South Kensington, Japanese Restaurant Guide

Flying under the radar, as they have for over a decade now, Yasuhiro Mineno’s and Shinya Ikeda’s offbeat duo – a two-floor site in a Kensington backstreet (est. 2010), and the newer ‘Ocean House’ spin-off (est. 2013, in the quirky former Brompton Library) – never inspire a huge volume of feedback, perhaps because they are by no means cheap. The owners have fine CVs though and all reports continue to say the sushi here can be exceptional.

2019 Review: “Informal Japanese” which offers “rare good value” in pricey South Kensington, near the former Christie’s showroom (there’s also a similar heart-of-Soho branch which inspires little feedback). Eating at “sunk-in tables” adds to the ambience.

2019 Review: The “mish-mash of very tasty plates” can still win praise these “fun”, Japanese-inspired izakayas in Chelsea and Marble Arch. The odd fear is raised that “it’s gone really downhill” since it was sold by founder, Aussie chef Scott Hallsworth, in 2017, particularly at the W2 branch, but the ratings in SW3 are pretty consistent.