The Christmas shopper’s lunch off Oxford Street
Christmas shopping on Oxford Street has a particular rhythm. The first bags feel like progress. By midday, the gift list is still open on your phone, the pavement has become a negotiation, and lunch needs to do more than fill a gap.
For anyone looking for lunch near Oxford Street, Aki offers a different pace just around the corner on Cavendish Square. Oxford Street is two minutes away on foot; Selfridges is an 11-minute walk. The room is composed, the Japanese cooking is precise, and the day can continue at a gentler speed.
Come on Saturday for Hikari brunch, with Japanese sharing plates, a main course each and unlimited temaki hand rolls. Take the weekday route with a three-course business lunch before returning to the list. Choose shared omakase for a sushi-led lunch, or let the shopping day give way to the nine-course Signature Menu. Lunch can be the interval, or it can become the best part of the day.
Christmas shopping · Marylebone
Lunch near Oxford Street, without the Oxford Street rush
Aki is a contemporary Japanese restaurant at 1 Cavendish Square, offering Saturday brunch, weekday set lunches, shared omakase and evening dining close to Oxford Street, Oxford Circus and Selfridges.
- Where: Aki, 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA
- From Oxford Street: Approximately two minutes on foot
- From Selfridges: Approximately 11 minutes on foot
- Saturday: Hikari brunch from £49.50 per person, for parties of two or more
- Monday to Friday: Three-course business lunch, £36.50 per person, 12pm to 3pm
- For sushi: Shared nigiri and sashimi omakase platters, available for lunch and dinner
- For later: Nine-course Signature Menu with a welcome Saketini, £99 per person, every evening
Christmas shopping on Oxford Street? Lunch is two minutes from the crowds
A useful piece of West End knowledge: lunch does not have to happen on the street you are shopping on. Sometimes the better choice is just around the corner, close enough to continue the day easily but removed enough to feel like a proper pause.
Aki occupies a Grade II-listed former bank on Cavendish Square. Inside, high ceilings, contemporary Japanese art and a generously proportioned dining room replace the glare and movement of the shops. It is a setting that allows lunch to feel considered rather than squeezed between errands.
For shoppers searching for a Japanese restaurant near Oxford Street, the location is straightforward. Oxford Street is approximately two minutes away, while the walk from Selfridges takes around 11 minutes. Oxford Circus and Bond Street stations are also nearby, making Aki convenient whether lunch is the first stop, the middle of the day or the point at which the shopping bags finally stay closed.
“The atmosphere is fantastic: a beautiful, well-thought-out interior with a stylish, upscale feel. It’s clear that a lot of care and taste went into the design.”
The Saturday Christmas-shopping lunch: Hikari at Aki
Saturday shopping calls for more than a sandwich eaten beside a growing collection of bags. Hikari gives the day a proper centre: Japanese dishes for the table, a main course each, unlimited temaki hand rolls and dessert, with drinks choices that can remain alcohol-free or become suitably celebratory.
Served every Saturday for parties of two or more, Hikari starts from £49.50 per person and includes an alcoholic or non-alcoholic welcome drink. It works particularly well when lunch is not simply a break from Christmas shopping but the plan around which the rest of the day takes shape.
To begin
Japanese plates for the table
Hikari opens with sharing dishes that move between freshness, richness and crunch. Expect plates such as truffle edamame, spinach salad with Hokkaido shiitake sesame dressing, rock shrimp tempura, wagyu beef gyoza and boneless chicken wings.
Your main
A proper lunch, not a brunch compromise
Each guest chooses a main course, with published options including roasted Australian A4B wagyu, crispy skin salmon, black ginger baby chicken and vegetable rice gohan. One side is included between two guests, with selected premium main-course supplements also available.
The Hikari signature
Unlimited temaki hand rolls
The chef’s selection of temaki is served throughout the meal. It keeps the table supplied without forcing the afternoon into a rigid sequence, and gives Hikari the generous rhythm that distinguishes it from an ordinary sushi lunch.
Your kind of afternoon
Mocktails, wine, cocktails or Champagne
Every booking includes a welcome alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. Optional upgrades cover bottomless soft drinks and mocktails, wine or signature cocktails, and Champagne or premium cocktails, allowing different guests at the same table to choose different speeds.
Plan your Saturday shopping lunch
The weekday power move: three courses before the next shop
Some Christmas shoppers browse. Others have a route, a shortlist and no intention of losing a December afternoon to indecision. For them, Aki’s business lunch is the tactical choice in the best possible sense.
Available Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm, the menu offers three Japanese courses for £36.50 per person. Depending on the current menu, lunch might begin with miso soup, Japanese spinach salad, rock shrimp tempura or nigiri, followed by crispy skin salmon or vegetable rice gohan. Optional supplements include wagyu gyoza, sashimi and Lumina lamb cutlets.
It is not necessary to have a meeting in the diary to appreciate the format. A clear price, a structured menu and a calm table make it just as useful for a productive weekday shopping trip as it is for a client lunch. You can eat properly, regroup and return to Oxford Street with the afternoon still intact.
See the weekday business lunch at Aki.
Sushi for lunch, or nine courses after the shops
Not every Christmas shopping day follows the same timetable. Aki’s omakase platters offer another route through lunch, while the Signature Menu provides a clear answer when the final shop closes and nobody is quite ready to go home.
Lunch · Chef’s selection
A lighter Japanese lunch, chosen by the chef
If your ideal lunch near Oxford Street is built around sushi, Aki’s omakase offers shared platters of hand-pressed nigiri and sashimi selected by the chef. The fish, knife work, warm akasu-seasoned rice and aged soy bring the detail; the shared format lets your table set the pace.
Available for lunch and dinner, this is a social interpretation of omakase. There is no requirement to commit to a lengthy counter ritual, and the platters can be combined with other dishes from Aki’s menu.
Dinner · Nine courses
When Christmas shopping turns into dinner
When lunch was hours ago and the last purchase has finally been made, the Signature Menu gives the evening a clear shape. Nine courses move through Japanese small plates, omakase sashimi and nigiri, black cod, wagyu and dessert.
Served every evening for £99 per person with a welcome Saketini, this is an unhurried way to turn a shopping trip into a full day out. Optional wine pairings are available for those who would like the sommelier to guide the evening.
Plan your Christmas shopping lunch near Oxford Street
From Oxford Street
Around the corner in approximately two minutes
Aki is at 1 Cavendish Square, just around the corner from Oxford Street. The location also works for anyone looking for lunch near Oxford Circus, with Bond Street station nearby as well.
From Selfridges
An 11-minute walk from the shopping bags to the table
For visitors searching for lunch near Selfridges, Aki is approximately 11 minutes away on foot. It is close enough to fit naturally into a West End shopping route without remaining in the busiest part of it.
Choose by day
The right menu for your shopping timetable
Choose the three-course business lunch Monday to Friday, Hikari brunch on Saturday, or shared omakase for a sushi-led lunch. If the day continues into the evening, the Signature Menu is available every night.
December tables
Book before the shopping day
Advance booking is recommended during December, particularly for Saturdays and group tables. Hikari is available for parties of two or more. Please share dietary requirements and allergies when booking so the team can confirm suitable options.
Make lunch part of the Christmas shopping day
The gift list will still be there when you return. The difference is that you can return to it having had lunch properly: sharing plates passed across the table, temaki served while the conversation continues, sushi chosen by the chef, or three well-judged courses before the next stop.
Aki offers Christmas shoppers something more useful than another place to refuel. It offers a change of pace just around the corner from Oxford Street, with Japanese cooking and a dining room that makes stepping away from the crowds feel like a very good decision.
Aki is a contemporary Japanese restaurant at 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA, offering lunch near Oxford Street approximately two minutes from the shopping street and 11 minutes from Selfridges. Hikari brunch is served every Saturday for parties of two or more, from £49.50 per person. The three-course business lunch is available Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm for £36.50 per person. Shared omakase is available for lunch and dinner. The nine-course Signature Menu is served every evening for £99 per person with a welcome Saketini. Menus, dishes, prices and availability are subject to change; advance booking is recommended during December.
Christmas shopping · Saturday at Aki
Make Hikari your Christmas shopping lunch near Oxford Street.
Join us every Saturday for Japanese sharing plates, a main course each, unlimited temaki hand rolls, dessert and a welcome drink, from £49.50 per person. Oxford Street is just two minutes away.
Frequently asked questions
Everything to know before planning your Christmas shopping lunch at Aki London
Where can I have lunch near Oxford Street while Christmas shopping?
Aki is approximately two minutes from Oxford Street at 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone. Options include Hikari brunch on Saturdays, a three-course business lunch Monday to Friday, and shared nigiri and sashimi omakase for a sushi-led lunch.
How far is Aki from Oxford Street, Oxford Circus and Selfridges?
Oxford Street is approximately two minutes from Aki on foot, while Selfridges is approximately 11 minutes away. Aki is also convenient for Oxford Circus and Bond Street stations. The restaurant’s full address is 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA.
Is Aki open for Saturday lunch near Oxford Street?
Yes. Hikari, Aki’s Japanese Saturday brunch, is available every Saturday for parties of two or more. Shared omakase is also available for lunch. Check current availability when planning your December visit, and book ahead where possible.
What does Hikari brunch include?
Hikari starts from £49.50 per person and includes an alcoholic or non-alcoholic welcome drink, Japanese sharing starters, one main course per guest, one side between two guests, unlimited chef’s-selection temaki hand rolls and one dessert between two guests. Optional drinks upgrades and selected menu supplements are available.
Is there a weekday lunch for Christmas shoppers at Aki?
Yes. Aki’s business lunch is available Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm and costs £36.50 per person for three courses. Although designed to work for business dining, its clear format and central location also make it a practical choice for a weekday Christmas shopping trip. Explore the business lunch menu.
Can I order sushi or omakase for lunch at Aki?
Yes. Aki serves shared omakase platters for lunch and dinner, with nigiri and sashimi selected by the chef. The platters are served at your table, allowing you to enjoy the selection at your own pace rather than following a traditional counter-service timetable. Discover omakase at Aki.
Does Aki serve the Signature Menu at lunchtime?
The Signature Menu is an evening experience rather than a lunchtime menu. It is available every evening and comprises nine courses with a welcome Saketini for £99 per person. It is an option for guests who would like to continue their Christmas shopping day with dinner at Aki. Explore the Signature Menu.
Can Aki accommodate dietary requirements during lunch?
Aki can accommodate a range of dietary requirements, with vegetarian choices available across different menus. Please provide all allergies, dietary requirements and preferences when booking so the restaurant team can confirm suitable options and any necessary adjustments before your visit.
Should I book lunch at Aki in advance during December?
Advance booking is recommended during December, particularly for Saturday Hikari brunch, group tables and preferred lunchtime slots. Booking ahead also gives you the opportunity to confirm menu availability, dietary requirements and the most suitable dining experience for your shopping day.
