Learn sushi from the masters I was first struck by the stark architecture of Mitsu’s building, nestled behind the Great Eastern Road, Mitsu operates out of the basement floor of hotel, Aethos London Shoreditch. The large taupe building looks as if it has been snapped in half, like a pack of spaghetti, the steel bones […]
Ivan Ramen – Clerkenwell
Ramen, New York-style Named for its American-born chef Ivan Orkin, Ivan Ramen began life in Tokyo. On moving back to the US, Orkin set up shop in New York. Now it’s our turn. Following a London pop-up back in 2023, Ivan Ramen now has a permanent presence on Farringdon Road. The new London outpost promises […]
Samurai Exhibition at the British Museum
Anyone for Tea? Visitors to the Samurai exhibition at the British Museum, expecting to see a fearsome collection of armour, swords, knives and other implements of warfare, bloody scenes of battle and death and destruction, won’t be disappointed. Yet this magnificent exhibition is so much more, delivering a myth-busting, eye-opening panoramic view of the life […]
Ayllu, Restaurant, Paddington
Paddington’s Japanese-Peruvian Gem Ayllu Charms. Hidden away opposite illuminated party boats moored along Regent’s Canal, Ayllu is a Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant that feels deliberately off the beaten track. Prepare to arrive with a fully charged phone and Google Maps at the ready as you wind your way around the canal; even then, the app confidently […]
Sushi and Sake at Caviar House London
this is the kind of luxury that is both affordable and indulgent, discreet, and elegant. In short, it is something we would happily return for. Caviar House is the kind of place where it’s all too easy to walk past, but we agreed that it offers excellent value for money while still maintaining a luxurious edge. You can find branches of Caviar House on Picadilly and also in Selfridges. You’ll also find more branches around the world, from Paris to Hong Kong.
Nobu, Old Park Lane
Nobu is a brand with cachet. Founded in 1994 by chef Nobuyuki ‘Nobu’ Matsuhisa, Robert de Niro, and Meir Teper, there are now upwards of 60 branches worldwide, from Cape Town to Kuala Lumpur.
Kanpai Classic Japanese in Soho
Tucked in on Soho’s Wardour Street, Kanpai Classic is one of London’s top destinations for high-end Japanese yakiniku. At first glance, the space reads more like a sleek members’ lounge than a restaurant. Exposed brick, dim lighting, and brushed metal surfaces set an industrial-chic mood—but look closely: embedded into each stone-topped table is a concealed charcoal grill, hidden beneath a matte black cover, ready to transform the dining experience into a theatrical showcase of fire and flavour.
Radio Rooftop bar, Aldwych
Located above the former Marconi House on where the BBC broadcast their first radio programs in 1922, Radio Rooftop bar keeps the electromagnetic legacy alive in a skyline space inspired by hotel bars of Tokyo and Singapore.
Kibou Battersea
Turning Japanese at Kibou Battersea In the early 1980s, I brought back a box of sushi to London from Tokyo airport for my mum to try. If there were any Japanese restaurants in London at that time I was certainly unaware of them and there was nothing like that in my sleepy West London suburb. […]
Matsuhisa Paris
Japanese – Peruvian fusion cuisine at Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris Dining at Matsuhisa Paris is akin to entering a different dimension. In the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe, just off the Champs Elysees on Avenue Hoche, the restaurant is accessed through the revolving door of Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris Hotel. The […]