Hot Stone London — Restaurant in London

Hot Stone, the renowned Japanese restaurant that is set to celebrate its 6th anniversary in February! To mark this significant milestone, Hot Stone is inviting you to indulge in a culinary journey like no other with an irresistible deal. Picture this: a 3-course extravaganza featuring the highest grade A5 Japanese Wagyu and a delectable seafood platter, all cooked to perfection on a sizzling 400°C volcanic rock. This limited-time offer, priced at an unbelievable £29.99 (after an early bird perk), not only showcases the restaurant's commitment to quality but also invites you to partake in an unforgettable dining experience. Join this fantastic culunary trip to explore the delectable offerings, the inviting ambiance, and the impeccable service that have made Hot Stone a standout destination for six remarkable years. 🍽 FOOD: Hot Stone truly lives up to its name by offering a unique dining experience centered around the art of hot stone cooking. The 3-course A5 Japanese Wagyu and seafood platter is nothing short of exceptional. The A5 Japanese Wagyu, renowned as one of the best beef grades globally, is cooked to perfection on a 400°C volcanic rock, ensuring a sizzling and mouthwatering experience. The seafood platter complements the Wagyu beautifully, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to quality and variety. The inclusion of rare freshly grated Japanese Wasabi and aged soy sauces from 100-year-old cedar barrels adds an authentic touch to the meal. These meticulous details elevate the dining experience, reflecting the restaurant's dedication to offering top-notch, high-grade ingredients. The Executive Chef Padam Raj Rai's specials on the day and drinks and dishes I tried from the new menu further demonstrate Hot Stone's creativity and commitment to keeping the menu exciting and innovative. 💡 ENVIRONMENT: Hot Stone has created an ambiance that perfectly aligns with its culinary offerings. The use of volcanic rocks and the incorporation of traditional Japanese elements create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The restaurant's design provides a perfect balance between contemporary elegance and Japanese authenticity. The 6-year-old establishment has successfully maintained its initial charm while continually evolving to keep things fresh and appealing. The setting is intimate, making it ideal for couples or small groups looking for a memorable dining experience. The attention to detail in the decor and table settings enhances the overall dining atmosphere, making it a visually pleasing space to celebrate special occasions. 💰 PRICE: The 6th-anniversary deal at Hot Stone is an absolute steal considering the quality and quantity of the offerings. The 3-course with A5 Japanese Wagyu and seafood platter experience is priced at a discounted £39.99. However, the early bird perk of an extra £10 off brings the cost down to just £29.99 for a limited time, resulting in a substantial 65% savings. Best of all, this voucher once purchased is valid for 1 year!!! This pricing strategy is not only generous but also demonstrates the restaurant's commitment to providing value for money. Hot Stone's anniversary deal makes it an accessible option for those looking to indulge in a premium dining experience without breaking the bank. 👨‍🍳 STAFF / SERVICE: The staff at Hot Stone contribute significantly to the overall positive experience. The chefs display a mastery of their craft, ensuring that each dish is prepared and presented with precision. Their ability to highlight the unique flavours of A5 Japanese Wagyu and seafood on the hot stone is commendable. The service is attentive and friendly, creating a welcoming atmosphere for diners. The staff's knowledge of the menu, including the wine and sake pairings, adds to the overall enjoyment of the dining experience. Hot Stone's team seems genuinely invested in providing excellent service, making the celebration of their 6th anniversary a memorable occasion for guests. 📍LOCATION: Chapel Market, Angel, Islington...

We came here for a birthday occasion and pre-bought a six-course meal voucher.

Walking in, we were greeted by those in the kitchen enthusiastically, which was really nice.

We were then taken to the main dining room, which has dimmed lighting and a relaxed atmosphere. We were also one of the first ones to arrive as the restaurant opened.

Started off with a lychee mocktail drink. This was a decent drink, slightly sweet - just wish there was more of it!

Getting into the food, the first course; scallop & truffled plum: I was pleasantly surprised by this. A really nice texture with a slightly sweet taste.

Second course was seared butterfish sashimi and seared salmon carpaccio. The butterfish was fine, without being spectacular. I did really enjoy the salmon, however. The slight searing of the salmon on the edges made this incredibly satisfying. The quality of the salmon was fantastic too.

Third course we got prawn tempura & seafood sushi roll and seared butterfish ponzu roll. There was some garlic to accompany these dishes. The prawn roll was really tasty and had a slight crunch that I really enjoyed. Again with the butterfish, it tasted fine but did now ‘wow’ me.

Fourth course were the grilled fish don and grilled aubergine don. They both came in a bowl of rice. The grilled fish wasn’t good. It was cooked and that’s all I can really say about it. I have The aubergine, however, was absolutely incredible. The smokey grilled texture and the aubergine itself was packed full of flavour and would love to have this again.

The fifth course we got wagyu and tiger king prawns. We received a hot stone where we were asked to cook these ourselves. Not for long, around 30secs each side. In total, there’s eight pieces of wagyu and six pieces of prawns. I’m not a massive fan of doing this sort of thing at all restaurant. It was ok as a one-off I suppose but my mind had deviated from being sociable and relaxed to ensuring the food is cooked to how I want it. A novelty but not for me. The wagyu was very good. Moist and juicy, lots of flavour. The prawns didn’t have much about it at all. Didn’t really have anything going for it and was quite underwhelmed. Also, they were pretty small despite being described as ‘king tiger’.

Finally, we had the dessert that was a type of raspberry mousse. This was fine, without being spectacular. Slightly sweet and tangy, also refreshing.

Overall, this was a good experience. The staff are extremely friendly and hospitable and always approached attentively with a smile. This goes a long way to feeling welcome and relaxed. The decor is understated and homely in a way. It was quiet, which I tend to appreciate. The quality of dishes varied from fantastic to not good at all. However, they do mostly lean on the positive sign with only one dish being a negative. That’s decent for a six-course meal.

It was a birthday meal, though. Other restaurants of this level I have visited tend to go an extra mile to making the evening extra special, which was noticeably absent here. This was a bit of a shame and left a slightly cold ending.

I would rather give a 3.5 out of 5, but there’s doesn’t no halves here but I’m happy to rate this as a 4 based on the positive observations above.

Would recommend for a quiet, relaxed dinner enjoying some fine japanese cooking artistry. Perhaps not for a special...

Having just eaten here using the 4 course wagyu voucher (£30pp) I definitely would advise against it. I have rated 2 stars purely for the sashimi and crunchy hot roll.

To begin with, I am entirely sure that the majority of the reviews for this restaurant are fake or inflated due to the perceived value (thanks to the strategic marketing). The process of booking with a voucher is an absolute nightmare and the likelihood of getting a booking in the next few months is slim. Exclusivity isn’t necessarily a problem, it’s just the experience at hotstone does not justify this at all. There are so many terms and conditions with these vouchers and the cancellation fee is also the highest I have ever seen in london (£75pp for hotstone compared to £50pp for Michelin-starred hakkasan or £25pp for Roka)!

After finally managing to get a booking, we arrived at the congested restaurant to a lovely Japanese team greeting. The first thing we noticed was how tight and hectic the restaurant was, as well as how dirty the menus we were handed were.

The business seems to be owned/run by Indians, although there are a few Japanese chefs. The service generally was extremely pushy and disruptive. I haven’t had such odd service in a very long time- being interrupted to be read out the menu (which we are more than capable to do) and encouraged to buy add ons. Most of the conversation with service staff seemed to be about what we can buy on top of what was included in our voucher. For the price point this place charges, I’d expect seamless service.

Now onto the food, the sashimi box was a surprise and very good with great quality fish. The condiments are awfully scarce for two people to share as can be seen in the picture. We both chose the crunchy hot roll which was a warm prawn tempura roll which was really good, although slightly let down by the consistency of the sushi rice. The main course of wagyu (rice was at an extra cost of £6) was the biggest let down of the meal. Absolutely awful and definitely not authentic wagyu with very little marbling. Even when I accidentally pierced a piece with my fork before cooking, it was incredibly tough. After cooking for the suggested time, I found most of the pieces of beef to be quite tough with one piece inedible due to a tendon (which means it must be a cheap cut of beef). The portions as can be expected for the price are tiny.

The matcha cheesecake was tiny but was really good. I suspect this had been sitting in the fridge for quite long however as the cream cheese had congealed slightly and the biscuit base was slightly soggy- but still tasted great.

Overall for around £40pp (with no drinks and just an added side of rice) you get what you pay for- it’s certainly not a good deal but not the worst meal I’ve had. I wouldn’t return as I think there are far better meals and...