Kintan High Holborn

This by far is my favourite Japanese BBQ restaurant. I go frequently and have always managed to get a table without reservation which is always a relief considering how busy it can get. What draws me to this establishment is their set menus and happy hour drinks. The food is excellent, there is a wide variety of meats and vegetarian options all which taste great. Set menu deals have a good amount of meat and side dishes along with deserts. They provide you with easy to use utensils and the grill itself is smokeless when cooking so you're able to grill with ease which is fun and engaging while you socialise over drinks and conversation. The staff are very friendly and efficient. Tables are spacious and the overall atmosphere is cosy and relaxed with a mix of different genre music played not too loudly. Highly recommend this place for lunch meals, dinners and special occasions.

We booked for our birthday. The atmosphere inside the restaurant felt just like a Japanese yakiniku restaurant, and the bathroom was very clean. They also had a relatively wide selection of Japanese alcohol, and happy hour was quite fulfilling. The meat, seafood, and vegetables were all very delicious, fresh, and of good quality. Since I love beef tongue, I was a bit disappointed that it was sliced thin, but I appreciate being able to enjoy this quality of yakiniku at a reasonable price in London. The staff were polite, efficient, and very pleasant. The dessert was from Wa Cafe and it was delicious!!!

Been in the cards for a while and did not disappoint. Amazing selection of food you can cook at the table and a very lovely range of drinks. Staff are super friendly and after 9 Happy Hour kicks in automatically… Amazing!!! They even surprised us with Birthday songs and cake! Great place to have a fun, engaging and warm night out with a group.

Excellent food at Kintan. Great value for money and fantastic options of meats to choose from. We went with the lunch menu and for 3 meats, salad, soup and rice for £16.99 it’s a no brainer. Kintan is becoming one of our favourite restaurants to eat out so we’ll definitely be back.

Simply fabulous food. We also had amazing wine. The happy hour prices were also a bonus! The only thing we didn't like was that we got the food before the drinks and had to ask where the drinks were. They turn the tables around quickly as they are very busy. But it was worth it. I recommend booking and ordering one of the menus. We loved our menu for two and were really full after! The quality was great. The ladies at the entrance are very nice. They took a 12% service charge automatically, which was fine.

Phenomenal Japanese BBQ! Took my family for a four person meal and left absolutely stuffed. The food just kept on coming! Grills were constantly replaced, the staff were incredibly polite, and the food was phenomenal. Wonderful social experience for those who have not tried sit down BBQ before!

Honestly one of my favourite restaurants in London food wise - delicious! Highly recommend the gyozas and sauces, and the whole experience is so fun. The apple pie gyozas with ice cream (which I had never tried before) and s’mores were delicious and we will definitely be returning ❤️

I love this Japanese grilled restaurant. The food is very nice with decent price. We ordered a set for 5 (actually got 6 of us) and it feeds everyone of us nice and full. I also love how it designed the set menus where everything is included, for snacks, sides, mains included. The price is very decent and like everything. It is usually full especially during weekends, so make sure you book yourself a table a week before you visit there. I highly recommended this restaurant!

Fantastic Japanese BBQ experience, my fave was the pork! So delicious 😍

Excellent spot for a chilled business meal. Good space to chat and can be very casual. Food ordering was easy too as we picked from a helpful selection of set menus with really good amount of food - everyone left feeling full and satisfied. We definitely enjoyed their drinks selections too - beer and tasty cocktails.

One of my favourite restaurant in London. They are always very busy, and even with the best work from the waiter team it can be a little slow to add items. (I do wish they were more.) But the atmosphere is always great, good service and the food is perfect! You will love to cook the meat to your liking, and have a different restaurant experience than what we are used to. I highly recommend the takoyaki.

We had 3 meats to bbq each and everything was good. Would recommend the harami and spicy pork. The karaage was juicy and the sauces/dips on the table were good. First time I was charged for chilli powder (1£) in a Japanese grill anywhere in the world though. The matcha ice cream was rich and tasty.

Went here with family for a very nice meal, food and staff all very good. Would gladly come back.

Had the best dinner this evening. Everyone was so friendly. Alice (who I think was the door host) was really accommodating I feel she deserves praise. Truly great food. We went for a 2 set meal with dessert which was great partnered with sparkling sake! Great meat that can be cooked on the grill. Everything came out in perfect timing. One of the waitresses changed the grill when it got dirty and made it very easy. Food was definitely on point. Worth visiting and quite a busy vibe yet quite private with the dividers in between tables. Would come again when I fancy good beef!

Friendly staffs, really good service. Good portion of food and value for money. We were really full, stuffed our face! The dipping sauces were just alright not enough choices. I asked staff for fresh garlic and chili which is not on menu. He so helpful and gave me for free. We didn’t like Harumi beef which was so chewy, couldn’t eat it. We told staff about it he didn’t charge for it. We will definitely come back and recommend to friends.

I had a really lovely experience here. It was my first time having Japanese bbq. The food was delicious and superb. I did not think i would ever enjoy barbecueing my own meal, but it was so fun. They did not scrimp on the portions neither. The drinks were good. The staff were friendly, attentive, and helpful. The atmosphere was great. I went on a Monday, which was happy hour. It was well worth it. I've told people about it and will defo be revisiting 😊.

Great Japanese BBQ spot, quite pricey, the bill came to £200 for 3 people with drinks. They also do birthday requests too if you reserve. If you want good food and maybe a date this is a nice spot.

Loved the whole experience. We got a table for 3 on a corner, which is perfect. Staff was very friendly. The food was just awesome (see pictures). I highly advise to go when it is happy hour, you pair fairly less for quality food. Highly recommend it

Very busy and popular place, especially on Mondays when they had ‘happy hour’ offer whole day. Love all of their marinated beef. Would visit again but would again aim for a happy hour discount as this place is not cheap. All staff are very efficient and polite. But the hygiene in their toilets can be improved.

I had a really nice experience here! The food was fantastic, so flavorful. The service was quite good, and the atmosphere was lovely too. Definitely worth a visit.

Came here for an afternoon BBQ (Meat Lovers set) and loved it with happy hour times being very generous most of the day too. Whilst it was near a full house in the restaurant, staff were attentive and our order was taken quickly and without any issues. Our drinks were out in no time too and the assortment of meats were nicely seasoned, sauced and tender. Tables are nicely spaced out too and there's a lot of air con so the whole place felt relaxed and comforting even with the BBQ heat - recommended and keen to return.

Nice place, lovely atmosphere. The food portions were not as expected but it was very tasty. It was an exciting experience and I enjoyed every bit of it. It was a busy night so the staff were on their toes, they were very friendly.

We ordered beef bbq, vegetable noodle, chicken karage, bimbimbap beef sukiyaki rice. All of them were quite tasty. But the beef were lack of flavour a bit, I think it would be nicer if the beef got marinated more and longer. The restaurant was cozy, clean and organised. Service was ok and staff were attentive. We will visit again

I have visited Kintan Oxford twice. I highly recommend visiting during Happy Hour in the afternoon. The prices are reasonable, and the food is really good. On my second visit, which was for a friend's birthday, the restaurant wasn't crowded at all. However, our experience was a bit disappointing because a server kept checking in every 10-15 minutes to ask if we were done eating.

I have visited it once and it left me with very good impressions. We ordered quite a few items (beef, chicken, shrimp) so we could try them all. Additionally, we got vegetables, corn, and garlic rice. Everything was very tasty, and the meat was very tender, while the experience of grilling it yourself was really nice. The staff was very polite and helpful. I would definitely prefer to go a second time! Follow me for more on Insta @sofis_food_passport & TikTok @sofis_food.passport

TL;DR: Kintan JBBQ Holborn offers exceptional dishes like the sweet soy kalbi, but inconsistent food quality and poor reservation management detract from the overall experience. Worth trying for the BBQ highlights, especially during Happy Hour, but be prepared for potential time constraints. Quick Ratings: Food: 4/5 - Highs of excellence, some disappointing lows Atmosphere: 3.5/5 - Lively but marred by end-of-meal rush Service: 3.5/5 - Polite staff, severely hampered by poor reservation system Overall: 3.7/5 - Great potential, but significant room for improvement Full Review: The Matsuri Course at Kintan JBBQ Holborn offers a diverse range of options, with some true standouts and a few disappointments. The meal began with comforting Miso Soups, setting the stage for the feast to come. The undisputed star of the show was the Kalbi Short Rib in sweet soy sauce. This dish was a revelation - incredibly juicy, packed with flavor, and so satisfying that it alone elevated the entire dining experience. The moment we tasted it, we could barely contain our excitement at something so tasty and juicy. Other beef options, like the Premium Skirt Steak and Miso Premium Rib Eye with ponzu sauce, were also enjoyable, offering rich umami notes. The Ebi Furai was another highlight, offering a satisfying crunch and paired with an innovative gochujang and mustard sauce that balanced sweetness, warmth, and tang beautifully. However, several dishes fell short. The Spicy Addicting Cabbage was overly oily and not refreshing. The Beef Sukiyaki Bibimbap was particularly disappointing, lacking both the characteristic crispy crust and flavor, even with added gochujang sauce. There was also a menu discrepancy with the chicken - we received bland Chicken Garlic instead of the promised Chicken Teriyaki. The meal ended on a high note with the Green Tea Tiramisu, a delightful fusion dessert that proved to be a refreshing change of pace. This light and fresh creation beautifully showcased the sweet, grassy taste and aroma that matcha is known for. The vanilla ice cream, speckled with real vanilla, complemented the matcha perfectly and added to the overall lightness of the dish. While the Graham cracker provided an interesting textural contrast, it didn't feel entirely necessary to the dessert's success. The restaurant offers a lively ambiance, with the exciting sizzle of meat on grills and enticing aromas. The cooking apparatus at each table adds to the interactive dining experience, though it's worth noting that the grill is most effective when food is placed directly in the middle of the grates, with less consistent results around the edges. Diners with long legs should be aware that the steel basin of water underneath the table can be uncomfortably warm and may cause some discomfort if bumped into. The staff, particularly our server, demonstrated admirable politeness and did their best to manage a difficult situation. However, the restaurant's flawed reservation system significantly impacted the dining experience. We were informed about 30 minutes before the end of our meal that they needed the table, creating a sense of being rushed. This approach to managing bookings – accepting reservations without a clear system for tracking table availability – is problematic and detracts from the overall experience. Kintan JBBQ Holborn offers a dining experience with notable highs and lows. The sweet soy kalbi stands out as a dish of exceptional quality that alone might justify a visit for BBQ enthusiasts. Some other BBQ items and the creative Ebi Furai also shine. However, the experience is marred by disappointing dishes and inconsistent quality across the menu. One significant highlight worth mentioning is the restaurant's Happy Hour offering. We visited during Happy Hour, which reduced the price by about £10 for two people. Notably, even though our meal extended beyond the official Happy Hour time, the restaurant honored the discounted price - a gesture that speaks well of their customer service.

The food was good but a bit pricey, but the egg drop soup was amazing! Now, the cocktails were good, but a bit watered down and with not a lot of alcohol. Still, quite good and tasty. If the music was not that loud, I would have considered to come back.

Came for lunch this time and ordered the two-course set with extra Korean beef rice. The price was very reasonable and their beer was also on happy hour price. Leave with a happy and full stomach.

The staff were friendly and welcoming. The food was good but not great. I only had the Japanese barbeque and cabbage which were both fine. The happy hour prices are a good idea even though the discount isn't much. Would recommend this place if you are looking for a quiet place away from the buzz of central London.

Nice little place for Japanese style BBQ in Holborn. The self cooked eatery was particularly great value at lunch especially when there’s a promotion. Four of us (small eaters) share three sets & found we had enough.

Lunch hour is definitely the best time to come here for their lunch sets! We chose 2 different kinds of meat for each person which is part of a set, which includes miso soup, salad and rice and we shared the meat between all of us so we had more of a variety to eat. This definitely filled us up!! Service was a bit slow but the waitress that greeted us at the door was really welcoming and friendly and explained their different menus for us!

1. Meats are fresh and good, but the most popular beef is always sold out if you come after 8pm. 2. The BBQ grill net was awful, the gap of net is too big to handle small meat. 3. Even a hot sauce, I waited 25 mins. 4. If you wanna get good price, come here on Monday. It is happy hour on whole Monday, it is cheaper than usual.

Delicious food, nice area, staff were nice as well. However, the requirement to finish all your food within by two hours was a bit strict. And they did not allow you to order until you have one portion left. We could only had three round of meat and could not try others due to time constraints. The price also a little bit expensive.

I celebrated my birthday here and was thoroughly impressed by the exceptional service. The staff members were attentive, friendly, and helpful throughout our visit. The food was flavorful and offered excellent value, especially with the Samurai deal, which provided plenty of food for the price. I highly recommend this place for its outstanding service and delicious cuisine.

Mid experience. I ordered a Matsuri set for me and my friend, and I have mixed opinions about it. 1) Food: the vegetables were really not in good shape, it didnt taste fresh. the pork plates, especially kalbi shio didnt taste fresh as well. Only USDA premium ones were good, and lamb chop which I ordered extra was nice. 2) service: the staffs were generally nice, but were not attentive. They seemed not to know what orders were in 3) the dessert was really nice tho-it was from wa cafe. Hope this helps for others considering visiting here.

Had a nice time here, the service was really good although the food was unremarkable. The marinade on all the meats were the same and super sweet. Reasonably priced but nothing to write home about.

Food was very average, we had the set menu. Most of the meats had the same flavouring. Starters were nice, really enjoyed the cabbage. Dessert was disappointing, very plain and tasteless. Enjoyed the colada cocktail. It was very filling, would recommend going once if you’ve never had Japanese BBQ. This was our first time and it was nice to try for the experience and to try new things but would not go back.

The food, whilst nicely marinated, is obviously cooked by yourself. However, what is extremely disappointing is the size of the portions. The chicken could not even be considered a single breast that that been sliced. The spiced port was laughable. It was essentially just six tiny pieces of bacon. The vegetables offer no beater value with what appear to be frozen sweet corn in a silver aluminium takeaway tray with a bit of butter costing £7. An absolute joke. The soft drinks are a similar rip off with a coke being a tepid glass from a soda fountain with a couple of ice cubes. If you are going to charge top prices then at least serve an ice cold can or glass bottle. The service is excellent and very polite and the atmosphere is pretty good. However, I wouldn’t recommend going if you’re hungry or not prepared to pay at least £100 for a satisfying amount of food for two people

It was fun, but I felt like our grill was not strong enough to properly "grill" all the meat we had. Definitely something to try to have fun with friends, but it doesn't go into my top5

Went there to order lunch for the first time with high expectations due to the good reviews. Probably should’ve read about their service in those low star reviews first. When I got there, the poster and menu on their main door clearly say £9.95 for lunch takeaway but once inside, they gave me a different menu with every item costing 20% more. When I brought this up, the manager said the poster was wrong and he had 'forgotten' to take it down. I told him it was false advertisement and they should honor the price on the poster. He replied saying its either the new price or leave it, he then went out and ripped off the poster. Out of principle I walked out without ordering anything. Feel sorry for the new guy who works there though as he has no idea what's going on. I can't comment on the food but the attitude and service is definitely one to look out for especially from that 'manager'. It's a Japanese restaurant but the service definitely wasn't Japanese standard.