wagamama covent garden

£8 - £20 / Asian, Japanese, Gluten-free, Wine bars, Beer bars, Vegetarian options

17 Bedford St, London

Awards

Excellent Pad Thai 2024

Opening hours

11AM-10PM

Sunday 11AM-10PM
Monday 11AM-10PM
Tuesday 11AM-10PM
Wednesday 11AM-10PM
Thursday 11AM-11PM
Friday 11AM-11:30PM
Saturday 11AM-11:30PM

Exquisite Service and Delicious Asian Flavors!

Ah, Wagamama, that eternal stalwart of the quick-fix Japanese-inspired meal. Upon my recent sojourn to their Covent Garden establishment, I imagined I was about to embark on a culinary odyssey. Alas, dining there felt more akin to being whisked along on a slightly erratic roller-coaster ride. Let’s discuss its indisputable highs: The sho shouk chicken and ebi katsu were delectable highlights, standing head and shoulders above so many tired imitations of Asian fare. The dishes arrived promptly enough for me to question whether there's a small army beneath every branch, wielding pans like military-grade weapons in a kitchen battleground.

Yet, like the Trojan War, chaos marred what could have been walls of unimpeachable excellence. You see, the place appeared in a perpetual state of hustle – a cyclone of activity that left staff overwhelmed and one’s nerves mildly frayed. One tends to get thirsty when accused of overt familiarity with noise levels resembling an Old Street nightclub, and yet, waiting (a precise term here) for water stirred nostalgic thoughts of movie queues in a 100°F heatwave. Dear Krishna who served my table was efficient but in dire need of a clone – perhaps, two of him might negotiate refilling my green tea faster. It’s a Wagamama, a comfort food haunt, a meeting place where coherence dances hand in hand with clattering cutlery and chirpy smiles, but it feels tragically lost at sea without sufficient life jackets for its sailors. Nonetheless, I shall surrender to nostalgia and return to indulge in their celestial pad Thai, hoping next time the gods bestow upon us diners a less rushed temple to noodly goodness. — Penelope Savory