If sushi is your thing, Kumori deserves a spot at the top of your list. Located on Denman Street, this 30-seat restaurant brings authentic Japanese hand-roll dining to Soho, following a run of high-profile pop-ups, including Monaco F1 and a residency at How Matcha in Marylebone.
The concept is built around immediacy. Hand rolls are made to order directly in front of guests and passed across the counter to be eaten straight away. Timing is everything: warm rice, cool fish and nori that stays audibly crisp. The seaweed is custom-cut and specially sourced to maintain its snap from kitchen to mouth.
Head Chef John Randy De Guzman leads the kitchen, drawing on experience at Tobi Masa at The Chancery Rosewood under Masa Takayama and nearly a decade at Nobu. Alongside Senior Sushi Chef Alvin Contawe, the menu feels refined yet relaxed. Guests have a choice between set menus - of three, four, or five hand rolls each - or they can order a la carte from a mixture of classic, signature, and vegetarian options.
Hand rolls take centre stage, from spicy tuna with jalapeño miso to indulgent combinations like toro with bone marrow, unagi with foie gras, torched scallop and baked crab. Vegetarian options sit alongside a concise selection of sashimi, nigiri and light plates, including miso soup, wasabi cucumber and padron peppers. There are also caviar bumps on offer for those feeling fancy, and a selection of mochi for dessert.
Designed by CAKE Architecture, the space draws inspiration from Tokyo Bay at sunset, with warm tones, natural materials and a long counter placing chefs front and centre. Music evolves through the day, shifting from slower beats to house and rap as evening sets in.