Zuma

Zuma opened on Raphael Street in 2002, and it is credited with introducing the informal Japanese izakaya style to London dining more broadly, a format countless restaurants have since borrowed from. Chef Rainer Becker built the original concept here, and more than two decades on, the Knightsbridge site is still the one that carries the most weight.

The robata grill anchors the kitchen’s output, everything from tofu to chicken wings cooked over it, and the marinated black cod, flaking apart with barely any pressure from a chopstick, remains one of the dishes most associated with the restaurant. Wagyu tartare and crispy langoustines are consistently strong on the raw and lightly cooked side of the menu, and the sushi counter, otoro among the highlights, holds its own against the grill.

The room is large and design-led, dark wood, an open kitchen, a sushi counter running along one side, built to handle a serious volume of covers while still feeling like a proper izakaya rather than a banquet hall. It is genuinely lively, closer to a party atmosphere at peak times than a quiet dinner setting.

Prices are steep, genuinely so even by Knightsbridge standards, and the restaurant is consistently at capacity, which puts real pressure on service; even attentive staff can end up stretched thin on a busy night, and a booking well in advance is close to essential. It has occasionally been criticised for trading a little on its reputation rather than continually pushing the menu forward, a fair point given how many imitators have opened since.

For polished, high-energy Japanese robata cooking with real history behind it, it remains one of London’s defining restaurants in the category, even if the prices demand it.

Zuma has since expanded to more than a dozen cities worldwide, including Dubai, New York, Miami and Hong Kong, all following the same format Becker established on Raphael Street, which makes the Knightsbridge original the reference point the rest of the group is measured against. A dinner for two with sake or cocktails typically runs well past £150 once several robata and sushi dishes are ordered, reflecting both the Knightsbridge address and the quality of the ingredients used throughout the menu.