Moi

Tuna Chop Shop

 

140kg Spanish blue thin tuna

Moi in Soho has always felt like a Japanese restaurant that understands restraint. That calm confidence made it the perfect setting for Tuna Chop Shop, a one-off special event that felt less like a themed dinner and more like being invited into a quietly obsessive chef’s personal playground. The menu for the night was centred entirely on a 140kg Spanish blue thin tuna, but not in a predictable “tasting menu flex” way. Instead, it leaned into craft. Cuts were treated with the same respect you’d expect at a serious fish market, but filtered through Moi’s precise, modern cooking. From the first plate, it was clear this wasn’t about luxury for its own sake. It was about understanding the fish fully, from texture to temperature to fat content, and letting each part speak clearly. Relaxed, thoughtful, and quietly confident, exactly what you hope for when a restaurant puts its reputation on the line for a one-off idea.

Ibai

London's finest 

King crab rice

Yes another Ibai post, it is now my no 1 London restaurant alongside The Ledbury. What I love about Ibai is the casual vibe and top-notch open fire cooking. This is a place that wants you to pay attention, not to be impressed by tricks. The Basque influence is clear but not shouted. It is present in the restraint, in the respect for ingredients, in the way fire and salt seem to be treated as tools rather than signatures. The menu reads with clarity. It does not try to do everything. It makes choices and stands by them. You sense that the kitchen is more interested in depth than range, and that confidence is reassuring. The below covers my 16th and 17th visits.

Bonheur by Matt Abé

 Another legend in the making?

Celeriac, Royale Oscietra caviar, allium, hazelnut

Bonheur by Matt Abé arrives in Mayfair with the quiet confidence of someone who has spent nearly two decades learning how to make the exceptional look effortless. Housed at 43 Upper Brook Street in the very building that once sheltered Le Gavroche, the restaurant signals both a respect for British fine-dining heritage and a desire to start a new chapter.  Bonheur opened in early November 2025 as Matt Abé’s first solo venture after a long career under Gordon Ramsay and others, and the project is backed by Ramsay himself, who secured a long lease on the premises — a level of institutional support that helps explain the impeccably choreographed service and the resources poured into the dining room.

The Cocochine

The finest British ingredient showcase

Ceylon King Crab Salad, Consommé, Apple

Walking into The Cocochine in Mayfair feels less like entering a restaurant and more like stepping into a carefully composed mood. The room is calm, softly lit, and has a 'very Mayfair' club vibe. Co-owned by chef Larry Jayasekaram, the cooking respects tradition without being trapped by it and embraces refinement without losing warmth, thanks to Larry's light touch of his Sri Lankan roots. It appeals to diners who value craft and comfort in equal measure. Reason being it has access directly in the food supply chain, as another co-owner has an Island in Scotland for seafood and a farm in Northamptonshire for meat and vegetables. It has recently replaced its ALC offering with a tasting menu, which I feel is the right approach that enables Larry to be more playful in his cooking.

74 Charlotte Street by Ben Murphy

Chef Ben's new gig in London

Lobster, pumpkin, yuzu

74 Charlotte Street by Ben Murphy arrives in Fitzrovia with an easy confidence: a soft, deliberately understated dining room downstairs and a street-level bar that’s already being talked about as somewhere to linger. The site wears its history lightly; it’s the space that once housed Mere, so it is easy to compare, since both trade as modern European fine dining restaurants. On the menu, Ben Murphy’s food sits in that same register: classically trained technique steered toward accessible flavours, with a few playful flourishes to catch your eye.