HIMI

A 4.8-rated izakaya newcomer in Carnaby worth booking now

It earned a Michelin Plate in its debut year, which is a meaningful credential for a neighbourhood izakaya in W1. At £££, it sits in the middle tier for Japanese dining in London: more affordable than the counter omakase at Umu, and positioned closer to the casual end of the spectrum than the formal kaiseki experiences you'd find at Ginza St James's. If you want high-quality Japanese cooking in a room designed for eating, drinking, actually enjoying yourself, HIMI is worth the trip to Carnaby.

The space and what to expect

HIMI occupies a compact room on Newburgh Street, a short pedestrian strip off Carnaby Street that sits between Soho and Mayfair. The layout offers two distinct experiences: counter seats facing the kitchen and tables for groups who want to sit opposite each other. The counter is the more interesting choice. You're watching the kitchen work; the robata grill active, the fryer producing, which gives the meal an energy that the tables, useful as they are, can't quite replicate. For solo diners or pairs, the counter is the clear call. For groups of four or more, the tables make practical sense. The room has the after-work looseness that a good izakaya produces: not a hushed fine-dining room, not a loud chain, but something in between that makes a weeknight dinner feel like a proper occasion without requiring you to dress for one.

What to order

The Michelin inspector notes highlight three dishes worth anchoring your order around. The fried chicken is described as wonderfully crispy, exactly the kind of thing that works with cold beer and makes an izakaya worth returning to. The Inaniwa udon comes with duck that the notes describe as juicy and pink, which suggests careful cooking rather than the overcooked protein that often lets down udon dishes. The red shrimp from the robata grill, finished with squid ink, rounds out a menu that covers frying, braising, open-fire grilling across the same sitting. This is not a tasting menu venue. You're ordering a spread of dishes and sharing them, the izakaya format rewards ordering broadly rather than sticking to one or two plates. If you've eaten at Humble Chicken in Soho and enjoyed that yakitori-led approach, HIMI's robata-focused menu will suit you. If you're looking for sashimi precision or a structured omakase, Chisou or Akira would be better fits.

The Roji connection and what it means for quality

HIMI is the second project from the husband-and-wife team behind Roji, a well-regarded Japanese restaurant that built a quiet reputation in London. Opening a second restaurant in a more casual format, izakaya rather than refined dining, is a common move for operators who have proven they can cook at a high level and want to reach a broader audience. The rating may settle once more diners have passed through. The Michelin recognition provides a more durable quality signal.

Booking and practical details

HIMI opened in early 2025 and is still in the phase where a new restaurant with strong early reviews fills quickly on weekends and popular weekday evenings. Reservations: Book in advance; walk-ins may be possible at the counter for off-peak slots but weekend evenings will require a reservation. Budget: £££, expect a meaningful spend per head once drinks are included, though this remains well below the £££+ tier of London's formal Japanese restaurants. Dress: No dress code noted; the izakaya format is relaxed. Getting there: 4 Newburgh Street, Carnaby, W1F 7RF, Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus are both walkable. Leading time: Early evening counter seats give you the most animated kitchen view; later sittings get louder as the after-work crowd builds.

Is HIMI right for your trip?

For explorers of the London Japanese scene, HIMI fills a gap that matters: serious cooking in a format that doesn't require a tasting menu budget or a weeks-out booking window. If you're in London planning a broader dining itinerary, it pairs well with a longer journey to somewhere like The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, or Moor Hall in Aughton for the kind of structured tasting menus that require advance planning. HIMI is the opposite: the restaurant you book for a Tuesday evening when you want to eat well without ceremony. For Japanese dining context beyond London, Myojaku and Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo show the benchmark the format is working against. HIMI isn't competing at that level, but for London, in 2025, it's doing something worth your attention. Explore more options in our full London restaurants guide, or check our London bars guide if you want to extend the evening after dinner. For places to stay nearby, our London hotels guide covers the full range.