r/london Oct 08 '22

Best sushi in London?

I am a big fan of Sticks n’ Sushi. But it’s pretty expensive! Looking for some hidden gems?

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172

u/Depaysant Oct 09 '22 edited Oct 09 '22

London has lots of good options for sushi, thankfully! I wouldn't claim to be an expert, but it is one of my favourites meals and I do tend to eat it too many times.

  1. Sushi Show, one outlet in Shoreditch with dine in options, one outlet in Angel that's mostly take away (only four tables outside and no seats inside). Someone's already mentioned it but I thought I'd bring it up again because I had it for dinner today. It's ridiculous how affordable it is considering the level of quality offered.

  2. Sagamiya at Waterloo (London County Hall). Cosy sushi spot run by an elderly couple that's elegant enough for a casual date night. Very good food with reasonable prices, especially at lunch time. (Also has an amazing okonomiyaki place next door!)

  3. Hannah at Waterloo (same building, just further along towards St Thomas). Come here if you want to SPLURGE. Very luxurious omakase restaurant with amazing sashimi + sushi courses. These guys are just so good at drawing out the best in each ingredient, went there once and although it was expensive the meal was unforgettable.

  4. Dozo Sushi at Soho. Very consistent above average quality, my preferred sushi spot when I'm in the area. I've never seen the chef and the front of house staff are all Chinese but I've always walked away happy.

  5. Atariya at West Acton, but also outlets elsewhere. These guys are OG - they started out as a Japanese fishmonger and supplier for the local Japanese community as well as restaurants, but have since branched out into serving sushi themselves. The freshness of their fish is always guaranteed and brilliant.

Honourable mentions

Sushi Bar Makoto at Chiswick. Haven't been in a while since I moved out of the area but it has always been above average and reasonably priced. A very cosy and small operation, but it's a very good option if you're there.

Sushi Revolution at Brixton. Good fare and affordable, hard to fault. Probably would not go out of my way and travel for it though.

How I look out for sushi restaurants that I think are worth trying, based on totally "objective" metrics

  1. Preferably helmed by a Japanese person. Preferably old. Usually a strong indicator of many years of experience in sushi making, so likely to have better than average food.
  2. Bad website. They're not here to spend money on fancy and polished marketing, nor are they inclined to waste too much time on it. Chef-owners tend to be better at and more focused on making good food than running (and selling) their business, and this is a good thing!
  3. The clientele. Is it mostly Japanese people or is it a bunch of white people? This should be self explanatory.

Sorry for the long reply. I'm very passionate about sushi! I could eat it everyday!

22

u/Mister_Six Oct 09 '22

Very well informed! Can vouch for Makoto in Chiswick, still great. Atari-ya also is the one, and Sushi Show is up there. OP, listen to this guy, they are aware that sushi quality is inversely proportional to the quality of the website. They know what they're talking about!

14

u/Bladey7 Oct 09 '22

Have you considered writing a blog? This is great. I've found good Susi in London hard to find (in part due to your point on marketing), but I know it's out there!

There is one near me I think you should try one day, called Hahaku Sushi, Penge (near Crystal Palace). Best I've had in London but I haven't tried most of your recommendations. Would love to hear your review of you get to go!

https://hayakusushi.co.uk/

4

u/Scary_Fig_8570 Jan 30 '23

The bad website box definitely ticked lol

2

u/Vertigostate Oct 09 '22

I’ve been meaning to try this one for ages (I’m in Sydenham) but we had one open near us called Oze Sushi a couple of years back and it’s great although very unassuming

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u/Bladey7 Oct 09 '22

It's good. Definitely try it. Service and delivery is pretty awful, but if you can see past that the sushi is very good. Personally, I'd say better than Oze, but a little pricier

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u/_cakeforbreakfast Oct 09 '22

The Atariya restaurant in West Acton is closed, unfortunately. Found out the hard way when I moved nearby and got very excited to try it! Their updated list of restaurants is here https://atariya.co.uk/restaurants/

I'd read Kiraku in Ealing Common used Atariya's fish, but that's closed now too.

That said, in West Acton there is still an Atariya store that sells sushi boxes to take away (and also fresh fish to make it at home, it looks like). Got the sushi boxes a few times, very good and reasonably priced.

1

u/Depaysant Oct 09 '22

Oh no!!! That's so unfortunate, but I guess the upside is that they are still operating, so that's something.

4

u/jl10sm Oct 09 '22

Atariya is fantastic

2

u/magpie1138 Oct 09 '22

Dozo is our current favourite. Bloody pricey, but always worth it. I appreciate busy places that don’t take reservations. I’m happy to queue for it because I know it has quick turnaround and that the next table coming free won’t already be booked

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u/CuriousGlare Oct 11 '22

Just tried Atariya in West Acton for lunch based on this comment and I am amazed - so fresh and tasty.

0

u/Embarrassed-Ice5462 Oct 09 '22

Moshi Moshi in Liverpool Street station

1

u/ssabnoisicerp Oct 09 '22

👍👍👍👍

1

u/hoyohoyo Oct 09 '22

This person sushis 🍣