Nobu London (Old Park Lane)

High-end Japanese in London

O-toro and sea urchin

It has been more than 7 years when I last dined at Nobu, the restaurant was once regarded as the very best Japanese restaurant in the UK, both Nobu sites in London (Park Lane and Mayfair) held a Michelin star and dining at Nobu always relate to luxury and glamour, as it is a popular hangout for celebrities. Fast forward to 2019, Nobu seems to be still going strong, it has since lost its Michelin star, but it has also launched a hotel in East London and the rich and famous are still regulars. The menu has also got a revamp, with both classic and modern dishes on offer. Personally, I enjoy my good old fashioned Japanese dishes and opted for a range of classics.

Yellow Tail

Salmon Skin Salad

Soft Shell Crabs

To kicked off the meal, I had the salmon skin salad, which contained plenty of salmon flakes and crispy skin, I found the skin was just a touch underseasoned and the whole dish was dominated the yuzu dressing. The star dish of the day had to be the Nobu's signature dish, black cod miso, it was a sweet umami sensation. The cod was smooth and moist, well seasoned and every mouthful was pure joy, just as good as I first encountered it 7 years ago. To finish off the meal, I had the sea urchin sushi, which delivery a pool of bold savoury taste, it was very fresh and creamy, with the sushi rice absorbed all the wonderful seafood essence.

Crispy Yuba Shrimp

Miso Black Cod

Baby Tiger Shrimp with Ponzu, Creamy Spicy or Jalapeno

The meal at Nobu was enjoyable without a doubt, it was light and offered some good old fashioned Japanese flavours. However, it was far from anything special or exciting, so I guessed it was fair that the Michelin Guide decided to remove its star. Besides, the cost of dining at Nobu is pretty mad, even when wine is not a factor, my food bill still came to over £100 per person, that is easily a tasting menu dinner at a high end 1 star fine dining restaurant elsewhere in London, and there are may better Japanese restaurants, such as Sushi Tetsu. To sum it up, Nobu is still a good quality Japanese restaurant, but at a very premium cost.



Food 3/5

What I paid: 
£260 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services :
£80

Metropolitan by COMO, 19 Old Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 1LB

https://noburestaurants.com/london-old-park-lane/home/