Japanese

The tiny Sushi Tetsu is both one of the best sushi restaurants in town and also one of the hardest to get into. With only half a dozen seats inside, each item served to you will be almost a work of art. This may well ruin other sushi restaurants for you...

This Notting Hill restaurant is from a Middle East restaurateur who has created a whole new culinary category with its Baja-Nihon cuisine. Alongside tostadas, tiraditos and ceviche, there are 22 new takes on a taco. And yes, there is plenty of tequila or mezcal on hand (including a tasting flight) on the menu.

Having already opened his fabulously-reviewed Endo at the Rotunda, sushi master Endo went one further, opening this new sushi bar in Notting Hill, which went down extremely well with West London folk. Easily one of the best sushi spots in town.

Notting Hill's Ukai is very much in the fusion mould - mainly Japanese, but taking in Mediterranean and South American infuences. The robata grill is put to good use - and look out for their snacks, aka "Japas".

This Tonkotsu is a small departure from the rest, as it features a counter-style ramen bar of the kind you'll find in Tokyo. But don't worry - if it's your favourite ramen dishes you're after, they're on the menu too.

A top Japanese izakaya in Mayfair - if you're looking for excellent sushi without the Mayfair prices, this is the place you come. Chef Takamasa Mogi was previously at Nobu and goes big on omakase where you let him choose what to feed you.

Mayfair's Shepherd Market is the site of this dinky all day Japanese bar, with an ex-Novikov Head Chef in charge, serving up gyoza, soft shell crab salads and green pancakes for breakfast.

Junsei is all about yakitori skewers cooked over Binchōtan Japanese Charcoal . There are over 20 skewers available, not to mention Wagyu seared at the table and more...

This, the original Dinings, has a well deserved reputation for serving up excellent Japanese food with flair. Either sit up at the sushi bar or book a table in the restaurant.

Chapel Market might not be the first place you'd think of for top quality sushi, but Head chef Padam Raj Rai was the former head sushi chef at Tsukiji restaurant in Mayfair and he knows his stuff. Plus, you'll get to throw an A5 Japanese Wagyu steak on the stone here and cook it exactly how you like it.

Dai Chi comes from the same team as Dalston's Angelina but they're trying something different here. The Japanese restaurant primarily focuses on kushikatsu cuisine - which is all about breaded, deep-fried skewers. You can either go one skewer at the time or go all-in for a good-value omakase menu.

Roketsu comes from Daisuke Hayashi (previously Executive Head chef at Tokimeitē) and this is very much a passion project. The restaurant revolves around a Japanese kaeiseki tasting menu, taking dashi as its base. Particular care has been taken with the design, with elements that have been imported from Japan - it looks amazing as a result.

Having worked for the likes of Tsukiji, Nobu and Zuma, this is Chef Padam Raj Rai's second Hot Stone. It's a steak and sushi bar - so there's all manner of top drawer sushi, lots of it with innovative sauces and toppings, and then a section of steak and seafood to be cooked on the titular hot stones.

Luke Findlay had been running Supa Ya Ramen as a supperclub, but this is his first permanent restaurant. As with their pop-ups, you can expect what they call "traditionally inauthentic" ramen and this restaurant added lots of extras like roast chicken skin and noodle ice cream with miso caramel for dessert.

Jiji is from restaurateur Janina Wolkow, the woman behind celebrity hangout Sumosan. Billed as a Japanese/Middle Eastern fusion restaurant, it's a mix of sushi and sashimi with the kind of dishes you'd expect to find in somewhere like the Palomar.

This is top chef Angelo Sato's solo Soho restaurant and it's about literally all of the chicken. Every bit of the chicken is put to use in the yakitori menu, so while you can play it safe and choose breast (with plum + shiso) or wing (with shichimi + lemon) you can also opt for Achilles, tail, cartilage and more.

The P Franco team took over the former Legs restaurant on Morning Lane with an all counter dining and drinking space. Expect a yakitori-inspired menu with lots of skewers.

This Dalston restaurant has a modern take on Japanese and Italian food - resulting in a creative fusion menu that's inspired by both cuisines, while also pushing the envelope. There are omakase tasting menus alongside a la carte, and it also sports a tiny Tokyo-style cocktail bar.

Sushi on Jones started life as a tiny sushi stand in New York and was immediately showered with praise. The latest in that group is this London restaurant with a mere eight seats serving up an omakase sushi experience on the hour every hour.

Okan has three outposts in total, and with two of these in SW9 Brixton folk feel rather spoilt. The locations feel different in atmosphere and serve different dishes, so it's worth checking both out. Head to Brixton Market for Osaka-influenced cooking with sizzling hot plates of teppanyaki, omuyaki soba or okonomiyaki. Round the corner is their Coldharbour Lane site, where the fare is Izakaya style tapas with mum’s ramen and donburi in a calmer setting.

Fun, bright, and a bit bonkers, this restaurant is the brainchild of Tim Anderson - the youngest ever winner of Masterchef back in 2011. Nanban means “southern barbarian” and Tim’s cooking style is to mash up Japanese soul food with international flavours from Brixton Market. Ramens all come with a twist, like the lazy goat ramen topped with Scotch bonnet-pickled bamboo shoots. Other dishes include Japanese inspired burgers.

A hidden gem, and one for dedicated sushi lovers, this 6 seater set up specialises in Yoroppa-Mae style Sushi Omakase. There is no menu, the chef serves up to 18 inventive courses with the freshest fish he can source that day. The chef graduated from Tokyo Sushi Academy and the restaurant focuses on Japanese techniques while also taking influence from his Colombian and Thai heritage. An intimate and unique experience.

Sushisamba have taken over the Opera Terrace at Covent Garden- expect the same mix of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian food as the original (and a big bar too). And all that with decor that's bound to impress and a handy outdoor terrace for the summer months.

Former Engawa chef Akira Shimizu is opening his own robatayaki and sushi restaurant in Japan's new cultural centre, Japan House on Kensington High Street.

Uni (Japanese for sea urchin) serves up Nikkei (Japanese/Peruvian) cuisine in Victoria with a luxurious downstairs restaurant as well as an upstairs sushi bar.

The former executive sushi chef at Zuma has opened a tiny sushi restaurant in the Television Centre at White City development. With just 15 seats expect, this is already one of the hottest tickets in the area.

From the team behind Chisou this is a modern sushi restaurant serving up contemporary combos so don't be surprised to find items like chilli ponzu jelly or truffled teriyaki sauce on the menu.

In addition to its Press for Pisco button, this larger follow-up to the Covent Garden original serves up all the usual favourites (like their amazing smores) on the menu along with new baos and more.

Whether you're looking for Peking Duck or sushi, this restaurant (one of two at the Four Seasons Trinity Square) has what you're after - covering traditional Japanese and Chinese dishes with what they say is a 'modern approach'. Tables are well spaced too making it good for confidential convos.

Yen has been winning fans for its soba noodles in Paris and this sees them opening their first London restaurant.