Sushi Tetsu is small but perfectly formed.
Good things come in small packages. It’s not just a saying, it’s something you really do need to believe when, like me, you stand proudly at 5’7” tall. It’s also definitely true for Sushi Tetsu, which, despite being a titchy little restaurant, will serve you some of the best sushi in the city.
When I say it’s a small restaurant, I’m not joking. Sushi Tetsu has room for just seven diners, making it one of the harder restaurants to get into. There is a booking system, but it follows a rather rigorous system whereby you call on a Monday and try to make a reservation for the week after that. They won’t accept walk-ins, so your only option is to run the gauntlet and cross your fingers.
The reward for your perseverance, should you actually get a table, is a parade of magnificent sushi. Chef Toru Takahashi knows sushi like few others, and once he’s done slicing, dicing, and preparing the food, you’ll end up with a beautiful array of sashimi, nigiri, and sushi rolls. A huge range of seafood is employed in pursuit of sushi excellence, with tuna, shrimp, crab, and eel featuring strongly.
Those of an adventurous bent can plump for the omakase – which translates as “entrust the chef”. In this scenario, you have no control over what you order, but on the upside, you’re giving a high-quality chef permission to let his culinary imagination run wild. It’ll cost you £96, so it’s not exactly an everyday event (unless you’re positively slutty for sushi), but food of this quality speaks for itself. All you’ve got to do now is get yourself inside…
Location: . Nearest station is Farringdon. See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: 5:30-10pm (Tue to Fri), 5-9:30pm (Sat), closed Sunday and Monday. All bookings are for two hours of dining.
Price: one piece of nigiri starts at £4.50, three pieces of sashimi begin at £12.
More information: from their website.
Featured image: @fmp2016