Restaurants

There are a few things you need to know about Sushi-Hiro. For a start, all it does is sushi and sashimi: no noodles, no tempura, no teppanyaki. Furthermore, it takes no credit cards, and there’s no wine – just saké, beer and tea. The restaurant is tiny, with just five tables and ten seats at the sushi bar, and the atmosphere is sober. Service can be slow, especially when the owner mans the sushi bar alone. The opening hours are distinctly odd, with no orders taken after 1.30pm or 9pm. (We once watched, astounded, as the Fat Duck’s Heston Blumenthal was refused service at 1.32pm.) So why on earth would you want to go here? Because Sushi-Hiro produces some of the best, freshest, most deftly handled sushi you’re liable to find. Every piece of tuna glistens; every scallop astounds with its sweetness; every translucent sliver of sea bream thrills with its clarity of flavour; and every grain of rice feels as if it has been gently pampered into position. The menu is great value too, with prices not much higher than you’d pay for conveyor belt sushi. As for everything else about this place, you can’t say you weren’t warned.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009