St James's, Japanese Restaurant Guide

2022 Review: This tranquil veteran hidden away in an alleyway just off Piccadilly Circus has provided one of London’s “best Japanese experiences” for nearly 40 years. It’s “run by the nicest people” – “the welcome from Lisa is always amazing” – and if you sit downstairs near the counter, she’ll choose a wonderful meal for you from the sushi, sashimi and cooked dishes on offer. Upstairs, there’s waitress service at tables.

“You can’t go wrong if you order tonkotsu” at this ramen group from Tak Tokumine of the Japan Centre – the noodles and 12-hour pork bone broth are “authentic” and some of the “best in town”. The venues can be “cramped”, and “the constant banging of a drum to indicate dishes being ready can grate”.

“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”.

‘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).

2023 Review: This “wonderful Japanese noodle shop just off of Regent Street” is modelled on the ‘yokocho’ alleyways of old Tokyo, its retro 1970s theme lending itself well to pedestrianised Heddon Street. There’s “great-tasting ramen with regular specials” and it “can be busy”. Launched two years ago by the Japan Centre team, it also has branches in Panton Street, Soho, and Westfield Shepherd’s Bush.

2021 Review: “Always there to satisfy a Japanese food craving”: this conveyor-belt sushi-stalwart in Soho rates well for “fast, good-quality plates” – less so for the “uncomfortable stools and loud music”. But nobody is complaining with “fresh hand-made tempura and salmon rolls for £4 – a steal!”. It lost its spin-offs last year, though, in Covent Garden and South Kensington.

“A bit of a dive to be honest, but the food is still so good!” – no-one claims Mr Taro’s group is particularly stylish, but for “very generous portions of the classic Japanese dishes (including decent sushi, teriyaki and katsu curry)” these functional canteens hit the spot, and at a very good price. The latest (summer 2024) additions to its roster of eight venues are Catford in southeast London and Brentwood in Essex.

“You can’t go wrong if you order tonkotsu” at this ramen group from Tak Tokumine of the Japan Centre – the noodles and 12-hour pork bone broth are “authentic” and some of the “best in town”. The venues can be “cramped”, and “the constant banging of a drum to indicate dishes being ready can grate”.

“Proper Kyushu-style ramen with a thick, silky broth” is the secret behind this small London noodle chain from former pro cyclist Kazuhiro Kanada. “Especially great on a typical cold, rainy London day”, it’s “a go-to for a quick, cheap and (relatively) healthy supper in town” (“I’ve stopped for ramen at all the main chains and a few indies, and for my money this is the very best bowl at a great price”). The sixth branch opened in summer 2024 at Westfield Shepherd’s Bush.

When Matsuhiro Araki opened this nine-seat Mayfair venue in 2014, it broke the mould. He set the bar for the new omakase-style revolution that would sweep London; introduced the capital to a £300+ per head price point, which was almost double what anyone else was charging at the time; and became the world’s first chef to have won three Michelin stars for a Japanese restaurant in both London and Tokyo. In 2019, he returned to the Far East, leaving his protégé Marty Lau and daughter Manae Araki in charge. The tyre man wasn’t happy and removed all three stars in one fell swoop, not even leaving one to remain! Ever since – not helped by a multiplying number of new rivals offering a similar experience – media interest in the place has dwindled, yet each year it has inspired nothing but upbeat feedback in our annual diners’ poll. This year is no exception, with (albeit limited) feedback praising “an intimate dining experience with exquisite and fine sushi” – and we’ve maintained a high rating on that basis.

2021 Review: “Good quality Japanese comfort food” including “proper tonkatsu – rich pork served with cabbage” – is on the menu at this rather “cramped” venue off Leicester Square from the duo behind Kanada-Ya, Aaron Burgess-Smith and Tony Lam. “Also of note is the speakeasy bar in the basement”.

“A favourite for midweek sushi” – this 12-year-old pan-Asian group from Israeli-born Ohad Kastro started in Primrose Hill and has expanded to six outlets in a series of well-heeled locations, with Barnes and Chelsea particularly commented-on. Perhaps not a choice for foodie purists, they provide a convivial setting for “an interesting and varied menu of Asian-inspired” dishes prepared to an admirably consistent standard. (One gripe – the “astonishing number of takeaway food packages collected by delivery drivers” was an irritant in a couple of reports this year).

“You can’t go wrong if you order tonkotsu” at this ramen group from Tak Tokumine of the Japan Centre – the noodles and 12-hour pork bone broth are “authentic” and some of the “best in town”. The venues can be “cramped”, and “the constant banging of a drum to indicate dishes being ready can grate”.

“LOVE this chain and would happily eat there any day!” – These “always buzzy” Nordic operations (originating in Copenhagen 30 years ago) provide a “tasty mix of sushi and grilled yakitori kebabs” in Scandi-minimalist dining spaces. One or two reporters hesitate at the prices for these luscious morsels – “not sure you can justify the cost of leaving full up” – but the overall satisfaction-level is high. They added a branch in Richmond’s former House of Fraser in May 2024 followed by another on Islington Green in September.

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!”

“A really special experience for serious foodies” – Layo & Zoë Paskin’s (also of Barbary and Palomar fame) intimate 12-seater is part of a period Chinatown pub, where they have created different venues on each level. Here in the former beer cellar, “the only option is the kitchen counter, so you are right in on the action” and the creation of “superbly executed cuisine” from a small team, which is now headed by Seamus Sam, former head chef at Tom Aiken’s Muse, whose August 2024 arrival post-dated our diners’ poll. Feedback volume and ratings have slipped marginally since Luke Selby left for Le Manoir at the end of 2022. The most critical report? “A perfectly competent meal, served in an appropriately reverential atmosphere, albeit a cramped and uncomfortable setting (but then places of worship often are) by suitably devout believers and not cheap”. But perhaps there will now be an uptick under the new chef? Top Tip – a variety of drink pairings range from ‘Firm Favourites’ to ‘No & Low’ (a mixture of alcohol-free and low ABV wines).

2022 Review: “Our daughters love this restaurant – especially the cubed steak and iceberg lettuce!”. This manifestly cool Soho three-year-old offers sushi and sashimi as well as a wide range of fish and meat from the robata grill.