Harden's survey result
For 25 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. This year diners have submitted over 60,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK.
Summary
“Less hyped than Araki, with great food at one-seventh the price!” – “Toru Takahashi entertains both your taste buds and your eyes” at his “charming” Clerkenwell 7-seater: “a showcase for his uncompromising attention to detail and illusionist-like skills”. “It feels like a stellar, very special experience” – “as close as you can get to authentic Japanese dining in London” – and delivers “astonishingly good sushi, yet without an absurd price tag”. The catch? – “it’s a nightmare getting a seat”.
Summary
“Having eaten in the fish market in Tokyo I know how authentic this restaurant is. Amazing!” – Harumi and Toru Takahashi are “charming hosts” and their “very intimate” Clerkenwell 7-seater serves “astonishing” sushi and other fare – “a mix of traditional and experimental dishes with perfect quality as the unifying factor”. It invites some comparison with The Araki, although “here you can enjoy Japanese-style seasonality without splashing quite so much cash”. “Booking is taken in one morning, two weeks in advance. It’s a race. Follow the Twitter account for a chance to get a last-minute seat”.
Summary
“As close to the Japanese sushi-ya experience as it’s possible to get outside Asia”; you sit at the bar, one of only 7 people face-to-face with the chef at this “amazing” Clerkenwell “hole in the wall”, run by a “lovely husband and wife team” and serving sushi “like an incredible dream”. (“It’s akin to the Vienna Philharmonic performing just for you and six others, while explaining every note!”)
Summary
“You are sat at the bar, one of only 7 people, face-to-face with the chef”, at this “intense” Clerkenwell one-off, which is run by a “superb husband-and-wife team”; the sushi is “the best in the UK”, so it’s no surprise that “getting a table takes real commitment”.
Restaurant details
12 Jerusalem Pas, London, EC1V 4JP
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 5:30 pm-10 pm |
| Wednesday | 5:30 pm-10 pm |
| Thursday | 5:30 pm-10 pm |
| Friday | 5:30 pm-10 pm |
| Saturday | 5 pm-9:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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