London isn’t exactly lacking in Japanese restaurants or omakase spots. What it is short of, though, is handroll bars (there are currently only five in the city specialising in serving temaki). These handrolls – also known as temaki – are made to order and passed over the counter the second they’re ready, meaning the nori is still crisp and the rice still warm.
The bars themselves are intimate, with only a handful of seats, reservations are notoriously hard to get your hands on. So, we’ve tried and tested London’s hottest handroll bars, and we’ll be keeping an eye on the others we’re sure will soon follow. Stay tuned.
In this article:
Kumori, Soho
Best for: an ultra-vibey, ultraviolet-lit handroll bar.
Order: the spicy tuna handroll.
X marks the spot – or at least at Kumori, where you select and keep tabs on your order. It has a one-page menu with a tick-box system that tracks which sushi combos are passed over the counter by baseball cap-wearing chefs. If you’re sat here, seafood like salmon is blowtorched and rolled in crisp nori a metre away from you, before you’re told to eat it immediately. A joint pro and con is that these rolls are generously stuffed, so the contents may spill out the end.
Insider tip: oenophiles should follow the sommelier’s suggestion, as I did, and opt for the blue-bottled Albariño (the label changes colour when the wine is fully chilled).
kumorirestaurant.com
26 Denman St, W1D 7HX
Temaki, Mayfair
Best for: the relaunch of London’s OG handroll bar.
Order: the temaki (a handroll filled with akami, otoro, and caviar).
The bad news: Temaki has closed in Brixton Market. The good news: as of yesterday, Temaki has moved to Mayfair. Yay. London's most anticipated restaurant opening takes its name from the Japanese term for this style of sushi. You can splurge on handrolls that disappear in just two or three bites – like the temaki, stuffed with akami, otoro, and caviar. Nevertheless, we – along with the rest of the city – have been waiting a long time for this moment. Woohoo.
Insider tip: order the A4 Wagyu sliders (with a quail yolk nestled on top of the meat). Squish down the brioche bun to let the yolk ooze through.
temaki.co.uk
11 Maddox St, W1S 2QF | Credit: Tonic Studio
Ukiyo, Covent Garden
Best for: a pre-theatre dinner.
Order: the set number 3 selection.
If there are three things you need to know about Ukiyo, it’s a) pronounced oo-kee-o; b) Covent Garden’s only handroll bar; and c) the set 3 selection confusingly has six variations. If you want to stick exclusively to handrolls, set 3 allows you to work your way through some of the best fillings – from seabass and jalapeño to spicy scallops or yellowtail. However, the negitoro (its most popular option) isn’t included in this set menu, so you’ll need to order that separately.
Insider tip: and a fourth thing... most items on the menu – bar a couple – are gluten-free (even the soy sauce!).
ukiyohandrollbar.com
8 Slingsby Pl, WC2E 9AB
Romeo San, Marylebone
Best for: a walk-in worth the wait.
Order: the spicy eel handroll.
Much like other restaurants in Marylebone, such as L’Entrecôte, there are no bookings here. There are, however, 13 loaded handrolls on offer. Standouts include the spicy eel or wagyu handroll, though the latter is so popular it’s often sold out by late lunchtime. Romeo San is counter-only, meaning the best seat in the house is every single one. Then all that’s left to do is dunk it in the royal blue, shallow soy sauce bowl so the rice soaks it all up.
Insider tip: at quieter times, the chefs will accommodate an aesthetic photo of the nori before it’s assembled.
romeosan.com
38 George St, W1U 7DS
Maki Nori, Soho
Best for: super-fast handrolls in Soho.
Order: the snow crab handroll.
You've no doubt heard of the five-second rule, but how about the 15-second one? That’s the maximum time Maki Nori recommends waiting before you tuck into its just-rolled sushi. That leaves five seconds for a quick photo, then 10 for eating it before the nori loses its crunch. Snag a seat at the 20-seat, horseshoe-shaped counter to watch 11 handroll variations – including spicy snow crab – wrapped in top-grade nori at lightning speed. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are recommended – so chop chop.
Insider tip: for an additional charge, you can add a coin-sized blob of caviar to any handroll – best paired with the negitoro or snow crab and avocado.
makinori.co.uk
