Please note, Sushi Café Maco is now closed. Time Out Food & Drink Editors.
The café formerly known as Matsu is quite a purist affair. Apart from the odd hot component (yakitori, tempura or katsu) included in good-value lunch deals and a four-course dinner set, sushi rules the roost here. Special mention, however, must go to the excellent chicken-and-chive gyoza. Even sashimi barely gets a look-in: there’s just the one stand-alone option of salmon; otherwise it only crops up in a couple of sushi assortments. Just as well, then, that the back-to-front-Kangol-flatcapped itamae (sushi chef) knows what he’s doing. Maki hold together nicely, while nigiri are slender and elegantly tapered. Fillings and toppings don’t break out of the standard repertoire, but they do exceed expectations for a modest-looking enterprise that’s often (undeservedly) quiet. The simplicity of Maco’s menu is matched by the pared-down, almost industrial look that was achieved by removing Matsu’s false ceiling and coating the old cream interior with matt white. We like the helpful service, and we love the doll’s-house-sized food replicas in the window.