Sakura at Sake no Hana

Sake no Hana, the Japanese restaurant by Hakkasan Group, is celebrating the arrival of Spring with the return of the sakura cherry blossom garden in the Sake no Hana bar.

By day, the bar has been transformed with intertwining cherry blossom branches, falling petals, a grass floor, and blossom entrances, while by night lights twinkle within the blossom to create an intimate yozakura atmosphere, yozakura literally meaning ‘night sakura’. A limited edition seven course menu has been created for guests to enjoy whilst being surrounded by moving cherry blossom images projected onto the bamboo behind the bar.

Sake no Hana has become a beautiful oasis in St James, the stunning blossom taking over the grass-floored bar, and branches weaving throughout the inside and outside of the restaurant. Arched over the iconic escalators, a cherry blossom tree will form a tunnel for guests to ascend into the restaurant, and cherry blossom threaded through the wooden ceiling of the upstairs dining room. As evening sets in sparkling lights appear amongst the blossom branches - traditionally the Japanese hang lanterns in the blossom trees during yozakura and socialise by feasting and drinking beneath the blossom throughout the night.

Inspired by hanami, the centuries-old Japanese tradition of celebrating the fleeting cherry blossom, Sakura at Sake no Hana offers guests the chance to enjoy the transient beauty of the flowers in the heart of Mayfair. Hanami literally means “flower viewing”, and it is customary to sit beneath the blossom to read and write haiku poetry. To tie in with this expressive tradition, guests who order the Sakura at Sake no Hana menu will be gifted with a haiku written by one of the famed haiku masters and printed onto a paper petal.

Many haiku poets were inspired by the cherry blossom and spring as the sakura season lasts only a few weeks in Japan, thus symbolising the fragility of nature and of life. Throughout the day, the cherry blossom naturally falls onto the grass floor of the Sake no Hana bar, showcasing the fleeting beauty of the blossom, the season, and of time.

A limited edition menu has been created for Sakura at Sake no Hana featuring a cocktail, a bento box created by Executive Head Chef Hideki Hiwatashi, a dessert and macarons.