Itadaki Zen

With neutral colours, pale wooden tables, scattered plants and a sculptural branch hanging near the entrance, Itadaki Zen has the air of tranquillity you might hope for in a place aiming to serve foods with 'healing properties'. The menu holds vegan versions of many classic Japanese dishes, as well as giving a few nods to other Asian cuisines.

Expect plenty of whole grains, tofu, seasonal vegetables and seaweed varieties, along with some intriguing restorative teas. Mixed grain maki rolls had a satisfying nutty flavour and a good variety of fillings. On the other hand, the white rice nigiri were chalky, with toppings that, although inventive, were too wet for the rice to hold its shape. Crispy kakiage tempura was attractively threaded with tiny fronds of seaweed, but the dipping sauce was a little too salty and lacked depth of flavour - a recurring theme with much of the food we tried.

On our midweek visit, the service was friendly yet unhurried, with the drinks and dishes taking some time to arrive. We suspect a laid-back attitude comes with the territory here.