The best Japanese restaurants in London

The Aubrey
Found within the swanky Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge, The Aubrey is a five-star-hotel take on an izakaya, the Japanese equivalent of a pub. So it’s cosiness of the luxe variety, with fringed lamps, gold-framed Ukiyo-e artwork and plush velvet seating. As for the food, sashimi and sushi are executed to perfection by the female head sushi chef (a rare thing), Miho Sato. Also notable is the robata (Japanese-style grill) menu, which features as much wagyu beef, pork, cod and seafood as you could desire.​​ The J-pop playlist will have you nodding to the beat.

 
Mayha
The omakase experience, in which a select group of diners sit at a counter while the chef prepares a set menu in front of them, is a big trend in London’s Japanese dining scene. In this Marylebone restaurant, chefs Jurek and Gigi prepare dishes for 11 people, including such delights as prawn chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), monkfish roe sushi and grilled wagyu with mushrooms. The menu changes seasonally, and you can expect unusual ingredients and preparations you’ve perhaps not tried before, such as sea urchin or tofu houmous. A special night out.

 
Ginza
St James’s, south of Mayfair, is a posh spot for an elegant Japanese dinner in this luxurious venue, which also has a good cocktail bar. There are tasting menus with wine/sake pairings, or you can go à la carte. Highlights for us included Chilean sea bass (melt in the mouth), crispy chicken karaage (Japanese deep-fried chicken) and tender wagyu. If you’re on a London city-break, the afternoon tea here is also special: subtle, complex teas alongside nibbles such as mini okonomiyaki (Japanese-style filled pancakes).

 
Dinings SW3
The sushi and sashimi at Dinings SW3 are fantastic, but what really excites at this tucked-away Chelsea spot is chef Masaki Sugisaki’s fusion of Japanese and Western dishes and techniques. A French green-bean salad comes dressed in a miso and balsamic vinaigrette; sauce vierge is spiked with yuzu; and ponzu gets infused with truffle. There’s a huge focus on the producers of the raw ingredients – Masaki works with fishermen to ensure his kitchen gets some of the country’s best catches, and the menu allows you to pick and choose across a wide range of dish types, so you can eat as lightly or as decadently as you like.

 
Endo at The Rotunda
Endo Kazutoshi is a third-generation sushi master, and a seat at his omakaze counter at the top of the former BBC TV studios in White City is a hot ticket. The care, attention to detail and flawless skill on show in every morsel of food prepared directly in front of you will take your breath away. An evening here will make you realise why so many chefs cite Japan as the home of the best cuisine on the planet. As you might imagine, it’s a race to get a booking each month – especially since the restaurant’s renovation in 2024 – so make sure you follow it on Instagram to get first dibs.

 
Sushi Kanesaka
The moment you step into this little corner of Japan in 45 Park Lane hotel in Mayfair, you enter a world of refinement, from the traditional greeting to the exquisitely prepared omakase experience. Omakase literally means ‘I’ll leave it up to you’, and the ‘you’ in question is chef Shinji Kanesaka who, with his expert team, prepares course after delightful course as you sit entranced by the culinary mastery on display. Expect the finest ingredients and unexpected delights, such as a stew of sweet octopus and abalone, and an umami-ish hunk of kobe beef, as well as the best sushi and sashimi you’ve ever tasted. You emerge feeling you’ve had a life-enhancing experience.

 
Akira Back
You walk down a spiral staircase to this dramatic space in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Mayfair, which opened in June 2024. Duck into the moodily lit cocktail bar first for a Sumo Old Fashioned or Heart And Seoul (we approve of the punning) before you emerge into the restaurant with its lofty glass ceiling. Korea-born chef Akira Back’s menu is a playful fusion of Japanese-Korean-Rest-Of-World cooking. Highlights include wagyu bulgogi tacos, a crisp ‘pizza’ topped with tuna sashimi, and jidori chicken (a flavoursome breed, cooked sous vide for juicy tenderness). There are interesting wines, including from China, and the mochi cake pudding is a winner.