Umu

The story

Umu, London: Japanese Kaiseki in Mayfair with a Michelin Star

Umu, at 14-16 Bruton Place in Mayfair, London, is a Japanese restaurant built on Kyoto kaiseki, and it holds a Michelin star (2026) along with three AA Rosettes (2026). The room seats up to sixty-four guests and includes a sushi table and a sake table.

Cooking and sourcing

Executive Chef Ryo Kamatsu handles fish using Ikejime, an Edo-period method that pierces the fish near the neck and tailfin to limit stress before it is prepared. Much of the catch is line-caught in Cornwall and around the British Isles. The Japanese kitchen keeps the focus on natural flavour and texture, especially in the sashimi.

The kaiseki menu

The kaiseki menu is designed to be shared across the whole table. Courses include Cornish lobster with tomato water and caviar, charcoal grilled monkfish with nut miso, and a Japanese Wagyu selection. Dessert is corn semifreddo with lemon verbena sorbet.