Knightsbridge, Japanese Restaurant Guide

The “absolute dogs for real Japanese dining” – this “authentic” duo in Mayfair (the original – “a welcome oasis from Oxford Street”) and Knightsbridge (in posh Beauchamp Place) offer “exemplary sushi and cooked dishes” backed up by “a wide sake list”. “As is always the case with this cuisine, it’s never cheap, but great for a treat”.

Such is their similarity, that we continue to write up this Japanese duo in a single entry, even though the chefs who own them split the business a few years ago and now run each independently. Both provide “dishes to wow the palate” – and “a feast for the eyes” too: “each beautiful, tiny dish tastes as good as it looks”. If you’re looking for differences, SW3 receives more attention nowadays, but fractionally lower ratings and can seem “crowded”.

“Buzzy and still heaving” – Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney’s happening Eurotrash magnet, a short walk from Harrods, is “still a firm favourite after all these years” (and was the original site of what’s now a 20-strong global luxury chain). As well as its moody cocktail bar, the draw is “top-notch Japanese food” – sushi, tempura, robata grills, black cod, lobster – “if with prices to match”. “I feel like a cheat putting this as my top choice again… but it never fails to deliver!”