The best Japanese restaurants in London
London is home to some of the finest restaurants on the planet and, thanks to its diverse culture, you can find almost any cuisine in the world somewhere between Wembley and Woolwich. One of those cuisines, and the favourite of this writer, is sushi; the Japanese-born food of heaven that works just as well for a lunchtime pick me up as it does for a special occasion.
In the name of research and preventing anyone from having a poor meal, we've tried and tested some of the capital's best Japanese restaurants. At the luxury end of that scale, there are sushi 'masters' who have dedicated their careers to rolling a world of flavours into bitesize morsels. These include new ventures by famed chefs like Endo Kazutoshi, to Michelin-starred hotspots that you need to book months in advance. At a more accessible price point are the fusion restaurants that seamlessly meld South American or Mediterranean flavours with more traditional Japanese cuisine. Then, there are the smaller, family run businesses that churn out bento boxes to the masses at lunchtime with a startling dexterity that almost belies the quality of the food.
Decisions on who should make the list were based on a number of factors including service, atmosphere, whether or not the price point is fair and, naturally, the quality of the food. We were not exclusive in our testing and so the restaurants needn't offer only your typical nigiri, maki or sashimi. Whether you're looking for an experimental tasting menu, an omakase experience, or a date night spot, this list has you covered.
For those who want to try other cuisines, we recommend consulting our ever-changing list of the 50 best restaurants in London which has its finger on the pulse of new openings and exciting new ventures.
The best Japanese restaurants in London
1/16Sushi Kanesaka, Mayfair
Discreetly hidden away behind the upstairs bar at The Dorchester, Sushi Kanesaka feels like a secret spot for those in the know. The doorway at the entrance magically transports you from a hotel overlooking Hyde Park to a luxury omakase restaurant in a Ginza high-rise. The restaurant is a small, traditionally decorated room with just one hinoki wood counter that seats nine, at which the head chef prepares each exquisite bite of sushi in front of your eyes, slicing fish with the sharpest of Japanese knives, brushing soy sauce on top of nigiri: this is food as theatre. The price tag is not for the faint of heart - Sushi Kanesaka’s 20-course menu is £420 per person, before drinks - but this is likely the very best sushi to be found in London. The restaurant earned a Michelin star seven months after it opened.
Everything we ate at Sushi Kanesaka was exquisite, and surpassed many of the meals I ate on a recent holiday to Japan. Some of the highlights were the sushi of otoro (fatty tuna), the hand roll of unagi kabayaki (grilled eel in sweet soy sauce), and the sushi of suzuki (sea bass) with irizake sauce. A highlight is certainly the grilled Kobe beef, whose characteristic melt-in-the-mouth texture comes courtesy of the cut's fatty marbling. Served pink alongside wasabi and shio, it is a sumptuious treat. I’d recommend being led by the hosts to pair some sake with the food - we tried a delicious, crisp chilled sake which was served in beautiful traditional Edo Kiriko cut glassware. Following the sushi, we had seasonal Japanese fruits, followed by yokan and monaka - traditional sweets. Though certainly an investment, Sushi Kanesaka is a truly memorable, luxury dining experience and an authentic taste of Japan in London. – Tilly Wheeler
45 Park Lane, London W1K 1PN
Eleonora Boscarelli2/16Moi, Soho
From the restaurant group MAD (L’ETO patisseries and cafes and new Basque opening Alta), Moi brings a restrained Japanese minimalism to Soho — all muted sand tones and walls sculpted like beach ripples, a space that feels calm and curated, though rather empty on a Thursday lunchtime.
The menu pays homage to traditional Japanese cuisine — think misos, pickles, and ferments — but updated to give dishes a modern feel: following the trend of live-fire cooking and using well sourced British ingredients. There’s a robata grill, an omakase bar serving sushi and tempura, and luxury ingredients like wagyu. It’s an ambitious and undeniably pricey concept for this part of town.
We shared most plates, though the mains aren’t really designed for it. A tempura lobster claw was the highlight: perfectly crisp, juicy, and deeply moreish, though the accompanying curried emulsion added little. A dish of silken tofu with soy, spring onions, and toasted buckwheat (a clever textural echo of grape nuts) had an appealing contrast of crunch and cream — the real star being the Ebisu soy, delicate and complex.
The sea trout tartare Chu Maki was exceptionally fresh and generous, while the XXL Isle of Mull scallops with koji butter tipped too far toward richness. Duck dumplings came in a superb bone broth sharpened with wasabi — something I’d happily have bottled — and the baked rice with girolles and Cacklebean egg was a warm, umami-rich comfort. Dessert disappointed slightly: billed as a Damson, Hazelnut, Miso, it turned out to be a squirt of damson purée with a scoop of ice cream and underripe plums — more concept than pleasure. Moi’s ambition is clear, its ingredients generally excellent, but at this stage it feels a touch overwrought and maybe would be better placed down the road in Mayfair. Still, there’s a sense of real passion in the details and with the room full and buzzing on a Friday night it might feel like the hottest new place to be.
84 Wardour Street, W1F
Rusne Draz3/16SACHI, Belgravia
Last year, the imposing Neoclassical facade of the Pantechnicon building on Motcomb Street reopened with an exciting selection of polished dining and drinking spots tucked away within. One of these is SACHI, a smart Japanese restaurant offering both à la carte and set menu options. At £55 per person, the Sunday brunch menu is reasonably priced for the amount of food that is served, and is an ideal way to try a range of different dishes without being faced with the more extensive main menu to choose from. The neutral, stylish interiors span the building's top two floors and include a roof terrace, resulting in what feels like an ideal summer dining destination and something of a hidden gem.
SACHI have a seasonal ‘Sake Sunsets’ cocktail menu for spring and summer; the citrusy Tokyo Glow was particularly memorable, while the Sakura Spritz was light, sweet and refreshing. As with other Japanese brunches at places like ROKA, a sharing selection of starters are served first, impressively arranged on an assortment of dishes on ice. Highlights included the oyster with yuzu ponzu and pickled wasabi, crispy sushi rice with spicy tuna and the rock shrimp tempura. For mains, we went for the black cod with marinated plum honey, and the baby chicken with koji yuzu and koshu marinade. The sweet, umami cod melted in the mouth, while the chicken was a perfect foil - charred, crispy and a little bit spicy. As with so much Japanese cuisine, the food is not at all stodgy, so by the end of the meal we still had room for the trio of desserts, which included a divine homemade strawberry ice cream. – Tilly Wheeler
Second Floor, Pantechnicon, 19 Motcomb St, London SW1X 8LB
4/16Kioku by Endo, Westminster
I’ve eaten plenty of sushi over the years, but it’s a singular experience to have nigiri passed directly by the head sushi chef, Shibata Takehito, from his hand to mine. This is one of the particularly memorable moments during a Chef’s Table dinner at Kioku by Endo (kioku is, appropriately, the Japanese word for memory).
In a city full of restaurants with kerb appeal, it takes a certain kind of confidence to open one on a rooftop in a quiet corner of Whitehall. With its cluster of stately landmarks, it’s a favourite destination for tourists, but hardly known as a gastro hotspot. Luckily for fans of high-end Japanese food, Endo Kazutoshi has no shortage of confidence. The Yokohama-born chef has been sharing his sushi know-how through a clutch of restaurant launches since 2019. Kioku by Endo opened in May 2024, but still has the feel of a hidden gem. This might be because of its location in The OWO, a grandiose Edwardian building that’s rich in history (it was the site of the Old War Office) but slightly daunting to enter. The welcome is thankfully warm on the ground floor (where the Kioku Bar beckons with its stock of some 100 sakés) and the directions to the birdcage lift, which whisks diners up to the sixth floor, reassuringly clear.
After so much grandeur, the restaurant space is unexpectedly airy and understated in a gleaming light-wood-and-glass kind of way. But any interior details are eclipsed by the splendid city skyline views from floor-to-ceiling windows and the impressive roof terrace. You don’t have to splash out on dinner at the Chef’s Table to enjoy some equally splendid food. The nigiri and wagyu are top notch, and fans of chawanmushi will love Kioku’s king crab, ginger kaffir and yuzu version of the set custard – a good example of a traditional dish given an Endo twist.
As a saké novice, I appreciated the expert guidance from sommelier Darcy Swindell, but the wide-ranging wine list offers plenty of alternative options for creative pairings. The Ducks out of Water section, highlighting wines made from grapes native to one country but grown in another, seems particularly appropriate for a restaurant finessing Japanese fusion dishes in the heart of London. – Caroline Bullough
Sixth Floor, 2 Whitehall Place, The OWO, SW1A 2BD
5/16Taku, Mayfair
Hidden behind an unassuming door in the heart of Mayfair, is one of the best luxury omakase experiences that London has to offer. Taku, led by chef patron Takuya Watanabe, opened in early 2023, and earned a Michelin star just a few months after. The restaurant’s interior, decked out in wood and uneven, natural stone tiles on the wall, is calming and pared back, allowing the beautifully presented food to draw all the attention. The single counter that stretches around the kitchen seats just 16 at either its 6pm or 8.30pm sitting, which makes for an intimate experience where the team, including head chef Long Ng, are able to talk us through each course and the provenance of the fish. On our visit, we tried the 20 course signature menu which is priced at £300 per person - the 17 course lunch menu is more affordable at £160, or at the other end, the ‘prestige’ menu containing additional courses and even more premium ingredients, is available in the evening for £400 per head. The prices are undoubtedly high, but Taku is somewhere to come to experience Japanese fine dining on a very special occasion, rather than a casual dinner with friends.
The dishes presented to us, so meticulously assembled that they resembled tiny works of art, included such delicious combinations as tuna tartare with pickled mushrooms and topped with caviar, or abalone risotto with a mushroom foam and black truffle. Following this was a grilled course of cod, and then several nigiri courses. The menu changes regularly, depending on the fish that is sourced each day and new dishes that have been developed by the team, but on our visit the sushi that we were served included scallop, Scottish lobster, trout from Hampshire, oyster from Iceland, 10-day aged Spanish amberjack and tuna belly. For optimal taste and freshness, we were encouraged to eat the sushi as quickly as possible after it was presented in front of us, so precisely kept is the temperature of the fish and rice.
We tried two very different sakes throughout the meal, both of which paired wonderfully with the food. The first was a lightly cloudy sake from Fukushima, served chilled, followed by an intense, sweet sake, that was served warm with a little sugar. There were three separate elements to the dessert. First was a palate cleansing, intensely fruity shaved ice, followed by Japanese whisky flavoured ice cream served with delicate, wafer-like biscuits and black truffle, and concluding with a petit four of apple tart. By way of the ‘chef’s choice’ nature of omakase, we went in completely blind to what the menu would include, and it was a delight to be continually surprised by the 20 exciting, creative dishes that appeared like magic throughout the evening. - Tilly Wheeler
36 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4JE
6/16NIJU London
Just when I think I’m getting a handle on the vocabulary of Japanese cuisine, another phrase pops up. The latest addition to Yokohama-born Endo Kazutoshi’s batch of London restaurants specialises in katei ryori, which apparently means ‘home cooking’. Given that Niju is on the site of what was previously 20 Berkeley (niju is Japanese for 20), it offers a very Mayfair version of what might be home-cooked food if your private chef was a sushi master. I am not usually a fan of wide-ranging menus, but variety is one of Niju’s strengths (along with its endearingly enthusiastic staff). And there’s no feeling of pressure to spend a fortune. So you may well find yourself sitting next to a couple enjoying cocktails and a plate of nigiri sushi as you work your way through sharing plates that range from small – the beautifully presented tomato tartare is bursting with flavour – to large (for example, nutty, silky grilled tofu with erengi mushrooms). Having also sampled some of the top-notch sashimi, we resisted the temptation to try one of the five options of house-aged beef. We were however persuaded by our waiter to share a tonka bean custard tart with rhubarb sorbet. His enthusiasm was justified – it tasted as good as it looked. Although it’s not immediately obvious when you book online, Niju has two different dining rooms (along with the bijou basement bar Nipperkin). While we loved the plush, low-lit comfort of Migi, Hidari offers a more informal feel and a sushi counter at which you can watch the chefs at work. - Caroline Bullough
20 Berkeley Street, W1J 8EE
7/16The Ukiyo Room at The Aubrey
With opulently dark interiors that bring a hint of speakeasy loucheness to the plush comforts of a gentleman’s club, The Aubrey offers a distinctively different setting in which to enjoy Japanese food – from bar snacks like wagyu gyoza to omakase menus for £95 or £175. Perhaps mindful of the fact that omakase is not the novel concept it once was in London, the Mandarin Oriental now offers an intimate setting in which to enjoy its version of this multi-course experience. In The Aubrey’s Ukiyo Room – paying homage to the historic Japanese art of pleasure seeking – up to eight guests sitting around the gorgeously glossy counter are guided by the chefs and the sommelier through a £175 menu with drinks pairings (£150). In keeping with the chef’s choice concept of omakase, the tasting menu will vary. On my visit, standout dishes included wagyu gunkan with caviar topped with a cured frozen egg, prawns served in three ways and a show-stopping, Mount Fuji-inspired elderflower mousse with peaches and candy floss. While ebullient head sommelier Maxim Kassir is a saké enthusiast who has developed The Aubrey’s own low-alcohol Tsuchida Junmai in collaboration with a Japanese brewery, Champagne and wine feature among the drinks pairings alongside saké. Non-drinkers are equally well catered for with some imaginative alternatives – from Wild Idol’s alcohol-free sparkling wine to Saicho Jasmine Tea. - Caroline Bullough
The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA
8/16INÉ By Taku, Hampstead
The team behind 1 Michelin Star Omakase, TAKU in Mayfair have gone north to the cobbled streets of Hampstead to open new Japanese restaurant, INÉ (meaning ‘rice’ in Japanese). The contemporary restaurant serves both an a la carte menu (serving delightful dishes like a wagyu beef katsu sando, a vibrant green hamachi carpaccio; and lobster sushi). But the biggest draw has to be the 8-person counter omakase served a few times per day. Here is where head sushi chef Law Kwok Meng serves up a 17-course omakase, curated by Chef Patron Takuya Watanabe, depending on what has come in fresh on the day. At £100 per head, the omakase offering is considerably more affordable than the £300 omakase dinner menu at Taku. The dishes may appear traditional at first glance but are creative and often with a delightful twist – Tal Dekel-Daks
16 Hampstead High Street, NW3 1PX
9/16Shiro, Liverpool Street
This casual but refined sushi restaurant just next to Liverpool Street Station calls itself a ‘taste of Ginza in the heart of the city’, which is Tokyo's most well known luxury shopping and dining district. It's efficiency and slickness means Shiro would certainly work as an oasis after a day of travelling or shopping in the city, and there's something reassuring in its clean-cut nature that just avoids feeling corporate. The cocktails are delicious, with a fully stocked bar offering fun twists on classics, like the exceedingly drinkable yuzu infused negroni.
A highlight of the place is their ‘Maki Mondays,’ which offers diners a 2 for 1 deal on all maki rolls. And we're not talking a casual cucumber, this includes gently seared salmon topped with caviar pearls and (our favourite) the delightfully crisp prawn tempura rolls. It's a no-brainer for an affordable Monday night dinner that still feels quietly luxurious.
Unit G04, 100 Liverpool Street, Broadgate Circle, London, EC2M 2QS
10/16Maru
If I had limitless money, I would eat at Maru every day. A big statement perhaps, but one that anyone who has been lucky to try Maru would likely agree with. Born of the genius mind of Taiji Maruyama, a third generation sushi chef, Maru operates with the philosophy of ‘omotenashi’, meaning to wholeheartedly look after your guests. Taiji began his career in Tokyo, working at Ginza, a three Michelin starred restaurant before making his way through Barcelona and Norway.
Maru is a spectacular sushi restaurant that stands out amongst a saturated market. It offers just two seatings of eight people per night, one at 5pm and one at 7pm. The rules are strict: if you're late, you're turned away. Though I don't see how anyone on the ball enough to make it through the bun fight of booking a seat would be. The food is served omakase, meaning ‘I’ll leave it up to the chef’, and consists of a twenty course tasting menu, the service of which is just as theatrical and arresting as the food itself.
18 Shepherds Market, Mayfair, W1J 7QH
11/16Sumi
The second coming of Endo Kazutoshi is set on a shop lined road in Notting Hill. Whilst not as upmarket as Endo at the Rotunda, the food offering here still has his signature style, just for a lower price point. The menu is well thought through with a mixture of temaki, nigiri and sashimi. However, it is more aligned with authentic Japanese cuisine than Westernised ‘California rolls’, so if you’re looking for that this probably isn’t the place for you. Sashimi is offered either completely raw or ‘aburi’ style which involves searing the fish with a naked flame to grill the outside but leave a rich and creamy middle. Whilst this was delicious, my favourite dish was the ‘Hotate Temaki’, a diced scallop, shiso flower and soy hand roll that was equally beautiful as it was delicious. The interior does look like a Muji catalogue, but we take no issue with that- it all feels rather calm and relaxed.
157 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS
12/16Beaverbrook Townhouse
The decision to major in Japanese food at a hotel restaurant is a brave move, but it reflects the success of the Japanese grill at the Town House’s country-estate parent in the Surrey Hills. Here in the Fuji Grill, interiors consist of gallery-wall displays of Japanese woodblock prints and deep green panelling contrasts with the foxy pink of the velvet banquettes. This being Knightsbridge, the chef’s selection of nigiri costs £46 and a sukiyaki hot pot with Kobe beef £135, but the quality of the fish in the sashimi selection we had was excellent, the tempura matched anything I have had in Tokyo and the beef tenderloin with fennel, Japanese chrysanthemum and fresh wasabi was delicately flavoured and exceptionally tender. - Caroline Bullough, Managing Editor.
115 Sloane Street, Chelsea, SW1X 9PJ
13/16Temaki
As the name denotes ('te' means hand and ‘maki’ means roll), this buzzy new sushi bar focusses on one specific type of sushi. Whilst small plates are available too, there is a hypnotic magic in watching head chef Shaulan Steenson – previously of Michelin-starred Umu - deftly prepare the temaki in front of you. The restaurant is tiny, it can't seat more than about sixteen at a time, and the U-shaped counter puts all eyes on the creation of the food. It draws you into an experience, offering connection to the food that feels personal. The menu offers a selection of ‘set menus’ which consist of five different hand rolls, or you can opt for a ‘surprise’, leaving the chef to whip up something new and off book.
12 Market Row, Brixton, SW9 8LB
14/16Ikeda
This old school Japanese restaurant in Mayfair has notched up the years and many loyal customers. It serves traditional dishes – such as spinach with sesame dressing or agedashi tofu, as well as sushi, noodles and tempura – from a quiet, open kitchen. There is kitchen-counter seating for those who wish to see the chefs at work, or more formal tables for a serious meal. - Blanche Vaughan, Food Editor.
30 Brook Street, Mayfair, W1K 5DJ
15/16Sushi Tetsu
This seven-seater on a Clerkenwell side street arguably serves the best sushi in town. Run by husband-and-wife team Harumi and Toru Takahashi, it is almost impossible to book. But when guests arrive at this shrine to sushi, they will find Toru expertly slivering and slicing smackingly fresh fish, visible from a counter-style bar. For the best experience, leave the menu behind and ask for ‘Omakase’ or chef’s choice. You’re in safe hands. - Blanche Vaughan, Food Editor.
12 Jerusalem Passage, Farringdon, EC1V 4JP
https://www.locaji.co.uk/greater-london/london/sushi-tetsu/338763/
16/16Sushi Samba
The year of 2012 was a busy one for London, when Olympic fever gripped the nation. It was a golden time not just for medals but for restaurants too, as both Duck & Waffle and SushiSamba opened at the top of Heron Tower. Since then, SushiSamba has established a reputation as a buzzy, cool spot where the food is as stylish as the clientele. The food is a hybrid between Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian so expect shisito peppers, lobster taquitos and, of course, delightfully punchy maki rolls. There are some strong opinions over which site is best but we will leave that up to you to decide.
Heron Tower, Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY
35 The Market, Covent Garden, WC2E 8RF
sushisamba.com
