Kintan yakiniku restaurant in Holborn: £10 lunch sets

Kintan, at 34-36 High Holborn, London WC1V 6AE, sits directly between Chancery Lane and Holborn as a dedicated destination for Japanese tabletop barbecue. Arriving guests step into a bi-level dining space designed around sunken tabletop roasters that pull smoke downward beneath the grill grates. This layout keeps the air fresh and lets diners focus entirely on cooking seasoned beef, pork, and seafood over radiant heat. Whether dropping in for a swift midday set or settling into an evening tasting course, the restaurant provides an interactive meal where each table dictates its own pace and temperature.

The dining room stands on the north side of the road, marked by clean dark timber framing and floor-to-ceiling glass that reveals the glowing dining room inside. Travelers coming on the London Underground will find Chancery Lane station just a two-minute stroll away on the Central line, with Holborn station roughly five minutes westward for Piccadilly line connections. Numerous bus routes stop along the avenue, including the 8, 25, and 242. Inside, modern wooden booths and sleek slate accents create semi-private nooks, insulating tables from the bustle of the legal and commercial quarter outside.

Opening its doors in August 2014, Kintan holds the distinction of introducing authentic Japanese yakiniku restaurant dining to the capital. Founded under the Dining Innovation group, the concept was engineered to translate Tokyo beloved post-work barbecue ritual into an accessible London experience. The core of the operation relies on specialized downward-venting smokeless roasters imported from Japan. These custom fixtures prevent smoky odours from clinging to clothing, making the space uniquely comfortable for city professionals dining in suits alongside casual evening groups.

Midday visitors benefit from one of the most generous value propositions in central London. Running Monday through Friday until 4:00 pm, the lunch menu features a dedicated Value Set priced at £10 per person, making authentic grilled beef accessible on an everyday budget. Diners seeking more variety can build customized combinations, choosing two barbecue meats for £14.5, three items for £17.5, or four items for £20. Each lunch combination comes accompanied by a bowl of hot miso soup, a fresh small garden salad, and steamed white rice.

Beef is the primary focus of the kitchen, sourced with careful attention to marbling and texture. The Premium Kalbi Short Rib costs £14 and delivers deep marbling that browns swiftly over the central grate, best ordered with the house sweet soy tare. Skirt steak lovers gravitate toward the Premium Harami Skirt Steak at £14, which responds beautifully to a rich miso marinade that caramelizes at the edges. Leaner profiles include the Premium Bistro Hanger Steak at £12 and the Premium Rib Eye at £12, both sliced thinly to ensure brief cooking times.

For special gatherings or celebratory splurges, the kitchen prepares authentic Japanese A5 Wagyu Strip Loin, priced at £125 for a substantial 250g portion characterized by intricate white webbing that melts into buttery richness within seconds of hitting the iron. Thinly shaved Yaki-Shabu Beef is offered at £7, while Toro Beef brisket with sweet soy is priced at £8. Thinly sliced Beef Tongue is another staple at £11, which develops a satisfying snap when turned once over high heat and paired with an optional £1.5 side of salted negi spring onion relish.

Barbecue sessions at Kintan work best when flanked by refreshing appetizers and hearty carbohydrates. Crisp Addicting Cabbage at £5 comes tossed in garlic sesame dressing, offering a cooling, crunchy counterpoint between bites of fatty beef. Tangy Hakusai Kimchee at £4 delivers traditional fermented acidity, while Chicken Karaage is available in a small portion for £7 or large for £12. For table-sharing carbohydrates, the sizzling Beef Sukiyaki Bibimbap costs £12 and arrives in a piping-hot stone bowl, while Garlic Fried Rice is priced at £8.

Diners arriving with substantial appetites often choose the All You Can Eat option, available Sunday through Thursday all day, and Friday through Saturday from 11:30 am until 4:00 pm. The flagship Gold course costs £55 per person and unlocks fifty distinct menu selections, including tiger prawns, pork belly, and premium cuts, with children aged four to ten dining for £25. In addition, happy hour discounts apply all day on Monday, and run Tuesday through Sunday until 6:00 pm before returning from 9:00 pm until the doors close.

Cooking on a smokeless table roaster requires attentiveness and rhythm rather than high-flame rushing. Thinly cut selections like Yaki-Shabu beef need merely thirty to forty seconds over the grates, turning once the edges begin to curl. Medium cuts such as Kalbi short ribs and Harami skirt steak require forty to sixty seconds, allowing the fat to render without charring the sweet marinade. Grill masters should use the outer edges of the circular mesh to rest cooked morsels while laying raw proteins strictly in the hotter center.

The atmosphere inside the High Holborn venue balances energy with comfort. During weekday lunch hours, the room fills with solicitors, university lecturers, and tech workers from nearby Midtown offices catching quick grilled lunches. As evening falls, the lighting softens into a warm amber glow, drawing couples on dates and lively tables of international students celebrating birthdays over communal platters. Booth seating provides ample elbow room, and the efficient extraction ensures conversations remain unhurried without the loud din of industrial overhead hoods.

While the extensive menu offers tempting variety, first-time visitors should consider skipping the standard vegetable spring rolls at £5. While competent, they contribute little to the authentic yakiniku narrative and take up precious stomach capacity that is far better devoted to specialized cuts like skirt steak or garlic butter kalbi. Sticking closely to prime proteins and signature sides like the addicting cabbage yields a far more memorable dining experience than generic deep-fried finger foods.

Table reservations for parties of up to six diners can be booked directly through the restaurant official online system. Walk-in guests are welcomed, but securing a table without waiting is easiest when arriving immediately at the start of lunch service or shortly after 5:00 pm for early dinner. A discretionary 10% service charge is added to bills, and all barbecue meats must be prepared and consumed inside the restaurant rather than packaged for takeaway.

High Holborn sits at the crossroads of several historic garden squares and legal courtyards. A two-minute walk south leads directly into Lincoln's Inn Fields, the largest public square in London, bordered by leafy plane trees and manicured lawns. Architectural enthusiasts can wander past Sir John Soane's Museum or continue down towards the quiet brick courtyards of the Inns of Court. Heading east along the street brings you past historic timber-framed Tudor facades towards Smithfield and Farringdon within an easy ten-minute stroll.

If unexpected queues stretch the waiting time at peak Friday dinner, the immediate neighborhood provides worthy alternatives. Diners craving Japanese noodle broths can walk three minutes towards Menya Ramen for rich tonkotsu bowls. Those looking for classic British pub warmth can duck into the nearby Princess Louise, renowned for its preserved Victorian etched-glass booths and modest pints. Having these options within a short radius ensures that an evening out remains seamless even during the busiest dining shifts.

Kintan is open Monday to Sunday from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm. Diners cooking over the table grills are provided with individual metal tongs and paper aprons upon sitting down. Sauces including sweet soy, ponzu, spicy miso, and sea salt with sesame oil are set conveniently on the table alongside call buttons for swift service. The restaurant accepts major card payments and applies clear guidelines regarding party orders during all you can eat courses, making it an organized, reliable choice for group dining in central London.