Mayfair is no stranger to sushi. Chisou, Taku, Sexy Fish, and Umu are all within walking distance, though some of them are more lavish and built for Insta-stories than others. Joining their ranks is NIJŪ, the brainchild of third-generation sushi chef Endo Kazutoshi of the Michelin-starred Endo at The Rotunda and fellow new opening Kioku at the OWO Raffles.
The focus here is on ‘katei ryori’ cooking, which translates to ‘home-cooked food’ and, in Nijū’s own words, means ‘informal yet decadent’. It certainly feels more relaxed than some of the neighbouring Mayfair restaurants: it’s giving chic, but not overly flashy. Situated in an elegant townhouse, you enter through a heavy velvet curtain to find two separate dining rooms decked out with sunset-hued lights and tasteful indoor plants – the one on the left hosting a bustling open sushi counter, headed up by David Bury (formerly of Notting Hill’s Sumi), and the kitchen by Chris Golding (formerly of The Pantechnicon).
We mopped up a dollop of yuzu butter with delightfully fluffy shokupan bread
The menu is organised into different sections: snacks and small dishes, nigiri and sashimi, big katei ryori plates and their selection of konro grilled house-aged beef. To kick things off, we mopped up a dollop of yuzu butter with delightfully fluffy shokupan bread – the unami kick of the MSG meddling gorgeously with the citrusy twang – followed by blistered padron peppers scattered with katsuobushi flakes. By this point, we’d downed our starter cocktails – a zingy satsuma margarita and a miso and chestnut old fashioned – and ordered a carafe of nigori kaigetsu sake, a vessel of cloudy, rice-y goodness, which went down a treat with the chef’s ridiculously delicate nigiri selection. The standout here was the otoro – a seared fatty tuna belly topped with caviar – but all of the cuts were fresh, firm, and as delightful to look at as they were to eat.
It’s a shame we couldn’t say the same about our side of egg-topped white asparagus, which sat limply on a bed of tasteless wild garlic velouté, which needed way more garlic, or seasoning, or anything. Our side of BBQ’d napa cabbage was also not quite there: it would have benefited from more of a harsh charring. Not to dwell on that for too long, though, as next entered the star of the show: a huge (and we mean huge – this is one for sharing) half chicken; leg, feet, claws and all. Crispy and tender, it came with a lemony katsu sauce which I would have had injected, if that sort of thing was allowed.
After all of that, we somehow made room for a velvety chocolate namelaka: a rich cremeux sitting on a biscuity base, topped with segments of glistening, jewel-like blood orange. Delightful.
The vibe Mayfair sushi chic without the relentless influencer phone flashes.
The food Quality nigiri and sashimi, house aged beef and ingredient-led home-style plates.
The drink Champagne, sake (ranging from £80 to £160 for a bottle), and a choice of 10 signature cocktails, based on the classics. For the full experience, it’s well worth heading to their adjoining intimate cocktail bar, Nipperkin.
Time Out tip Don’t dare miss the bathrooms: all polished wood and dinky sinks, they’re an experience in themselves.