My favorite sushi spot in all of London so far. Unique nigiri flavors and great service, Shio ice cream was a crowd pleaser. Ambient and intimate setting Skip the mushroom/spinach starter read more

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Thank you very much to Nick, Ryo and all other staff - for the really wonderful experience that you gave my wife and I today at Umu. The order of the food, the great variety and combination of incredible tastes, the presentation, and the general sensitivity and great artistry of the whole thing - were all a real pleasure. In a nutshell - the food was the best meal of my entire life (we had the winter Kaiseki). The service and people were also really delightful, with a lovely atmosphere. The experience today is one we will never forget. We shall recommend Umu to all we meet. read more

Umu Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

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Everything about this place is remarkable. The service was impeccable, the ambiance trendy yet comfortable and the food was outstanding. My only complaint is that you can't have the £250 tasting menu unless everybody else in the table gets it and the menu is not fit for everybody. read more

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This is one of my favorite places to eat in London. The tuna tartare with caviar was just wonderful. And also the foie gras sushi and the mackerel. Could just eat all three items all the time. I also loved the chocolate sponge, that takes 15 mins to bake so order it early if you are in a rush. The lobster tempura soup was interesting though that and the eel were not my favorite. Service was excellent. Worthy of its 2 Michelin stars! read more

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Umu definitely takes the cake when it comes to food, service, and experience. I've been to several Michelin star restaurants and Umu is definitely on par or better than most of them. I chooses the prefix menu and got two saki's. I was afraid I would leave the restaurant hungry but was delighted with a full belly at the end of the night. The sashimi was wonderful, you could tell it was fresh and not frozen. Additionally the beef was wonderful and juicy. Service was wonderful and every dish was explained while my water was always filled. I have only nice things to say about this restaurant and hope I can come again if I'm ever in London! read more

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UMU was such a pleasant experience. The food and the service were impeccable, and it was definitely a well-deserved Two-Michelin star restaurant. UMU is located in Mayfair. The exterior of the restaurant didn't look like much, with only a wooden door that will open when you put your hand on the sensor pad. I was n a thesis research trip when I came to London and I thought that I would treat myself to a nice meal at this place. I got the kaiseki menu and I wasn't disappointed. The food was exquisite. The first dish, which was the cuttlefish with caviar was my absolute favorite. The combination of the flavors was just amazing! Every single dish was prepared perfectly. Each dish looked like a lot of care was given to them. The interior of the restaurant was dark so the pictures that I have posted do not do justice. Granted, the restaurant is expensive, but if you are looking for a dining experience to remember, I think UMU would be worth it! read more

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I am compelled to provide a review to help others avoid the same experience we had at Umu. We made a reservation for counter seating which may have been the problem. We were seated at the sushi counter with an expectation of a great meal and an enjoyable view watching the sushi chef make their Michelin star worthy creations. Instead, we had a front row seat to watch the grumpiest, sourest, nastiest sushi chef I've ever seen. He had a serious problem with everything and everyone. His demeanor was terrible. I was hoping he would walk off the job so I didn't have to watch him anymore but he kept working. We ordered the (way overpriced) kaiseki set menu. Some of the dishes were excellent (Ocean Breeze Lobster Soup, Hiyajiru Cold Somen Noodles). Others, I felt were created for Instagram moments and did not have any special tastes/complexity worthy of two Michelin stars (Japanese Sweet Corn Three Ways, Tsukuri White Fish, Ajisai Hydrangea dessert). In a super expensive set menu, we were provided with zero nigiri and we wanted to try a few pieces because some of those menu items sounded interesting. We asked the waiter if we could add some nigiri. The waiter said yes and took our order. When the rude sushi chef saw the newly placed order, he said out loud in a rude tone... mind you right in front of us... "Seriously?!?". If ordering nigiri was an issue, the waiter could have politely declined our request. I immediately felt even more uncomfortable and irritated. Wait... I'm paying YOU right? Is what I was thinking the entire time. I found it ironic the restaurant provided a "happy thoughts" poem during the course "Tsukuri White Fish", when in reality we left feeling belittled and demeaned. This place is WAY OVERRATED. We were told later the owner/sushi chef was on holiday (8/3/19). Perhaps he would have made the experience better? If you are considering this place, I wouldn't take that risk. Looking back, I regret not talking to the manager about our experience, but he also seemed prickly. The only thing elevated at this dinner was the cost. BOO Umu. read more

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This is a great restaurant. It's not like most Japanese sushi places because they don't serve the specialty sushi rolls and they don't do a good edamame. But I will say high ratings on the vegetables served with edamame purée and my partner like the tuna and miso soup that was prepared in a untraditional way. Next visit I'd try the lobster dish. read more

Umu Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

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Amazing amazingggg!! Such a gem with delicious food and super fresh sashimi, combined with impeccably creative presentation. We didn't order the kaiseki since you have to order as a table, and we wanted to try different things. Start with a complimentary amuse bouche - ours that day was mushroom and spinach. We ordered the seared lobster and corian appetizer starter - fresh, great sauce, seared just enough. Then had the vegetable hot pot and their version of "fish and chips". The hot pot was light and refreshing, while the fish and chips were their tempura. It came with sea bass, mackerel, shrimp, and scallops - 3 types of tempura breading. Next came the 11 wagyu. We got the miso nut flavored one - must order. It just melts in your mouth, and the sauce was such a great combination not at all overpowering. We elected to have sashimi arrive last - ordered pieces of yellowtail, toro, and sea bass - all extremely fresh and delicious. Lastly, we ordered the manja chocolate sponge and matcha tiramisu for dessert. Note the chocolate sponge takes 12 min to prep, both again very good. The chocolate sponge came with a grain ice cream which was heavenly. The tiramisu came in a glass cup with a dollop of sparkling sake jelly on top. So creative! When they bring you the check, they provide a trio of petit fours to end the meal. So delicious, service is great, and overall a wonderful experience. Heads up - place is very hard to spot. It's literally a small sign you place your hand over and a wooden door slides open into the restaurant - so unique! read more

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Delicious! A wonderful kaiseki meal. We were pleasantly surprised with this two Michelin star Japanese restaurant. They had creative and delicious dishes that took a lot of care. I posted the pictures to give you an idea but it was dark inside so it doesn't do the food the justice it deserves. The service was impeccable. read more

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I love Kaiseki cuisine and my favorite restaurant closed so I decided to try another one. The restaurant is very pretty and situated in very fancy Mayfair. It's definitively a place you go to impress someone (there's no visible sign outside, you have to put you hand on a panel and the wood door opens itself) The Kaiseki menu is composed of 8 small dishes and it was really delicious. It was almost as good as what I tried in Japan. They also have a very impressive list of sushi/sashimi. The best dish was, surprisingly, the dessert: a pear cheesecake that was so soft, so melty... Probably one of the best dessert I had. read more

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One of the best Japanese in London, makes the other look overrated . The sushi and the wagyu grade 11 Japanese it just melts in ur mouth And finally adding the chocolate fingers at the end makes it an abomination read more

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We came on a special day to relive the magic of our past Japan trip and all around us we heard the whisper of "Araki" which is completely unfair since both these restaurants are totally different concepts. But if you have been to the sublime Araki, you couldn't help comparing, mulling, contrasting the two experiences. And it seemed like the other patrons were not just thinking it, but saying it outloud. Araki, an authentic experience. Umu... more of a corporate experience? Corporate isn't even the right word... the Knightsbridge type perhaps. We had the Kaiseki menu, and quite a bit of sake and champagne. I don't think it was "value for money" but it depends on your values. read more

Mediocre lunch in a 2 Michelin Star restaurant that stayed open even though their AC was broken on a day with temps nearing 90 F. We did not receive a call ahead of time. Completely unacceptable. Especially for average food with below average service. Management was unresponsive, as well. Comparing this to eating in Kyoto is akin to comparing drinking champagne to drinking toilet water. At least it was expensive! read more

Dined here on a Friday night at 7pm and had the Kaiseki menu with the sake pairing. Main thoughts: 1. 7pm is right in-between the opening seating and the second seating. If you want action at the sushi bar, I'd recommend either a seating at opening or a seating around 8:30, since for about 75% of my time there, the chefs were prepping ingredients like shiso leaves rather than making sushi for the patrons. 2. Make sure you know what Kaiseki is!!! This was rated one of the best sushi restaurants in London and their sashimi WAS to die for - it's just not what Kaiseki is about. Rather, sashimi is a portion of a larger menu that explores Japanese cuisine in way I'd never experienced before. 3. GET THE SAKE PAIRING. Seriously. This made the meal for me. I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about wines, and a novice sake drinker, and the sake pairings here were exquisite. Really well done. I can't recommend it highly enough - the way it deepened aspects of the flavors in the dishes was fantastic. 4. The service is impeccable. Probably a 1x1 ratio of employee to diner when I started at 7pm (maybe 1.5x1 with kitchen staff?). Top notch and everyone was extremely friendly as well. TL;DR: Go expecting a kaiseki menu (not omakase), choose the right time (early or late for action, mid-evening for quiet), and get the sake pairing - you'll have an awesome experience you will not soon forget. read more

Umu is a lovely little spot tucked into an attractive little side street in Mayfair near Bond Street. The restaurant itself beautiful designed; warm and dark, yet not overly so, with a wooden lattice screen partially obscuring the refrigerated shelves holding the sake at the back and warm wood everywhere.. The food itself is very good Japanese with some Western influence. Overall I found the flavours to be delicate and balanced as they should be with some surprising combinations, such as chuu-toro salad with tsukemono and cashew or the "Kyoto Sundae" with melon and tofu ice cream (not green tea, thanks) with mochi and green tea cakes While the fusion menu items were good, I found in general I liked the more traditional preparations the best. The teriyaki "skill fish" entree was very good with amazing attention to detail. The sushi selections we made were very fresh, high in quality and presented perfectly. The sake list is possibly the most comprehensive I've seen outside Japan. There were at least 5 pages of sake separated by prefecture. Sake by the glasses were also listed on the first page. Now for the bad.. In general I found the service to be very intrusive. The constant interruptions of my dinner conversation were alternately annoying and absurd. The waitstaff readily pounced upon any chance to refill even the most nominally drained water glass, and often felt compelled to offer the most inane of commentary to accompany the courses.. I understand that attentive service is the cornerstone of fine dining, but might I recommend that the front of the house staff spend slightly less time observing the water glasses and plates of the patrons and more time observing the patrons themselves. are they engrossed in conversation? then leave the mostly full water glass alone. Is one patron still finishing a course? Then wait until all patrons are finished before clearing the settings.. Another mild annoyance was the suggestion of wine with Japanese food without mentioning their extensive sake list.. One should also know that Umu is on the pricey side and should bear this in mind when planning a trip here.. I could imagine an evening meal either a la carte or prix fixe going from £90 to £200+ with drinks included. This may or may not be worth the price to you.. read more

Umu seemed to have made some improvements in time for our last visit and can now have 5 stars! The service seemed to be less clingy and the music seemed to have calmed down to feature bland elevator japanese. We are here to eat and drink after all... The food is as good as ever and I must say last time I was very impressed by the Japanese sommelier as she remember what sakes I had the previous time I visited (over 1 month has passed and my sister had went with her in laws without me in that time) and was able to tell me which one we preferred; and also recommended and matched new sakes to the meal we were having (and at a price range we were willing to pay). She is an absolute star and totally made our meal! Oh and I finally figured out which was the men's bathrooms and which was the ladies. Only luck has saved me from embarrassments induced by sake and super discreet signage. read more

Overall, great food, outstanding service and nice atmosphere except for the elevator music. A fairly loyal take on a Kyoto style Japanese food (I lived in Japan for nine years). Very fresh seafood - we had the sashimi and sushi platters because we couldn't decide. There were the usual suspects, hamachi/amaebi/maguro, but also local fish from Cornwall which was something new utilising 'local' ingredients. The tofu was delicious and made using only Japanese sourced ingredients. The wagyu beef tataki was nice but not as tender as I expected - the fat wasn't quite marbled enough through it. The service was beyond attentive to the point of being perfectly coordinated - my green tea was never cold and regularly topped up; the dishes were explained without being too in-your-face; polite talk without being overbearing. A great experience and I would highly recommend. read more

Umu Restaurant - Mixed sushi - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

Must Try Grade 9 Wagyu beef! That was amazing! The sea urchin was fresh and really rich. The most favourite dessert Match Tiramisu used matcha green tea and Ginjo Sake together which was really different as usual Italian tiramisu. read more

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Excellent quality fish, sparkling presentation, and not flashy enough to attract the "OK Magazine" fodder from Nobu. On the flip side - ferociously expensive, service can be hit and miss ( if your lunch runs into the afternoon), and you do occasionally get flocks of strategy consultants/ M & A experts/venture capitalists in here burning client money. So, in summary, if somewhat offered me a free slap-up feed here, or three at less august Japanese establishments I could name, it would be a tough call. read more

The best Japanese restaurant I have ever been to in my entire life! Tucked away in this inconspicuous non-dodgy little alley off of extravagant Bond Street, is this beautiful James-Bond-esque feel of a restaurant. If there was an award given out for restaurant main entrance doors, this would get first first place in my book. Very exclusive, very small (portions and seating), very expensive, and very intimate! I have come here about four times in total, and each time for a special occasion. The service is unparalleled to that of any other. Each plate looks like an art piece and tastes like nothing you've ever had before. The flavors are fresh from Japan with some tastes of the authentic old and sublime new. They even import their drinking water from Japan! Just don't come here on an empty stomach because you wont leave feeling full or you'll end up breaking the bank trying to! read more

Had dinner here with clients on Thursday. The lawyers were paying so I shouldn't complain about the price but it was astonishing how much dinner was. We had the tasting menu, which was generally really good, and full of interesting things which I hadn't ever had before such as caviar, salmon eggs and monkfish liver. However, for the price everything should have been fantastic and a couple of the courses didn't really work - the venison course was quite dry and didn't have enough sauce, as the salmon and rice dish was a bit plain. I can see someone below has made a comment about the food generally being a bit bland which I agree with, so only four stars overall. read more

First of all. We arrived 5 minutes ahead of when we where suppose to be at the restaurant, and we where treated by two snobby bitches. When they informed us that we where an hour late, we told them that we called today confirming the time which was 9:30 but they insisted they where right. In all the food was excellent, but they screwed up the order several times , plus service fee is so fucking high. read more

One of my favorites in London. Michelin star inspired Kyoto restaurant. The sushi is divine, especially the uni sushi. I lost track of how many I've had. Hands down one of the best in London and I know there are a lot of amazing ones out in London. Highly recommended. We didn't sit at the bar, our group had a table and service was impeccable and consistent. read more

I have dined here 4 times over the course of the year and have seen a noticeable improvement in service and the quality of the food. Hotate sushi is sublime and haunts my dreams. Kaiseki is inventive but exorbitant. Sake list is extensive and the sommelier is very knowledgeable. Toyobijin was a good recommendation for flavour and price. Decor is okay but not outstanding. They employ a lot of darkness to hide imperfections. Overall, a strong contender for premium Japanese dining in London and kudos for offering something different in an already crowded marketplace. I would give it 5 stars if it wasn't so inordinately expensive. Be mindful that you don't go here to satisfy hunger (portions are lilliputian) but to amuse the taste buds. read more

I ate at Umu in late 2008 on my birthday. I love Japanese food and Umu did not disappoint. We had a tasting menu and from the seasonal ingredients to presentation, everything was meticulously presented and tasted amazing. Sake list will satisfy afficionados. Creative dishes that are mostly traditional, with small modern touches. The service was very good. The restaurant was tastefully decorated and the lighting pleasant. It is expensive but for a special occasion, I would highly recommend it. read more

Tucked away in a little dark alley of Soho, Umu is superb but you will pay dearly for that expense. I was just there for one of the best sake / omikase sushi meals of my life, costing £140 when it was all done. The sushi was a bit westernized - lots of stuff that you wouldn't find in Japan - but the deviations from tradition were always imaginatively delicious. The sake selection was extensive, with knowledgable sommeliers and useful recommendations. read more

Overpriced, don't go if you are looking for sushi. After 3 days in Paris and a couple more here in London, having dined on fabulous but very heavy food, our group of four was ready for a great sushi meal. Based on sterling reviews, we booked Umu. The restaurant is on a back street, tucked away and is very beautiful. We were offered champagne (not free) upon being seated. The first disappointment was the menu. The tasting menu looked intriguing but included beef and rabbit as well as several other cooked dishes, not what we were looking for. In the absence of omekase sushi, I ordered sushi a la carte. The charge per piece ( ONE) was from 9-14 pounds. I got 2 yellowtail, 2 ikura and 2 pieces of toro/shishito. The ikura rolls were about the size of an American quarter, contained about 1 1/2 tsp of ikura, with some loosely wrapped nori and rice. These rolls fell apart as I attempted to eat them, scattering rice over my lap and the table. A waitress appeared with a rolled up wet towel. I was mortified. The toro shishito consisted of a paper thin slice of cooked toro, a whole roasted pepper and similar rice. They were also tiny. The pepper was overpowering to the dry minuscule morsel of fish. The yellowtail also was tiny, about a 1 1/4 inch thin piece of non remarkable fish. I'm not sure which of my rolls was poorest but one left a fishy taste in my mouth akin to how one feels about an hour after consuming a tuna fish sandwich and forgetting to brush one's teeth. Worse, my 6 mouthfuls cost me about $100. My dining companions ordered the sashimi plate. Imagine a plate the size of an American dessert plate and just enough fish to cover about 3/4 of it. Total bill for 4 glasses of champagne 3 vodkas and this food order? Over $600. read more

im going to keep this simple and say that Umu is a quaint and relaxing modern take on Japanese food (read: small portions) with great flavors but you need to be guided through the menu. I also recommend the Chu Toro salad that I found through another review here. read more

Incredible Kaiseki in an uber cool ambience. If want to explore what Kaiseki is, watch the Chef's Table episode on Netflix featuring Niki Nakayama before dropping £115 for the set menu. But worth every bit. Delicate, formal and well executed. read more

I really enjoyed my evening here. We sat at the sushi bar because all the tables were booked out but we had just as much attentive service as the people who were at the tables. The decor is ultra swish with a modern take on traditional Japanese style with lots of varying types of wood and excellent lighting, just as you would expect from a Michelin starred restaurant based in Mayfair. However you don't get the feel that this is an snobby elite/pretentious place as the atmosphere is very friendly and warm. This is apparently the only Kyoto Japanese style restaurant in the UK, being sadly ignorant I asked our amazing host Seiji what that actually means? Kyoto is the template upon which Japanese culinary culture grows from. The cuisine places great import on seasonal ingredients, especially fresh fish. And the fish didn't disappoint, I don't think I can blame the saki for blurring my opinion for every dish that was expertly recommended to us was quite simply amazing. We even got free desert and a glass of champers after one of the waiting staff spilled water in my boyfriends lap. I almost wet myself as several Japanese girls all came flocking apologetically to his lap armed with napkins ready to erase what just happened. Hilarious. If you come to Umu you must ask for Seiji - he will expertly guide you through the saki, kaiseki and sushi/sashimi menus. He's one cool dude with a serious amount of knowledge and love for the culture and food, who also has a cheeky glint in his eye! Tip: If you can help it make sure you are taken as a guest to this restaurant or you may get a shock when the bill arrives. read more

A beautiful restaurant with great food. The service was excellent and the sushi and sake pairings were superb. Nobu used to be my favorite London sushi restuarant until now. read more

High-power ambiance in the heart of Mayfair. I went there because I was in the mood to splurge for a delicious Japanese meal in the middle of the week and had read excellent reviews about this place. The presentation is impeccable, the decor that universally modern but understated trendiness with lots of honey-coloured wood, but the food was BLAND and unquestionably overrated (sushi and East Asian food are my favourite foods). I was so disappointed that I went to get Thai food afterwards, just for some kick. I expected much more for the price and hype. read more

Wow, this place is cool from that huge funky door to the decor to even the toliets!!! I'm defiantely not a sushi expert but I know I have eaten the best after going here. This is like a non-pretentious non-celebrity ridden version of Nobu.and I hope it stays that way. Once inside here you feel like your in another world, a very cool and interesting world at that! The huge mirror on the wall allows you to be able to look around the room spying on the mix of people dining be it mayfairians, couples dining and japense business men and women. I chose the Classic Sushi Kaiseki set menu which let me eperience a variety of flavours and was enough to fill me up (which often isnt the case with sushi). I will not forget going here and will recommend it to anyone with money or who isnt paying the bill! read more

Umu offers delicious Japanese food of the highest quality and in true Kyoto style. The service was very attentive. The food is a joy and I recommend it to anyone looking for really wonderful Japanese food. read more

I ate here last Friday for a business meeting. It had impressive ambiance and decent service. Although not the easiest restaurant to get into, the food was surprisingly authentic. Would recommend to friends and will likely be coming back soon. read more

This place is super glamorous, elegant and polished, with extraordinary sashimi. Much of it is apparently sourced from Cornwall and I must say, it is of exceptionally high quality. I've never tasted better. The tuna belly almost melted in the mouth. The white fish was delectable. Walking into this place felt like we'd been transported into a scene from a Bond movie -honestly. Delicious food, excellent service, and very special ambience. But damn, the bill was steep... read more

I was taken on a first date here and I have to admit that I was blown away by the experience. The service was impeccable and the waiting staff first class. You hardly saw let alone hear them as they moved about the floor attending to our every need. The food was delectable but I admit to being a proper girl and allowing my date to order for me! read more

As a huge fan of Japanese food. I would say I went to most of the Japanese restaurant. The very first time I went to here was last year about October time. I swore to my friend it was the most tasty Japanese food in London. Sea urchin, eel, wagyu beef etc was awesome. My friend said she could even more agree wiz me. One month later, I ordered the nigiri and sushi. Unfortunately it was not that good as last time. Last few weeks ago. I visited it again. The food was not that good,either. Can anyone tell me what happened? read more

I've tried many Japanese restaurant but this time I think it's just average. The quality of sashimi didn't meet its price. The Umu sushi was creative, but the taste was just OK. Maybe it is because here is uk and you can't expect so much about Japanese food. Though the decoration and the dessert was good, I didn't feel the mains in Umu was worth the price. read more