A true Mayfair stalwart, Kiku has been serving the neighborhood since 1978, making it one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in the city—and unlike some of its flashier neighboring sushi restaurants, Kiku’s vibe is one of calm, quiet elegance. It’s the place to go for a consistently excellent, no-frills sushi experience where the quality of the fish speaks for itself, whether it’s the salmon and tuna in a classic sashimi set, or rare delicacies like Hokkaido sea urchin and sweet prawn served on perfectly seasoned rice. The tempura here is world-class, with a light, lace-like batter, and the £40 lunchtime set menu—which consists of yakitori, tempura, sushi, miso soup, and a dessert—is one of the best deals in central London. The ultimate seal of approval? It’s a favorite spot among the staff at the nearby Japanese Embassy on Piccadilly. —L.H.
Photo: Courtesy of Sushi Kyu
This low-key but stylish joint, which opened in 2024 last year in a bijou shopfront on Brewer Street, is the brainchild of chef Takamasa Mogi—also the founder of popular Mayfair spot Cubé—and serves up astonishingly good sushi to the 10 seats that surround its subdued but stylish hinoki wood counter. (Soho regulars will remember the building’s former life as a manga store and karaoke bar—it turns out there’s still a karaoke room downstairs if your omakase dinner ends up getting a little raucous.) I was especially impressed by the creative but not overdone nigiri, including smoky slivers of seared Korean turbot and Spanish tuna with Oscietra caviar, served atop pillowy beds of red vinegar-seasoned rice. Given the quality, it’s excellent value too: the lunchtime menu offers salad, seven pieces of omakase nigiri, and dessert for £51.80, while the dinner menu of two appetizers, nine pieces of omakase nigiri, a temaki roll, and dessert comes to £89. (They also do a well-priced pre-theater menu if you’re planning to catch a West End show.) —L.H.
Under former Noma sommelier Yuki Kaneko’s ownership, Yuki Bar has transcended East London’s small plates and orange wine scene. Within the low-lit, 20-cover spot soundtracked by disco J-pop, dishes riff on French and Nordic classics with Japanese inflections, like a sesame-studded take on oeufs mayonnaise, embracing home-style cooking and a choose-your-own-adventure menu of “snacks, littles, and larges.” A few portions of house-made potato crisps with sansho pepper and grilled onigiri kick the evening off, while rotating mains have included an aromatic chicken hot pot and blushing strips of beef tataki silken with soy sauce and mustard. Go with a group, be greedy, and get a few bottles recommended by Kaneko. —Anna Cafolla
Photo: Courtesy of Taku Mayfair