15. Zuma, Knightsbridge
Ferraris growl by the doors on a Monday night, the smell of Clive Christian drifts by the bar, and women with shiny nails have chairs for their handbags. Founded by chef Rainer Becker over 20 years ago, it’s a testament to the fabulous food and cocktails that have kept Zuma at the top of its game. In traditional izakaya style, dishes are brought in succession throughout the meal, ranging from crisp squid spritzed with chilli and lime (pictured above) to grilled lamb chops dipped in hatcho miso sauce. Even the simplest vegetable maki looks so beautiful it ought to be framed on a wall. This is Knightsbridge, after all, so everything is done to excess. A number of London’s best restaurants serve the infamous black cod and miso, but Zuma’s is second to none with the sweet white flesh slipping apart in perfect chunks to dip in pale miso puree.
Price: ££££
Address: Zuma, 5 Raphael Street, London SW7 1DL
Website: zumarestaurant.com
16. Abeno, Bloomsbury
Slotted into a row of unassuming Southeast Asian restaurants opposite the British Museum, this quiet wooden space specialises in Kansai-style okonomi-yaki – savoury pancakes. Containing cabbage, spring onions, dough, raw egg and any combination of pork, squid, prawn and chicken, the batter is mixed at the table in a metal bowl and poured onto a hot plate where it squats and sizzles beneath a lid. By the time you’ve sampled a couple of slippery cubes of agedashi tofu, the pancake is scraped up and ready to be served – but not before being squirted with whorls of rice vinegar mayo and a fruity barbecue sauce, then scattered with bonito flakes that quiver and curl in the heat.
Price: £££
Address: 47 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY
Website: abeno.co.uk
17. Uchi, Clapton
Clapton is increasingly becoming a foodie hotspot, but you could easily miss this hidden Japanese gem tucked away on the corner of a residential street. Uchi means ‘inside’ in Japanese, which seems like a very appropriate name once you’ve seen the design: enter through the noren curtain to a serene space with rustic wooden stools, brushed-gold tables, delicate vases and stylish staff clad in denim smocks. Check the specials board, a wall-mounted grid of cute bulldog-clipped cards, and order from all sections of the short but sweet menu: aubergine marinated in miso and mackerel cooked on the traditional robata grill, karaage fried chicken, subtle seaweed salad and fresh, sharp tuna crunch rolls.
Price: ££
Address: 144 Clarence Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 8EA
Website: uchihackney.com
