City, Japanese Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: “Good value” sushi, sashimi and other Japanese dishes trundle past your seat at these two ‘kaiten’ (conveyor-belt) operations in the City, tempting you to help yourself. It makes a fun, fast and efficient way to grab lunch. The chain also has takeaway and delivery options for evenings.

These noodle bars are “great if you need a quick and satisfying lunch” – either in the original Soho branch, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, or its offshoots in the City’s Bloomberg Arcade and Hackney. They specialise in udon noodles, which are fatter than ramen and served in a more refined and traditional Japanese dashi stock.

2021 Review: “Good value” sushi, sashimi and other Japanese dishes trundle past your seat at these two ‘kaiten’ (conveyor-belt) operations in the City, tempting you to help yourself. It makes a fun, fast and efficient way to grab lunch. The chain also has takeaway and delivery options for evenings.

“Horribly overpriced but love the atmosphere” – to cut to the chase, that’s the key take-away on this duo of Japanese/South American fusion outfits: part of a slick US-chain originating in NYC 25 years ago, and now with branches from Singapore to Las Vegas, via the Middle East. The WC2 branch sits on top of Covent Garden with exceptional views over to the Royal Opera House, although (for our money) it’s the City original – up fast lifts on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower with fancy cocktail lounges and stunning views – that really stands out. The food – an eclectic Nikkei mashup incorporating tempura, crispy taquitos, samba rolls, sushi, robata dishes and large plates – is delicious but ultimately “nothing to write home about” when you consider the gargantuan cost.

The original (Whitecross Street) branch has become take-away only, but this simple Japanese business has a new sit-down venue five minutes away. Having always been one of the few dining options near the Barbican, it’s now practically in it – occupying a unit in a 31 storey building (Heron House) on nearby Moor Lane. Some reports rate it as very good, others only average, but it justifies its ongoing inclusion by the paucity of other decent options nearby.

“Well-executed Chinese and Japanese fare (if at strictly expense account-only prices)” from Singapore-born chef Peter Ho, wins consistent praise this year at this plush dining room. Part of the Four Seasons hotel in the extremely imposing former headquarters of the Port of London Authority (built in 1922), near Tower Hill, this august chamber “very much feels like the high-end hotel restaurant that it is”.

“You can’t go wrong if you order tonkotsu” at this ramen group from Tak Tokumine of the Japan Centre – the noodles and 12-hour pork bone broth are “authentic” and some of the “best in town”. The venues can be “cramped”, and “the constant banging of a drum to indicate dishes being ready can grate”.

This 15-strong London noodle chain (now with branches in Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol) is “a good stand-by” – perhaps it’s “not as good as some of its competitors”, but it is widely seen as “good value”: in particular “the lunch-time meal deal” is a winner.

“High-quality udon” – Japanese wheat noodles served with a wide choice of extras, including tempura, katsu curry and various soups; plus the option of rice-based dishes – are the USP of this Kobe-based global chain which arrived in the UK three years and now has nine branches across London (plus one in Reading) to add to its 800+ back in Japan and further 250 globally. Be prepared to specify what you want at the counter as you enter – then you collect your cooked-to-order dish, add garnishes and find a table.

2021 Review: “Good value” sushi, sashimi and other Japanese dishes trundle past your seat at these two ‘kaiten’ (conveyor-belt) operations in the City, tempting you to help yourself. It makes a fun, fast and efficient way to grab lunch. The chain also has takeaway and delivery options for evenings.

“Pure craft” – Toru Takahashi’s tiny 7-seat venue in a cute Clerkenwell alley does not go out of its way to advertise itself, with almost zero online presence, and bookings released weekly each Monday via a form on one of the booking platforms. He doesn’t need to plug himself, though, as this is “hands-down some of the best sushi in London” (although, because it doesn’t fit into a jelly mould, it goes without saying that Michelin have failed to recognise it, although those less cynical about how it operates have “no idea why they have yet to recognise this place”). For one reporter: “a recent trip to Japan and then a revisit here after confirms the standard at which this charming little shop is operating – on a par with some of the higher-end Tokyo spots. Delicious, imaginative sushi and the warmest of welcomes… the only issue is actually getting a seat!”. The full menu is £187 per person, for 17-20 courses for which you should allow four hours. Or there’s a somewhat cut-down Saturday lunch experience for £167 per person. Top Tip – email info@sushitetsu.co.uk for all the details.

“Food, vibes and service are impeccable… the price is ludicrous” – situation normal then at this Shoreditch-fringe boutique hotel, whose surprisingly big subterranean Nikkei restaurant looks onto a large sunken garden. With the brand’s signature sensational sushi and sashimi, plus more substantial fish and fusion dishes, it is finally emerging as some reporters’ “favourite Nobu” after a slow start, which was hit by the pandemic and subsequent WFH.

“You can’t go wrong if you order tonkotsu” at this ramen group from Tak Tokumine of the Japan Centre – the noodles and 12-hour pork bone broth are “authentic” and some of the “best in town”. The venues can be “cramped”, and “the constant banging of a drum to indicate dishes being ready can grate”.

“Deeply flavoured and satisfying” ramen noodles in an “addictive” 20-hour pork bone broth combine with a “noisy hustle and bustle” at this ‘rock ’n’ roll ramen’ chain established in 2012, now with seven venues across central London. Perhaps the “quick and easy” (and noisy) vibe does not translate as satisfyingly from its original Soho site to the suburbs: a branch in leafy Richmond closed down last year, as did a Putney branch before it.

This 15-strong London noodle chain (now with branches in Brighton, Birmingham and Bristol) is “a good stand-by” – perhaps it’s “not as good as some of its competitors”, but it is widely seen as “good value”: in particular “the lunch-time meal deal” is a winner.

“I keep going back to Roka, and have never had a bad meal there” – so say fans of Arjun Waney & Rainer Becker’s slick Japanese-inspired venues, which are celebrating their 20th year in 2024. “Despite increasing competition, it remains a good choice, with sound cooking and good-value sushi, sashimi and robata dishes”; and despite perennial complaints that they are “way overpriced for tiny portions”, quality has held up well. All that said, service is more often “amateurish” and “erratic” than it once was; and long-term fans have a point when they say the general performance is “not as good as it used to be” – the 2024 openings will be in Bahrain, Germany and Greece and there is growing impression of ‘the same old, same old’ in its original home market.