Kouzu

Name: Kouzu
Telephone: 020 7730 7043
Price range: £50 - £79
Rating: 9

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Japanese·

££££

Bronze Award

7 Reviews

London, SW1W 0BD ·Website ·Call020 7730 7043

1/3

Overview
Location
Reviews

SquareMeal Review of Kouzu

Bronze Award

Being shoehorned into a corner of one of Victoria’s elegant old buildings seems slightly incongruous for a smart, modern Japanese restaurant, but Kouzu’s sympathetic, elegant design transforms the space entirely. Despite the shouted greeting at the door, there’s a “gentle romantic buzz” about the place that makes it perfect for date nights – although the business crowd also take full advantage of its “special energy”. “Wonderful” sushi is the headline act here, from old-school nigiri to ‘new-style’ rolls such as negi hamachi (yellowtail, kizami wasabi, aonoriko seaweed, bubu arare seasoning and cucumber). If you prefer your food cooked, the kitchen also delivers excellent tempura, Wagyu beef from the robata grill and specials, such as roasted duck breast with pickled kumquat and miso orange sauce. Desserts are “very well presented” too. Friendly staff “take time to listen”, and the drinks list will take you pretty much anywhere you want to go – and that includes some sexy cocktails.

Good to know

Average Price

££££ - £50 - £79

Cuisines

Japanese

Ambience

Cool, Fun, Glamorous

Special Features

Counter dining

People

Dates, Special occasions

Kouzu is featured in

Best Restaurants in Victoria

Best restaurants in Belgravia

Best restaurants for counter dining in London

Best chef's counters

Location for Kouzu

21 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0BD

020 7730 7043

Website

Opening Times

Mon-Sat 12N-3pm (Sat 11am- ) 6-10pm (Fri-Sat -11pm)

Reviews of Kouzu

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7 Reviews

Food/Drink

Service

Atmosphere

Value

Joanna S

27 June 2018

Food is impeccable, service is great and the music is upbeat.

Anne L

That gentle romantic buzz type of restaurant

22 April 2016

Had a third date here, yes.. Tinder. Romantic, beautiful dinner spot. We picked the grilled aubergine, Alaskan black cod, duck breast and a range of their wonderful sushi.We both work in the city so it was convenient. I loved the gentleness of the place. A restaurant with a special energy. Pleasant service, lovely food. I will return and make sure I return with everyone I know who enjoys Japanese food.

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Mark W

Great place

01 April 2016

Kouzu is a rather small Japanese restaurant which has a bar on the ground floor as well as what looked like stools around the kitchen area, and conventional dining tables as well. The menu is simpler than the menus at Roka, Nobu or Sake No Hana and there is quite broad choice. Desserts were very well presented. It's a great place if you want to have a great quality sushi, also if you want a place for a civilized dinner or a good second date, this is the place. In my opinion, it is better than Nobu, better than Roka and on a par with Sake No Hana. The staff are really friendly and take time to listen to you. Great place!

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Marios I

Amazing but surprisingly little known

16 July 2015

Kouzu is near to Victoria (but in the nice end, meeting Belgravia). Its a Japanese restaurant with a gentle buzz. The decor is minimalist but has its own little quirks. It's a bit like the most interesting person at the party who you will not be aware off, unless you make a conscious effort to get to know. The food on the other hand does have a big voice. Beautifully crafted like art pieces. There is now a chefs table which I will look forward to trying soon, to see the masterpeices in their creation. It has all the classics of a Japanese restaurant but all with their own special twist as you would expect. Your experience will be maximised if you're on the sushi counter as here you can see the preparations too. The bar is cool and service is good.

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Alan B

Very good but can't see it lasting

02 June 2015

If you're looking for great fusion Japanese food, extremely attentive service and a wide-ranging drinks menu, this is for you. If you're after a great atmosphere or a buzzy place, then you need to look elsewhere. Even on a Saturday night, both the bar & restaurant were mostly empty (it got a bit busier as the evening went on), and I can't see how it can last if they just can't get enough punters in. Which is a shame, as the food is beautifully fresh and nicely presented, and the service is attentive to a fault. Sashimi was crisply fresh and melt-in-the-mouth, the nasu dengaku was very innovative (3 flavours of miso paste on aubergine cubes in a light tempura-style batter), the lamb hoba yaki was finely balanced between rich taste and juicy meatiness. Yes, it's expensive, but no more so than other restaurants in the same league. Maybe the location is wrong - near Victoria station is never going to be the heart of London nightlife. My advice is to get there before it's gone!

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Hanna O

Kouzu

07 April 2015

I had heard many good things about this restaurant and thought that i should give it a try... I tried, i ate, I was blown away! We sat at the sushi bar and the sushi chef kindly took us through a sushi experience whereby he attentively and tenderly made us a piece of sushi, we ate it and he went ahead and prepared the next piece of sushi. It was probably the best experience i have ever had in a restaurant. The sushi chef was so chatty and knew so much about the art of sushi. The cocktails were delightful! Definitely a MUST!!!! Best Japanese restaurant in London!

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Mark D

A shot in the arm for the fine dining in Victoria.

04 December 2014

This restaurant exudes cool, calm, contemporary elegance, which I like, but while it may understated, the food smashes it! The chef here has a fantastic touch. We loved the pyramid spinach dish mentioned by Square Meal, a clever juxtaposition of freshness and flavour and the sashimi is fantastic too. The black cod dish is in my opinion better than the Nobu version, it’s lighter on the miso which compliments rather than overpowers the quality of the cod. Least exciting were the rolls, they were expertly done and fresh, of course, but amongst other dishes seemed just normal! Deserts are worth exploring - a wonderful chestnut one had us licking the plate. A small wine list has some really good selections. We loved the Banfi Pinot Grigio which was a step up from our usual PG, and surprisingly versatile too.

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