Getting Japanese street food in London is not easy, but it’s not impossible. It is true that the best sushi restaurants in London are often on the expensive side; the truth is that quality fish is expensive – and you truly get what you pay for when you dine there.
The revelatory Endo at the Rotunda menu or Kurisu Omakase’s creative dishes are both worth the savings. There are a number of budget-friendly restaurants in Tokyo serving different aspects of Japan’s wonderfully diverse cuisine, from yakitori specialists like Junsei to fusion eateries like Angelina. This is a list that we have produced to provide as a guide if you wish to sample some of Japan’s delectably distinctive cuisine.
Japanese Restaurant London – Top 10 London Eateries
1. Chisou
At Chisou, you will find light, airy dining areas, pale oak tables, and a wall of sake bottles at the entrance. You can also watch the chefs prepare your food from the sushi counter.
At lunchtime, the atmosphere is relaxed and lively, and excellent service is provided. The cold food here makes it a good lunch spot. With fresh spinach spiraled into a spiral, spicy, crispy prawns topped with a creamy yuzu sauce and thinly fried carrots for texture, the horenso salad is a fan favourite.
There is an excellent selection of three types of sashimi (yellowtail fin, salmon, and prawn) and a delectable crab bun that is inside-out. In the hot menu, you’ll find fried chicken karaage with a great bubbling batter, and skewered chicken tsukune (meatballs) that are well breaded and juicy.
2. Akira
Akira restaurant, the Michelin Bib Gourmand-rated restaurant in Japan House, will serve you a miniature and impeccably ornate afternoon tea in colors you would treasure.
Among the many Japanese flavors rarely found in London (sweet crispy rice cakes) is mochigashi (pounded rice cake filled with sweet bean paste), yokan (hard jelly dessert), and senbei (soft candy).Akira also offers expertly crafted sushi, as well as specially selected green and smoked black teas from Ippudo and Kaneroku Matsumoto Tea Gardens. Alternatively, you can purchase a glass of sparkling sake for an additional £7.
3. Umu
“Umu” means “born of nature” in Japanese, and received its first Michelin star a year after opening in 2005, and a second decade later. The restaurant offers a spenny kaiseki tasting menu, as well as an à la carte menu.
The zingy red prawn tartar, the sweet salt smoke eel kabayake, or the creamy yellowtail nigiri (the sushi rice, by the way, is immaculate) are all must-try dishes. There are also taste-bud-pleasing Scottish langoustines cured with sake and flecked with tomato jelly. Perfect.
The atmosphere is quite ‘traditional Kyoto,’ with clean lines, polished timbers, and very polite staff. Because of its secrecy, it is a favourite of power brokers in tailored suits. Come get a bento box during lunchtime if you do not have an expense account (currently $35 to $49).
4. Junsei
Junsei (from the Japanese meaning “pure”) is Aman Lakhiani’s first restaurant after working at Michelin-starred Dos Palillos in Barcelona. There is an emphasis on dishes grilled on Binchtan, a white charcoal made from Japanese oak (hence “pure” in the name)
which cooks at extremely high temperatures and produces skewers that are not overly smokey. There are over 20 kinds of skewers available, such as Shiso breast with ume, heart, tsukune, and neck, which are grilled over the Binchtan and tossed in tare (soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar) or shio salt.
Among the vegetarian options are shiitake mushrooms, soy-marinated quail eggs, and fried tofu with ginger and spring onions. In addition to the skewers, there is cuttlefish somen with cucumber mirin soy sauce and A4 Wagyu grilled at the table (along with some Binchtan). For dessert, there is smoked birch crème brulee and strawberry mochi.
Additionally, the restaurant offers an omakase menu that has eight skewers (some of which are exclusive to this menu). Sake and shochu are available, as well as Japanese-inspired cocktail bars with drinks such as Gin.
5. Sumi
Sumi is a casual but elegant Japanese restaurant in London owned by sushi master Endo Kazutoshi, whose endo at the Rotunda restaurant is Michelin-starred. In addition to its alfresco dining area, Sumi offers an indoor and outdoor glow.
In the interior, you will find Japandi decor featuring pale walls, light modern furnishings, and a touch of black. Sumi, a neighborhood favorite, offers diners a unique sensory experience while providing a more relaxed atmosphere. Japanese traditions are reflected in the food. It is easy to choose food from the menu because it is organized by categories.
It is almost certain you will be invited to try the fantastic nigiri and sashimi available on the sushi menu and you won’t want to eat sushi anywhere else. Order the seabass, which is fresh and generously sized, as your main course. Matcha mille, a light Japanese dessert, is a delicious way to conclude your dinner.
6. Sachi
Sachi is a divine gift. A stylish bolthole like this in Belgravia, the land of starched tablecloths, is a true blessing. Pantechnicon resides in the subterranean crypts of an old warehouse, which has been transformed into a five-story tribute to Japanese and Nordic culture, cuisine, and design.
Upon leaving the foyer, you will see beautiful dried flowers framing the double doors and draped across the ceiling. You will feel as if you have entered another world upon leaving the foyer. The line-caught fish is expertly arranged into sashimi, maki, and gunkan platters, including melt-in-your-mouth tuna with a crisp, blowtorched border, as well as veggie options like the wonderfully gratifying shiitake & enoki mushroom maki with black garlic and mustard.
Plumping for moriawase relieves you of the burden of decision-making by enabling the chef to send over whatever is in season at the time, attractively garnished with edible flowers. You may create your own small plate banquet, starting with charred chicken with kanzuri (a potent mix of chilli, yuzu and koji); nasu dengaku, smokey, pulpy aubergine with a sweet-sour miso glaze.
Gomae salad, with Sussex-grown Japanese greens layered with a thick sesame dressing; and ankou bubu arare, steaming hot monkfish puffs covered in a crispy rice casing and served with a tongue-in-cheek tartar sauce. Sachi is a devilishly delicious affair.
7. Taka
In terms of Japanese cuisine, Taka doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the menu has a wonderful sense of whimsy that sets it apart from the crowd. The restaurant consists of two levels, with bare tables, white walls, and a small bar serving a variety of interesting drinks.
A variety of traditional and modern Japanese dishes are available on the menu. There is the California roll, which is packed with shredded crab, avocado, and the freshness of fresh avocado, or the Wagyu Sando wrapped in buttery bread called ‘happy bread’ that lives up to its name.
It is the ‘Japanese tapas’ section, however, which offers the most intriguing items. A pillowy flatbread with nori-infused butter and ‘Lord of the Fries,’ which is topped with a snowdrift of truffle and Parmesan and could be topped with Exmoor Caviar, are dishes Marie Antoinette might have dreamed up. Taka keeps on being new and exciting, and for that, it should be praised.
8. Endo
Endo is unlike any other omakase restaurant (omakase means “chef’s choice” in Japanese). At least not one like the ones you’ll find in this town. The majority of omakase restaurants in London are tiny, but Endo is an exception.
The area is wide, open, and airy, with wraparound glass providing views of White City from the eighth level. The sashimi is always fresh, to the point where it could be served without a plate. With sushi rice, the nigiri is simply perfect. Endo is as near to a flawless omakase experience as you’ll find, thanks to the appealing surroundings and welcoming atmosphere, It’s not inexpensive, but it’s definitely worth it.
9. Angelina
The marriage of Italian and Japanese cuisine could easily end in disaster at Angelina, but it is a happy one. The restaurant serves “Italian sushi” at a paccio bar. Risottos are served with chopsticks. In contrast, the food offers a gentle homage to the similarities between Japanese and Italian cuisine.
In fact, tempura and fritto misto are both preparations with the same purpose. Both are interested in preserving the integrity of the main ingredient by using a crisp batter coating. Angelina is an intriguing fusion.
10. Kurisu Omakase
Despite being in a vibrant part of Brixton, surrounded by other great bars and restaurants, Kurisu Omakase is not as busy as you might expect, which is unfortunate considering how good it is.
The decor is good and the service is great. Menu prices are midrange with a good selection of sushi, and there are a few specials posted on a blackboard. It’s a spectacular dining experience. Best sushi you’ll ever taste in London.
