The best Japanese restaurants in Mayfair

Koyn Japanese, a contemporary izakaya-style restaurant in Grosvenor Square, blends modern design with traditional Japanese cuisine. The venue is split into two dining areas, with the ground floor featuring a sushi bar and a zen-inspired interior, while the basement houses Koyn Thai, with a bar offering Japanese whiskies and cocktails between the two. The menu at Koyn Japanese showcases a variety of sushi, nigiri, and robata-grilled dishes, focusing on umami-rich flavours and sustainable ingredients, with the option of an omakase experience.

Titu, a cosy Asian fusion eatery in Mayfair, is easily recognised thanks to its vibrant blue exterior. The interior is colourful and cosy, with friendly service and eye-catching décor, including parasols and origami cranes hanging from the ceiling. The Japanese-centric menu features shareable dishes like creative gyoza, tacos, sashimi, and grilled items, complemented by authentic drinks such as sake and a curated wine selection, making it an ideal spot for casual meals or private events. There are a few tables outside as well.

Cubé offers modern Japanese dining in Mayfair, combining authentic cuisine with a stylish yet traditional setting where diners can watch highly-trained chefs prepare upscale dishes. The menu features a variety of sushi and sashimi, including unique rolls like eel and foie gras, as well as hot dishes like tempura and chicken karaage, with the option to enjoy the chef's omakase sushi selection. Complementing the fine food, Cubé serves traditional Japanese drinks like sake, alongside wines, Japanese whiskies, and champagne.

Amazónico brings a verdant rainforest-themed dining experience to Mayfair, following the success of the original Madrid spot. The immersive décor, featuring abundant greenery and natural materials, aims to transport diners to South America, while the menu blends Amazon-inspired flavours with a sushi selection reflecting the influence of local Asian communities. In addition to its vibrant Nikkei food, the trendy venue hosts live music and DJs for a multi-sensory experience.

Sexy Fish lives up to its name with a chic, glamorous atmosphere – and plenty of fish. The striking interiors feature aquatic-themed artwork from famed artists like Damien Hirst and Frank Gehry, and two enormous live coral reef tanks add to the unique experience. The menu is Japanese-inspired, with sushi taking centre stage, and the venue is a well-known celebrity haunt, complete with the upscale prices to match its exclusive clientele.

Aragawa, one of the world's priciest dining establishments, chose Mayfair for its first location outside of Japan. Renowned for its mastery in preparing the finest Kobe beef, the Japanese steakhouse offers an unforgettable melt-in-your-mouth experience, with meticulous attention given to the sourcing, preparation, and presentation of the meat. The elegant venue features an open kitchen and a private dining room, perfect for an exclusive dining experience.

Chisou provides a cosy dining experience in central London, offering a menu of traditional Japanese cuisine. The dishes vary with the seasons, ensuring fresh ingredients and beautifully presented plates. Diners can enjoy a selection of sushi, sashimi, noodles, and a range of sharing plates, all designed to highlight authentic Japanese flavours.

Sushi Kanesaka is a high-end sushi destination helmed by renowned chef Shinji Kanesaka, offering an exclusive dining experience with just nine counter seats and a private dining area for four, overseen by a geisha-trained hostess. The high-end sushi restaurant in Mayfair won its first Michelin Star within seven months of opening. The intimate setting mirrors a traditional Tokyo sushi restaurant, and guests can indulge in multi-course omakase meals, featuring authentic ingredients and premium UK seafood.

Nobu is another iconic Mayfair hotspot with Japanese culinary leanings. This stylish venue offers Japanese fine dining at its, well, finest, featuring signature dishes like the renowned miso black cod and baby tiger shrimp with three sauces, often served in their popular bento boxes. While the sushi is some of the best in the city, the inventive cocktail menu also deserves plenty of attention from the A-list guests.

This award-winning Japanese restaurant in Mayfair excels in modern robata grill cuisine, all served in a sleek and contemporary setting. The menu offers an array of top-quality Japanese dishes, including the likes of sake teriyaki salmon with sansho salt and baby back ribs with cashew nuts. Each dish reflects a blend of traditional flavours with modern culinary techniques, helping make Roka a standout dining destination.

Taku is another Japanese restaurant in Mayfair offering an exclusive, Michelin-starred omakase experience. If you manage to get a place at the 16-seat counter, you'll be able to enjoy course after course of high-end Japanese dishes, prepared right in front of you from the finest ingredients and accompanied by a curated list of wine, sake, and spirits. Only three sittings are available per day.

This exclusive 10-seater omakase sushi bar in Mayfair offers an intimate dining experience with just two seatings per day, making it a highly coveted spot. The experienced husband-and-wife chef duo behind Roji crafts seasonal menus using British-sourced ingredients. Diners can expect masterfully prepared sushi paired with premium sake – if they manage to snag one of the limited spots, that is.

The Araki omakase restaurant in Mayfair was launched by sushi master Mitsuhiro Araki, whose original eatery in Tokyo maxed out on Michelin Stars. His London base is now helmed by his apprentice Marty Lau, offering a high-end chef's table experience featuring authentic Edomae-style sushi, served in accordance with traditional tea ceremony hospitality. A meal here is exclusive, pricey, and steeped in history.

It's easy to walk past this outwardly non-descript Japanese restaurant in Mayfair, but those who enter will find a stylish and intimate spot serving high-grade sushi. Umu is especially well-suited to those who feel a pang of guilt at the thought of eating a living being – the fish here are prepared by the more humane Japanese method of Ikejima, avoiding prolonged trauma and, incidentally, improving the flavour.

Going back more than half a century, Ikeda is a favourite haunt for celebrities, as evidenced by the handwritten notes from famous patrons, scattered around the venue. This traditional Japanese restaurant in Mayfair is renowned for its sushi and sashimi, crafted from top-tier fish and served in a laid-back setting. There's no need to dress up to feel right at home in this cosy setting.

Originally launched in 2023 as the British restaurant 20 Berkeley, this revamped and reborn venue is now led by Michelin-starred sushi master Endo Kazutoshi. The ingredient-driven dishes at this upscale Japanese restaurant are crafted in the traditional Katei Ryori home-cooked style. The elegant setting retains its luxurious décor, featuring a custom sushi bar, an exclusive private dining room, and a basement listening bar where guests can enjoy cocktails alongside Japanese-inspired sandos.

There are several Kitchens in London, each putting two distinctive cuisines on the menu. May Fair Kitchen, for example serves up a dual menu of izakaya-style delicacies and Italian classics. The unorthodox pairing is served in an intimate contemporary venue with mellow lighting and stylish furnishings, complemented by fine wines or signature cocktails. Afternoon tea, private dining, and a dedicated kids' menu are offered as well.

Providing a counterbalance to the high-end Japanese restaurants in Mayfair, Yazu Sushi is a compact spot offering Kaiten-style sushi – sushi served via conveyor belt. The colour-coded dishes, priced individually, cater to all tastes, ranging from simple favourites for newcomers to more complex options for seasoned sushi lovers. They also offer a handy takeaway service for those on the go.

The Yokocho eateries are nostalgic ramen spots, designed to resemble the iconic alleyways of Japanese cities. These lively and vibrant venues serve a variety of ramen dishes, each inspired by different regions of Japan, like the miso-based chicken and pork broth with wavy chijire noodles, a northern speciality. You can complement your hot bowl of ramen with a highball, sake, or other beverages, and enjoy regular promotions like Wing Wednesdays.

Maru offers a distinctive dining experience built around the Japanese tradition of omakase. Chef Taiji Maruyama crafts a bespoke multi-course menu that changes daily, with a strong focus on fish and seafood. In the cosy, intimate setting of the Mayfair restaurant, diners can enjoy two evening sittings, each offering a tailored exploration of Japanese flavours.