Farringdon, Japanese Restaurant Guide

“Still a top omakase experience in a very relaxed environment” – Toru Takahashi does not exactly need to go out of his way to attract customers to this tiny (7 seat) venue. You can only book online on Monday at 12:00pm onwards. There are no event bookings (max 4 in a party). There’s no concession to vegans or vegetarians. No kids under 12. No Insta (yay!!) – photography and video are not permitted. No scent is to be worn by diners. The full shebang costs £167 per person and takes 3-4 hours, although he also does a shorter 2 hour version early on Saturday evenings for £117 (June 2023 prices). Everyone loves it…

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.

“There are so few dining choices near the Barbican, it’s worth knowing that you can get decent sushi and other obvious Japanese options here at Pham”, a short walk away; which particularly benefits from “fast and attentive” service. Some critics, though, feel that “evening visits without an expense account cannot justify the prices here”. There’s also a caution that “you should skip the house specials and stick to the simpler choices” as “several of the fancier options seem excessively performative”.