Mayfair, Japanese Restaurant Guide

“Just simply heaven” – this discreet Japanese venue brought Kyoto-style, kaiseki dining to London when it first opened in 2004 and – despite having lost other parts of his once-extensive restaurant empire – founder Marlon Abela still owns it. Perhaps reflecting Abela’s non-Japanese heritage, it’s one of the more vibey top-end Japanese locations in town: it sits in a bijou Mayfair mews with svelte, elegant decor. As one of the first places to introduce Londoners to the vertiginous price-points of Japanese dining, it has always been seen as costly, but fans say it’s “the most misunderstood restaurant: anyone who really knows Japanese food would praise this restaurant to heaven and back” on account of chef Ryo Kamatsu’s “ever-changing, seasonal Japanese cuisine”. The kaiseki menu is £250 per person, but you don’t have to opt for it: there’s a wide à la carte and they make a feature of using the ‘Ikejime’ method of killing fish designed to bring ‘unparalleled flavour and texture when preparing sashimi’. All reports agree this place is “not cheap but does a sound job” – indeed most reports regard it as “exceptional” in all respects.

A “super-reliable” Mayfair veteran, which (having opened in 1978) claims to be the “oldest family-run Japanese” in London, and serves “well executed, unpretentious Japanese food at reasonable prices”. “It’s my local canteen!” says one reporter… a sentiment shared by many staff from the nearby Japanese embassy, which makes “booking essential at lunchtimes!”

‘Blini Baron’, Arkady Novikov’s London outpost remains a magnet for glossy Mayfair eurotrash types, with its luxe pan-Asian menu of sushi, sushi rolls, robata, wok and hot pot dishes (there is also a completely separate Lake-Como-comes-to-London back room, serving Italian cuisine, that’s never as highly commented on). It’s never been a choice for anyone remotely concerned about value. (PS. Next time you hop over to the Balearics, you can drop in on his newish spin-off at Ibiza Gran Hotel).

“Superb!” Saint Germain comes to Mayfair at TV-chef Cyril Lignac’s luxurious three-year-old, which – like his original Parisian venture – offers “the fusion of Japanese food with French expertise”. In practice that means a selection of raw seafood; sushi and sashimi; salads; and Asian-inflected seafood mains, with the odd tidbit for meat-eaters such as Wagyu sando; all followed by French desserts. It took brickbats last year for seeming “fancy” and “flash”, but this year inspired little but praise for “top-quality dishes”. And “it’s great fun to watch the guys behind the bar” all adding to the “excellent dining experience”.

“The vegan sushi is wonderful, fresh and inventive” at this Mayfair outlet, which is a spin-off brand for plant-based evangelist chef Alex Gauthier, who runs the celebrated Gauthier (see also) in Soho. Following the closure of Fenwick’s department store – he has moved it to the tucked-away nearby site vacated by Native at Browns (which itself has moved out of London, to Worcestershire). 123V’s menu used to be wider than just sushi, but has narrowed its focus to the Japanese-inspired plates that were everybody’s fave – even among omnivores. Top Tip – the new site has a gorgeous courtyard, which comes into its own in the summer months.

After half a century, this high-quality Mayfair veteran is “still one of the best Japanese restaurants in London”, with particularly “good fish” – although it has a lower profile than many newer and more flashy rivals. “Having the kitchen open to the dining area adds some theatre to aid the digestion”.

Fans say these straightforward Japanese operations “set a benchmark for quality sushi and sashimi”, backed up by a “fabulous sake selection” and “charming service”. The Mayfair branch is “something of an oasis off the bustle of Oxford Street”, and like its Knightsbridge sibling is “very reasonably priced for the area and quality of food”. Top Tip – “good omakase”.

“A new contemporary izakaya in Mayfair” set over two floors, which was opened a couple of years ago by Samyukta Nair and her family: “yes it’s pricey, but the atmosphere is banging and the food is varied and fun”. In June 2024, they decided to shake things up, rebranding the existing upstairs ‘Koyn Japanese’ and relaunching the newly refurbished downstairs space as ‘Koyn Thai’, with Bangkok-born chef Rose Chalalai Singh overseeing the existing Kiwi chef, Rhys Cattermoul.

“Incredible to watch a master sushi chef at work close-up” and a perch at Takuya Watanbe’s Mayfair 12-seater is one of the best vantage points in town at which to do so: with the counter in London presided over by head chef, Long Ng, and head sushi chef John Park. Those who’ve made the investment say it’s “expensive but definitely worth a visit at least once”, with the ‘Signature Omakase’ being £300 per person over 20 courses; or if you make it £400 per person the ‘Prestige Omakase’ includes more luxurious ingredients and extra courses. No-one suggests the culinary results are anything short of “brilliant… but there’s not much engagement or ambience” beyond what’s put on the plate. Top Top – Wednesday to Saturday lunch the ‘budget’ option is a 17-course ‘Tasting Omakase’ for £160 per person.

“Superb meals cooked over wood” on a four-metre grill have established well-travelled Colombian-born Miller Prada as one of London’s rising star chefs at this Mayfair yearling, with influences from his Japanese mentor, Endo Kazutoshi. Fashion-wise it’s ‘very now’, which divides diners: fans say, “fire and smoke is becoming a fad, but it’s beautifully executed at Humo – getting it right takes a lot of skill and Miller and team have that in spades”. There is some push-back, however, against “cult worship at the feet of the Gods of Indoor BBQ to paid-up acolytes: even though my wife thought it ‘really rather good’, I came away musing on how little we ate for so much money…”

2023 Review: 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.

One of London’s top omakase-style experiences is provided by husband and wife chef team, Tamas Naszi and Tomoko Hasegawa, at this small 10-seater counter experience, in a yard just off Mayfair’s pedestrianised South Molton Street. Feedback in its first year of operation has been limited, so our rating is a conservative one.