Reigate, 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”.

“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”.

“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?)”.

“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.