One of two London sites for the global teppanyaki chain (the second is in Piccadilly), Benihana Chelsea finds itself in a subterranean space on the famed King’s Road.
The Benihana group has found success across the world with its ‘food theatre’ style and the same is true of its London branches, which are particularly popular for large groups, birthday parties and gaggles of tourists. The dining room here is slightly moodier than its Chelsea counterpart, with deep red walls and dark wood tables and chairs giving the space a grown-up feel. Of course, the main attraction is the hibachi grills found at the centre of each table and overseen by energetic chefs in red hats who wow the crowds with their slicing, dicing and chopping skills (you might see some occasional juggling of ingredients too).
Benihana Chelsea opens daily for both lunch and dinner - at lunchtime, you can enjoy dishes such as yakisoba noodles topped with tiger prawns and chicken, or a sushi and sashimi combination. If you have a bit more time to spare, instead opt for the ‘traditional lunch’ which begin with rice and vegetables, before moving on to your choice of chicken, salmon, prawn or steak all cooked in front of you.
By the time the evening rolls around, Benihana Chelsea’s atmosphere ramps up a notch, with groups and families with young children (kids menu available) settling in for a night of fun and theatrics. Dinners begin with sushi rolls and small plates such as edamame beans and prawn tempura, before moving on to the luxe likes of sirloin steak, miso black cod or Wagyu beef. To finish, treat yourself to green tea ice cream and almond chocolate cake, or opt for liquid afters by exploring Benihana’s tempting list of wines, beers, sake and fun specialty cocktails.