London’s sushi scene has long been a tale of two extremes: the grab-and-go conveyor belt, or the soulless chain. Neither particularly compelling if you’re looking to impress someone, or simply after a swanky night out. And there hasn’t been a truly noteworthy sushi launch in the capital for a while. The short version, and the optimistic one: there has been considerable room for improvement in London’s sushi department.
Mitsu walked in and took every last inch of it. Quite literally, given the space is an expansive, dramatic room that commands attention the moment you enter. Set in the former Nobu Shoreditch space inside the Aethos hotel, Mitsu is a modern Japanese izakaya-style restaurant that brings Tokyo nightlife energy to Shoreditch. We visited recently – here’s everything about our experience and what you should order.
What’s on the menu?
Drinks
A shot of sake appeared before we’d had a chance to even reach for the menu, and we accepted it happily. Even those who fancy themselves reasonably fluent in spirits – not a title we’re necessarily claiming – may find sake a humbling experience, particularly when confronted with a sake list as extensive as Mitsu’s. Having one pressed into our hands by someone who actually knows what they’re doing was the ideal introduction. Make sure you try it – and if the sake menu defeats you on arrival it defeated us – surrender to the staff.
What about the food?
You come to a sushi restaurant to eat sushi – presumably – but the menu at Mitsu is expansive enough to warrant a moment of pause before ordering. Perhaps a steadying shot of sake while you work through it. Between the tempuras, the dumplings, the nigiris and an array of sides that your waiter will enthusiastically point you towards, the decision-making process alone is an event. We say this warmly: prepare for a long, indulgent evening. Order generously, graze slowly, and make sure your dining companion is someone you’re happy to spend a few unhurried hours with.
If you’re lucky enough to be around for lunch, Mitsu now offers a set menu for £18 – a handful of donburi or soba options, served with miso soup or edamame, Monday to Friday, from 12 to 4pm. That’s what you get for working in Shoreditch.
What we ordered
We started with the Kinpira (£6) – delicate, lightly braised strips of burdock and parsnip. Then came the Yasai tempura with tentsuyu (£10) and the soft-shell crab tempura with bubu arare and citrus ponzu (£12). We are committed tempura enthusiasts and these were exceptional – light, perfectly crisp (especially the crab), dangerously moreish, and not the oily mess you are often subjected to in other restaurants. We also got the yasai kakiage temaki (£9), a crispy open hand-roll sushi featuring kakiage – a mixed vegetable tempura fritter. In hindsight, perhaps we over-ordered on the tempura front, but no regrets here – everything was delectable.
On the nigiri front, we ordered the aburi salmon nigiri and the otoro nigiri with truffle nori – a lightly flame-seared, lusciously thick slice of salmon and otoro (a crown jewel of the sea, the fattiest cut of bluefin tuna) resting on sushi rice. These few bites were something close to decadent, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. We’d strongly recommend getting both.
On the recommendation of our waiter, we also tried the Chef’s Rice with jikasei miso (£7) – not something we would have instinctively reached for in a sushi restaurant, the name underselling it. Far from a simple bowl of rice with toppings, it arrives deeply layered with a dollop of mayo and miso that the waiter mixes in front of us. It’s a beautiful, comforting bowl, and you can order one to share for the table.
For our next visit, the sashimi and dumplings (any dumplings) are firmly at the top of the list. The menu is generous to a fault, and it’s entirely possible to leave with a faint pang of culinary regret for everything you didn’t get to try. That said, there is always a second time.
For dessert
The matcha tiramisu (£10) already feels like a rite of passage when visiting Mitsu. Chances are you’ve already seen it on your feed if you’re a foodie – it’s everywhere. The wooden vessel alone will make heads turn and phones come out of pockets. A word of warning, however – this is not a matcha-in-name-only situation. It actually tastes like the grassy, seaweedy flavour coffee shops love to mask in their lattes. If you enjoy matcha, this is a brilliant dessert and a world away from the tedious pistachio tiramisu we’ve now encountered more times than we would care to count.
We also ordered the Black Sesame Basque Cheesecake (£12). Basque cheesecake is having a moment in London right now; La Maritxu arguably lit the fuse, and Lagana has done a memorable version of their own. But Mitsu doesn’t just ride the wave – it takes the beloved format and pushes it somewhere more interesting while staying true to Japanese cuisine.
The signature wobble and that supple, molten creaminess of the Basque cheesecake are very much present – but the roasted, deeply umami black sesame is front and centre, with an earthy smokiness that walks a beautiful line between sweet and savoury. We can appreciate a fresher, inventive take on a beloved dessert – and this one was victorious.
Verdict
Mitsu is grand and modern but low-key and flirty at the same time – it brings a fervent Tokyo izakaya energy into a playfully polished space that fits its surroundings perfectly (not ostentatious enough for Mayfair, and with the right amount of personality for an EC2 postcode). There’s a DJ, open-fire cooking, and a karaoke room with a Bacardi vending machine – make of that what you will, but you’ve got your whole night sorted here.
The sheer magnitude of the space marries well with the ambition of the menu. This is not a glorified sushi restaurant slapping a luxury price tag on bog-standard sashimi – it’s a sprawling, confident journey across Japanese cuisine with something for every preference and flavour profile. A mandatory night out.
Key details
Address: 10-50 Willow St, London EC2A 4BH
Website: mitsurestaurant.com
Socials: @mitsu.london