You may be able to buy sushi in even the lowest budget supermarkets, but not all maki were created equal – and there’s a lot more to Japanese cuisine than stodgy California rolls. From global fusion stalwarts to neighbourhood secret gems, authentic izakayas to traditional ramen houses, London is home to some of the most exciting Japanese cooking on the planet – outside Japan, of course. From Mayfair to Canary Wharf and Notting Hill to Shoreditch, we’ve sampled the soups, skewers and sushi rolls you’re sure to want to try. Here are the best Japanese restaurants in London.

Humble Chicken, Soho

Having been awarded its first highly-anticipated Michelin star earlier this year, Angelo Sato’s Humble Chicken is renowned for its innovative approach to Japanese cuisine. Born and raised in Japan within a missionary community, Sato’s culinary journey began at a young age when he worked at fish markets and independent restaurants in Tokyo. From there, he refined his skills at the Michelin-starred RyuGin in Tokyo, New York’s Eleven Madison Park and the London-based three-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, two-star Restaurant Story and one-star Trinity. Quite the CV, then. 

Walk into Humble Chicken and you’ll be greeted by a menu that marries traditional Japanese flavours with contemporary techniques. The 16-course tasting menu is inspired by Sato’s Japanese roots, where everything is designed to create a kitchen-theatre like experience. Star dishes include mussels with kosho ponzu and avocado, beef tartare in spicy miso and bone marrow and This Little Piggy bao buns. If you’re looking for innovative Japanese cuisine that doesn’t just rely on maki rolls, this is the place to be. 

54 Frith Street, W1D 4SJ, visit humblechickenuk.com

Miyako, The City

Tucked away inside the five-star Andaz hotel on Liverpool Street, Miyako is an authentic AA Rosette Japanese restaurant, priding itself on serving traditional Japanese delicacies in London. Featuring a large selection of bento boxes, famous Japanese wines and sake, the menu has been curated by head chef Kosei Sakamoto who was raised in Kyushu in southern Japan before moving to Tokyo at the age of 20 to pursue his passion for gastronomy. The food offering here is concise but packs a punch, with flavourful bento boxes of pork belly and salmon teriyaki, fried aubergine in miso paste (nasu dengaku), pork cutlet with rice, tonkatsu sauce and red miso and prawn and vegetable donburi bowls. 

40 Liverpool Street, EC2M 7QN, visit hyattrestaurants.com

The Aubrey, Knightsbridge

Sophisticated and sensuous, and resplendent in plush velvet, marble and rich woods, The Aubrey leans into its Japanese origin, with walls generously layered with art inspired by the Japonisme movement and 19th-century British artist and illustrator, Aubrey Beardsley. Heading up the sashimi stations is one of few female sushi masters in the world, Miho Sato, while a la carte menus take their Japanese credentials seriously. Pick from small sharing plates and bar snacks that burst with flavour, including Japanese oysters, charcoal chicken karaage with yuzu mayo and an indulgent smoked wagyu tartare with daikon and black garlic. Larger plates take the form of lobster and hokkaido uni fried rice, salmon sashimi and mango salad and duck teriyaki from the robata grill. For drinks, sake is king, but if that’s not your bag there are plenty of Japanese spirits and creatively-conceived cocktails to choose from The Yellow Room Cocktail Book. Our favourite is the Peacock Room: sakura mancino vermouth, sweet potato, shochu, yuzu and tonic.

66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA, visit mandarinoriental.com

Kioku by Endo, Whitehall

Kioku

Michelin-starred Japanese chef and world-renowned sushi master Endo Kazutoshi opened Kioku on the rooftop of The OWO on in May and has already made waves in London's fine-dining scene. Drawing on classic Japanese cuisine combined with Mediterranean influences, Kioku features an eight-seat chef’s table overlooking the kitchen, private dining room within one of the building’s turrets, and a 55-cover outdoor terrace, as well as a main dining room showcasing weekly piano performances. On the menu, Kazutoshi has included his signature nigiri and sashimi alongside larger plates of cuttlefish nori pesto and elderflower, chashu pork ramen ravioli, smoked yellowtail with green apple ponzu, and a bespoke tuna trolley, served tableside by one of Kazutoshi's sushi chefs.

57 Whitehall, SW1A 2BX, visit kiokubyendo.com

Apothecary East, Shoreditch

A Tokyo-inspired tavern just moments from Old Street, Apothecary East specialises in Japanese food with modern twists that are served alongside a curated selection of handmade cocktails (our favourite is the Zen Garden with Roku Gin, sakura green tea, shiso leaf and lime cordial), native beers, spirits and wine. Inside, expect low-lit, dark-wood interiors bathed in skylights and green-foliage canopies. For a private dining experience, book the exclusive area tucked away in the restaurant which can seat up to 22 guests. 

Moving onto the menu, the bill of fare here is small plates so you can satiate your appetite from every corner of the menu. Start with a spicy miso soup and house pickles, before moving onto black sesame cauliflower, salmon tataki, kakuni pork belly and sake steamed mussels. From the grill, we recommend you opt for grilled truffle miso short rib or the vegan platter, featuring tofu salad, miso-glazed aubergine, and Tsukune: chicken meatballs in a teriyaki glaze. Delicious. 

36 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3PG, visit apothecaryeast.co.uk

Kyubi at the Arts Club, Mayfair

Members of Dover Street’s famous Arts Club are spoiled rotten with the beautiful Kyubi, with its elegant interior, intimate balcony setting and buzzy bar space, at their fingertips. The dreamy ‘kyubites’ are perfect to linger over while browsing the wider menu. These tiny tacos filled with tuna, scallop, king crab, yellowtail or salmon from the fish counter, or peppers, aubergine or tomato from the garden, add enough punch with their various seasonings to tantalise your tastebuds for the rest of what’s to come.

Be sure to order a range of delicious hot dishes from the robata grill too: highlights include bass with wakame sauce, baby carrot, zucchini, okra, amaranth and red fennel cress, to the grilled Australian abalones with umeboshi, eringi, shiitake, shimeji and mizuna cress. And, of course, no meal would be complete without the oven-roasted whole Canadian lobster with shiso herbs, chilli miso butter and tobiko, or the chicken Genghis Khan. As the great leader himself once said: “everything is temporary” – so eat quickly.

40 Dover Street, W1S 4NP, visit theartsclub.co.uk

Nobu Hotel, Shoreditch

Images: Henry Hargreaves

Back in 1997, when the first Nobu London came to Old Park Lane, Shoreditch was still somewhat of a fine dining wasteland. Fast forward more than two decades and the East London version of this international brand, situated within its own eponymous hotel, is still as good as it was in its slip-dress and bucket-hat-wearing heyday, if not better. Entered via a sweeping staircase, you’ll be greeted by the minimalistic Japanese-Peruvian dining room, an open-plan kitchen and sushi counter, and an open-air courtyard adorned with Japanese-inspired art.

You can expect all Nobu’s famed fusion classics, alongside dishes inspired by the local neighbourhood, from tiraditos, ceviches, tartares and tatakis to the signature black cod, lobster wasabi pepper and beef toban yaki; dishes that paved the way for imitators good and bad for years to come. An industry stalwart for the well-heeled (and well-fed), you can’t put a chopstick wrong at Nobu.

10-50 Willow Street, EC2A 4BH, visit london-shoreditch.nobuhotels.com

Roka, across London

Another now-international Japanese fusion behemoth, Roka has a handful of posh postcode locations dotted about the capital (including Mayfair, Aldwych and Canary Wharf) but somehow Charlotte Street still holds its pre-world-domination charm. Led by a central robata grill, where much of the fish, poultry, meat and vegetables are prepared in full view of diners at the surrounding counter, head there in warm weather and the glass walls open onto the street outside creating a semi-alfresco ambience (in the summer you can also eat outside).

The ‘new age’ sushi here is bedazzling – think hamachi tartare with lemon, chilli and ginger pearls or raw salmon, avocado and asparagus with wasabi tobiko and tenkasu – while scallop skewers and sea bass fillets to the baby chicken, lamb cutlets, aubergine and asparagus are all cooked to chargrilled perfection on the robata. Plus, the weekend brunch at the Canary Wharf outpost is a great way to sample it all without the eye-watering bill.

Visit rokarestaurant.com

Machiya, Soho

An authentic and homely traditional Japanese eatery – with tranquil decor to match – this low-key Soho restaurant, bar and patisserie is inspired by the great food halls of Japan. Named after the eponymous townhouses that once defined the Kyoto cityscape, the kitchen serves traditional dishes such as tonkatsu, Japanese curry and donburi (we love the grilled eel or mixed Japanese mushroom versions) paired with homemade miso soup, pickles and steamed rice.

The in-house pastry team is pretty unique here, offering an authentic taste of Japanese patisserie, with a focus on premium Uji matcha and seasonal ingredients such as cherry blossom and yuzu. There’s also a comprehensive and authentic whiskey and sake menu, spanning yuzu, peach and apple infusions. There are no sour plums here (except the umenoyado ume shu sake).

5 Panton Street, SW1Y 4DL, visit machi-ya.co.uk

Zuma, Knightsbridge

A smart and sophisticated twist on the traditional Japanese izakaya, this now-international beast was co-founded by Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney in 2002, and now has 20 venues globally, with five seasonal locations. And for good reason. Dishes here are authentic, but not necessarily traditional with bold, intense flavours – think lashings of truffle, miso and yuzu – with an emphasis on impeccable presentation and a ‘gram-worthy, international clientele.

Don’t miss the seasonal specials – think kombujime seabass with botan ebi nigiri in orange mustard miso, and crab and black cod gyoza with citrus soy and spring onion – alongside Chilean seabass croquettes with yuzu mayonnaise or the crispy fried squid with green chilli lime to start. Must-try main meals span Norwegian king crab with ponzu lime butter, crispy langoustine with red chilli sour dashi and onions, and the signature simple but effective chicken wings with sake, sea salt and lime.

5 Raphael Street, SW7 1DL, visit zumarestaurant.com

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