Bruton Place Kyoto kaiseki, the discreet hidden door, the multi-course menu and the most considered Japanese dining in W1.
Umu opened on a Mayfair mews in 2004 and earned its Michelin star within five months; it has held the rating ever since. Executive Chef Ryo Kamatsu cooks Kyoto kaiseki in the strict sense, seasonal, multi-course, intentionally restrained, alongside an edomae sushi counter and one of the deepest sake lists outside Japan. The entrance is famously discreet (a sliding door on Bruton Place, no signage), the room is lacquer-and-cedar quiet, and the experience is the opposite of the Mayfair-Japanese spectacle elsewhere on the same mile.
The kaiseki menu is the order, à la carte misses the point. Sit at the eight-seat sushi counter for the more involved experience; the dining room is for groups. Sake pairing over wine; the cellar is the reason.
At a Glance
View Type
Royal Park, Historic Monuments, London Skyline
View Quality
Exceptional
Awards
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