LDNGuide
The Best Sushi Restaurants In London
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Sushi isn’t something any old restaurant can make well. It’s the kind of thing that requires a skilled chef, high-quality fish, and can be in the form of a £12 california roll or a £150 omakase experience. When you’re craving fatty tuna and seared salmon belly, this list of London restaurants will see you right.
If you're looking specifically for the best omakase menus in London, we've got you covered too. Plus places at the other end of the sushi spectrum that fit into the more casual category.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Roji is a plan-ahead, book-in-advance, get-excited-for kind of restaurant. The 10-seater omakase spot in Mayfair is a special place that comes to mind when we get the inevitable “what is your favourite restaurant in London?” question. The intimate setup, with wooden wrap-around counter seating, gives you a front-row seat to the open kitchen. Description of each course, from the oyster limushi to the eight rounds of nigiri, only adds to the anticipation, especially when you see the wide-eyed astonishment of people served before you. The cost is pretty serious, but it feels like a fair price to pay for a meal so memorable.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
There are plenty of omakase experiences in London, and they’re almost always a special experience, but there’s something about Kurisu Omakase that feels a little different. The unique 18-course sushi experience mixes Japanese cooking with Thai-Colombian influences, genuine brilliance, and inimitable made-in-Brixton charm. There are only eight seats in the intimate restaurant, and you’ll find yourself gawping at flame-torched pieces of fish, losing words over truffle and caviar-topped otoro, and belly laughing at the stories you’re told.
It’s worth noting that Temaki in Brixton doesn’t exclusively serve temaki. There are a few other things on the menu, including zesty yellowtail sashimi, monkfish karaage, and a cosy hug in the form of their excellent miso soup. But coming to Temaki and filling up on the small plates is like going to Burger King and ordering a salad. No, you’re here for the truly excellent hand rolls, and for £39, you can try the set menu involving akami tuna, lobster, salmon, otoro, prawn tempura, and BBQ eel rolls without having to do any draining arithmetics.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Unlike many restaurants on this list, Jugemu does not pride itself on fawning service. The little sushi bar in Soho takes an altogether more laid-back approach, as post-work diners and dates look fervently towards Jugemu’s sushi chef carefully making each piece of fish behind the counter, alone. Regulars—often seated at tables rather than at the bar—are more relaxed. They know it's worth the wait. Get the seven-piece omakase sashimi or know that uni, scallop, and otoro all stand out in the melting nigiri stakes. Whatever your choice, all good things come to those who wait.
The second restaurant by chef Endo, this Westbourne Grove spot is more down-to-earth than his eighth-floor omakase counter in White City, with a calming interior and a covered front terrace. Even with a small-ish a la carte menu of main dishes like mushroom gohan, and a sushi menu of nigiri, sashimi, and hand rolls, you can’t really go wrong. The nigiri is exceptional, and if you’re not in the mood to spend £100+ on lunch, stick to the raw fish and steer clear of the ‘main’ section.
If you like your sushi with a side of ‘the grandparents of this scallop like Beethoven and long walks on the beach,’ then you’ll like Rai. It’s a serious omakase operation in Fitzrovia, and everything here leans towards expensive and theatrical. The eight-course tasting menu will set you back £145 per person, but it also means you get to try their excellent hand-dived ponzu scallops with sweet umeboshi and the meaty, fatty tuna roll.
At this serious sushi restaurant inside a Georgian townhouse, you’ll find their sushi counter shoehorned into what was once a hallway. As you might have guessed, it’s quite a snug situation, but it’s entirely worth squeezing into this Marylebone spot for excellent sushi classics and fun modern creations. Expect spicy akami tuna rolls, the signature sea bass carpaccio, and a big bill if you don’t opt for one of the daytime lunch deals.
If you’re near Great Portland Street—or even if you’re not—you should eat the sushi at this Fitzrovia spot. It’s got what we like to call the holy grail of sushi: high-quality, affordable, and exciting. The sushi and sashimi are solid, and although the toppings can get a little theatrical, it doesn’t take away from the quality. The omakase starts from £23 for six pieces, making it some of the best-value sushi that you’ll get in London.
At Ikeda, there’s a personal note from Paul Simon by the toilets. There’s one from Steven Spielberg, too. Fergus Henderson says it’s one of his favourite restaurants in London. But those aren’t reasons to go to this old-school Japanese spot in Mayfair. Ikeda’s supreme assortments are. Each one comes with a mix of fatty to very fatty tuna, yellowtail, octopus, and more. It’s delicious, high-quality fish that melts away until you’re mourning it. And, importantly, the rice is perfect—warm, with a touch of vinegar. You’ll want to get a hand roll packed with the stuff.
We all love Kensington. The museums, Hyde Park, that pretty street that you aren’t allowed to take pictures of. But we’ve got another reason for you to love it: Yashin Sushi. Why does this restaurant deserve your precious love? Because it’s serving some excellent and creative sushi using high-quality fish topped with things like yuzu salt, edible flowers, parmesan, truffle, and sun-dried tomatoes.
This tiny sushi counter in Clerkenwell only seats seven guests at a time, which makes it somewhat difficult to get a reservation. But that shouldn’t stop you, because it’s well worth the effort. All you need to know is that the experience is a traditional, unforgettable affair and the fish is never less than outstanding. Everything, from the yellowtail sushi to extravagant pieces of king crab, is excellent and well worth the price tag.
Our second favourite thing to do in Knightsbridge, after leaving Harrods empty-handed, is to visit this little Japanese spot on Beauchamp Place. The inside-out rolls are all excellent, as are the Chisou rolls. If you’re struggling to choose, just know that the soft shell crab and hot sake maki should 100% be on your table. As can be expected from the location, it’s not cheap but come in a small group, order a bunch of sushi rolls, some noodles, and the zesty horenso salad, and you can leave around £40 lighter.
