Prestigious private members’ club Annabel’s unveiled its newest culinary offering on 7 July with the opening of The Japanese. The club’s sixth restaurant, housed in the Mayfair club’s former Elephant Bar, will, as the name suggests, specialise in Japanese cuisine, offering guests a contemporary fine-dining experience in the heart of Berkeley Square.

In preparation for the opening, the Elephant Bar has undergone a visual refresh, with the bar’s existing interiors updated in keeping with the theme of the new restaurant courtesy of traditional Japanese prints, plush antique rugs and handblown Murano glass chandeliers. Elsewhere, the space is brightened with the injection of turquoise accents, playfully contrasting with rich ochre and terracotta velvet banquettes and hand-embroidered cushions which litter the floor around low dining tables, encouraging guests to lean into the atmosphere of this relaxed space.

Meticulously developed over the last six months to showcase the best Japanese cuisine, the menu at The Japanese keeps things clean and refined without sacrificing flavour. Expect new signature dishes including grilled Wagyu sirloin with fresh wasabi, thinly sliced seabass with a yuzu truffle dressing, aubergine with Kinome miso and tomatoes, and matcha éclairs with cherries for dessert.

Libations abound in the form of a carefully curated selection of the world’s best sochu and sakes, alongside an array of rare and celebrated Japanese whiskies, including one of just four bottles of Yamazaki 55 to exist in Europe. As well as a menu of cocktails inspired by Miyamoto Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings – including the Flames of Tokyo (Suntory Toki whisky, flame shrub, nori leaf oils and soda water) and the Airbender (Ki No Bi Sei gin, Honjozo sake, Japanese spiced cordial, absinthe, apple and soda) – guests will be able to enjoy some of the world’s finest champagnes, available by the glass for the first time at Annabel’s.

Since opening in 1963, Annabel’s has become one of London’s best-loved members’ clubs, offering comfort, glamour and all-day, all-night entertainment to its esteemed clientele. Housing five other restaurants, including an al fresco garden restaurant, Italian restaurant Matteo’s, and The Mexican, the opening of The Japanese marks the latest stage in the club’s newest chapter, having relaunched in 2018 after extensive renovations by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio.

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