and time. You then make a prepayment of £10 per diner via the website. Once you have done this, the staff will immediately email you confirmation of your reservation. The prepayment is then taken off your bill (this was done automatically for us without us having to ask).
The restaurant is on Museum Street, which leads up from New Oxford Street to the British Museum. The nearest tube is Tottenham Court Road (about 8 minutes walk).
To work off your yummy food, why not try some table tennis fun at Bounce – read my review of our visit here.
