These Are London’s Best Omakase Menus
By
55 minutes ago
The chef knows best...
London is home to some of the finest Japanese restaurants in the world, and they’re positively spoiled for choice when it comes to top tier sushi. In fact, I’ll bet most Londoners have strong opinions when it comes to sushi – yet one of the most coveted dining experiences in the capital today completely forgoes opinion and choice. Omakase – which has roots in 19th-century Tokyo – translates loosely to ‘I’ll leave it up to you’, and is a menu that asks the diner to surrender to the opinions (and whims) of the chef – making no decisions on what to order or eat. We’ve rounded up the best in London, whether from the sushi masters faithful to centuries-old Edomae traditions to the new generation of chefs bringing international influences and even nose-to-tail chicken cookery to the counter.
Where To Find London’s Top Tier Omakase Menus
ENDO, Chelsea
Some comebacks are worth the wait, and this one’s been the most anticipated of them all. After a devastating fire forced the closure of his Michelin-starred restaurant, Endo at the Rotunda, third-generation sushi master Endo Kazutoshi has come to Chelsea. Having opened earlier this month (and already fully booked), ENDO draws inspiration from Tokyo of the past, and its intimate ten-seat space surrounds a 200-year-old hinoki wood counter imported from Kyoto. As at the Rotunda, lucky diners can expect a meticulously considered, ever-changing omakase featuring wild-caught British fish prepared alongside specialist ingredients brought over from Japan.
Endo serving food
There are still very few clues as to what’s to come at ENDO, but with Endo himself preparing each course before his guests, the chef’s extraordinary craftsmanship should provide more than enough reassurance. And judging by the clamour for reservations, Londoners are only too happy to put their trust in his hands once more.
8-9 Blacklands Terrace, London SW3 2SP, book via endo-chelsea.com
Sushi Amamoto, Mayfair
Led by one of the world’s most sought-after sushi masters, Shogo Amamoto, his Mayfair namesake boasts one of London’s best omakase menus. The restaurant’s long, minimalist dining room seats just 16 guests at the counter, where there’s little to hide behind, and all eyes are on the chefs. Sushi Amamoto, though, is more than up for the challenge. With centuries-old Edomae traditions at its heart, every element of the meal is painstakingly obsessed over by the chefs, from rice prepared with imported spring water to the carefully orchestrated rhythm of service. Amamoto’s protégé, chef Jongho Park, prepares each piece within arm’s reach of diners, showcasing everything from Spanish tuna and delicately pressed British trout oshizushi to crisp mochi topped with caviar. Strictly omakase, the experience spans 17 courses at lunch (£180) or a more extravagant 22 at dinner (£380).
View this post on Instagram
36 Albemarle Street, London W1S 4JE, book via amamotolondon.com
Tobi Masa, Mayfair
Having transformed New York’s Japanese fine-dining scene, legendary sushi master Masayoshi ‘Masa’ Takayama shipped his vision across the Atlantic last year. But don’t expect a carbon copy of his New York establishments. Housed at The Chancery Rosewood and set amid its sumptuous interiors, warm lighting, and a lively bar and lounge, Tobi Masa isn’t your classic, hushed omakase minimalism.
At the heart of it all, a marbled seven-seat counter offers a front-row view of the chefs’ meticulous craftsmanship, where £295 buys an evening of exceptional ingredients with a distinctly modern twist. Expect everything from fatty tuna and golden-eye snapper to Japanese mackerel and uni cucumber, before a suitably indulgent finale of Takayama’s signature Truffle Ball and Japanese melon. And perhaps, in the purest expression of the chef’s philosophy of freedom and creativity, is his ingenious Masa Pasta, made entirely from fish.
30 Grosvenor Square, London W1K, book via rosewoodhotels.com
Sushi Tetsu, Clerkenwell
More than a decade after opening, Sushi Tetsu has built a legendary – and mysterious – reputation. There’s a strict no-photography policy and the owners are famously reluctant to give interviews, so there’s really only one thing we know for certain: this is one of London’s most coveted reservations. Hidden within a Clerkenwell passageway, the restaurant has just seven seats each night where diners enjoy traditionally prepared Edomae sushi with every piece prepared by co-owner, chef Toru Takahashi himself. Their online booking system opens at 12pm on Mondays taking reservations for the following week. If you braved the Glastonbury ticket scramble this year, you’ll know the drill.
12 Jerusalem Passage, London EC1V 4JP, book via sevenrooms.com
Humble Chicken 3.0, Soho
Don’t be deceived by the name – there’s nothing particularly humble about Humble Chicken these days. What began as casual yakitori in 2021 has undergone quite the transformation, swapping its nose-to-tail chicken skewers for an ambitious omakase menu and picking up two Michelin stars along the way. At its helm is half-Japanese, half-German chef Angelo Sato, whose 15 years spent in some of the world’s most revered kitchens have culminated in a playful take on Japanese fine dining.
Chef Angelo Sato inside Humble Chicken
Now in its third incarnation, the Soho restaurant seats just 13 diners around an L-shaped counter overlooking an entirely open kitchen. The chefs prepare, present, and explain their creations while also joining in the occasional banter with diners, bringing a welcome dose of personality to the often-ceremonious world of omakase. The 16 courses (£250) draw freely on Sato’s Japanese-European heritage, with inventive creations ranging from miso-cured foie gras and the pillowy shokupan bread course to the tongue-in-cheek HFC a.k.a. Humble Fried Chicken.
54 Frith Street, London W1D 4SJ, book via humblechickenuk.com
JUNO Omakase, Notting Hill
Anything but conventional, JUNO’s omakase experience combines centuries of Japanese sushi tradition with the flamboyant flavours of Mexico courtesy of executive chef Leonard Tanyag. Perched on the top floor of Los Mochis in Notting Hill, JUNO has transformed a once-forgotten storage cupboard into one of London’s tiniest omakase counters with just six seats. Behind the curtain, there’s a convivial eating atmosphere where lively chatter and interactions with the chef are highly encouraged.
Their 15-course omakase (£230) features creations ranging from Norwegian king crab and toro dressed in jalapeño rice vinegar to dishes finished with crispy black ants. Each course is prepared before diners’ eyes, and by request, accompanied by the sommelier’s meticulously considered sake and wine pairings. And to the delight of many who have previously been unable to try omakase due to dietary restrictions, JUNO’s offering is entirely gluten- and nut-free!
2-4 Farmer Street, London W8 7SN, book via juno-omakase.com
Kurisu Omakase, Brixton
Kurisu Omakase is a family affair. Chef Chris Restrepo grew up helping out at his parents’ neighbourhood restaurant, Ichiban Sushi, in Brixton. After training at the Tokyo Sushi Academy, Restrepo returned to where it all began, transforming the family establishment into a cult-classic omakase pop-up for just a few nights per week. And while the technique is unmistakably Japanese, the flavours owe plenty to his Thai-Columbian heritage, with charcoal-seared fatty tuna and scallops scored an astonishing 18 times for a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
View this post on Instagram
Beyond impeccable craftsmanship, it’s the charismatic chef at the helm of Kurisu Omakase, regaling diners with anecdotes between courses, that makes the omakase here special. Delightfully informal and welcoming just 8 lucky diners at a time for an 18-course omakase (~£150); getting a reservation at Kurisu Omakase is an achievement in its own right.
58D Atlantic Road, London SW9 8PY, book via sevenrooms.com
MARU, Mayfair
Hidden away behind a little blue door in the quieter confines of Shepherd Market is MARU, a discreet omakase counter from third-generation sushi chef Taiji Maruyama.
10 Day Dry Aged Hay Smoked Ikejime Hampshire Trout with Trout Egg Sauce
Here, Japanese omakase tradition meets a distinctly British farm-to-table approach. With seasonality and local sourcing at the heart of its daily menus, most of MARU’s seafood comes from local waters, and is then dry-aged using traditional Japanese technique. With around 20 servings across the evening (£220) and each ingredient talked through for the diners, the finer details here are every bit as thoughtful as the food, right down to guests selecting their own chopsticks.
18 Shepherd Market, London W1J 7QH, book via marulondon.com
