Guide to omakase in London

Bright sushi specialist Sushi Atelier blends modern and traditional style. This Japanese restaurant in Great Portland Street is known for top quality sushi, and you can see the chefs at work at the counter. Omakase sashimi and sushi selections are available if you want a special meal. Sake, plum wine, and Japanese beers are served too.

Enjoy modern Japanese cuisine at Mayfair's Cubé. This restaurant is stylish with two intimate sushi bars. A varied range of sushi and sashimi are served, plus hot dishes like tempura or chicken karaage. An omakase sushi and sashimi experience is available, served to you by the master sushi chef. Japanese alcohol including sake and whisky is available.

Enjoy Japanese cuisine on the South Bank at Hannah Japanese Restaurant. Omakase tasting menus are served here for lunch and dinner, giving you multiple courses of creative and authentic food. A number of menus are available to try and wine and sake are served as well. The look of the restaurant blends traditional and contemporary style.

At Maru you'll get a one-of-a-kind Japanese meal. Centred around omakase, chef Taiji Maruyama creates an exclusive daily-changing multiple-course menu. Fish and seafood is prevalent here. There are two seatings each evening at this intimate and modern venue that'll take you on a culinary journey.

Family-run restaurant Ichiban Sushi is a casual destination for Japanese meals and sushi. The interior is decorated with traditional parasols and fans. Special omakase bookings are available in partnership with Kurisu Omakase, where a dedicated chef will create an inspiring and original meal. 

Sleek Japanese restaurant Nobu has some serious hype around it. The restaurant is a sophisticated contemporary space for upscale Japanese cuisine. As well as high-end tempura, sushi, and hot and cold dishes, there is an omakase tasting menu that lets you really experience the creativity of the kitchen.

Endo at the Rotunda guarantees you a memorable Michelin-starred meal. Meals here are multiple-course omakase feasts focused on impressive sushi selections that combine top quality ingredients with technical expertise. The dining space is simple but enhanced with dramatic architecture. Fine sake is another speciality at this restaurant.

Chisou serves authentic Japanese food with an omakase selection of sashimi available. The chef will choose the finest fresh fish of the day for your sashimi. All of the food here is seasonal and presentation is paramount. The Knightsbridge restaurant is modern and cosy with intimate low lighting.

Head to Harrods for luxury Japanese dining at Masa. This restaurant comes from famed Japanese chef Masayoshi 'Masa' Takayama, whose New York venue holds three Michelin stars, and serves high-end cuisine around a central counter in the Harrods Dining Hall. You can expect upscale fresh sushi as well as indulgent omakase menus.

Ultra-modern Aqua Kyoto serves sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese dishes like wagyu beef in a sleek and upscale space. If you want to experience leaving things up to the chef, omakase sashimi selections are available here. For drinks, there's wine, whiskies, and a diverse collection of cocktails.

Market sushi kitchen Sushi Kamon is a vibrant and bustling place for fresh sushi and sandos with tantalising ingredients. Food here is colourful and vibrant. Omakase experiences are also available for up to 10 guests. You'll get an interesting and interactive experience as the chef prepares creative new dishes. Sake pairings are also available.

New York transplant Sushi on Jones is located in King's Cross. This smart and modern spot specialises in sushi and offers a curated range of Japanese whisky and sake. It's also particularly well-known for indulgent omakase meals, where the chefs will wow you with 12 or 20 distinctive courses.

Modern yakitori restaurant Junsei specialises in Japanese skewers. It's a bright and stylish eatery where dishes are designed for sharing. The menu features chicken skewers, grilled vegetable dishes, and donburi. If you're not sure where to begin, go for the omakase experience and let the talented chef serve a fresh and original menu.

Japanese fine dining restaurant Engawa specialises in Wagyu beef and fresh sushi and sashimi. Bento boxes are available at lunchtime and for dinner there are à la carte choices, but for both meals you can try out a decadent omakase experience. Expect multiple courses of unique food, with drinks pairings available.

You'll get an intimate and exclusive Japanese meal at The Araki. This well-respected restaurant has a crisp minimalist look with just nine seats plus a private room for six people. Only omakase sushi meals are served here, with multiple luxury courses for a memorable experience. Two sittings are available each day.

Enjoy Japanese cuisine in Kentish Town at Kami. It's a sleek and modern spot with a bustling sushi counter. The menu concentrates on sushi and sashimi but there are also hot dishes available. You can try leaving things to the chef with an omakase sashimi selection. Wine, sake, and Japanese beer are also available.

Omakase is typically associated with Japanese food but you can get the experience paired with Chinese cooking at Hunan. This venue is relaxed with a friendly atmosphere. Tell your server what you do and don't like and the kitchen will rustle up a multi-course tasting menu tailored to your preferences.

Part of cultural centre Japan House, Akira is an upscale restaurant that celebrates tradition. Lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea are served here, including creative omakase meals. Multi-course robata or sushi omakase menus are available for lunch and dinner. Sake and Japanese-inspired cocktails are also available and everything is served with traditional tableware.

Buzzy izakaya Kazu serves contemporary Japanese dishes made with premium ingredients. The restaurant space is simple with wood panelling and wooden furniture. Sushi and sashimi are prominent on the menu, and omakase sashimi selections of fresh fish are available. Other dishes include salads, noodles, and chicken in teriyaki sauce. 

At Dinings the interior is intentionally minimalist so that the focus stays on the food. Visit this stylish restaurant for Japanese plates to share, including plenty of sushi and sashimi. Other dishes like miso aubergine are also available. For a memorable meal, choose the omakase experience, which comes with optional sake pairings.

Intimate omakase restaurant Roji has just 10 seats so getting a table isn't easy. Seasonal British ingredients are used to prepare sophisticated original menus that include sushi and plenty of seafood dishes. Premium sake is on the drinks list to complete the experience at this buzzy dining destination.

Mayfair restaurant Taku is all about luxury Japanese fine dining. The restaurant specialises in omakase, with indulgent 20 course meals full of fine ingredients on offer. This upscale and modern venue seats just 16 people and only has three sittings per day, making a meal here intimate and highly sought-after.

Kikuchi is a slick and modern restaurant tucked away from London's busy streets. At this gourmet haven you can sample inventive omakase tasting menus that include sushi, sashimi, and warm dishes. Menus are seasonal and subject to regular change. A range of sake and sochu complete an authentic experience here.

Visit Ginza St James for luxurious Japanese dining. The venue is sleek and elegant and has several private dining spaces. This award-winning restaurant serves lunch, dinner, and a Japanese twist on afternoon tea. Omakase experiences are available from the sushi counter, where fresh dishes will be prepared by the highly-skilled sushi chef.

Kibako specialises in the traditional Japanese boxed meals that give the restaurant its name. Diners can expect elegant food at this buzzy new spot. Choose from signature sushi, sashimi, and hot dishes, or go for one of the omakase boxes full of diverse original dishes, sushi, sashimi, and sides.

The Aubrey is an exceptional Japanese izakaya located at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge. Aside from serving traditional Japanese dishes nightly, the restaurant offers London's first-ever omakase cocktail experience at its speakeasy. Bar Director Pietro Rizzo and his team take up to six guests on a two-hour adventure of innovative cocktails, Japanese flavours, and Asian ingredients. 

Based at The Ned, Kaia is an elegant and attractive restaurant focusing on Pacific Asian cuisine. Amongst imposing green columns and a distinctive checked floor you can try sushi and a range of Asian-inspired dishes. Saturday lunchtimes are reserved for omakase, where a limited number of diners can try unique seasonal dishes developed and presented by the head chef.

Luxury restaurant Sushi Kanesaka is styled to evoke the feel of a traditional Tokyo sushi restaurant. A restaurant from acclaimed chef Shinji Kanesaka, this intimate spot has nine counter seats and space for four in the private dining room. Multiple-course omakase meals are served here, prepared using authentic imported ingredients and fresh seafood from the UK.

Marylebone's Mayha adds to the capital's flourishing omakase trend with an 11-seater restaurant and bar. The dim ambiance, courtesy of an intricate, cherry-blossom-style light installation, ensures an intimate culinary experience, highlighting different Japanese meat and seafood dishes through the chef's set menu. Expect delicacies such as Scottish langoustine sushi, salmon carpaccio in miso garlic dressing with tosazu jelly, or sake-cooked wagyu cheeks, accompanied by sake, fine wines, rare spirits or niche beers.

One of London's most intimate omakase experiences is to be found at Juno, opened in January 2024. Located on the ground floor of Notting Hill's vibrant pan-Pacific restaurant Los Mochis, diners get 15 courses of inventive Japanese cuisine with a Mexican twist. Drinks pairings are also on offer. The restaurant seats just six people and runs two sittings per day.

Originally launched in Fitzrovia and now relocated to Bloomsbury, Rai offers refined omakase dining with a focus on contemporary Japanese cuisine. The restaurant prides itself on elegant, sustainable dishes, crafted from meticulously selected, high-quality ingredients sourced from both the UK and Japan. Choose to dine in the cosy main seating area or experience the lively atmosphere at the sushi counter, watching the chefs showcase their culinary skills.