Taku

The 2020s have been, so far, a decade of omakase in London. Most of us had no idea what this very specific style of eating entailed a few years ago, but fast forward to 2023 and omakase restaurants have crept across the capital and garnered numerous awards. The latest of those award-winners is Taku, and it conforms to many of the stereotypes of the genre, delivering a no-expense-spared menu with the hushed reverence of an art exhibition.

First, the location. Taku’s spot on prestigious Mayfair thoroughfare Albemarle Street is about as glamorous as you can get, so it’s perhaps no surprise that the top-end Prestige menu takes the cake at a wallet-bashing £380 per person. Inside, Taku is a carpenter’s dream - wooden wall panels and a sleek handmade wooden counter draw a soft line to the back of the restaurant, and 16 angular wooden stools sit along its length. Chef’s silently prepare on the other side, slicing premium sashimi and balancing spoons of caviar on little heaps of tuna tartare.

For that sort of money, the food has to be nigh on perfect and that’s where Taku certainly delivers. Before we even reach the peak moments of exquisite nigiri, the early bites delight - a small bowl of fatty tuna belly and caviar is pure opulence, and we treasure each succulent spoonful of lobster chawanmushi. Each brilliant course raises the expectation for what’s to come, and the euphoric crescendo comes with a series of nigiri, each of which plays cleverly with flavour and texture. Sushi lovers won’t be disappointed by Taku, though they may be a little miffed that the man himself appears infrequently, instead leaving his well-oiled team to handle service.

Sommelier service from Bowie Tsang is outstanding too, as he brings wonderful sakes and the odd Champagne (on our visit, a stunning 2017 Chassagne Montrachet) to the fore. As ever, the solemnity of the omakase experience might not suit everyone (not to mention the eyewatering price tag), but there’s little faulting the food and drink at Taku - it’s right up there with the very best omakase in the city.

London’s omakase dining scene is going through a bit of a boom period, and another restaurant to lead the charge is Taku. Finding its feet in Mayfair, the high-end Japanese restaurant is brought to the city’s swishest district by founder and chef patron Takuya Watanabe. He’s also the man behind the first Michelin-starred omakase restaurant in Paris, Jin, which he’s retained for the last 10 odd years.

If you’re not familiar with the term omakase, it’s a form of Japanese dining that translates as ‘I’ll leave it up to you’, in which guests pass complete control over to the chef. It’s also generally an intimate affair in which diners are able to interact with the chef while they work. Taku follows this trend, with the restaurant seating just 16 covers at a time. There are three sittings each day from Tuesday to Saturday, with the option to choose between a lunch omakase menu, and a signature or prestige omakase menu for dinner. The number of courses varies meal to meal, but you can expect the tasting menu to feature anything between 17-20 courses.

Takuya started his sushi career at the age of 19, training in traditional Kaiseki restaurants before going on to refine his skills as chef patron at Jin Paris. He won the restaurant a Michelin star within a year of opening, and now wishes to establish his signature edomae omakase with a new audience.

Guests are seated at one long wooden counter where they can watch Takuya create his masterful sushi dishes. Elsewhere, minimalist interiors make use of natural materials, from pale woods to neutral stone, to offer a calm and traditional aesthetic.

The drinks list is overseen by sommelier Bowie Tsang who brings to Taku a refined selection of fine and rare wines, champagnes and specialty sakes.