Kibou, Battersea

Northcote Road in Battersea isn’t short of decent places to eat, but Kibou has carved out a specific niche among them by covering an unusually wide stretch of Japanese cooking under one roof: sushi and sashimi sit alongside ramen, katsu curry, bao buns and tempura, plus specials that change weekly rather than a static laminated menu.

The ramen and karaage chicken come up repeatedly as the dishes worth prioritising if you’re choosing between the hot food and the sushi counter, both praised for genuine depth of flavour rather than the fairly generic version of these dishes you find at more casual Japanese chains. The sushi itself is competent and fresh rather than showy, which suits the neighbourhood feel of the restaurant generally.

Kibou also runs a bottomless sushi session on Sundays and a Japanese inspired afternoon tea, both of which have become genuine draws for the local area beyond the usual weeknight dinner crowd, and worth booking specifically if either appeals rather than turning up expecting a table on spec.

The room is relaxed and unfussy, more local neighbourhood spot than destination restaurant, with prices to match: mains run £14 to £22, and a full dinner with a couple of sharing starters and a drink lands around £35 to £45 a head. It suits regular dinners for people who live locally, a relaxed catch up rather than a special occasion, and anyone who wants breadth across Japanese cooking styles rather than a sushi only menu.

The honest note is that because the menu covers so much ground, from sushi to ramen to katsu, nothing is quite as sharply specialised as a restaurant that focuses on one thing, and diners chasing a very specific ramen or sushi experience may find better versions of each dish individually elsewhere in London. What Kibou does well is convenience and consistency for a Battersea crowd that wants good Japanese food without crossing the river. Booking via OpenTable is recommended for weekend evenings and the Sunday bottomless sitting.