Fetcham, Japanese Restaurant Guide

“The very, very best of Japanese cuisine” is found in the unlikely setting of a luxurious Surrey Hills mansion once owned by press baron Lord Beaverbrook, where Wojciech Popow, founder of the Polish Association of Sushi Chefs, presides over a “wonderful Japanese tasting menu” that delivers “an unforgettable feast”. Through the summer guests can dine in the heated basket of a stationary hot-air balloon in the formal Italian garden, on prized cuts of o-toro tuna and Kobe and wagyu beef cooked on their own yakiniku grill – a “great and expensive experience” (£245 per person).

This “relaxed local Japanese” in Raynes Park “opened recently on the site of (confusingly similarly named) Hashi”. Reports suggest “the quality of the food is better”, with “authentic, skillfully prepared dishes” including “good fresh sushi”.

This “well-established Twickenham no-frills Japanese restaurant” has an “unchanging menu that never fails to deliver” – “it’s so difficult to get a table and you know why when you eat there: high-quality food at sensible prices”. “Bobby on front of house is great – he knows his locals and welcomes everyone like an old friend”. “The food is fantastic too – we always leave feeling we have had a feast”.

“Expensive, but high-quality yakitori skewers and sushi” are a “delicious and original offering that suit all ages”, and win little but praise for this “very consistent” chain, whose minimalist Scandi style reflects its origins in Copenhagen. Success continues to bring fast expansion, with recent openings in Westfield W12 (in December 2022) and Shoreditch (in March 2023) and more soon to follow in Richmond (October 2023) and Kingston (early 2024). Phew! Top Menu Tip – “truffle paste cauliflower side dish to die for (who knew?)”.

“The omakase experience borders on the sublime” – “it’s food as art” – at this “hidden gem” of a Japanese restaurant, tucked away in an unpromising shopping parade near South Wimbledon tube for almost a decade now. Former Nobu chef Taka and his wife Yuko preside over a “very personalised food offering”, with their “delightful and kind service”.

2022 Review: This “lovely little Japanese restaurant with a very decent range” is a “very welcome option in Richmond”. Run by a Korean family, it has provided “sterling service” for 17 years.

“Well produced, tasty morsels of delight” including “ace lunchtime bento boxes” are served at these “pared down” Japanese canteens, which provide “good value for money for what is generally an expensive cuisine”. Founder Mr Taro is not one for fast food: he conceived the idea of opening an ‘everyday dining room’ on a visit to London in 1979 and launched it in Soho 20 years later. Two decades on he is in expansion mode, and in February 2023 opened a sixth branch in a former Manze Pie & Mash shop in Walthamstow, with a Grade II listed interior now restored to its previous glory.

“A top tip for sushi and other interesting Japanese dishes” – this 11-year-old group from Israeli-born Ohad Kastro offers an “excellent quality and variety of options” that are “so much better than standard rivals” – and each branch “manages to feel like a comfy ‘local’, despite there being others around town”.

Strikingly decorated with murals, this three-year-old modern Japanese from a Cheltenham-based group has proved a “great addition” to Battersea’s ‘Nappy Valley’, and wins praise for “exceptional signature sushi rolls”, “very good cocktails” and its lively style. Ratings are limited by those who find the success of the cooking to be a case of hit and miss.

While you probably wouldn’t cross town for it, this basic pit-stop near Turnham Green tube is worth remembering – the sushi is a cut-above what you’d expect from the nondescript exterior.

This “very decent” small café near Stamford Brook tube makes “a good change from the usual Japanese”, with “yakitori grilled skewers the real draw”. “The room is a little jaded but a seat at the grilling bar is an entertaining winner” (“the friendly chef chats all through the meal”). Top Menu Tip – “the grilled mackerel is truly holy”.