SUMI - (Near , South East)

5 /5 Maha Kabir: I would go as far to say that this is my favourite Japanese restaurant in London. From the moment you enter, there is an atmosphere of friendliness, warmth and good vibes. Very nicely styled, not pretentious at all, and a really nice open kitchen. The food was incredible. We got the scallop and seabass nigiri - the scallop nigiri was divine. It was so creamy and with the perfect amount of wasabi in the rice. We then got the toro-taku temaki - we loved it so much that we ordered a second round of it! The tuna was phenomenal, and the fermented radish pieces gave great texture and flavour. We also got the beef gohan - the chef mixed it at the table, and it was the most perfect blend of meaty, creamy and tangy. The food was simple, yet delicious and masterfully prepared. Cannot recommend Sumi enough!

5 /5 Dorotea Čapo: We had an absolutely amazing experience at Sumi Restaurant in London! The atmosphere is modern and stylish, and we loved how the kitchen is open, letting you see the chefs in action — it adds so much energy and authenticity to the dining experience. Our favourite dishes were the toro-taku temaki and the hamachi temaki — both incredibly fresh and full of flavour. For starters, we highly recommend the sesame seaweed salad and the yellowtail sashimi salad — both beautifully balanced and refreshing. But the real highlight was the otoro nigiri — simply incredible. The texture and flavour were perfect, easily one of the best we’ve ever had. The service was warm and attentive, and the whole experience felt polished yet relaxed.

2 /5 xizhe wang: We came to this restaurant for Valentine’s Day. I spent a long time choosing a place for our special dinner, and since this restaurant was Michelin-recommended, I decided to book it. Unfortunately, it was a huge disappointment. We ordered sashimi and temaki. I won’t comment on the portion size — for Michelin-related restaurants, smaller portions are expected, and I was prepared for that. So let’s focus purely on the taste and quality. The sashimi was, frankly, very, very average. Only the shrimp was barely acceptable. The rest was extremely mediocre. The tuna even had a slightly fishy smell. As for the temaki, the seaweed was too dry and felt completely separate from the rice — there was no sense of harmony. At this price level, I also don’t think it’s acceptable to serve regular wasabi paste. Freshly grated wasabi should be standard. What we received tasted like the kind of wasabi you can easily buy in any supermarket. Overall, the food simply did not match the price. Now let’s talk about service — which, at this level and price point, is just as important as the food itself. The service was minimal at best. We were simply shown which was the wine list and which was the menu. When we tried to ask about the origin of the seafood, the staff didn’t really give us the opportunity to ask questions. During the meal, dishes were cleared away very quickly, and the bill was brought almost immediately after we finished eating. I did not feel any genuine hospitality. As a Japanese food enthusiast, I have dined at restaurants of various levels in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Toronto. In my opinion, the quality of this restaurant would be considered very ordinary — even below some boutique Japanese restaurants in those cities. It certainly does not compare to other Michelin-recommended Japanese restaurants. I wouldn’t say it was bad, but it was far from impressive. When evaluating a restaurant, it’s unrealistic and unfair to ignore price. Considering the quality of ingredients and taste compared to Japanese restaurants in other major international cities, this place feels like a very average establishment. If the prices were reduced to half of their current level, I would consider it reasonable and would gladly give five stars. However, given the overly high pricing and service that does not match the cost, I can only give two stars.

4 /5 Divya Singhal: We had a lovely dinner at SUMI a couple of weeks ago with the food being comforting and warming on a cold day. They have a great array of dishes even though the menu isn’t overwhelmingly lengthy - just a great variety. The toro-taku and hotate temaki and seaweed salad were great. I’d also come back to try some of the other gohan (we got the mushroom one and would love to try the others)!

4 /5 Marilia Tzavela: Lovely high-quality fish everything we had was amazing, especially the hand rolls and the nigiri. We preferred the medium fat tuna The rice with the mushrooms also very nice we were three people I would recommend to get it for four and get more nigiri. It was a bit expensive but expected. We had a reservation made about a week before and I would recommend making one.