Fetcham, Japanese - Restaurant Guide

The high-end Japanese-style dining at this splendiferous country-house hotel is “a special treat from start to finish: every visit fulfils your salivating expectations and appetite” – innovative Polish-born chef Wojciech Popow combining Nordic influences with his sushi-master skills in dishes like red bream nigiri with Cornish ants; or rice with young pine shoots foraged from the estate. There’s also the slightly bonkers option of eating a Japanese yakiniku barbecue in your own hot-air balloon – not flying, but tethered in the Italian Garden. It’s all “great fun and great food, but be prepared to sell a kidney to cover the cost”.

2024 Review: 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 Japanese favourite in a high street shopping parade is “exactly what a local restaurant should be”: “the never-changing menu is always executed well”, while “Bobby on front of house is a delight and a Twickenham institution – he remembers all his regulars and treats them exceptionally”.

With “clever”, “good-quality Japanese food” – in particular the “excellent, if relatively expensive, sushi” – and “busy, competent service”, these “fun, stylish and friendly” Scandi-minimal venues are “always buzzing”. Founded in Copenhagen by a pair of Danish-Japanese brothers more than 30 years ago, the company came under new ownership in 2024 with big expansion plans, and unveiled two times F1 champion Fernando Alonso as a major shareholder in April 2025. Recent London openings include a “huge new site” in Islington and Battersea Power Station.

“Consistently great omakase” cuisine that’s “incredible value for money” has attracted an adoring fan club over the past decade for this “exceptional” Japanese spot in a suburban shopping parade, near South Wimbledon tube. Ex-Nobu chef Taka and his wife Yuko guarantee a “serene experience”, and “the neutral decor creates a Zen-like calmness which somehow enhances the food”. “It’s worth taking the Northern Line to SW19 just to eat there!”. (In putting together our prices for this year, though, we note a big jump in its formula price from previous editions – the offering here seems to be becoming more ambitious but priced more to match other omakase experiences around town).

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.

“Delicious ramen with rich home-made broth” draws a steady crowd to these “quick, casual” joints “with a fun classic rock soundtrack”; and whose “great noodles are very consistent across their branches” (there are now seven across the capital). Top Menu Tip – “bao bun specials are good too, and great value”.

“Well priced” Japanese dishes make this small, no-frills 26-year-old chain a useful option, whether for a “quick pre-theatre visit” when in town or in one of the more far-flung branches (Catford or Brentwood), where “decent quality sushi is found in a local high street for the first time”. Top Tip – “the delicious honey tea”.

A “great local Japanese” (from a group based in Cheltenham) that hits the spot for its regulars in Battersea’s ‘Nappy Valley’, with “swift service: in-and-out very quickly” – so it’s “very popular, and can be tricky getting a table even early in week”. Not everyone is enamoured of the food, though: “the starters are so much more interesting than the mains, so get a tableful of them” washed down by some stimulating cocktails.

“Really fresh sushi” and “authentic Japanese cooked dishes” belie the modest appearance of “this ever-buzzing local” near Turnham Green tube. It’s also “great for a takeaway”.

This Japanese grill near Stamford Brook is a “great local aging well”: it may be “a rather spartan place, but the quality of the food is good” – and is best enjoyed at one of the “four seats at the counter, watching the skewers sizzle and smoke their way on to the plate”. Top Menu Tips – “stand-out mackerel” and “excellent sashimi”.

Chef Scott Hallsworth has repositioned his Parson’s Green venue, abandoning the branding of its former Balham sibling (still called The Freak Scene) and now trading under this new guise since November 2025. Expect bold bites from a menu that features a fusion of Japanese izakaya spirit and classic diner traditions, with small plates and comfort food items. Sample dishes include Singapore Butter Ribs, Sashimi Tacos, Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, Freak Momma Burger, Izakaya Smash, Pecan Pie Sundae, and Elvis Toast.