Canary Wharf, Japanese Restaurant Guide

“The original Charlotte Street site is the best”, but, in fairness, all the branches are superb when it comes to Arjun Waney and Rainer Becker’s sleek Japanese-inspired group, where “a visit always feels like a treat: from the slick service to the buzzy atmosphere to the consistently good food”. Sushi and luxurious bites (for example black cod, yellowtail with ponzu and truffle oil), mostly from the robata grill, are the backbones of the menu. The odd report was slightly downbeat of late (“it was less good than normal, but to be fair they had just reopened post-lockdown with new staff”), but the dominant view remains that a trip is “always a lovely, fun experience” (and some regulars tip a stool at the counter as the best perches).

2021 Review: “Top ramen with great broth and good combinations”, win fans for this genuinely Japanese chain (originating in Fukuoka), which has branches in Holborn, Embankment and Canary Wharf. Ratings, though, fall short of the top heights at the hands of those who feel its food is “not bad, but not memorable”. A fourth branch is to open in Fitzrovia in autumn 2019.

“Absolutely top-notch food” – “pricey but great!” – is the key to the steady growth enjoyed by this Copenhagen-based Japanese group, whose most recent (2019) openings in Soho and Chelsea join established venues across London. It’s “an interesting concept, well executed” – “fresh and delicious sushi”, yakitori skewers, and “colourful, almost art-directed salads”, delivered in dining rooms that combine clean, Japanese minimalism with Danish hygge.