Umu

Name: Umu
Address: 14-16 Bruton Place, London, Mayfair, W1J 6LX, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7499 8881
Rating: 9

Japanese Restaurant in Mayfair

9 / 10 from 1 review

Address
14-16 Bruton Place
Mayfair
London
W1J 6LX

Map

Telephone
020 7499 8881

Cuisine
Japanese

Region
Mayfair

Nearest Station
Oxford Circus
0.27 miles

Website
http://www.umurestaurant.com/

Opening Summary
Lunch: Monday - Friday 12:00-14:30
Dinner: Monday - Saturday 18:00-23:00

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Restaurant Facilities

Disabled Facilities

Children Welcome

Credit Cards Accepted

Music Played

Private Area

Booking Advisable

For many years Umu had London’s only Kyoto-influenced menu. The kaiseki tasting menus, which include sushi and sashimi put together by chef Yoshinori Ishii, are the best way to experience Umu,
although with a price tag of £100 they don’t come cheap. The presentation of the dishes is of great importance here; the wagyu grade 9 beef arrives still sizzling on a hot slate. There are also 160 varieties of sake to choose from.

Umu received its first Michelin star within five months of opening. Ishii has also cooked for the world leaders attending the Annual World Economic Forum in 2012.

Umu Picture Gallery

All In London Review

Each dish is a work of art, but prices are sky high

When this Mayfair mews restaurant opened in 2005 it was the only London eatery specialising in food from Kyoto. Since the arrival of new chef Yoshinori Ishii in 2009 (previously of Japan’s three Michelin-starred Kyoto Kitcho) there’s been a bit more of a European influence, evidenced in dishes like foie gras custard with brown crab and Berkshire pork belly.

An exquisite tuna tartar salad is complemented by slithers of sweet nashi pear with pine and cashew nuts and a vinegary shiso dressing. A seared scallop is meaty, exquisite with the unusual pairing of apple compote. The tuna sashimi, both wafer-thin and thickly sliced is bright red, evidence of freshness; the taste is so good it’s almost a shame to dip the fish into either the citrusy ponzu or soy sauce.

The clear miso soup with shiitake mushrooms serves as an ideal palate cleanser before the wagyu beef arrives sizzling on a wedge of slate. The meat equivalent of velvet, it’s sweet, nutty and divine. The black cod is equally impressive, flaky, fleshy fish I can’t get enough of.

Dessert is a cake-like green tea tiramisu, spongy and light.

Umu means “to create” in Japanese, which is fitting given that each dish is a work of art. In fact, Umu misses out on getting top marks purely because of the sky high prices, as a meal for two can easily surpass the £200 mark. The eight course kaiseki tasting menu priced at £100 a head is a good option for trying as many dishes as possible.

Reviewed by Leila
Published on Feb 27, 2012

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Meat!!!

This Japanese fine dining restaurant serves intricate, Kyoto-inspired dishes. The menu has a section devoted to wagyu beef, famed for an ultra-velvety texture which is a result of its marbling. The higher the grades the more marbling the meat contains; try the grade 9 (the highest is 12) which arrives on a hot slate, still grilling.

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Chef Yoshinori Ishii has cooked for heads of state, he regularly heads out to Cornwall to go fishing with his suppliers, and he even hand-makes some of the crockery in the restaurant. Michelin-starred Umu is pricy, but their beautifully prepared food makes them one of the best.

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Kanpai!

With two Michelin stars, Umu is definitely one for splurging. There are fruity, sweet, sparkling and dry sakes, some costing upwards of £400. There are over 100 on the list, so let the sommelier guide you.