Sakagura London Restaurant Review | Best for Japanese Sake

I'm always on the lookout for new restaurants to try throughout London and with Japanese being my favourite cuisine I was incredibly excited to review this hidden gem. Sakagura can be found on Heddon Street which is located just off Regent Street at the Piccadilly end of the road. It's only a 3 minute walk from Piccadilly Circus tube station or about 7 minutes from Oxford Circus. Perfectly located on Heddon street which is renowned for being a beautiful quiet area tucked away from the busy shopping buzz of Regent Street.

Sakagura has a distinct traditional Japanese feel about it, no westernised conveyer belts serving pre-made sushi and although you are in London, you could easily be subconsciously transported into a small side-street in Tokyo serving incredible food. The welcome was as expected, super friendly, attentive and polite. 

The interior of the restaurant was modern with delicate mood copper lighting, dark flooring, traditional wood tables, a touch of black marble and of course with traditional Japanese finishings. The low light interior gives a great atmosphere for a dining experience that you would want to spend with something special, whether it's a first date, 5th date or even a 20th year anniversary. Some of the best tables in the restaurant are situated at the side and are partially screened from other diners, this may be a perfect choice of table if you are on a business meeting and would prefer a little privacy. 

Set across two floors, diners can choose to be seated on the ground floor in small intimate dining booths with a dedicated sake bar, or propped up at the traditional 11-seater wooden kappo counter in the basement to watch the chefs at work, nestled in amongst the sake cellar. Drawing inspiration from merging traditional with a contemporary design twist, the juxtaposition of the interiors will see dark wood paneling, sake barrels and noren curtains against cool rough copper, brass and timber textured concrete creating a sophisticated and atmospheric dining experience.

If you are just looking for a bar which serves incredible cocktails, Sakagura is also a great choice. Their bar is situated on the ground floor of the restaurant, with plenty of seating space at the bar itself and it is slightly shielded from the diners eating so grab a cocktail and chat amongst friends in a relaxed atmosphere. 

We were dining for dinner and started with the 'sashimi moriawase' which is the chefs selection of assorted sashimi at £39 which may seem expensive but was good value for the cuts of premium sashimi that was served to us. What I also loved was the freshly ground wasabi that really brought out the flavours. For our shared mains we chose the blackened lobster and the salmon teriyaki both cooked to perfection. I would also recommend the black cod and the wagyu beef as excellent choices. 

Sakagura serves authentic Japanese washoku, honoured by UNESCO, on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which aims to protect intangible aspects of culture. This every-day style of cooking and cuisine at Sakagura will tempt, educate and delight diners from all around the world. The lunch and dinner menu based on washoku will incorporate a harmonious mix of rice, miso, pickled vegetables, fish and meat into each meal with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients.

At Sakagura they have a various number of menus - a la carte, set menu, tasting menu, vegetarian menu and even a bottomless brunch that sounds absolutely delightful. If you are looking for something for lunch, I would suggest one of their Bento boxes shown below.

A Japanese dinner would not be complete without some sake and Sakagura offers the best imported sake around. Head here to discover the finely curated and well-stocked sake cellar, serving selected choices and championed labels handpicked from Gekkeikan - one of oldest sake companies in the world. Neatly served in masu cups, sake-lovers will find it hard to leave! A carefully compiled list will boast one of the largest selections of sake in London alongside varieties of Japanese whisky, rum, a selection of umeshu, flavoured sake, shochu, craft beers and spirits as well as wines by the glass and bottle.

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