We visit Kouzu, a new Japanese restaurant in Belgravia
On the corner of Grosvenor Gardens and Beeston Place in Belgravia / Victoria, Kouzu is a new Japanese restaurant from chef Kyoichi Kai, previously of Zuma and The Arts Club.
I mention the location as you have, one side, a quiet side street with The Goring Hotel a short walk away, and on the other, Grosvenor Gardens with its throngs of cars and traffic jams. Choose your approach wisely!
Kouzu is housed in a Grade-II listed period mansion and you are instantly struck by the beauty of the floating mezzanine and the dramatic light feature that takes centre stage in the room.
The main restaurant with 80 covers is on the ground floor with a cocktail bar, while the mezzanine level features the sushi counter and a few more tables.
There is also a chef’s table hidden behind the kitchen for a more intimate private dinner with its own private entrance.
Kouzu feels like a serious restaurant from the start and there is a real focus on attention to detail throughout in the welcome, service, design and the food.
The menu is rather short, but includes some fantastic items. The tuna tartar with spicy sauce and the prawn tempura with spicy mayonnaise are exquisite and I loved a salad side dish of blanched spinach with black sesame.
Larger items include the lamb chops with spicy miso, black cod with miso and fennel and celery salad, and duck breast with Japanese pepper sauce.
The highlight of any Japanese restaurant should be the sushi / sashimi and Kouzu doesn’t disappoint. The classics are all present including my favourites of spicy tuna roll, spicy California roll and hamachi roll – all delicious!
Desserts include hoji crème caramel, buckwheat walnuts streusel with salted caramel ice cream and dark chocolate mousse with hazelnuts ice cream.
Kouzu is perfect for an elegant, civilised dinner and after one visit it ranks highly as one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in London.
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Disclaimer: Emyr dined as a guest of the restaurant for the purposes of this feature. You can read our editorial policy here.
