Where to eat Japanese in London, depending on the night you want
For serious sushi in London, book Taku or Sushi Kanesaka in Mayfair; for kaiseki, Umu; for a loud group dinner, Zuma or Roka. All seven places below are in Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Fitzrovia or Kensington, every one was open and taking bookings this September, and the omakase counters are the ones to sort out first.
Mayfair: omakase, kaiseki and Nobu
Taku and Sushi Kanesaka both have a Michelin star, and both work the same way: you sit at the counter, the chef decides, and pieces arrive one by one at exactly the temperature he intends. Taku, on Albemarle Street, is Takuya Watanabe's restaurant, and Sushi Kanesaka, at 45 Park Lane, is the London branch of Shinji Kanesaka's Tokyo sushi-ya. Seats are few and sittings fixed, so turn up on time, skip the perfume and keep the phone in your pocket.
Umu on Bruton Place has held a Michelin star since 2004 for Kyoto-style kaiseki made with British produce, fish from UK waters included. It's the calmest room here, and the one for a long, unhurried dinner. Lunch is Tuesday to Saturday and dinner Monday to Saturday, and the Sunday closure catches people out.
Nobu on Old Park Lane opened in 1997 as Europe's first Nobu, and the dishes that made the name are still why you go: black cod left in miso for days before it's grilled, yellowtail jalapeño, rock shrimp tempura. It's a safe business lunch within walking distance of most of Mayfair, and the weekend brunch, with unlimited sushi and sashimi, is decent value by Park Lane standards (which isn't saying a great deal).
Knightsbridge, Fitzrovia and Kensington
Zuma on Raphael Street has been Knightsbridge's Japanese dining room for a couple of decades. There are separate sushi and robata counters, a long sake list, and a semi-private tosho table for nine or ten that works well for a family celebration; order the grilled Chilean sea bass with green chilli and ginger. The bar takes walk-ins, which is handy when the dining room's full, and although Knightsbridge has fewer places to eat around it than Mayfair or Fitzrovia, for Japanese food this is the local.
Roka's Charlotte Street branch is built round a central robata grill, and much of the menu comes off it, though the black cod is what reviewers keep going back to. It's sociable, fairly loud and good for a table of colleagues. There are branches in Mayfair and at Aldwych if Fitzrovia's out of your way, although Fitzrovia has more places to eat packed round it than any other area on this page.
AKIRA is on the first floor of Japan House, on Kensington High Street. The menu covers sushi and charcoal-grilled kushiyaki skewers, the kitchen fusses over the tableware as much as the food, and there's a tatami room for private dining. It closes at 8pm, and at 6pm on Sundays, so plan on lunch or an early dinner, and leave time for the Japan House shop and exhibition space downstairs, which makes a good rainy afternoon with children.
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Booking order
Book the counters first and plan around them. Umu, Nobu and Zuma can usually be had a week or two out, but the omakase seats can't, and on a Sunday remember that Umu's closed and AKIRA stops early. Taku, Kanesaka, Umu and Nobu are all within a short walk of each other in Mayfair, which makes it easy to spread a few of them across a week.
Budget time as well as money. An omakase or kaiseki dinner runs to two hours or more, and the counters seat everyone at once, so turning up late holds up the whole room.
Food hygiene ratings for the places in this guide
Official fact Food Standards Agency Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, checked 23 September 2026. 5 is the top rating.
| Name | Registered address | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taku | 36 Albemarle Street, W1S 4JE | 5 | Mar 2025 |
| Umu | 14-16 Bruton Place, W1J 6LX | 5 | Jul 2025 |
| Nobu London Old Park Lane | 18-19 Old Park Lane, W1K 1LB | 5 | Oct 2025 |
| Zuma London | 5 Raphael Street, SW7 1DL | 5 | Jul 2025 |
| ROKA Charlotte Street | 37 Charlotte Street, W1T 1RR | 5 | Oct 2025 |
| AKIRA at Japan House | 101-111 Kensington High Street, W8 5SA | 5 | Aug 2025 |