Sushi culture in Britain has experienced a largely unprecedented rise in the last twenty years. Fish n’chips, a longstanding staple of British food, has in many cases been replaced by the pioneering, flavourful food of Japan. Sushi restaurants have been popping up everywhere with delivery services covering every major town and city in the country. Lauded for its taste and the convenience of dining on the go, sushi was championed by popular culture and has become a mainstay in the UK, especially in England’s capital.
London has no shortage of sushi restaurants, from underground izakayas to bento box style establishments; the Japanese culinary style has become an art in the big city. With a taste of Japan in every bite, here are the best sushi restaurants London has to offer.
Kiyoto Sushi
With branches all across London, this relaxed sushi joint has managed to gain a following of loyal patrons that have enabled it to spread across the city. It now has a total of five locations in West Hampstead, Mill Hill, Borehamwood, Cockfosters and Hatch End. Kiyoto Sushi offers food of the finest quality with inventive house rolls of its own design plus several of the classics such as black cod. One of the most notable signature menu items is the dragon roll which is prawn tempura and cucumber wrapped in avocado and topped with tobiko, tempura flakes, mayonnaise and teriyaki sauce. There’s also a tobiko dusted rainbow roll filled with crab, salmon and half a dozen other types of fish as well as delicious tempura, carpaccios and gyozas to choose from.
The Fuji Grill, Chelsea
Located at Beaverbrook townhouse in Chelsea, the Fuji Grill is a quaint, vibrantly designed Japanese restaurant. Decorated with delicate greens and a collection of the world-celebrated ‘Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,’ this eatery has a vast array of Asian-inspired dishes including edamame, dumplings and Korean chilli. Head chef Pavel Kanja, who has 18 years’ experience in Japanese cuisine, co-ordinates an endless selection of maki rolls from salmon and avocado to spicy wasabi tuna. One of the popular options in the raw food selection is the delicious yellowtail usuzukuri with yuzu miso and black truffles. There is also the option to book an omakase experience where guests are served 12 or 20 courses while being taken on a theatrical journey through modern Japanese cuisine. The final thing that sets the Fuji Grill apart is the creative dessert offerings, none more inventive than the Egg and Soldier pudding that features an egg made of mango mousse and a caramelised shortbread biscuit in the shape of a soldier.
The Aubrey, Knightsbridge
Located at the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel in Hyde Park, The Aubrey is one of the establishment's three award-winning restaurants. It is a fresh take on Japan’s classic izakaya, inspired by British artist Aubrey Beardsley, a favourite of renowned poet Oscar Wilde. Many of Beardsley’s original artwork decorates the walls, providing the vision for Aubrey's impressive cocktail menu. Behind a wall of Japanese cloth curtains, nestled in the artfully arranged oriental furnishing is an extensive, delicious sushi menu. With Miho Sato, one of the only female sushi masters in the UK, at the helm, The Aubrey offers a playful yet deeply respectful take on the Japanese culinary art. The Yellowtail sashimi topped with ants and Botan Ebi prawn nigiri are top dishes to order, and the wagyu tartare served with black garlic is a personal favourite of the chef.
Sumi, Notting Hill
A charmingly authentic taste of Japan can be found amongst the iconic pastel homes of Notting Hill at Sumi, a modern Japanese restaurant founded by third-generation sushi master Endo Kazutoshi. Named after the sushi master’s mother, Sumi offers an elegant, polished menu full of popular Japanese classics. With an emphasis on seasonality, this eatery uses only the freshest, finest ingredients to construct its extensive sushi selection. The menu features an array of nigiri including seabass, lean red tuna, salmon roe and scallop as well as a delicious Temaki menu. Sumi employs a specialist method developed by the Kazutoshis to create its hand rolled Temaki. The dish consists of raw fish, rice and vegetables wrapped in a piece of nori seaweed and is served with the customer’s choice of diced scallops with shiso flowers and soy, a picked carrot and mooli radish with avocado and yuzu sauce or minced fatty tuna with fermented radish and chives.
Sumosan Twiga, Belgravia
The outcome of a revolutionary partnership between the award-winning Japanese restaurant Sumosan and the international hospitality brand Twiga, Sumosan Twiga is a fusion restaurant inspired by both Japanese and Italian cuisine. After an extensive renovation, Sumosan Twiga reopened in 2023 to reveal its unique restaurant, a beautiful blend of Italian and Japanese culture. There is an extensive maki menu on offer including dishes like the Buba roll which consists of seabass with jalapeno, cucumber and wasabi tobiko. An array of Japanese courses are also available, such as wagyu tacos, duck gyozas, salmon tartare and wasabi prawns. With the inclusion of some classic Italian dishes like tagliatelle Bolognese, Sumosan Twiga is the place to go if you desire variety.
At the very top end of Japanese cuisine, sushi masters are creating art. In both taste and appearance, sushi dishes all across London really are second to none. They offer artful interiors and tasteful menus, as well as the chance to select your own fish and see it prepared or take part in an immersive sushi making experience at the grill. Dining out has never been more dynamic or delicious than at many of London’s best sushi restaurants.
