{"id":12737,"date":"2015-09-21T08:25:08","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T08:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/?p=12737"},"modified":"2026-06-13T09:16:05","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T09:16:05","slug":"the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/","title":{"rendered":"10 of the Best Japanese Restaurants in London – Sushi, Sashimi and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

London\u2019s Japanese dining scene has never been stronger, ranging from intimate sushi counters and Michelin-starred omakase experiences to lively robata grills and contemporary Japanese restaurants.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re looking for a special occasion tasting menu, exceptional sushi or a more relaxed izakaya-style meal, these are some of the best Japanese restaurants in London.<\/p>\n

Sushi Tetsu<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sushi Tetsu is a traditional Japanese Sushi Bar located on a side street in Clerkenwell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Specialising in sushi and sashimi that is considered to have some of the best sushi in London, there are only a handful of seats so booking well in advance is highly recommended.<\/p>\n

\"Sushi<\/p>\n

Tip: Sushi Tetsu uses Twitter to announce free seats and cancellations, but they get snapped up quickly.<\/p>\n

Dinings SW3
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dinings is a contemporary Japanese Tapas and Sushi restaurant located in a muse off Walton Street, close to both Chelsea and Knightsbridge.<\/p>\n

\"Dinings<\/p>\n

The restaurant offers food based on the traditional Japanese Izakaya style with modern European influences where the menu is split into hot tapas, cold tapas and a large sashimi and sushi selection.<\/p>\n

Takeaway is also available for lunch and dinner.<\/p>\n

Aki London<\/h2>\n

AKI London brings contemporary Japanese cooking to a striking former banking hall.<\/p>\n

The restaurant combines sushi, robata and kushiyaki with a menu that takes inspiration from Kyoto\u2019s farm-to-table approach, while the design makes full use of the building\u2019s impressive and historic features.<\/p>\n

\"AKI<\/p>\n

The food is modern, with dishes such as Tuna Tartare with caviar, Wagyu Tataki with truffle and brown butter, and Hay-Smoked Scallop with tofu cream and Fuji apple sitting alongside a broader selection of sushi and grilled specialities.<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/p>\n

Make sure to check out Kiyori, a cocktail bar located within the building\u2019s former bank vaults.<\/p>\n

Roka Charlotte Street
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Of all the Rokas in the world, the original on Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia remains our favourite.<\/p>\n

The upstairs restaurant is based around a robata grill, the focal point of the restaurant.<\/p>\n

\"Roka<\/p>\n

Downstairs, the Shochu Lounge is a more relaxed environment with the lights down low and a DJ in the cocktail bar<\/a> until the early hours on weekends.<\/p>\n

\"Shochu<\/p>\n

We think Roka is one of the best Japanese restaurants in London.<\/p>\n

Chotto Matte<\/h2>\n

The Signature Sharing Menu at Chotto Matte in Soho is wonderful – the Japanese Peruvian fusion feast consists of 11 dishes, all of which we loved.<\/p>\n

Yellowtail Nikkei Sashimi with yuzu truffle soy, Nikkey Gyoza (pork & prawn dumplings) and Asado De Tira (slow-cooked braised beef short rib with purple potato puree and teriyaki jus) were our highlights.<\/p>\n

\"Chotto<\/p>\n

Pair the delicious meal with some fabulous Pisco Sour cocktails and black sesame ice cream with almonds and chocolate, and the feast of flavours is truly complete.<\/p>\n

The lighting at the restaurant is dark and sexy, but don\u2019t book for the evenings only – we were there for Sunday lunch, and the experience kept us delightfully full for the entire day.<\/p>\n

Zuma<\/strong><\/h2>\n

More than two decades after opening, Zuma remains one of London\u2019s benchmark Japanese restaurants.<\/p>\n

The Knightsbridge restaurant helped popularise the contemporary izakaya style in the capital, with a menu built around sushi, sashimi, robata-grilled dishes and sharing plates.<\/p>\n

\"Zuma<\/p>\n

The atmosphere is lively, the service polished and the food consistently impressive, which helps explain why Zuma continues to attract a loyal following. For many, it remains one of the best all-round Japanese dining experiences in London.<\/p>\n

Nobu<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the most recognisable names in Japanese dining, Nobu remains a popular choice for both Londoners and visitors alike.<\/p>\n

Now located within Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, the restaurant combines Japanese techniques with Peruvian influences, a style that has become synonymous with chef Nobu Matsuhisa.<\/p>\n

\"Nobu<\/p>\n

Signature dishes such as Black Cod with Miso and Yellowtail Jalape\u00f1o continue to attract diners, while the sushi and sashimi selection remains consistently strong.<\/p>\n

While London\u2019s Japanese dining scene has expanded considerably since Nobu first arrived, it remains a reliable choice for a special occasion or business lunch.<\/p>\n

Bar des Pr\u00e9s<\/h2>\n

Bar des Pr\u00e9s is the London outpost of acclaimed French chef Cyril Lignac, which combines French cooking with Japanese ingredients and techniques.<\/p>\n

\"BarExpect a mix of sushi, sashimi and raw dishes alongside French-inspired plates, all served in a glamorous dining room in Mayfair. Highlights include the restaurant\u2019s crispy rice creations and delicate sashimi dishes.<\/p>\n

UMU<\/h2>\n

Down a cobbled street in Mayfair hidden behind a sliding door, Umu, meaning \u2018born of nature\u2019, uses the freshest ingredients sourced from Japan to create Kyoto-style Kaiseki cuisine.<\/p>\n

Each plate is meticulously created and presented like a work of art. Try the \u2018Kaiseki\u2019 tasting menu for the full experience.<\/p>\n

Sushisamba<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Perched high above the City on the 38th and 39th floors of Heron Tower, Sushisamba<\/a> remains one of London\u2019s most distinctive dining destinations.<\/p>\n

The restaurant blends Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian influences, resulting in a menu that ranges from sushi and sashimi to ceviche, tiraditos and dishes from the robata grill.<\/p>\n

\"Sushisamba<\/p>\n

The panoramic views across London are among the best in the city, particularly from the outdoor terraces.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Best Japanese Restaurants in London<\/h2>\n

If you enjoyed this feature on the best Japanese and sushi restaurants in London, read some of our other London guides including London’s best Italian restaurants<\/a> and our favourite restaurants in Covent Garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to the Bon Vivant Journal<\/h2>\n

Sign up to The Bon Vivant Journal here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Note: none of the venues have paid to be featured in the article.<\/em><\/p>\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

London\u2019s Japanese dining scene has never been stronger, ranging from intimate sushi counters and Michelin-starred omakase experiences to lively robata grills and contemporary Japanese restaurants. Whether you\u2019re looking for a … <\/i>Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[26,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-handpicked","category-restaurants"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Best Japanese Restaurants in London<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Whether you like buzzy restaurants like Zuma or intimate 12 seat sushi restaurants, read our guide to the best Japanese restaurants in London\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Best Japanese Restaurants in London\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Whether you like buzzy restaurants like Zuma or intimate 12 seat sushi restaurants, read our guide to the best Japanese restaurants in London\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Bon Vivant Journal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-09-21T08:25:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-13T09:16:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emyr Thomas\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emyr Thomas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/\",\"name\":\"The Best Japanese Restaurants in London\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg?fit=800%2C500&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-09-21T08:25:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-13T09:16:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/a4dbf6b9cf1f7f0c2928c3c840467b21\"},\"description\":\"Whether you like buzzy restaurants like Zuma or intimate 12 seat sushi restaurants, read our guide to the best Japanese restaurants in London\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg?fit=800%2C500&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg?fit=800%2C500&ssl=1\",\"width\":800,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Sushi Tetsu\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"10 of the Best Japanese Restaurants in London – Sushi, Sashimi and More\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/\",\"name\":\"The Bon Vivant Journal\",\"description\":\"A place to note our travels, share our musings, hot new tips and the most recent must-see, do, go-to places to have caught our imagination; the very best of London and further afield. Welcome to the world of Bon Vivant.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/a4dbf6b9cf1f7f0c2928c3c840467b21\",\"name\":\"Emyr Thomas\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4e9daf81142bd2731f08f2d6bb214c423ad271c3e1a889edaf8cb7be0d44f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4e9daf81142bd2731f08f2d6bb214c423ad271c3e1a889edaf8cb7be0d44f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Emyr Thomas\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/author\/bv_bonvivant\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Best Japanese Restaurants in London","description":"Whether you like buzzy restaurants like Zuma or intimate 12 seat sushi restaurants, read our guide to the best Japanese restaurants in London","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Best Japanese Restaurants in London","og_description":"Whether you like buzzy restaurants like Zuma or intimate 12 seat sushi restaurants, read our guide to the best Japanese restaurants in London","og_url":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/","og_site_name":"The Bon Vivant Journal","article_published_time":"2015-09-21T08:25:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-13T09:16:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Emyr Thomas","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Emyr Thomas","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/","url":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/","name":"The Best Japanese Restaurants in London","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg?fit=800%2C500&ssl=1","datePublished":"2015-09-21T08:25:08+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-13T09:16:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/a4dbf6b9cf1f7f0c2928c3c840467b21"},"description":"Whether you like buzzy restaurants like Zuma or intimate 12 seat sushi restaurants, read our guide to the best Japanese restaurants in London","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg?fit=800%2C500&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg?fit=800%2C500&ssl=1","width":800,"height":500,"caption":"Sushi Tetsu"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/the-best-japanese-restaurants-in-london\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10 of the Best Japanese Restaurants in London – Sushi, Sashimi and More"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/","name":"The Bon Vivant Journal","description":"A place to note our travels, share our musings, hot new tips and the most recent must-see, do, go-to places to have caught our imagination; the very best of London and further afield. Welcome to the world of Bon Vivant.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/a4dbf6b9cf1f7f0c2928c3c840467b21","name":"Emyr Thomas","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4e9daf81142bd2731f08f2d6bb214c423ad271c3e1a889edaf8cb7be0d44f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a4e9daf81142bd2731f08f2d6bb214c423ad271c3e1a889edaf8cb7be0d44f5d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Emyr Thomas"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal"],"url":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/author\/bv_bonvivant\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/sushi-tetsu.jpg?fit=800%2C500&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12737"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20118,"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12737\/revisions\/20118"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonvivant.co.uk\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}