The best sushi in London as named by Conde Nast, comes with more than sushi

The rice

Akasu: the vinegar that changes everything

People love to talk about the fish first. But the people who really know sushi start somewhere else entirely: the rice. At Aki, our sushi begins with akasu, the traditional aged red vinegar that gives the rice a warmer, deeper character. If the rice is flat, the whole performance collapses. Ours is not flat.

The garnish

Micro-farmed, pesticide-free, impossible to ignore

As Allsup noticed during her visit, our difference is a strict focus on fresh ingredients, many grown through Aki’s in-house micro-farms and therefore pesticide-free. That is not marketing. It is the kind of exacting detail that separates a good plate from one you remember on the taxi home.

The kitchen

Sushi backed by a full Japanese kitchen

We are a Japanese restaurant first, not a room that knows one trick and expects applause for repeating it. Yes, come for the nigiri, the sashimi, the Chu Toro. But stay because the rest of the kitchen—the robata grill, the certified Kobe beef, the cocktails—has just as much to say.

The mood

Omakase precision, social energy

Traditional omakase can feel faintly ecclesiastical, as though everyone is auditioning to be the quietest person in the room. Our social omakase keeps the chef’s selection serious, the fish serious, and the standards uncompromising. But the mood is allowed to behave like London: animated, stylish, human.

The showpiece

Tuna tartare on ice

£26

Served on a giant ice cube, finished with oscietra caviar and micro-herbs from our farm. The cold keeps the fish at exactly the right temperature while you work through the rest of the plate.

Why order it: This is the dish that stops conversation. The ice cube alone tells you the kitchen is thinking beyond the obvious.

The texture play

Cornish crab on crisp rice

£14

Hand-picked Cornish crab placed neatly atop a crisp rice cracker, finished with citrus and micro-herbs. The contrast of sweet crab, crunchy rice and bright garnish is exactly the kind of restraint that separates good sushi from great.

Why order it: It demonstrates that Aki understands texture as well as it understands fish.

The essential cut

Chu Toro nigiri

£14

Medium-fatty Spanish blue fin tuna over akasu-seasoned rice, brushed with 30-year-old sashimi soya. The marbling does the talking; the rice provides the foundation.

Why order it: If you only order one piece of nigiri, make it this one. It is the purest expression of what our sushi kitchen values.

The sashimi platter

Omakase sashimi

From £38.50

for 9 piece omakase, 15 pcs £76.50, 21 pcs £104.50

A daily selection of the best fish available that morning, served with fresh root wasabi and 30-year-old sashimi soya. Available as 9, 15 or 21 pieces, depending on the table and the appetite.

Why order it: This is the dish that lets the kitchen show you what they are most excited about that day.

The fire

Robata grill

If your evening begins with sushi, it can move naturally into the deeper register of our robata grill, where binchotan charcoal is used with actual restraint rather than brute force. Caramelised black cod, chicken yakitori, Lumina lamb cutlets—each dish given the time and distance over the coals that the ingredient demands.

The rarity

Certified Kobe beef

For the sort of table that believes a night out should escalate properly, our certified Kobe beef is one of only a handful in the UK to carry the official certification from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Served seared, the marbling speaks for itself.

The pour

Cocktails worth staying for

An evening here moves seamlessly from the sushi counter to a flawless cocktail, like the Sakura made with fig leaf soda that Allsup admitted she “could have had three” of. The drinks list is built to hold its own against the food.

The vault

Kiyori, late-night downstairs

After dinner, descend to Kiyori, our cocktail lounge set inside the building’s original bank vault. Condé Nast described it as a “sultry basement enclave where a DJ spins the decks from Thursday to Saturday.” No separate reservation needed. Just follow the stairs down.

The full journey

À la carte, built around the sushi counter

Order from our full sushi, sashimi and nigiri menu, then let the evening move through robata, Kobe beef and cocktails at its own pace. Our team can steer you toward the pieces and plates that make an entrance.

• Sashimi, nigiri and maki from the full sushi menu
• Omakase platters from £24 for 6 pieces of nigiri
• Robata, Kobe beef and cocktails to follow

Best for: Guests who want the full range of what the kitchen can do.

The chef’s selection

Social omakase, the cleverer model

Our social omakase gives you the precision of a chef’s selection without the strange performative solemnity that can haunt other counters. You surrender the decisions, keep the pleasure, and get the full expertise of the kitchen in a room that knows how to enjoy itself.

• Chef’s selection of the day’s best fish
• Akasu-seasoned rice, 30-year-old sashimi soya, micro-farmed garnishes
• The standards remain uncompromising; the mood is allowed to be human

Best for: Diners who want to be guided, not lectured.