An anniversary dinner in London that lives up to the milestone
Every year, without fail, the panic sets in. The date is circled on the calendar. However this year it's different:...
Every year, without fail, the panic sets in. The date is circled on the calendar. However this year it’s different: 20 years. (Yes, twenty!) That is a big number… A number that deserves more than a last-minute anniversary dinner reservation at the same place you went for your birthday.
London has no shortage of restaurants that describe themselves as the perfectly romantic spot for a special anniversary dinner. The problem is that most of them are just normal restaurants with a candle on the table. Same menu, same murmured “happy anniversary” from a server who said the same thing to the table next to you, same feeling of being processed through a machine that happens to have better lighting than the place you went last Tuesday.
This year, do something that feels different. Not louder. Not more expensive for the sake of it. Just different in a way that the evening actually earns. A room that does the work for you. A menu built for attention, not throughput. And somewhere to go after the bill arrives, because the best anniversaries are the ones where neither of you checked your watch.
The Anniversary Destination
Aki London: where a Grade II listed bank becomes the most romantic room in Marylebone
Set behind a neoclassical façade on Cavendish Square, a few minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus, Aki is a contemporary Japanese restaurant inside a former banking hall — soaring ceilings, marble surfaces, original contemporary art by Biennale artists including Ryan Gander and Daniel Knorr. The building spent a century as a NatWest bank before a £15 million restoration turned it into one of London’s most striking dining rooms. It is not a chain, not a production line, and not a room that needs decorating to feel like an occasion. The building already did that a century ago.
What makes Aki the anniversary dinner London has been missing:
- A room that does the work: soaring banking hall ceilings, marble, and curated art — start with a glass of Ruinart and let the atmosphere carry the evening
- The Signature Menu at £95 per person: nine courses from omakase sashimi with 30-year-aged soya to A4 Japanese Miyazaki sirloin, with Edomae nigiri and koji den miso black cod in between
- A champagne list built for milestones: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs by the glass, Bollinger Special Cuvée and La Grande Année by the bottle, Dom Pérignon, Cristal, and Krug for the anniversaries that demand it
- Certified Kobe beef: one of fewer than ten UK restaurants to hold official certification from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture — the gold plaque is on the wall, the paperwork is real
- Kiyori below: the original bank vault turned cocktail lounge, fifty feet underground — yuzu, shiso, matcha, sake, and Japanese whisky from Nikka and Suntory, with no time limit and no need to find a second venue
- Private dining: up to 24 seated or 40 standing with terrace access, bespoke menus, dedicated service team, and pre-dinner cocktails in the vault
- Location: 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA — four minutes from Oxford Circus and Bond Street, central enough to be convenient, calm enough to feel like a discovery
The room, the menu, and somewhere to go after
Aki is a contemporary Japanese restaurant set inside a Grade II listed former bank on Cavendish Square, Marylebone. It is not a chain, not a production line, and not a room that needs decorating to feel like an occasion. The building already did that a century ago.
The room
A banking hall reborn
A Grade II listed former banking hall with soaring ceilings, marble, and art by Biennale artists including Ryan Gander and Daniel Knorr. The room does the work before the first course lands.
The menu
Signature Aki experience
Aki Signature Menu, £95 per person, with nine courses from omakase sashimi to A4 Japanese wagyu, with 30‑year‑aged soya and fresh root wasabi throughout. For those who prefer to choose, the à la carte spans nigiri from £8, sashimi, robata, tempura, and certified Kobe beef.
The wine
Champagne and beyond
A wine and champagne list built for anniversaries, with Ruinart Blanc de Blancs by the glass, Bollinger Special Cuvée and La Grande Année by the bottle, and Dom Pérignon, Cristal, and Krug for milestone nights. English sparkling includes Hoffmann & Rathbone Classic Cuvée 2015, alongside white Burgundy, Chablis 1er Cru, and Santenay 1er Cru Pinot Noir.
After dinner
Kiyori below
Kiyori cocktail lounge, fifty feet underground in the original bank vaults, for Japanese whisky, yuzu‑led cocktails, and matcha‑infused nightcaps. No time limit, no need to find a second venue.
Private dining
Make it yours
Private dining for up to 24 seated or 40 standing with terrace access, a bespoke menu built around your group, and a dedicated service team. The upgrade that turns a memorable dinner into an unforgettable one.
5 things an anniversary dinner in London should deliver
The Setting
A room that feels like an occasion
The default London anniversary setting is white tablecloths and a candle. It signals “occasion” in the laziest way possible. A room that genuinely earns the evening does not need to whisper. It simply needs to hold its atmosphere from the moment you walk in.
Step inside Aki: Soaring banking hall ceilings, marble, curated art, and a glass-and-marble lobby. The building spent a century as a NatWest bank before a £15 million restoration turned it into one of Marylebone’s most striking dining rooms. Start with a glass of Ruinart and let the room do the rest.
The Food
A menu that rewards attention
The standard anniversary menu is à la carte with a glass of prosecco thrown in. The food should feel considered, not phoned in. A menu built for an occasion does not ask you to make decisions. It asks you to pay attention.
Aki’s menu: Nine courses on the Signature Menu (£95 per person). Omakase sashimi with 30-year soya. Edomae nigiri shaped to order with warm, akasu-seasoned rice. Koji den miso black cod caramelised over binchotan charcoal at 1,000°C. A4 Japanese Miyazaki sirloin. The full progression from precision to warmth, without a single course that feels like filler. For those who prefer to build their own evening, the à la carte menu adds blue fin tuna tartare with Oscietra caviar, hand-picked Cornish crab, and miso butter poached Chilean sea bass with langoustine dashi.
The Pace
Service that anticipates, not performs
Too many anniversary dinners begin with a crowded doorway, a harried host, and a five-minute wait while someone checks the booking. The evening stumbles before it starts.
Our approach: A glass-and-marble lobby. A quiet word at the door. Your table waiting, not being prepared. A glass of Ruinart poured within minutes of sitting down. The evening starts when you walk in, not when the kitchen catches up.
The Aftermath
Somewhere to go after the meal
This is where most anniversary dinners fail. The bill is paid. The table is cleared. You stand on the pavement, phones out, trying to agree on the next move. The evening ends not because it ran its course but because it had nowhere left to go.
The evening continues at Kiyori: Kiyori cocktail lounge waits below. Fifty feet underground in the original bank vaults. A cocktail list built around yuzu, shiso, matcha, and sake. Japanese whisky from Nikka and Suntory. No time limit, no queue, no need to find somewhere else. The evening gets a second act.
The Story
Something to talk about on the way home
The difference between a good anniversary dinner and a great one is whether you are still talking about it on the journey back. A forgettable meal is summarised in a sentence. A memorable one generates details.
What you will remember: Binchotan charcoal burning at 1,000°C beneath your black cod. Authentic and certified Kobe beef, one of only a handful of gold plaques in the entire United Kingdom. A vault bar serving matcha-infused cocktails where a bank once stored its gold. The Black Pearl dessert: smoked white chocolate and vodka cremeux with Kristal caviar. This is not a dinner you summarise in one sentence.
Reserve Your Table
An anniversary dinner that does not end when the bill arrives
Private dining, Signature Menu, Ruinart by the glass, and Kiyori cocktails in a former bank vault. Book your anniversary at Aki, 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone.
Three ways to do your anniversary at Aki
À La Carte
The table for two
Book a standard table from the main dining room menu. Start with blue fin tuna tartare and a glass of Ruinart. Move through nigiri and sashimi. Share the caramelised black cod. Close with the Japanese millefeuille. Our full wine list, champagne selection, and cocktail menu are available throughout.
Best for: Couples who want the full Aki experience without a set menu.
Signature Menu
The full experience
£95
per person
Nine courses. Omakase sashimi, Edomae nigiri, koji den miso black cod, A4 wagyu Denver cut, autumn miso soup, and Hokkaido millefeuille. Real Japanese food that has earned Aki a place in Condé Nast Traveller’s roundup of the best sushi in London. Add Oscietra caviar (£18) or fresh truffle (£5) to any course.
Best for: Anniversaries where dinner deserves equal billing with the occasion.
Private Dining
The private room
Up to 24 seated, 40 standing with terrace access. A bespoke menu built around your group. Dedicated service team. Pre-dinner cocktails in Kiyori. The option for menu printing, flowers, and AV equipment. This is the upgrade that turns a memorable dinner into something your guests will talk about at the next anniversary.
Best for: When the anniversary deserves its own space. An intimate celebration with close family, or a larger gathering of friends who have not been in the same room for too long.
The evening gets a second act at Kiyori
Most anniversary dinners peak somewhere around the main course, then taper into coffee, the bill, and a taxi. The structure is so predictable that by dessert you are already mentally on the pavement.
Kiyori changes that calculation. When your meal at Aki finishes, the evening does not end. It moves downstairs.
The cocktail lounge occupies the original bank vaults, fifty feet below Cavendish Square. The mood is lower-lit, the pace is looser, and the menu is built on ingredients that Japanese bartending treats with the same precision as the kitchen upstairs. Yuzu, shiso, matcha, sake, umeshu. The Rising Sun arrives with a green tea ice cube that melts slowly through the drink. The Midori no Michi lands with a matcha ice ball at its centre, evolving as the evening stretches. For those keeping things clean, the Hana Fubuki offers blossom shrub and elderflower soda with none of the compromise that usually accompanies alcohol-free options.
There is no time limit, no queue at the door, and no need to agree on where to go next. You are already there. For an anniversary, that is the detail most restaurants cannot offer. The night ends when you decide it ends, not when the table needs turning.
Plan Your Anniversary Dinner
Everything you need to know
- Where: Aki London, 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA
- Nearest stations: Bond Street (4 min), Oxford Circus (6 min), Baker Street (8 min), Marylebone (10 min)
- Parking: Q-Park Oxford Street, just around the corner.
- Opening times: Thursday to Saturday 12:00 to 02:00, Sunday to Wednesday 12:00 to 23:00
- Dinner service: Daily from 5:30pm, last order 10:00pm
- Private dining lead time: We recommend booking 2 to 4 weeks in advance, particularly for weekend dates
- Group size: 2 to 40 guests (private dining up to 24 seated, 40 standing with terrace)
- Price: À la carte from £8 (Edomae nigiri, sashimi, robata small plates), Signature Menu £95 per person, champagne from £14 per glass
- Contact: reception@akilondon.com or call +44 7402 847957
Aki is a contemporary Japanese restaurant at 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA, a short walk from Oxford Circus and Bond Street. Open Thursday to Saturday from 12pm to 2am, and Sunday to Wednesday from 12pm to 11pm. Dinner is served daily from 5:30pm, with last orders at 10pm. Advance booking is recommended — reserve your anniversary table at Aki online.
Reserve Your Table
This year, book an anniversary dinner worth remembering
Warm Edomae sushi, binchotan-grilled black cod, certified Kobe beef, Ruinart by the glass, and Kiyori cocktails in a former bank vault. At 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone.
Frequently asked questions about anniversary dinners at Aki
Everything you need to know before booking your celebration in Marylebone
What makes Aki a good choice for an anniversary dinner?
Aki combines three things most anniversary restaurants cannot offer under one roof. First, a genuinely striking room — a Grade II listed former banking hall with soaring ceilings, marble, and original contemporary art that does the work before the first course lands. Second, a menu built for attention rather than throughput, from the nine-course Signature Menu (£95) to certified Kobe beef. Third, Kiyori — the original bank vault turned cocktail lounge fifty feet below the restaurant — so the evening does not end when the bill arrives. No taxi, no queue, no need to find a second venue.
What is on the Aki Signature Menu?
The Signature Menu is nine courses at £95 per person: omakase sashimi with 30-year-aged soya, Edomae nigiri shaped to order with warm akasu-seasoned rice, koji den miso black cod caramelised over binchotan charcoal at 1,000°C, A4 Japanese Miyazaki sirloin, autumn miso soup, and Hokkaido millefeuille with aged soya caramel. Optional supplements include Oscietra caviar (£18) and fresh truffle (£5). Explore the full Signature Menu.
Does Aki have a champagne list for celebrations?
Yes. The champagne list is built for anniversaries: Ruinart Blanc de Blancs by the glass (£14), Bollinger Special Cuvée and La Grande Année by the bottle, and Dom Pérignon, Cristal, and Krug for milestone anniversaries. English sparkling includes Hoffmann & Rathbone Classic Cuvée 2015. The wider wine list spans white Burgundy, Chablis 1er Cru, Santenay 1er Cru Pinot Noir, and a Japanese whisky selection from Nikka and Suntory.
Can we book a private room for our anniversary?
Yes. The Private Dining Room accommodates up to 24 seated guests with a bespoke menu built around your group. For larger celebrations of up to 40 standing guests, the room opens onto the Terrace. A dedicated service team handles every detail, and pre-dinner cocktails in Kiyori can be arranged. We recommend booking private dining at least 2 to 4 weeks in advance, particularly for weekend dates. Enquire about private dining.
What is Kiyori and can we go there after dinner?
Kiyori is Aki’s subterranean cocktail lounge, set inside the original bank vaults fifty feet below Cavendish Square. The mood is lower-lit and more intimate than the dining room above, with a cocktail menu built around Japanese spirits and botanicals — yuzu, shiso, matcha, sake, and umeshu. Japanese whisky from Nikka and Suntory features prominently. Restaurant guests are welcome after dinner; no separate reservation is needed. There is no time limit, no queue, and no need to find a second venue. Discover Kiyori.
Does Aki serve genuine Kobe beef?
Yes. Aki is one of fewer than ten restaurants in the United Kingdom to hold official certification from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to serve genuine Kobe beef. The certification is confirmed by an official gold plaque displayed in the restaurant. The Kobe Japanese Sirloin (£170) is available on the à la carte menu. Read more about Aki’s Kobe beef certification.
Can you accommodate special requests for an anniversary?
Certainly. Mention the occasion when booking — whether it is a 10th, 20th, or 50th anniversary — and our team can arrange a handwritten note, a curated table location, a special dessert message, or a glass of champagne on arrival. For private dining, bespoke menus, flowers, printed menus, and AV equipment are all available. Contact reception@akilondon.com or call +44 7402 847957 to discuss your requirements.
How far in advance should I book an anniversary dinner at Aki?
We recommend booking at least two to three weeks ahead for a standard table, and four to six weeks for private dining or larger groups. Weekend dates fill particularly quickly, as do the weeks around Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and summer. Reserve your anniversary table online.
Where is Aki and how do we get there?
Aki is at 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA. The nearest stations are Bond Street (4 minutes), Oxford Circus (6 minutes), Baker Street (8 minutes), and Marylebone (10 minutes). Parking is available at Q-Park Oxford Street, just around the corner. The restaurant is a short walk from Regent Street, making it an easy choice for an anniversary dinner that feels central without being crowded.
