Nobu – perhaps the most successful top-end international restaurant franchise of all, and with three London operations out of its 17 worldwide – is for sale.

The Telegraph reports that the backers – who include founding sushi-chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and actor Robert De Niro – have instructed Goldman Sachs to sell a controlling stake in the business, which is thought to be worth some $400m (say, £200m) overall.

The newspaper speculates that buyers could include the ever-acquisitive Richard Caring (who has already demonstrated a particular penchant for Mayfair, where two of the London Nobus are situated).

The intended sale follows Alan Yau’s recent disposal of a controlling stake in Hakkasan for $60m.