Matsuri St James

15 Bury Street

London
SW1Y 6AL

In Japanese Matsuri means festival, and it's probably fair to state that this (and it's High Holborn sister) restaurant is a celebration of Japanese cuisine. To the Japanese, eating is more than appeasing your appetite; how a dish looks is as important as how it tastes. So, in its large softly-lit
subterranean restaurant Matsuri serves the traditional flavours of sushi (amongst the best in the capital) with the modern tastes of teppanyaki, all presented with precision. Favourite set menus are Matsuri and Taiko, both three courses. Managed and staffed entirely by affable Orientals, this is as
authentic a Japanese dining experience as you're likely to enjoy in London. There's even a huge black-haired puppet head dominating the stairway leading from the bar to the restaurant. He's called Nebuta and he's a traditional matsuri symbol. Or the general manager's granddad (his joke). You decide.

Average Price: £50

Cuisine: Japanese

Underground: Green Park / Piccadilly Circus