Restaurant in London, United Kingdom
Counter omakase with Michelin recognition. Book early.
Mayha is a Michelin Plate-recognised omakase restaurant on Chiltern Street, Marylebone, where a curved counter and highly seasonal menu make it one of London's more considered Japanese options at the ££££ tier. The full omakase is the main event — book three to four weeks ahead, especially for weekend evenings. Best for solo diners, couples, and small groups who want counter theatre over a private room.
Imagine settling into a curved wooden counter, tree-inspired lights casting a warm glow above you, watching chefs work through a highly seasonal omakase sequence. That scene is Mayha on Chiltern Street — and if Japanese omakase is your format, it is one of the more considered options currently operating in London at the ££££ tier. The Michelin Plate recognition in 2025 confirms the kitchen is cooking at a level worth your attention. Book it for a special dinner, a focused solo meal at the counter, or a date where the theatre of the meal does some of the conversational heavy lifting.
The physical space is a significant part of the case for Mayha. The curved counter puts the kitchen front and centre — this is not a room where you sit facing a wall while plates arrive from behind a closed door. The intimate scale and the deliberate lighting design create a contained, focused atmosphere that suits the omakase format well. For groups looking for a private dining experience rather than the communal counter, it is worth contacting the venue directly: rooms of this counter-led configuration sometimes have separate or semi-private arrangements for larger parties, though the main draw here is the counter itself. If private dining with full room separation is your priority, venues like Umu or Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library offer more established private room options at the same price tier.
Mayha operates a highly seasonal omakase menu, with a shorter format available on weekdays. Luxury ingredients are central, and the nigiri selection forms the core of the experience. The kitchen brings an element of theatre to service , this is not a quiet, austere experience but one where the counter format is used actively. The restaurant originated in Beirut before relocating to London, which gives it a distinct origin story relative to the Japanese restaurant set on its block, though the cooking itself is grounded in Japanese omakase tradition rather than fusion. For context on what serious omakase looks like at source, Myojaku in Tokyo and Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo set the benchmark. Mayha sits credibly within the London conversation alongside Humble Chicken and Umu for serious Japanese dining in the capital.
The weekday shortened omakase format is worth flagging as a timing consideration. If you want the full sequence , and at this price point, you probably do , evenings and weekends are the call. The intimate scale of the room means this is not a venue where you can drift in and recalibrate your experience based on the crowd; arrival timing and preparation matter. For a special occasion dinner, a Friday or Saturday evening gives you the full menu and the full room atmosphere. Solo diners should target a weekday counter seat where availability is marginally less compressed.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. At a small counter format running a luxury omakase menu with Michelin recognition, seats are limited and demand is consistent. Do not treat this as a spontaneous booking. Plan three to four weeks out at minimum for weekend evenings, and give yourself two weeks even for weekday slots. Walk-in availability is not a realistic strategy here.
Reservations: Book well in advance , three to four weeks minimum for weekends, two weeks for weekdays. Dress: Smart casual is appropriate for a ££££ omakase counter; treat it as you would any serious London fine dining booking. Budget: ££££ tier, consistent with London omakase pricing at this level , expect a meaningful per-head spend before drinks. Location: 43 Chiltern St, Marylebone, W1U 6LS. Google rating: 4.6 from 150 reviews.
Chiltern Street sits within a broader Marylebone dining cluster. For Japanese options across London at varying price points, Chisou, Akira, and Ginza St James's each offer different formats and commitments. For UK fine dining beyond London, The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and hide and fox in Saltwood are worth having on your radar. Browse our full London restaurants guide, London hotels guide, London bars guide, London wineries guide, and London experiences guide for the full picture.
Yes , the counter format is actively suited to solo dining. Sitting at the curved counter gives you a direct view of the kitchen and a natural engagement with the meal, which is more rewarding solo here than at a standard table-service restaurant. A weekday slot will be easier to secure as a single seat.
At ££££, Mayha is priced in line with London's competitive omakase tier. The Michelin Plate (2025) and a 4.6 Google rating from 150 reviews indicate consistent execution. If omakase with luxury ingredients and counter theatre is what you are after, the price is justified. If you want à la carte Japanese without the tasting menu commitment, Chisou or Umu may suit you better.
The counter is the main seating at Mayha , the curved wooden counter is not a bar in the drinks-first sense but the primary dining position where chefs present the omakase sequence. There is no separate bar area based on available information. Come expecting a seated meal at the counter, not a drop-in drinks experience.
Smart casual is the right call. At ££££ with Michelin recognition, this is not a jeans-and-trainers booking, but it is also not a black-tie room. Treat it as you would any serious London fine dining reservation , well put-together without needing to be formal.
The full omakase is the reason to come. The Michelin Plate (2025) applies to the full experience, and the kitchen's emphasis on luxury ingredients and seasonal produce is built around the complete sequence. The shorter weekday format is a reasonable entry point if budget is a consideration, but if you are committing to a ££££ evening here, book the full menu.
Yes, with one caveat: the intimate counter format means this works leading for two people or a small group that is happy to share a communal counter experience. The theatrical omakase service, attentive kitchen presence, and deliberate atmosphere make it a strong choice for a birthday or anniversary dinner. For larger groups wanting a private room rather than a shared counter, contact the venue directly or consider Umu as an alternative with more established private dining infrastructure.
For Japanese omakase and counter dining in London: Humble Chicken operates at a lower price point with a more casual energy; Umu offers Kyoto-style kaiseki at a comparable tier with stronger private dining options; Ginza St James's is worth considering for traditional Japanese in a more formal room. For the full set of London Japanese options at different price points, Chisou and Akira cover the mid-tier well.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayha | Japanese | ££££ | There’s a real sense of style to this small Japanese restaurant that relocated from Beirut to London. The chic interior is dominated by a curved wooden counter where the chefs take centre stage, the tree-inspired lights casting it in an intimate glow. The highly seasonal omakase menu – which is available in a shorter form on weekdays – comes with an enjoyable dose of theatre and pushes luxury ingredients to the fore, with the generous nigiri selection forming the core part of the menu.; Michelin Plate (2025) | Hard | — |
| CORE by Clare Smyth | Modern British | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Restaurant Gordon Ramsay | Contemporary European, French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library | Modern French | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| The Ledbury | Modern European, Modern Cuisine | ££££ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Dinner by Heston Blumenthal | Modern British, Traditional British | ££££ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Yes — the curved counter format is built for solo diners. You are watching the chefs work directly in front of you, which makes the solo experience genuinely engaging rather than isolating. At ££££, it is a significant solo spend, but the counter setup means you are never awkwardly placed at a table for two.
At ££££ with a Michelin Plate (2025), Mayha sits in a tier where the price requires justification — and the seasonal omakase format with luxury ingredients and a generous nigiri selection does provide it, provided omakase is a format you enjoy. If you want à la carte Japanese at a lower price point, Chisou in Marylebone is the more accessible option.
The counter IS the dining experience at Mayha. The curved wooden counter where chefs work is the room's centrepiece, not a separate bar — so counter seats are the primary booking, not a walk-in fallback. Secure a reservation rather than arriving speculatively.
Smart casual fits the setting. The interior is described as chic, with a designed, intimate atmosphere — jeans and a shirt are fine, but visibly casual clothing would feel out of place at a ££££ omakase counter with Michelin recognition.
The full omakase sequence, available on weekends, is where Mayha makes its strongest case — the theatrical counter presentation and luxury ingredients are designed around that format. The shorter weekday format is a reasonable option if budget or time is the constraint, but the full menu is what the room is built for.
Yes, with caveats on group size. The counter format and intimate scale suits couples or very small groups marking an occasion — the theatre of omakase and the designed space support it. For larger celebrations requiring a private room or flexible seating, look elsewhere.
For omakase at a comparable price point, Endo at the Rotunda and Sushi Tetsu are the direct comparisons. For Japanese dining with more format flexibility, Chisou (Marylebone) offers à la carte at lower spend. Akira and Ginza Onodera cover the broader London Japanese scene at varying price points.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
