Restaurants

Outside: traditional brick terraced house. Inside: brutalist grey concrete. The decor at Dinings is a jarring exercise in juxtaposition. But the food of chef-owner (and Nobu alumnus) Tomonari Chiba is about cuisines complementing each other. While the sushi remains faithful to its origins, his ‘Japanese tapas’ feature sashimi of white fish beneath a ‘small bomb’ of coriander and red onion, dressed in oil enlivened by chilli and fish sauce; or scallop on asparagus with a piquant yuzu (Japanese citrus) garlic sauce. While the ‘tapas’ are Japanese at heart, for pudding, the tables are turned and Western classics receive Eastern input, resulting in jasmine tea panna cotta, or black sesame crème caramel, or even matcha crème brûlée – a great result in the case of custard blended with green tea. Squeezing past the angular sushi counter on the ground floor to get down the narrow stairs to the bunker-like basement, those with an aversion to brutalist architecture may feel like they’re dining in a fallout shelter. Thankfully, the unfailingly helpful staff manage to make customers feel snug and welcome rather than hemmed in.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008