Mayfair, Japanese Restaurant Guide

The “amazing” Kyoto-style kaiseki menu is a longstanding fixture of this low-key stalwart, in a quiet Mayfair mews (which was sold out of administration in 2020 after the collapse of the M.A.R.C. group). But, under executive chef, Ryo Kamatsu, it also offers a luxurious à la carte ranging from caviar to British game to sushi created from the finest Cornish fish. Predictably, there are complaints of “small portions at exquisite prices”, but this remains one of London’s most notable addresses for Japanese cuisine.

This “classic Japanese stalwart” has offered an authentic taste of Tokyo in a Mayfair backstreet for 45 years – and is always “full of Japanese consular employees” from the nearby embassy. Top Tip – “go for the good-value lunchtime set menu”.

“It feels like you’re in a nightclub, and it’s very expensive” at this oligarch playground in Mayfair, run by Arkady Novikov (who in past times boasted of his personal friendship with Vladimir Putin, but who more recently hoisted a ‘Peace for Ukraine’ flag on the restaurant website). For some folks the whole vibe is a complete turn off (“this is what’s wrong with London!”), but for Eurotrash in party mood it’s still just the job for nibbling on sushi, robata and other luxe bites. (There is also a grand Italian dining room to the rear, but it inspires practically no feedback this year).

“Asia meets France” at this Mayfair yearling from French TV chef Cyril Lignac, named after his Paris restaurant in St Germain des Prés. “There’s a large team of sushi chefs and the place has a lively, Parisian feel”, with “French desserts, which are superb” – as they should be, given that Lignac trained as a pâtissier. It’s no shock that the place is pricey, but fans say it’s worth it: “absolutely top class, can’t wait to return”.

Too limited feedback for a rating on this Mayfair Japanese centred around an open kitchen, which – in its six years of operation – has never seemed quite to fulfil its potential. Nowadays owned by famous food importers Atariya and supplied by Zen-Noh (Japan’s agricultural cooperative), it should be an undisputed champion of NIpponese cuisine, but is still sometimes accused of being “incredibly expensive for what it delivers”.

The “superb Japanese food” at this little-known Mayfair veteran, now in its fifth decade, stands out in “an increasingly crowded market for Japanese gastronomy”. Like many traditional restaurants in Tokyo or Kyoto, it is understated and unflashy to a fault. The sashimi and sushi are “moderately expensive, but then fish this good should be”. Top Tip – “the Tekkadon Chirashi is simply delicious – sashimi of tuna, fatty tuna and seared tuna on a bed of rice”.

“The basement of a department store doesn’t lend itself to high ambience”, but “half the fun of this place is the window shopping on the way in!” From Alexis Gauthier’s “interesting all-vegan selection”, the “amazingly crafted” sushi “looks amazing” and “is an engaging experience that comes close to ‘the real thing’ by look and taste”. Fans say items like the vegan burgers “are also terrific”, although there are also sceptics who find these other options “less convincing”. But in summer, “any shortcomings are more than made up for by the brilliant outside location, with a large paved terrace abutting Bond street, where you could be in Cannes under the large umbrellas as you watch the fancy shopping bags and their owners wandering by”.

“High-quality sushi – the fish is super-fresh” and “very good tempura” are the highlights at this classic Japanese duo in Mayfair and Knightsbridge. A meal here is “certainly not cheap but it is fantastic”: “there are one or two London restaurants that do better Japanese and sushi. But not at these prices”. Top Tip – “ask for sea urchins in season”.

On gracious Grosvenor Square – a Japanese-inspired izakaya-style from Mei Mei’s Samyukta Nair; and her family’s LSL Capital’s fifth Mayfair venture; opening September 2022. The two-storey space is apparently inspired by ‘enigmatic’ Mount Fuji: ‘On the round floor is MIDORI, the green room, representative of vegetative life on the snow-capped peak, and below is MAGMA, the charred room, representing an active, bubbling volcano’. Who’d have guessed! A broad spectrum of Japanese cuisine is trailed, featuring specialist dishes in their sushi bar and robata grill selections.

Esteemed Tokyo steakhouse, Aragawa (est 1967, and actually predated by its Kobe branch) is set to open in late 2022 on the Mayfair site that for over 20 years as Miyama (long RIP) was an exemplar of traditional Japanese cuisine. Tokyo diners may pay over £400 per head for the best cuts… and that’s before you go wild with the list of Premiers Grands Crus on the wine list.

Tucked away in a Mayfair alleyway, this promising Japanese 10-seater opened in July 2022. Husband-and-wife team Tomoko Hasegawa and Tamas Naszai met at Tokimeite and are backed here by the owners of Chisou and Sushi Atelier. Japanese preparation is applied to top British ingredients to produce an omakase-style menu (which must be paid for on booking), which includes a sushi course and can be paired with a hand-picked selection of sake and wine.