London’s best sushi restaurants

Formerly executive sushi chef of the Zuma group, Endo Kazutoshi is the main man behind this 15-seater Japanese restaurant up on the eighth floor of the Television Centre Rotunda. Unlike most omakase (‘chef’s selection’) joints in London, this one is spacious, stylish, buzzy and noisy, with plenty of cheffy action to watch as you sit at the long L-shaped counter. Expect flawless edomae nigiri and new-style sushi, plus some equally dazzling sashimi. In short, a near-perfect omakase experience.

Japanese, vegan and organic? What’s not to love? And, rest assured, we do love this cool little miracle not far from King’s Cross station. The virtuously healthy menu offers its own spin on sushi, meticulously fashioned with various combinations of vegetables and seaweed on rice (where appropriate). Casually dressed, laidback staff go with the flow, while zealous foodie workshops, art exhibitions and other events make Itadaki Zen even more lovable.

With a maximum of 16 covers who perch along a light pine bar, this highly fancy omakase joint is headed up by chef Takuya Watanabe. Watanabe knows good fish – he used to be behind the counter at Jin, Paris’s first omakase to score a Michelin star – and now he’s bringing edomae to one of Mayfair’s grandest thoroughfares. Harking back to the way fish was cured with vinegar to preserve it during the 1800s Edo-period, this is a deeply traditional style of Japanese cuisine. But before we take a little trip to the past, we’re delivered a round of bracingly modern small dishes as part of our 20 – 20! – course set dinner. In 2023, Taku got a Michelin star of its own. 

As a stablemate of Zuma, Roka gets the gold seal of approval from sushi aficionados. Elegantly presented platters on crushed ice are a highlight of the tasting menu at this Fitzrovia outpost, but it’s also worth splashing out on specialist maki rolls from the carte – perhaps spicy yellowfin tuna with cucumber, chives and tempura flakes or crispy prawn with avocado and dark sweet soy. There are branches in Aldwych, Canary Wharf and Mayfair.

This particular omakase counter is part of the rightfully buzzy Arcade Food Hall. So alongside Sushi Kamon’s cosy corner spot, you’ll also find a carefully curated selection of global street food stands, including Mexa’s zingy tacos and the Southern Thai delights of Plaza Khao Gaeng. Menus are seasonal, rotating every month so the freshest and most balanced selections can be offered, such as yellowtail scattered with a giddy sundried tomato and parmesan relish and sweet otoro belly tuna smoked over cherry wood and washed in garlic soy.

The surroundings are as eye-catching as the sushi at this Japanese spot on the fringes of Hackney, where the brushed gold countertops, soft lighting, dainty crockery and pretty glass vases filled with delicate foliage are all worthy of a Pinterest board. Although the fish is top-drawer, veggie combos are an unlikely standout here – don’t miss the mushroom-and-spinach nigiri with hints of sesame, or the shiso daikon with asparagus, cucumber and sour plum paste on black rice.

Sushi in the City (with sky-high views thrown in) means serious money, but the raw fish at this Japanese/Brazilian/Peruvian showstopper won’t leave you feeling short-changed. We guarantee that the signature samba roll selection, the nigiri omakase sets and the unusual vegan nigiri will distract you from the panoramic vistas: no mean feat. Each plate is a riot of colour and eye-popping visual presentation, but there’s freshness and sublime delicacy too. Also check out Sushisamba in Covent Garden.

The Aubrey delivers a strong whiff of Victoriana with its maximalist interior of fringed lamps, ginger jars in curio cabinets and gold-framed Ukiyo-e prints. However, the food – earthenware sharing plates of deep-fried karaage chicken with zingy yuzu mayo, soy-licked edomae nigiri sprinkled with edible ants and charcoal-charred meats, pulled straight off the robata – is supposed to be inspired by an ‘eccentric Japanese izakaya’. Fresh, stunning fish comes from Miho Sato, the UK’s only female Sushi Master. Hit the bar with your bougiest besties or blow the budget on a dinner date. 

Omakase is the true saviour of the lazy diner. Find menus overwhelming? Can’t be bothered to read, consider and then, after all that hard work, finally choose what you want to eat? No worries! At an omakase counter the chef will treat you like the big adult baby you are and pick all your food for you. 

At Sushi Kamon, that chef is the cool, calm and collected Michael Nonato. He’s so laser-focused that he doesn’t even bat an eyelid at the England World Cup game which is blaring away on a massive screen across the room. Instead he mindfully slices salmon and tenderly cups then shapes freshly cooked sushi rice with his bare hands. He is the man you want on your side when shit goes down. If you’re wondering why the football is playing at an omakase counter, that’s because this particular omakase counter is part of the rightfully buzzy Arcade Food Hall. So alongside Sushi Kamon’s cosy corner spot, you’ll also find a carefully curated selection of global street food stands, including Mexa’s zingy tacos and the Southern Thai delights of Plaza Khao Gaeng. If you want to stuff your face it’s the ideal place, but if you’re after something a little more zen then maybe take your quiet romantic date elsewhere.

The first showstopper was a chunk of yellowtail scattered with a giddy sundried tomato and parmesan relish

That said, it turns out I love a lairy atmosphere with my tasting menu. Michael starts by showing the assembled handful of diners what’s in store for the evening, flashing us hunks of raw fish to get everyone in the mood. Then the seven courses start rolling out – early evening seatings are pretty good value at £45 per person, while the later 8.30pm session costs £75, but involves a few more courses.  

Menus are seasonal, rotating every month so the freshest and most balanced selections can be offered, but each visit always starts with a couple of stems of pickled ginger. Ostensibly a mid-course palate cleanser, I may have become slightly infatuated and eaten mine a little too hastily, but they were replaced instantly.

Pieces of nigiri are hand placed on your plate – it’s the little things that make you feel loved – and the first showstopper was a chunk of yellowtail scattered with a giddy sundried tomato and parmesan relish. Other solid gold winners included sweet otoro belly tuna smoked over cherry wood and washed in garlic soy, and the monthly special; a sturdy and juicy slither of soft, buttery Wagyu beef. Still hungry? You can pay more for extra nigiri. Just give Michael the nod. He’s got you. 

The vibe Sushi you don’t have to think about in a delightfully hectic food hall

The food Nigiri made right in front of your eyes, with the freshest of seasonal fish

The drink Whatever you like. If Arcade Food Hall has it, you got it. Simply order via QR codes by your seat 

Time Out tip Sit back and enjoy the ride, babes

Everything about this Japanese fusion restaurant in Marylebone is impressive, from the glitzy, capacious interiors to the quietly ambitious, head-turning menu. Park up at the luxurious L-shaped marble counter and watch in awe as the chefs perform their micro-surgery. Everything is tiny on the plate, but precision-tuned signatures such as the ‘modern’ sushi and sashimi are a real wow.

You can only book a perch at this seven-seater sushi joint on the phone, and it's a real palaver, but there’s no doubting that Sushi Tetsu is up there with the best in town. Toro Takahashi is a master of his craft: every piece of fish is as briny-fresh as can be, and each pitch-perfect mouthful is prepared by hand in front of your very eyes. Expect a three-hour omakase banquet and brace yourself for a three-figure bill (per person) at the end.

It may be famed for its exclusive kobe beef, but this meticulously designed Japanese bolthole also gives good sushi from its bijou premises on Ham Yard. You can enjoy pretty nine-piece platters of hummingly fresh nigiri (with soup) as part of the omakase menu or pick from the carte, which also includes various vegetarian sushi. Served in a swish room dominated by an ornate chandelier decorated with hand-stencilled calligraphy, it’s all very serene ’n’ clean.

Japanese temaki rolls are awesome, especially at Jugemu in Soho, where they’re made to order for punters sitting at the counter. Each little package is packed with super-fresh ingredients and handed over the instant it’s ready, the nori wrapping still crisp. Alternatively, bag a table for full platters of sushi and sashimi. 

With testimonies from the disparate likes of George Clooney and Led Zep axeman Jimmy Page, the long-serving Ikeda is a cut above in the celebrity sushi stakes – although conservative businessmen have no qualms about bringing clients here. This place is old-school (affable, super-polite staff, inoffensively trad decor, lofty prices), but consistency is the order of the day – briny-fresh sushi sets served the old way on wooden blocks. Bag a ringside seat by the tiny open kitchen for a high-end, gimmick-free experience.

Nobu Matsuhisa’s Japanese fusion style redefined expectations when he launched his global Nobu chain (remember his iconic black cod in miso), but the sushi at this Park Lane outpost is also pretty special. Don’t miss the intriguing ‘new-style’ sashimi, the well-shaped temaki rolls or the classic nigiri, served in a ten-piece ‘cup’ if you want. Also try the sushi at the Nobu Hotel in Shoreditch.

Small but lovely, this offers the best of both worlds: it feels old school, but the music’s upbeat, there’s a vivid geisha mural splashed on one wall, and the kitchen is manned by a brigade of blowtorch-wielding chefs from all nations. Sushi fans congregate at the brightly lit counter, where they can drool over modish carpaccios, silky o-toro tuna sashimi and market-fresh omakase sushi sets: perfect for a Japanese lunchtime sweetener and great fun too.        

It’s all about attention to detail at Yoshinori Ishii’s Michelin-starred enclave in Mayfair, from the chef’s handcrafted tableware and bespoke wood-block poems to the procession of surgically precise, extraordinarily delicate sushi emanating from the kitchen. You can sample these delights from the carte or as components of a full-strength multi-course banquet highlighting the intricacies of Kyoto kaiseki cuisine. Just be warned: the bill will slice through your wallet as mercilessly as a samurai sword.

Sushi nerds congregate at Uni’s street-level counter in Belgravia, but similarly refined seafood – including the titular uni (sea urchin) – is also served in the bijou basement dining room. You can have your sushi traditional or ‘new style’, with back-up from various takes on the hand roll (uramaki, temaki, pirikara etc), plus undercurrents of nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion) running through the mix. Sushi sets (including miso soup, kaiso salad and mochi cakes for dessert) are also worth noting.

Dangerously seductive and relentlessly fashionable, this high-gloss Knightsbridge rendezvous is a funky industrial-zen honeypot for A-list celebs, swanky bankers and sporting superstars. It also serves some wow-factor modern Japanese food and turns up on nearly every sushi fan’s bucket list. Come here for immaculate high-art assemblages with pin-sharp flavours and oh-so-pretty embellishments: think spicy yellowtail with sansho pepper, avocado and wasabi mayo, or new-style sea bass sashimi with yuzu, truffle oil and salmon roe.

‘Without soy – but if you want to’ says the neon sign displayed above the counter at this jewel of a sushi bar, where the chefs are dedicated to matching each piece of artfully crafted fish with an exquisite flavour pairing – perhaps a dab of tangy ume plum paste, a spoon of tosa jelly or a quick blast from the blowtorch (perfect for balancing the richness of fatty tuna). Sit at the ground-floor counter for the best service.

Nose-to-tail (or should that be cheek-to-fin) is the ethos at this South Ken offshoot of Yashi Sushi Bar, where an eat everything approach keeps punters on their toes. Cleverly crafted sushi rolls (with or without soy) are one of the highlights – everything from eel and avocado to foie gras and chives.