Samurai Teppanyaki Restaurant — Restaurant in Winchester

Terrible Experience – Avoid This Place!

I wish I could give this place zero stars. Went in with high hopes, but everything about the experience was awful.

First, the food was completely tasteless and overpriced. I ordered the teppanyaki steak with vegetables and grilled rice, and it was bland beyond belief—not even a hint of seasoning. For the price, I expected way better. The sushi was the saving grace on the food menu.

To make matters worse, they never warned me that the grilled rice contained egg, despite knowing that I have a severe allergy. That’s a major health risk, and it’s just basic restaurant responsibility to disclose allergens!

The sake was terrible—bitter and just plain off. When I asked if I could swap it for another drink, they flat-out refused. Terrible customer service.

The atmosphere upstairs was also bizarre. The décor and music was off putting. I felt as if I was in a perpetual nightmare.

We tried to escalate the food issue to the manager, but they clearly didn’t care at all. No apology, no attempt to make things right, just complete indifference.

Do yourself a favor and do NOT go here. There are way better places to eat where they actually care about food quality, customer safety, and basic hospitality.

A response to your atrocious response below:

It's disappointing to see that instead of taking responsibility for the issues we experienced, you've chosen to respond negatively. Your reply only reinforces the poor service we encountered.

Allergies should be taken seriously. The staff member who served us did not ask about allergies—I had to mention mine. Despite this, I was still served grilled rice containing egg, which was not listed on the menu. Had I not noticed, it could have led to a severe allergic reaction. This is not a minor issue; it is a serious lapse in food safety.

Regarding the sake, I informed the staff immediately that it did not taste right. Instead of offering a solution, I was told I had no choice but to drink it since it had already been opened. Forcing a customer to finish something they are unhappy with, especially at £15, is not good service.

I've tried teppanyaki and it's always tasty and this was not. Not an opinion, it's a fact.

Constructive criticism should be welcomed, not dismissed. My review was honest and fair. Rather than being defensive, a good restaurant would acknowledge feedback and strive to improve.

I truly hope you reflect on this and use it as an opportunity to provide better service in the...

this restaurant is based in a basement its not authentic Japanese. when you enter the restaurant it looks like you are going into some low quality place. they have just put some tables with a iron grill in front and a tiny bar in the basement. my booking was 9pm, upon arrival we didn't get seated till 9:07pm and was told to sit on the side and order some drink. After when we finally got seated at our original table even at that point our table was half cleaned so we sat in the corner till they cleaned the rest of the table. During this our chef was finishing up on the other table so we didnt get served till 9:37pm and meanwhile they wanted us to get more drinks,

Food: Sushi is poorly prepared, the salmon did not taste fresh (for this price i should have gone Edo Asia or sticks and sushi) with the teppanyaki you get free appetizers which was 2x sushi rolls, 2x spring rolls and 2x gyoza and salad just thrown on the side. nothing was fresh other them the sushi which was also very debatable. i ordered chicken and king prawns. Chicken was dry and no flavour even tho the chef did aask how you like it to be prepared it was all very bland and tasted like cooked in cheap oil. King prawns were okay not great. you get a tiny portion of egg fired rice which was missing seasoning again.

Ambient: Dull not vibe, i came here after looking on TikTok but yeah dull. You so close to other tables that when their chef is cooking you can feel the heat back of you head and neck. No music, very loud atmosphere No good ventilation given you have live cooking infront of you.

Quality: poor for the price your paying, go Sticks and sushi or Shanghai 1814 or Edo Asia for some real sushi food presentation not great

Entertainment: This is the only good thing about this place but this only lasted like 20 mins till the chef is done cooking for everyone and then he leaves you.

This place was okay for first time Teppanyaki experience but not great overall experience, vibe and atmosphere.

UPDATE ON OWNERS FEEDBACK (attached picture): Calling me a spam won’t change anything. Focus on improving your customer service. I was very excited to be there only to be let down. After spending so much money to get sick low class service is the reason for this review and the comparison to other top restaurant that cost similar. Use this review to improve, not further critique me. It’s your reputation at line not mine. Rest is up to...

I’ve tried Sakura twice; once I ordered take away over the phone and the other time I ordered through Deliveroo. Both times the wait far exceeded what it was supposed to be by about 30 minutes. When I went to pick up, I was ignored for awhile then the manager on duty was curt, not friendly nor did he ask if I wanted a drink while I waited as most restaurants would. I waited and waited and waited and that’s after I waited 30 minutes to pick up. While I waited, I noticed there were no waiters and most of the tables were full with no food on the table. People were getting restless. I can only assume a waiter and chef called out.

The salmon nigiri and tuna nigiri I had when I did takeaway were fantastic and the reason I’m giving three stars. They were fresh, not fishy and had a wonderful texture. The grilled rice I got when I picked up was flavorful and delicious. I enjoyed all of that.

Unfortunately the Sakura salad wasn’t edible. It looked like leftover wilted lettuce, edamame beans (which I wouldn’t classify as a vegetable as listed in the description), and part of a tomato with no dressing but rather water or cooking oil. It went in the trash to play it safe. See my photo.

When I ordered through Deliveroo, the sushi was good but not quite as good as when I picked up my order. The grilled rice the second time was disappointing as it consisted of mostly tiny bits of grilled onions which ruined the flavor and consistency. The rice barely had any egg and there wasn’t any flavor other than the onions which I hated. The grilled rice I had the first time was delicious, didn’t have many onions, tasted like proper egg fried rice but not the second time. Wasn’t happy with the inconsistency.

The miso soup tasted like lukewarm water. No flavor whatsoever. Wouldn’t recommend.

Overall I’d say the sushi and egg fried rice I had the first time were amazing but there’s a lack of consistency with food quality, the staff and customer skills need...