London is lucky enough to boast a number of Japanese restaurants – and despite many having different focuses on ramen, sushi, yakitori and more, it can be a bit of a minefield trying to navigate which one to choose for your next meal.
With new Japanese restaurants popping up on every corner, it is no easy feat to decide which one to book. This is especially true when izakaya, sushi bars, shabu-shabu, robata grills and more are all on offer in the capital. Here we’ve rounded up the 17 best Japanese restaurants in London.
If you’re looking to plan ahead for your next dinner date or want to give your London restaurant hotspots list a little update, we’ve got your Japanese food fix covered.
Best Japanese food in London
Umu Restaurant, Mayfair
It’s hard to pin point one’s favourite restaurant, even within a particular cuisine. Londonjust has too many greats. But, dare we say we migt have just found our favourite Japanese restaurant in the city? Having been gracing the quieter streets of Mayfair for 20 years now, Umu is by no means a new restaurant – but we’re certainly glad this hidden gem is on our radar now. From its discreet entrance to its elegantly simple dining room, Umu offers diners a Kyoto kaiseki experience, paired with impeccable service.
Taking a step back from the flashy decor and atmosphere most sushi restaurants in London exude, this Michelin starred restaurant immediately brought about a sense of calm as soon as you walked through the door – while the recommended sake (a light, floral style) went down a treat as we sipped alongside the first course of turbot carpaccio, as well as sea bass, lobster, chutoro (fatty tuna), scallop and yellowtail (my personal favourite) sashimi. Everything had a distinct freshness to it, with the accompanying soy sauce simply enhancing the existing flavour, as opposed to feeling the need to drown the poor fish in the stuff.
The tempura selection was divine – with both lobster and mushroom proving both fish lovers and vegetarians would have an equally enjoyable experience at Umu – while the grilled turbot was plated up to perfection. The star of the show had to be the nigiri selection, which was utterly flawless. Our only complaint was that we wanted more! Both the toro topped with padron pepper and red mullet with bottarga excelled, while the langoustine and scallop gunkan varieties were also fantastic. The soy sauce, with lemon and lime juice and chives really made a difference, too.
Those with a sweet tooth can round the meal off with the Mayfair Garden dessert; Japanese seasonal tiramisu with matcha green tea and a pourable Ginjo sake (my kind of pudding, this), as well as other seasonal sweet treats available.
Nobu Restaurant, Nobu Hotel Shoreditch
When you think of Japanese food, you often think of Nobu. The chef and his brand have become synonymous with the cuisine and if you’ve dined at any one of the restaurants within the group, you can probably understand why. The Shoreditch location in London offers up trendy interiors, gorgeous architecture – and, of course, delectable food. The bottomless brunch menu is definitely one to be considered as guests can enjoy a sushi buffet, featuring everything from classic sashimi to innovative sushi tacos.
Moving onto mains, the choices include the ‘OG’ miso marinated black cod, as well as teriyaki beef or scrambled egg donburi. There’s a dessert buffet bar and unlimited Prosecco, Asahi Beer or lychee elderflower cocktails. It’s a steep £110 but perfect for any Japanese food connoisseur or for an occasion.
london-shoreditch.nobuhotels.com
Inkonito, Soho
From the same family as Roka and Zuma, Inkonito in Soho offers a similarly luxurious menu spanning across sushi and robata-grilled dishes. From crab and salmon tartare with shichimi rice cracker to start with to beef cheek and butter lettuce wraps, this is an eclectic menu that offers a creative spin on classic Japanese dishes.
Sumi, Notting Hill
With a menu that focuses on temaki (hand rolls), as well as sashimi, nigiri and robata grill items, it’s a smaller one than most restaurants might offer. However it’s all about quality not quantity and sushi lovers can indulge in the choice of akami diced red tuna and toro-taku minced fatty tuna. Not to be missed? The sesame seaweed salad.
Shiro, Broadgate Circle
Famed for its innovative crystal sushi – which was invented by its own chefs and involves adding hand-crafted jellies to the classic maki roll – Shiro is the latest addition to the Aqua group and has set up shop in the city.
We started by feasting upon gorgeously plated dishes such as the spicy tuna and salmon tartare (served with lotus chips and Oscietra caviar) and the chargrilled beef tataki with black garlic ponzu and pickled wasabi. One thing we ordered as an appetiser that was unexpectedly terrific was the avocado tempura – which you absolutely must order and ask for more of the green chilli yuzu kosho mayonnaise.
We did, indeed, try the crystal sushi – opting for the scallop and caviar version with kimchi jelly. It was definitely flavoursome but it’s all about your preference of texture, as there’s a gelatinous aspect to it which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Other excellent dishes included the prawn tempura maki roll, a selection fo sashimi including sea bass, scallop and salmon – as well as lamb cutlets and the coveted hamachi (yellowtail) kama (collar). Washed down with a few tasty cocktails and finished off with a gorgeous matcha tiramisu, it’s a special meal and one that comes Team Coco recommended.
Junsei, Marylebone
Calling all yakitori dishes, if raw fish isn’t quite your thing but you still want your Japanese food fix, Junsei is for you. Our favourites included the classic tebasaki chicken wings – as well as more acquired taste skewers such as heart, neck and gizzard. Veggie options include eringi (king oyster mushrooms) and okra, while larger plates such as the grilled scallop and sea bream donburi are firm favourites too.
Sushi on Jones, King Cross
All the way from New York, Sushi on Jones have come across the pond, setting up shop in London. If you’re looking for traditional, delicious sushi in the concept of Japanese omakase, this is a great spot. With just a handful of seats at the sushi bar, guests can enjoy watching their sushi being prepared (the chef’s selection tasting menu focuses on nigiri) as they sip on a fabulous selection of sake.
Koya, Soho and City
Sometimes sushi just isn’t what you fancy and on a cold winter’s day like January has been serving us so far, we see your point. So what better than a steaming bowl of hot noodles swimming in a warming bowl of broth? Choose from classic pork to braised beef; a crunch tempura prawn or curry-based both. There’s endless options to choose from, whether you want to stick to your favourite or try them all – just leave room for the Happy Endings ice cream sandwich for dessert.
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