This is a glamours, high-end Japanese restaurant/sushi place in Marylebone London. I honestly would give it five stars but the price limits it for me. If money was no object, that's fine, but for the price/competition, I think it should stand out a bit more. What I did like is the inconspicuous outside that hardly shows it's a restaurant, it's as if, you should know it's there. That reminds me of true Japanese restaurants in Tokyo. This is in a residential street too, with cars that cost more than my home parked out front. This maybe top for some people, I still recommend it. read more

Dinings - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

The sushi isn't bad, but for the price they charge and the quality of the competition in the area, it's hard to say they stand out. They're definitely priced more on the quality side than the value side for sushi. Location is a little bit of a walk from London Paddington so it's fairly convenient at least, and better than some of the options closer to Paddington Station. read more

We were in London for the weekend and met up with our good friends who luckily had reservations at Dinings. We have been to Dinings a couple of years before and had a great experience. We couldn't wait to go again. Food: To make it easy we went with the omakase. Our menu was the following: 1) Toro Tar Tar Chip 2) Wagyu Tar Tar Chip 3) Appetizer 4 Ways (4 tasting spoons per person) 4) Chargrilled Lamb Cutlets with Sakura Saikyo Spicy Miso Sauce and Seasonal Vegetables 5) Grilled Chili Garlic Black Cod 6) Aubergine "Nasu Miso" 7) Burikama - Salt Grilled Yellowtail Collar 8) Nigiri Special Toro "Shimofuri" with Malden and Black Pepper 9) Nigiri Seared Razor Clam with Yuzu Kosho and Lemon 10) Nigiri Yuzu Garlic Yellowtail with Caviar Sushi 11) Nigiri Japanese Wagyu Beef Sushi with Truffle Salsa 12) Spicy Tuna Roll 13) Double Crab Roll 14) Seabass Carpaccio with Fresh Truffle 15) Mixed Berries with Green Tea Cream Cheese and Apricot Yuzu Sorbet 16) Yuzu Posset with Shortbread and Raspberries *Everything was DELICIOUS and full of flavor!! Drinks: We ordered one bottle of sake, two glasses of white wine and three beers. Price: It's not cheap. For the four of us we paid £606.21. In hindsight we shouldn't have ordered the extra 8 pieces of the Special Toro Shimofuri nigiri because they added an extra £71.80 to the bill - yikes - but they are so good. Service: Excellent service. We had an Italian woman who was very helpful, professional and friendly. Ambiance: It's a very very small restaurant with a small sushi bar upstairs and about 20 seats downstairs, so there's no real ambiance per se, but you go for the food. Other: My only "complaint" I have is that, as expensive as this restaurant is (and me being Asian), they should really invest in nice chopsticks. They have the crappy cheap disposable chopsticks you get when you order take away, which have splinters when you break them apart. I really feel this is unacceptable, especially because 1) there are not that many seats in the restaurant itself so they can definitely afford nice chopsticks and 2) having nice cutlery is part of the whole dining experience. Would I go back? Absolutely, but with my own chopsticks :) We have tried many of the high end Japanese restaurants in London and feel that Dinings is definitely one of the best. It's not a place where you can go all the time since it's very expensive, but it's definitely a place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

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I had one night in London and I wanted to find a nice place to eat. Most of my friends suggested Indian or Chinese restaurants but being a sushi fanatic I decided to find the best sushi spot around. My first choice happened to be closed, so I decided to visit Dinings. I was able to make a reservation a few days out and they asked if I'd be willing to sit at the sushi bar (of course). I walked into the restaurant and it was just a tiny room with a sushi bar - I assume the larger restaurant is downstairs but I didn't see it. The food was really excellent. I tried a number of recommended dishes and finished with a solid assortment of nigiri. The fish quality was excellent but the rice was a little basic. Better than most sushi places but not near the top restaurants in NYC and elsewhere. The service was a little odd - I'm not sure if that's just London or this particular restaurant. The chef behind the bar was busy but very friendly. My waitress was slightly pushy - constantly urging me to try various things and seemingly judging me for not ordering everything she recommended. I read other reviews saying my similar things. Overall the experience was great and I highly recommend Dinings for anyone visiting London and wanting great Japanese inspired food and sushi. read more

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I booked in advance, but my late planning meant we had an early start at opening (6:30pm). First impressions were good, but in short, this place is not all its cracked up to be. While the food was good, portions were tiny, prices were high, and staff had a bit too much attitude, I don't mind smiles, but most were grinning like a cheshire cat throughout the night despite some really poor service. To start off, the cheapest two bottles of Sauvingon Blanc Wine on the menu were 'unavailable', so we settle for nearest alternative - the Mansion Bay House at £38.20. However later when they ran out of the Mansion Bay, we are informed that actually they have some of the cheaper stuff available by the glass (might have been nice to know at the start of our meal.) Our tiny Kelp Salad at almost six pounds was less than a mouthful, the Sea Bass sashimi at £6.95 was two tiny pieces. We enjoyed our Kizami Salmon Roll, Cornish Spider Crab Avocado rolls, Edamame and some 'late but lovely' Nasu miso Aubergine. However the dishes took forever to arrive. When we called the waiter over to ask for another drink, the waiter assuming we are inquiring about the late food snaps back at us 'It's coming, the food is coming'. Fed up with the tiny sushi plates, we decide to splurge and order the pan Fried Whole Lobster at £47.60, after a bottle of wine, and a sudden turn in our spending power, the waiters suddenly seem more attentive, offering us more drinks. We end with a dessert of Yuzu Shochu Pannacotta - not great. Finally to add insult to injury the bill arrives and they've doubled up all the dishes we've ordered, to the less attentive diner one might assume this was a natural charge as there were two of us and perhaps many of the cash rich diners here may not question this, but this seemed to me like a sly trick. I scroll down the menu, and an extra appetizer and three extra main courses have been added to our bill, with the doubling up of all the sushi, the bill is over £100 dearer than it should be. Strangely as soon as I call the waiter over, holding the bill up - and without even having to explain, he announces there is a problem with our bill, again with his Cheshire Grin. I find this strange that he knew this before we said anything. The whole experience left a bad taste in our mouths, and I wouldn't be surprised if this happens 'by mistake on purpose' to quite a few 'merry' diners. Aside from the mains we didn't order, there was no reason the dishes we did have should have tallied twice. After all this, they even left the service on! Unlikely to return... read more

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Make your reservation for Dinings now! This small, Japanese restaurant in Marylebone can be completely booked even a week in advance if not more. We tried our luck with the waitlist, and I was so happy to hear there was an open table during the first seating! The menu at Dinings changes, so your favourites may not be available at the next visit. However, this could just be an excuse to try everything now! My recommendations: - Toro fatty tuna w/ wasabi - Tempura zucchini flowers - Grilled chili garlic black cod - Tempura strawberries w/ balsamic ice cream The grilled chili garlic black cod is amazing, and hands-down my favourite dish from that night. The meat easily flakes off the skin, and the light chili sauce complements the fish perfectly. The special open sushi roll "Capricciosa" is also a really fun dish. You don't really know what you'll be getting as the chef selects the fish to top your rolls. Each one is different and some were pretty extravagantly decked out. You really can't go wrong with Dinings. The service is great, the sashimi is so fresh, and the combination of flavours are amazing. Make sure to check out their hand-written specials menu too! read more

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this should have been a 5 star review. read on to find out why it is not! nonetheless, dinings is still the best japanese restaurant in london till date. the main entrance leads you into the sushi bar. and the main dining area with table seating is in the basement. the toilets though cramped, are very clean and modern looking. service is attentive and friendly. menu is extensive and well worth reading.:) we settled for the gen mai tea which is green tea leaves with roasted brown rice. to start we were served standard miso soup. clear and not overpowering miso flavour but the pieces of tofu in the hot soup was cold!!! we made our objection known to the waitress who immediately apologised for it. next our king crab tempura with spicy taramo sauce. the meat of the king crab is wrapped in shiso leaf and seaweed then the package is tempura fried. the meat though sweet was not distinctive. the spicy light fish roe sauce did lift the taste slightly. the char grilled iberian pork is to die for! however, it's not quite in the mould of traditional japanese cuisine. it was very tapas like. but very well done. maybe slightly heavy handed with the salt but the taste of the yuzu and lemon balanced it off somewhat. the pork was heavenly, nicely charred but tender. we also shared the sushi roll and chirashi. the chirashi came with a choice of sashimi salad or mixed tempura on the side. what impressed me most about the chirashi was the saba. it was very fresh and not overly vinegared! you get tuna, saba, salmon, scallops, ikura, tamago, ebi and snapper on top of a bed of sushi rice. not premium cuts but at 15 quid, you cannot really complain. the 15 piece sushi roll set was made up of mainly reverse rolls. the vegetarian one that was wrapped in daikon on the outside was refreshing indeed. more like a vietnamese summer roll. and we dipped it with the special dinings sauce that was meant for the side salad. it worked amazingly together! something about the sauce just taste so good. but just as i was about to polish off the last of the reversed salmon roll i bit into something that should not be there! a 1 cm long bone from the salmon was embedded in the sushi roll! no real damage was done to me physically but this was a real thorn in an otherwise memorable meal! we rightfully complained to the waitress about it and she swears that this is the first time something like that has happened. thus, this is the main reason why i cannot give them 5 stars! sigh. we decided to finish our meal with the yuzu and champagne sorbet. and that did not disappoint at all. very citrus and alcohol laden! a very good palate cleanser indeed. in the end, the waitress waived her service charge. which though a nice act on her part is not the right thing to do in our opinion. i.e. there was nothing wrong with her service but clearly the fault of the sushi chef and kitchen staff. as long as they can fix what i believe to be minor imperfections, they will win that fifth star in no time. read more

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We went for omakase tasting menu and really enjoyed it all - apart from maybe black cod with miso. The reviews here say that it's a hit, but for me it was rather a miss. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't 'amazing!' either. Shame they didn't have the sea urchin either. The highlight was the aubergine miso - not sure how Japanese that is, but it was delicious nevertheless. I recommend bar seating if it's just the two of you, you get to see the chefs prepping your food and personally, I always enjoyed that. The place overall is tiny, which reminded me a lot of the restaurants in Japan, but not the fine dining types though... just the hidden good ones. Service was very thoughtful & attentive, however I didn't like the waitress asking twice if we wanted dessert and when politely rejected acted all surprised. Perhaps the desserts there were amazing and we totally missed out. Yet, we left feeling full & happy. read more

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Well, I think it's the best tapas Japanese restaurant. But it's a solid four stars for just Japanese fare. Two people and £220 lighter and a little bit heavier in our bellies we left this place pretty satisfied. Memorable items: - Caramelized Aubergine (eggplant) - Wagyu beef tataki - soft shell crab roll ( my sister Laura S. Loved it!) - Seabass carpaccio with fresh truffles - maguro tartar We ended up ordering 12 or 14 small courses, as my rule of thumb is always go for omakase. read more

Dinings - Seared hamachi and seared maguro - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Fantastic quality and nice unique fusion approach. Sushi that melts in your mouth. The wagyu beef tapas was perfect. Amazing job of getting the sauces to perfectly match. read more

Dinings - Scottish scallop special - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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SO, SO expensive. Tiny, cramped seating area. Tiny portions. But the food. Ohhhhhhhhh the food. Fresh and delicious. I am still thinking about the miso aubergine, served steaming hot. A rich, aubergine half crackling with miso paste. That was the most decent-sized option out of all the food I ordered. The next were the tofu croquettes. Served hot as well, with a melty interior. A great starter. The scallop "bite" (for nearly 4 quid!!) is just that- one swallow, diced scallop in a tiny taco shell. Innovative and tasty. For two people for lunch, 67 quid. Thank god it was a source lunch! I was still hungry after though, so got a slice of pizza =( Just a note, when you enter ALL the staff says hello in Japanese, which is discombobulating. read more

Good sushi is hard to come by in London, especially after having lived in Tokyo for 3 years. However Dinings is one of the best. Very nice moriawase nigiri. Pieces are on the small side which I prefer and ultra fresh. Barometer for me is the uni which was fantastic. They had a special uni nigiri on the day that included caviar. Pricey at £8.50 but worth the splurge if you are an uni fan. They do lots of hot and cold dishes as well which we skipped this time but have had in the past and are excellent. Dinings also retains some of the Nobu influence with flavored sashimi/carpaccio which are nice but when he nigiri is this good why bother. As for atmosphere there is the tiny sushi bar upstairs and tables in the basement. Cozy if not cramped which is also why it's hard to book for dinner. Staff is about 50/50 Japanese/other so you get the local Japan experience depending on the server. Not cheap as you'd expect in London for sushi but worth the splurge if you want the good stuff. read more

Dinings - Uni special and ikura - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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This a really unique place which I treat myself to once a year as it's a tad on the pricey side. The food is simply amazing, sophisticated yet simple. The service is professional and knowledgeable, which in London is not a given. Do try anything that has truffle in it, you won't regret it. Booking essential as this is a hugely popular place. read more

Dinings - Sushi extravaganza. - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

The food here is seriously good. I've read good things about this place so booked myself a dinner here on Saturday, given the popularity I had to eat at 9pm, but it was indeed full of customers. Firstly, sushi here is very modern, you'll find lots of yuzu and truffle seasoning on raw fish, and more than the usual amount of beef sushi and pork dishes. That said, they do have traditional sashimi and sushi too, and the quality of the fish is top notch it has to be said. Definitely one of the freshest fish I've tasted outside of Asia, and certainly one of the top in London. The miso aubergine was amazing too, and I like that they've done their black cod a different way than the miso that other places do. The one here is seasoned with chilli and garlic. If I go back, I'd definitely get more of the sushi. It'd have to be a special occasion though as this place ain't cheap! read more

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You can easily miss the place walking past on the street. As others have said it is a very unpretentious place with not a lot of space inside. The interior is nicely pleasant and humble though and it is easy to feel relaxed and just enjoy the food. The chef used to work at Nobu earlier and you can tell that the menu is a bit different from your normal Japanese restaurant. There were just too many things to choose from on the menu that sounded great. Settling on trying a few different items I have to say that all the food was very impressive. Highlights included the salmon and miso tartar chip, seabass carpaccio with ponzu jelly and truffle oil and the wonderful seared Wagyu beef with Korean spicy miso. All dishes were superbly cooked and really tasty. Service was great - very unobtrusive and they knew how to space the dishes out so the wait was never too long but it was not an avalanche of food either. Highly recommend it, will definitely go again. read more

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Last night, I experienced something special. It was a bite. Well, really, several bites, that made me smile so profoundly that I could barely chew. The orgasmic mouthfuls I felt last night were memorable in a way that only a few other experiences have been (for example, truffle gnocchi pillows on a vineyard in Chianti and 'the Tomato' at Alan Wong's in Hawaii). Some of my favourite items were: Half-seared salmon sushi with fresh wasabi "Nasu Miso" Aubergine with Sweet Miso Grilled Chilli Garlic Black Cod But these items... these things were giggle inducing and made me feel things that made me understand why puritanical protestants were against food-induced bodily pleasures: Seared Wagyu beef Sushi with topped Truffle Salsa & Ponzu Jelly Seabass Carpaccio with Ponzu Jelly and Truffle Salsa Half-seared o-toro tuna sushi with fresh wasabi Tempura-fried Strawberries with Balsamic-Mirin Ice Cream These had the 'wow, I've never tasted anything like this' factor. Note that the first two have a very similar preparation, but I could not choose between the two as they were both glorious and absolutely gorgeous. You could smell the fragrant truffles from other tables... Moreover, this is an excellent use of truffle, not just an added thing to make it sound expensive. The wagyu beef was perfectly marbled and had a obscenely velvety texture, and the sea bass Carpaccio was of the best quality. The o-toro was magically kissed by the fresh wasabi (which, if you've never had it, is a completely different thing from the neon green paste), and the tempura strawberries were phenomenal, accompanied by the most interesting ice cream I've ever had. It sounds weird, but it just works. The mirin/balsamic was sweet and flavourful, not sharp or alcoholic tasting in the slightest. It was 'whoa... that's crazy! and delicious!' ice cream like I've never had (and I've tried some strange ice creams). Thank you, Dinings, for making my life a better place. This is an establishment to spend some money at without a hint of regret. Next time, I want to sit at the sushi bar. read more

I give you one star,because I can't choose non-star.I am Japanese .This is the worst Japanese food I have ever eaten. It's not Japanese food,it's British food. read more

Dinings - Fake Japanese roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

After many months of hard work, my lovely manager decided to treat me to a lovely sushi meal at The Dinings which is situated on Harcourt Street off Marylebone. I walk past Harcourt Street many times and had no idea that this tiny little gem is a restaurant! Interiors? One you step in you see a sushi bar on the left hand side and few high chairs placed in front. You're greeted by a member of staff waiting by the entrance of the staircase which leads you to the basement. The basement reminds me of a wine cellar - very warm, snugly and pristine! Menu's They have set menu's placed on tables and specials placed on the walls. A variety to choose from and the price ranges from £3 to £16. All of their sushi and sashimi lunch set includes miso soup. How was the food and presentation? My lovely manager ordered for me and mind you she had lovely taste buds! She ordered: - Nigri sushi and Sashimi (combination of fish and hand roll) - Eel and Foie Gras - Beef Steak - Grilled chili garlic black cod The presentation of the sushi is superb and the sushi itself was divine! Texture was fresh and once you take a bite it just melts in your mouth. *salivate* Staff/customer service? Yes, the once Nobu chef is now at the Dinings (smart move!). Staff were excellent and timing was on point! read more

If you ever...have an excuse to celebrate, anything. And it's just you and max 3 others? Go for it. It's truly an amazing experience. Just one after an other wonderful mouthgasm. It's a very small basement restaurant. Packed with non fancy furniture. Book days a head. Bring your wallet. Shut up, yes it's expensive, yes...it's the best in London. Lunch... Lunch is good. read more

Dinings is a small, quaint restaurant tucked into a side street south of Marleybone Road. You can easily miss it but you shouldn't. There aren't that many tables (I'm guessing no more than 10) and they don't take walk-ins so it can be pretty tough to get a table the night of. Dinings describes itself as Japanese tapas and that's a pretty accurate description. We had a number of small plates, served one at a time. The miso aubergine, chili cod, and foie gras maki really stood out. All the dishes were creative and tasty with the caveats that they are small and expensive. read more

Wowsers, Dinings is really something special. I went to Nobu not too long ago and while it was good, I think it's one of those celebrity restaurants that people kind of forget doesn't have the amazing food that everyone thinks it does! Dinings however is a different story: expensive enough to be saved for a only a special night out, but affordable enough not to have to sell a kidney to dine in, it's a great mix of formal and relaxed, with absolutely sensational sushi. read more

I'll echo someone who wrote earlier and say, last night I experienced something special. It was dinner at Dinings. One of those dinners that turns every bite into a memory. I came in expecting a "nice sushi restaurant" as a friend had put it. The reality of Dinings was so much more. A truly spectacular culinary experience that challenged my senses with every bite and every single dish. Perhaps the best combinations were those that included foie gras (on sushi with eel, on waygu beef, etc). Even a simple cabbage dish was spectacular (cabbage with sake). Definitely start with some tartare chips, and don't miss out on the jamon iberico shabu shabu. Ridiculously good. And toro, lots of toro. And to top it off the deserts were incredible. Caramelized fig tart with cinnamon ice cream, and a macha creme brule. Definitely coming back. Some useful stuff. 1. Book in advance. The place is tiny. 2. The bill will add up. Don't be fooled by the prices, they are small dishes to share. They go quick. 3. Trust the waiter's recommendations. They know their stuff. read more

Well, this place definitely took the cake for the most expensive restaurant Ive been to thus far in the UK. Was it worth it? My partner would definitely say so. He made a reservation prior so we had one of the tables downstairs. The basement definitely isnt big so its a bit snug overall. The environment was quite casual and people can talk freely. I noticed they had about 1 server per two or three tables (on a Sat night) - so service is absolutely top notch. They can help you with recommendations for food as well as alcohol. They have quite a selection of seasonal sake - you can ask if they have other ones in stock as well. We had quite a lot of different small dishes. I think the ones that stood out the most were: fatty tuna, the tiny taco like tar tar chips, grilled chilli garlic black cod, plus the chef's special cold tapas. read more

Fantastic sushi! The sashimi and rolls were exquisite! First class service, too! Best sushi in London! read more

Ok, everyone. Let's get something straight about this place. Dinings was not, is not currently, and will never be Nobu. Yes, Tomonari Chiba was the sushi chef at Nobu before opening his current gem-of-a-sushi joint in Marylebone. You got that part right, but when a chef leaves an establishment to undertake his own endeavors, this usually means that he would more than likely he wants to do his own thing. Read: stop asking the poor guy to recreate Nobu rolls and pieces that aren't on his menu. And why would you want it to be Nobu anyway? We sat at the bar (which is where anyone serious about having a really good experience at a sushi joint should sit) and ordered omakase. Next time we go back, I think we'll probably stick with our typical nigiri pieces. The fish was really fresh, but there seemed to be an awful lot of vinegar involved in most of the preparations. And the lack of Japanese fish was a little sad. Overall, a good experience, and fairly near our flat, which is even better (read: not in Ealing like Sushi Hiro). We'll definitely be back, even if we do have to make a reservatin for Saturday night three weeks in advance! read more

You expect Japanese restaurants to have Japanese-language like names. "Yoshi" "Tako" or blatantly obvious names like "Sushi Samba." You do not expect them to be below-ground establishments with a mall food court or airport restaurant name like "Dinings." Fortunately, my colleague's commitment to finding Japanese food in Marylebone, dining at "Dinings" I did, and I was rewarded with some high end, creative and beautifully presented Japanese food! The fish quality was top notch (very fresh handrolls) and the salmon teriyaki lunch I ordered perfectly prepared. Main criticisms: my two dining companions and I were a party of three sitting a table pretty clearly designed for three and the service was a little slow. read more

As a sushi fan; my husband took me here for a surprise.. and as much as all the reviews rave about this place; i must say I wasn't impressed. Presentation: 5/5 Quality: 4/5 Ambience 2/5 Taste: 3/5 I must say I have had better and for the price we had paid to try the menu; it just wasn't worth it. If you are bathing in money; sure give it a try. But don't go in with too high expectations. As a resident of Canada where Sushi is a major staple; I find you can def get alot better sushi for a fraction of the price. In terms of Sushi as a whole; London is a disappointment. read more

Dinings far exceeded our high expectations. With Nobu, Zuma, Umu and Sake no Hana, Dinings matched in quality and creativity. It is small restaurant located in the basement of a townhouse, and unfortunately their ultra-modern decor was not able to fully disguise the wires and circuit breakers, and my only critique would be that they didn't seem to try hard enough to make it more of a luxury experience, which it should be with the prices and food presentation. The food is why you come here, and is why I plan on matching weekly pilgrimages back. We started off with their unique and popular tar tar chips which as basically bite-sized japanese tacos filled with avocado, and crab or salmon with either a spicy miso or creamy jalapeno sauce. The crispy shell added the perfect crunch. I would have tried them all if I knew how good they were going to be. The yellow tail sashimi was was served with a jalapeno and garlic salsa and lime --- so fresh and clean. Contemplated ordering a second dish. The special lobster tempura roll was excellent with an un-needed spicy mayo sauce. By far the best dish was the otoro tartar served in truffle oil with caviar. orgasmic. the most decadent and yummy dish I have ever had, and I LOVE my tuna tartar. The desserts were experimental with their macha tea brulee and pear sorbet. YUM. I don't think this place skipped a single beat with the dishes, and the specials menu was extensive leading me to believe they truly want to put their best foot forward and showcase the most fresh fish of the season. So happy to have discovered Dinings. It is now on my top 5 restaurants in London. read more

Wow! I'm not sure that is a big enough expression of my love of this restaurant. This restaurant is unique with the Japanese European fusion styles of hot and cold tapas and sushi. The service is impeccable, much like that of a five star restaurant in NYC. The ingredients were surprising to read on the menu, but an exceptional delight on the palette. My favorites were the beautiful crafted miso and foie gras shashimi with Kizami wasabi and the seasonal oak roasted duck with a aka miso glaze, both pictured! You must go here if you live in the UK or are traveling. They will wow you at every chance they get. read more

Dinings - Toro and Foie gras shashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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Consistently the best Japanese/Japanese fusion food I've eaten and London and one of my favorite outside of Japan. All the raw fish is tremendous and I high recommend the Tataki, house ceviche, Wagyu Beef chips, Lobster Tempura open roll, Scallop sashimi. Last but not least the desserts are also mind-blowing. Try the creme brulee with green tea ice cream. read more

Dinings - Wagyu beef chips - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

A must go to Japanese fusion dining outlet in London. Although they don't have pictures illustrating the food menu, but all the cold or hot dishes won't let you down. Even the dessert chocolate fondant cake is not too sweet, very chocolatey with warm chocolate melting in the crust. My so far best voted Japanese fusion restaurant. read more

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Delicious! This place is not for the cheap at heart that's for sure but their Japanese food and sushi menu which is heavy on tapas and fusion style is both unique and quality. Definitely recommend starting with trying their crisp tar-tars, I had two and would have been content to eat them all night. Had a yellowtail sashimi in ponzu sauce and wasabi salsa, was good but perhaps a little too much salsa on the fish, I actually like to taste my fish as I'm eating it. Sushi was great, king crab hot tapas delicious (oh how I miss king crab back in the states). The food was good, we were happy with our experience but considering the price not sure this will be a place we go to very often, but I'm sure we'll be back. Missing that 5th star from me basically because I've had pretty much the same quality sushi at another place in London that is bit more friendly on the wallet, really would have to be a complete standout to get a 5th star from me but Dinings is certainly worth a try! read more

I took my boyfriend to Dinings for his birthday lunch and we had a great meal. My foodie Japanese friend recommended this place, so we traveled across town all the way from East London. And it certainly didn't disappoint. The restaurant is very small, with only sushi bar seating on the top floor (less than 10 seats) and 7-8 tables in the basement. You should definitely make reservations, as the restaurant was packed for lunch on a Saturday and I can only imagine how difficult it will be to try to have dinner there. The food is Japanese fusion served tapas style. The menu is quite big with several sections: nibbles, cold tapas, hot tapas, lunch specials, sushi, and rolls. We decided to order from each of the section to sample a variety of dishes. We started with one scallop and one lobster tar-tar chips, which are tiny bite-sized tacos. We loved those fresh and flavorful bites. Then we had seaweed salad, miso aubergine, scallops and their signature dish - grilled chill garlic black cod. Everything was really tasty, but nothing quite stood out for me. What really captured my heart was the Wagyu Beef steak donburi. OMG, I was in heaven. The beef was very tender and cooked to perfection. The meat was so soft that it literally melted in my mouth. I could eat this for lunch everyday, but at a hefty 25 pounds a pop, it is just a once in a blue moon treat. We got so full that we didn't even get a chance to try to sushi or rolls here. Since it is a birthday celebration, we have to have a dessert and we had the black and white sesame custard type of thing and I liked it a lot - Not too bit, not too sweet, just about right. The services are quite nice as well. I informed them of the occasion before hand and they prepared a nice birthday dessert plate and a candle. I definitely will have to come back to try to fresh sashimi others raved about. read more

Unquestionably really good sushi and sashimi, some of the freshest and most innovative in London. Their hot food and sauces were brilliant as well, there's no doubt that Dining is a step up above other Japanese restaurants in London. For the food, 5/5. However, it is rather pricey for a casual dining environment. The service was great though, and if I could give this place 4.5 stars, I would, but 4 stars will have to do! Some recommendations: 1) Eel and foie gras roll - just an amazing combination! 2) Seabass and truffle carpaccio 3) 4-appetiser sampler - great way to have a taste of four very different flavours I wouldn't go for the tar-tar chips though. Trying to be too inventive, styled on mini-tacos from Mexico. But the potato "chip" was just too thin and an acrid fried taste. Didn't work. read more

Food was ok. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. My big problem was that the server stood at my table watching me eat the entire time. Creeped me out. She could barely speak English and was very new. read more

Dinings - £28. Not worth the money. - Sushi Bars Near Me - London, XGL

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My son is a fan of Japanese food and wanted to take him somewhere special for his birthday. The reviews did it for me, but boy was I disappointed. There is no ambiance as it's quite small and casual - maybe this was my fault for not investigating more. Our area only had our table and two more. So much for dressing up - everyone was casual and wearing jeans and trainers. I have been to the Nobu restaurants, Zuma and also Umu amongst other well known brands. Had I known what I was about to experience, I should have gone back to them. At least this would have been special for my son. *Appetiser 4 ways was good *Panko deep fried Asparagus wrapped w/ Wagyu beef was nothing special and greasy *Seabass carpaccio with truffle was tasty but a little too lemony/zesty *We ordered two Garlic Yellowtail sashimi with caviar and one regular but received them the other way round. They said we get to keep the second regular as a compliment and would bring out second garlic yellowtail, but never did. (In the end, they took this one yellowtail off the bill b/c of mistake) *3 pc spicy Kizami salmon roll was very good *The inside out rolls were good, except the fatty tuna had crunchy bits inside and that was unexpected and a turnoff. They explained what the ingredient is but.... NO. We started at 9:30, it took a while to get the waiter to come take our order. I had to make him repeat the specials/way of ordering, several times, as the woman at the table next to us was so loud I couldn't hear him. Yes, the tables are that close. By the time we waited for our last sushi rolls and everything else was finished we looked at our watches at 10:25 - the rolls arrived at 10:50pm, which was ridiculous. They knew it was taking long and even apologised, but being a week night, we wanted dessert for my son's birthday, but it was too late and we were just anxious to get the bill. Although our waiter was nice enough and acknowledged the issues, for the type of prices you pay here, you'd expect a lot more for what you get. Needless to say, waiter offered to take the service charge off the bill without us even requesting. If you want casual, yet excellent Japanese, try Jin Kichi in Hampstead or Oka in Primrose Hill or their other location. I wish I went back there - but like I said, wanted a different place for my son to experience for his birthday. Let down. read more

I went here a year ago. Got lucky with reservations. Everything was so good. World Class. I was with 3 other picky people but all were impressed. If I could go back here again, I will for sure. read more

Absolutely loved the menu, food preparation and presentation at Dinings. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. The restaurant falls a little short on service though. Our server failed to bring us the miso-glazed eggplant tapa we ordered and then brought us the double crab roll which we did not order. For a restaurant at this price point, servers really should be more attentive and accurate. Had service been on-point I would've given 5-stars as the food truly is deserving of the highest rating. read more

Great good is what this place is all about. Minimal and very basic decor - very small restaurant so you should definitely book. The quality of the food is up there with the best - yes yes the Chef used to work at Nobu - I agree with the other reviewers - the tar tar chips are amazing! This place is not cheap - but you do get what you pay for. PS Nice range of sake too. read more

Silly expensive, and yet somehow worth it, Dinings has managed to find a strange little niche tucked between in your face "truffle-and-fois-gras-on-everything" luxury and casual dinner with friends. The whole thing feels out of place like some bizarre Japanese edible version of the twilight zone - stuck in the middle of a residential block, with cozy (some would say cramped) seating and friendly staff - but by god, it pulls it off. My advice? Don't trust your own taste-buds, and let the staff help out out with ordering, because you will be surprised. The tartare chips, seabass, and double crab really stood out. Oh, and I don't usually do this for Japanese restaurants, but stick around for desert. The vanilla mochi is mind-blowingly good. read more