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Nobu, Berkeley St.
London
In the constellation of gorgeous, alluring, and captivatingly sexy restaurants in London, Nobu Matsuhisa's restaurant on Berkeley Street shines bright. Of its contemporaries, fewer can lay claim to a striking David Collins façade and interior design, and even fewer can claim to stellar food and a Michelin star. The evening vibe is louche and lascivious, the food Japanese with elements of the chef's stint in Peru. Every inadvertent try-hard in the pantheon of pan-Asian lounges and restaurants tries to replicate this, and fails spectacularly.
So we know it's glamorous and sexy - what about the food?
Incredibly, in a restaurant scene littered with high-end Japanese restaurants and imitators, Nobu's kitchen stands out and delivers. The signature dishes like the rock-shrimp tempura and (still outstanding) miso cod continue to delight diners. The sushi and sashimis are excellent, but skip these in favour of the refreshingly delicious Peruvian ceviches - Nobu was knocking these out before the international gastronomic scene even caught a whiff of Peruvian cuisine - and do not fail to order a dish of life-changing wagyu beef. It's so tender you could literally eat it with a spoon.
The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday and, converse to the solidly booked tables at the Park Lane original, doesn't accept advance bookings for parties numbering fewer than six. Take a date, have a few cocktails - it doesn't get much better than this.
Opening hours: Monday - Friday lunch: 12:00 - 14:15, Monday - Wednesday dinner: 18:00 - 23:00, Thursday - Saturday dinner: 18:00 - 24:00
Sunday dinner: 18:00 - 21:15
Lounge/Bar: Monday - Wednesday: 12:00 - 13:00 , Thursday - Friday: 12:00 - 2:00, Saturday: 18:00 - 14:00, Sunday: 18:00 - 23:00