Kinugawa

Step into Kinugawa and you’ll be swept up in muted lighting, gentle music, Zen décor, air con, warm hand towels, candles… all the stops have been pulled out here. The staff are wonderfully attentive, and your glass is always full.

First come chilled entrées such as tai sashimi à la Kinugawa, in which the subtle flavours of the sea bream are brought out to the full. Hot starters are also available: try the nasu dengaku (half an aubergine coated with a sweet miso crust – delicious, but very filling), or the ebi aspara apuri (a dish of grilled prawns and green asparagus tossed in a spicy lemon-garlic dressing). For those with a more conventional palate, there are salads, noodles, spinach and various seaweed dishes.

At mains, topping the pricelist is the wagyu steak, served with a crunchy vegetable mix in a Peruvian-tinged miso sauce. Lovers of sushi and sashimi can choose between tasty ‘classics’, including salmon and mackerel (the latter served with a sliver of lemon mayonnaise), and ‘specialities’ such as fatty tuna and lobster. Beware the insanely spicy maki Hamachi with ginger and wasabi, and the slightly overwrought California shake kawa rolls.

Make sure to leave room for a dessert, whether it’s an Orientalized version of a French standard or something authentically Japanese (the matcha-azuki roll and sesame ice cream combo is a treat). Or you could always plump for the dessert du jour: on our visit, a rhubarb and raspberry tart.

Top-of-the-range food here means top-of-the-range prices – as much as €60-100 per person if you’re not holding back. Otherwise, there are set lunch menus that hover around the €50 mark.