London’s Japanese dining scene just got a serious upgrade. Maki Nori, the bold new handroll concept in Soho, has opened its doors on Old Compton Street and is already shaping up to be one of the most talked about openings of the year. I do not claim to be a sushi enthusiast, but I am a devoted sushi eater, and as someone who appreciates great food on an electric atmosphere, I can confidently say this is a restaurant that deserves a place on your radar.
Maki Nori and the Beauty of Handrolls
Maki Nori is a handroll focused restaurant with a concept so deceptively simple: handrolls made to order, served within seconds of being rolled, so every bite is at its absolute freshest.
The space is minimalist and designed with craft front and centre. The 20-seat sushi counter acts as the heart of the restaurant, placing guests directly opposite the chefs as they slice, roll, and present each handroll with impressive precision. The team calls it the ’15 second roll’ – proof to just how quickly each one is assembled and served.
I have always felt London is a city where dining experiences can sometimes feel performative and overly polished, but Maki Nori is a breath of fresh air. I watched my food come together right in front of me and it could not be more genuinely thrilling.
Beyond the counter, roaming sushi carts bring an additional layer of tableside theatre to the wider dining room and dry aged fish displayed in a dedicated fridge makes an immediate statement about the kitchen’s commitment to quality ingredients.
The Ingredients Behind the Experience
Maki Nori’s priority is delivering premium seafood. Their scallops are sourced from Hokkaido in Japan, their sea urchin arrives from Japanese waters, their bluefin tuna comes in from Spain, and their salmon is procured from Scotland. It is, without a doubt, a carefully considered supply chain that spans continents in pursuit of the best possible product.
The restaurant also dry ages its fish on site, a technique more commonly associated with high end beef. But when the same technique is applied to fish, it yields extraordinary depth of flavour. On top of this, hydroponically grown herbs are cultivated within the restaurant itself, which are used throughout the handrolls, reinforcing the brand’s emphasis on living ingredients and their passion for culinary craftmanship.
At this level of care, one might expect to pay a premium for, and yet Maki Nori has been positioned at an accessible price point, making the quality on offer all the more remarkable.
What to Order at Maki Nori
The menu at Maki Nori is built around its handrolls, each one assembled to order and best eaten immediately. I started with three from the signature selection: the A5 Wagyu, lightly torched to bring out a rich, buttery sweetness, that melted in my mouth, the Smoked Hamachi, infused with a hickory aroma, and the Snow Crab that was sweet and elevated by a subtle Japanese mayo.
Each one arrived within seconds of being rolled, exactly as promised, and the warmth of the rice paired with the crunchiness of the nori makes the comparison against conventional sushi unmistakably apparent.
For something more substantial, I moved on to the Chef’s Selection, opting for the 10-Piece Omakase. Presented on a beautifully arranged platter, it brought together three nigiri, four salmon avocado rolls and three sashimi that practically gleamed on the plate. There was an oceanic freshness that the fish brought whilst it dissolved instantly on my palate.
It is a wonderful introduction to the breadth of what the kitchen can do, and the presentation alone is worth noting.
Next came the Dragon Rolls, and this is where things got particularly exciting. The Black Dragon featured delicious unagi that was smoky and rich, the Green Dragon, crowned with perfectly fanned, creamy avocado slices, and the Red Dragon, topped with fiery, vibrant salmon and fish roe, each brought their own character to the table.
It is worth knowing that the tempura in the Green and Red Dragon rolls is freshly fried to order in the hot kitchen, and you can absolutely taste the difference.
To finish, I sampled the Scallop Crudo from the fresh plates selection. Dressed with an orange ponzu sauce with slices of orange in between, it was light and perfectly balanced.
The Atmosphere
Inside Maki Nori, the space immediately does something unexpected for Soho: it feels serene. Stood proudly in a busy area, it has successfully created a calm and cohesive aesthetic that feels both distinctly Japanese and luxurious.
The dining room is dressed entirely in warm pale wood, from the curved Scandinavian inspired chairs to the sushi counter that lines the left-hand wall, to the glowing shoji panel walls that bathe the room in a soft amber light, down to the centre of it all, a large calligraphy artwork that commands the restaurant with real presence.
The 60-cover room is split between counter seating, where you can watch the chefs at work up close, and a mix of two- and four-seat tables arranged across the main floor, with plush booth seating along the back wall. And as an added touch, a curated soundtrack of low beat Japanese hip hop runs throughout, adding just enough energy to keep things feeling alive without disrupting the elegance of the surroundings.
The Founder’s Vision
Maki Nori was founded by Teddy Lee, who trained in Tokyo, before launching Maki & Ramen, the Japanese dining group that has built a devoted following across the UK. With Maki Nori, the approach is now deliberate and feels more authentic. Lee has described his take on Japanese food as rooted in discipline and respect for ingredients which, to me, is the purest expression of that philosophy to date. It is a tightly defined concept that does not try to be all things to all people but instead does one thing exceptionally well.
A Visit to Sister Restaurant Maki & Ramen
Before making my way to Maki Nori, I paid a visit to its sister restaurant Maki & Ramen, the beloved Japanese dining group that has built a devoted following across the UK and laid the foundations for everything Teddy Lee has gone on to create. If you want to understand the ethos behind Maki Nori, spending time at Maki & Ramen first is a wonderful way to do it.
On my visit, I went all out with the starters. The Dynamite Prawns delivered a perfect kick of heat in a velvety, spicy mayo, while the Takoyaki offered a flawless contrast with their crisp exterior and rich, savoury, melt-in-the-mouth centre. Rounding out the opening course was the Tempura Squid, wrapped in an exceptionally light, shatteringly crisp batter that perfectly complemented the tender seafood.
For mains, I went with the Black Dragon Roll, which featured rich, caramelised eel that gave it a smoky depth. I also grabbed a California Roll for that clean, classic combination of sweet crab and avocado, and a Spicy Tuna Roll for a beautifully fresh texture with just the right amount of a fiery kick.
To top it all off, I couldn’t resist ordering the Chicken Katsu Curry, which was perfectly golden and crispy on the outside, paired with that comforting spiced curry sauce. The same care and precision that defines the Maki Nori experience is present here too, just expressed through a broader and more comfort led Japanese menu.
At their core, both spots share the exact same vibe: incredible ingredients, real kitchen skill, and a relaxed, effortless energy without an ounce of pretension. They are completely different experiences, but you honestly can’t go wrong with either. You can find your nearest Maki & Ramen location and explore the full menu here.
Why Maki Nori Matters
One thing is true: London has no shortage of sushi restaurants. But Maki Nori occupies a space that very few of them do, and that is genuinely premium ingredients made accessible to the everyday Londoner or even Japanese expats and visitors alike.
The handroll format is inherently democratic, the omakase does not have a towering price tag, the plates hold no enforced formality, and yet the sourcing and skill behind each bite is as serious as it gets.
What Teddy Lee and his team have created here is a restaurant that feels exciting and bona fide – almost as if stepping into Japan itself. In a dining landscape full of concepts trying to do too much, there is a real panache in a place that has decided to do one thing brilliantly and build an entire experience around it.
