UMU Mayfair Is Still Top Chopstick After Twenty Years

UMU has enjoyed 20 years as a beloved Mayfair institution. Tessa Dunthorne reviews, asking if it’s still top chopstick.

Review: UMU, Japanese Restaurant

Twenty years ago, UMU opened as London’s first—and only—Kyoto-style restaurant, with a mission to introduce authentic Japanese dining to the capital’s gastronomes. No half-hearted sushi here. Original executive chef Ichiro Kubota was so committed to a true Kaiseki experience that he insisted on flying in indigenous fish from Japan.

And it worked. UMU quickly became an institution, earning and holding onto its Michelin star for nearly a decade.

Over the years, some things have changed. For one, the ingredients now travel far shorter distances, with current exec chef Ryo Kamatsu embracing British seasonal produce. Yet, much remains the same. Take the front door, for instance. Famously elusive, I circled 14-16 Bruton Place multiple times, cursing Google Maps, before finally spotting the discreet wooden panel. It’s like UMU is a Bond villain’s lair, hidden in plain sight. There’s a real detective’s thrill in finding the button that reveals the doorway.

The main event is obviously the food – a visual spectacle. UMU’s dusky, intimate dining room, designed by Tony Chi in the early 2000s, still centres around its chef’s table, where cooks create a ballet of movement, preparing the kaiseki menu. The plating is art. Thick, creamy wasabi lands on freshly filleted fish, while intricate dishes pass from hand to hand like a perfectly timed relay.

By the time the first course – sakizuke, or appetisers – arrives, you’re drooling. Gotofu, a creamy tofu blended with tapioca powder, topped with Exmoor caviar and sesame jelly, is both light and luxurious, comfort food taken to another level. The second course, a fish soup, is a revelation. The sea bream and leek broth is so deeply flavorful that I’m genuinely sad to see the bowl go. Every component is astonishing: the soy sauce is tar-black, the ultimate lesson in tang, practically luxuriating in your mouth. 

The standout? Wagyu beef, paired with stuffed lotus root, Japanese mashed potatoes, and mustard. The stuffed lotus root looks a bit alien, and the flavours are, too – they’re not excitingly unfamiliar to a Western palate. And the beef melts in your mouth the way you’re always told wagyu should. It’s so good it sings. 

UMU is a masterclass in flavour, where traditional Japanese techniques meet British ingredients. And the hospitality is top notch. The team moves around the room, chatting with regulars and greeting newcomers. That it has regulars – in a city brimming with dinner choice – is itself an achievement. No wonder it’s managed to enjoy 20 years in Mayfair. Here’s to 20 more. 

Book Now

Umu is running two special anniversary dinners in September featuring creative drink pairing. An Evening of Sake and Celebration runs on 13 September only, £250pp, book here; The Moët & Chandon dinner runs between 17-18 September, £250pp, book here. 

For general dining, UMU is open 12-2pm and 6-10pm Tuesday through Saturday, umurestaurant.com