Top Best Japanese Restaurants in Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

"OK, so Sushisamba is not strictly Japanese but rather a fusion, mixing with south American flavours and excellent cuts of meat. It remains one of our most booked restaurants and since opening it has been a mainstay of the London restaurant scene. You pay a premium for the views of the London skyline, but the quality of the sushi is very, very good, and the stuff they do in the grill is great."

"Unashamedly fusion, this restaurant and bar at the top of the Heron Tower mixes Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese influences. One of the coolest things about the experience is being whisked up in panoramic glass elevators, Willy Wonka–style, to what are the highest dining terraces in Europe. There’s probably no better place in the city to drink in the sunset."

"At Sushisamna, a newcomer to Covent Garden although the second in London, the concept of Japanese-Peruvian-Brazilian fusion cuisine makes for an unforgettable dining experience."

"Dinings restaurant, located in the Marylebone area of London, is a quirky Japanese tapas and sushi restaurant. It first opened its doors to the public six years ago, with excellent Izakaya style dining offering the very highest quality dishes, atmosphere and accompaniments. Since then, the menu has evolved into Japanese tapas, a heady fusion of traditional Japanese cuisine and contemporary European flavours."

"This is where people go for sushi in central London when they don’t want to go Mayfair. Much better than its newer sister in Chelsea, Dinings in Marylebone still has a very loyal following because it serves some of the best sushi in the city. A classic mix of counter and a small number of tables serving a first-rate sushi and sashimi menu with a very classic grounding."

"Japanese restaurant Roka is a great options for families with slightly more adventurous tastes in London. The settings in their Mayfair, Aldwych, Canary Wharf and Charlotte Street chains are impressive but informal, meaning the whole family can enjoy a great meal without feeling the need to be on their best behaviour. It isn't, however, cheap."

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"This seven-seater on a Clerkenwell side street arguably serves the best sushi in town. Run by husband-and-wife team Harumi and Toru Takahashi, it is almost impossible to book. But when guests arrive at this shrine to sushi, they will find Toru expertly slivering and slicing smackingly fresh fish, visible from a counter-style bar."

"Outside of lockdown this teeny Clerkenwell sushi restaurant is one of the best in town and, consequently, the hardest to get a seat at. During lockdown it’s been more egalitarian. There’s just one option - a dining set with Omakase - which gives you a range of sashimi, sushi rice and more for you to make up as you’d like."

"This 7-seater is home to an endearing husband-and-wife team of Toru (chef) and Harumi Takahashi (manager). The Kobe-trained chef opened Sushi Tetsu, he wished for no media, hoping to keep the place “hidden” and focusing only on perfecting his supply chain and craft. After an Observer review, it didn’t last."

"Chef Yoshinori Ishii trained at one of Japan’s most revered kaiseki restaurants Kitcho, went to become the chef-in-residence of Japanese Embassies in Switzerland and USA, and moved to Umu in 2010. Contrary to the belief that chefs should stay and work hard in their own kitchen, Ishii has been spending time profitably outside Umu, mostly in Cornwall, in order to elevate the ways locally caught fish could be treated — he introduced ike jime practice to Cornish fishermen — and to source directly into his restaurant. On the menu, find many world-class fish caught in the Cornish waters: from mackerel and sardine, to red mullet and turbot, to squid and spiny lobster — as well as extraordinary wild eels from Ireland."

"If you’re looking to woo the object of your affections with some of the most masterfully crafted sushi in London, Umu is your best bet. Its lauded head chef Yoshinori Ishii has over 20 years of cooking experience, nine of which he spent training at the three Michelin-starred Kyoto Kitcho in Japan. This means his menu delights pretty much all of the senses, from sight to taste to touch – or, er, mouthfeel."

"There is a saying in Japanese “Issho ni ichido” which broadly translates to ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience.’ It applies to eating at The Araki, a 10-seat Mayfair restaurant by one of Tokyo’s most venerable sushi masters Araki Mitsuhiro. Mitsuhiro has now returned to Japan, but The Araki still serves a “no-choice” £300 pp menu spotlighting rare and luxurious ingredients: Sea bream sashimi topped with caviar from albino sturgeons or marinated tuna tartare under Alba white truffles. The tuna-focused nigiri here are meticulous."

"Good sushi is a marriage of produce and skill – two things which The Araki prides itself on enough to warrant a £310 price tag for its one and only menu option. The three Michelin-starred restaurant was opened by Tokyo-based sushi master Mitsuhiro Araki, who specialises in the 200-year-old practices of edomae sushi making. For four years, Araki was the only chef to serve at the London restaurant, creating and personally serving a omakase menu for just nine people per service."

"Robata is a Japanese restaurant based in the heart of Soho on Old Compton Street. The word Robata refers to a method of cooking over hot charcoal, and the restaurant practices this, with an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs preparing your meals. With an extensive dinner menu, there's something for everyone, whether you're after meat, fish or veggie options."

"Headed up by the legendary Padam Raj Rai, with almost two decades of experience in the Japanese culinary scene, Hot Stone Steak and Sushi Bar is a mix of trendy decor and real, full-bodied flavours. You know how we mentioned before that it’s rare to taste actually wasabi?. Well, what makes this North London sushi joint all the more special is that it is one of the only places in London that serves real wasabi root with their sushi."

"Hot Stone is an award-winning Japanese restaurant in Islington, which specialises in the ishiyaki method – DIY cooking on hot stones. It is also one of the few restaurants in the UK to serve certified Kobe beef. It’s a truly special dinner experience with Japanese wagyu and scallops to sear yourself, a selection of sushi and sashimi, plus salads on the side."

"Formerly head sushi chef at Tsukiji in Mayfair, chef Padam Raj Rai’s sushi spot in Islington was something of a hidden gem. They are about to open a second restaurant in Fitzrovia. Sushi platters are exquisite and a bit different - think fatty tuna with caviar rolls and Seared butterfish with truffle spicy ponzu."

"OK, now we know this next suggestion for the best desserts in London, isn’t a restaurant or cafes – but if you’re looking for an amazing dessert on-the-go, then I don’t think you can top Ben’s Cookies for deliciousness and price. Yummy, gooey, tasty cookies that dreams are made of."

"Hours:Mon to Fri 1230 – 1500, 1730 – 2300 Sat 1230 – 2300 Sun 1230 – 2230; Open on Christmas Day"