Koyn

Haute cuisine meets high camp when it comes to Koyn's lobster tempura: a succession of masterful maki topped with the lobster head staring heavenward. There's also dry-aged seabass with the sweetest of sweet shrimp and melt-in-the-mouth chūtoro tuna shot through with the citrus zing of kumquat. The upper level is a serene sushi bar, while things heat up downstairs with the open-kitchen robata grill and moodier red-black decor. Then there's the bar - the signature, well-balanced hibiscus negroni (using Sakura vermouth and jasmine syrup) is bitter with soaring floral notes. As an opulent Japanese based in the heart of Mayfair, Koyn, unsurprisingly, costs a lot of coin. What makes the lumpy bill easier to justify is the friendly, down-to-earth staff who really know their stuff and lay the foundations for a deliciously convival evening.

Words by Rachel Walker.

This article was taken from the April 2024 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe today, click here.