Taku

Verdict

If you are looking for serious omakase in London, Taku on Albemarle Street is worth booking. Chef Takuya Watanabe runs a 16-seat counter focused on European-sourced fish and a Japanese approach to precision, and the format — all guests seated together, one sitting at lunch, two at dinner — means this is a considered, communal experience rather than a drop-in meal. At $$$ pricing, it sits in the upper tier of London dining, but for omakase at this level of craft, that is the expected range. Book it for a special occasion, a serious food conversation, or a solo meal at the counter where you can watch the kitchen work.

The Counter Experience

The room at Taku is built around its English oak counter, and that is not incidental , it is the entire point. With only 16 seats, the counter format means you are close to the preparation, close to the team, and eating in sequence with everyone else in the room. This is not a restaurant where you arrive when it suits you. All guests are seated together, so timing matters: arrive late and you disrupt the rhythm for the whole table. The oak counter gives the room warmth without softness, and the scale keeps the experience focused. If you have been once and sat at the counter, you already know the format works. On a return visit, pay attention to whatever the current seasonal fish from European waters looks like , the sourcing approach means the menu shifts with availability rather than holding a fixed list.

The kitchen team is led by Watanabe with Long Ng as his right-hand collaborator. Wine Director Bowie Tsang and Sommelier Haruka Fujita oversee a list that runs to around 200 selections and 400 bottles in inventory, with a strong French anchor and pricing in the $$$ band , meaning expect a range that includes bottles well above £100. General Manager Manson Au and Owner Lucas Leong round out a tight operational team for a restaurant of this size.

Food and Wine

Cuisine at Taku sits across Japanese and French registers, with omakase as the organizing principle. The sourcing focuses heavily on European waters, which makes this a different proposition from Tokyo-style omakase importing Japanese product exclusively. The signature 'tuna two ways' has drawn attention as an example of the kitchen's approach: precise technique, clarity of flavour, no unnecessary additions. The wine program with its French-leaning 200-selection list is a genuine asset rather than an afterthought, which sets Taku apart from some London Japanese restaurants where wine is an undersupported category. If you are pairing, ask Fujita for guidance , a sommelier of her background in a 16-seat room is a resource worth using.

Practical Details

Taku is at Ground Floor, 36 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JE , Mayfair, close to Green Park station. The room runs one sitting at lunch and two at dinner, so your time slot is fixed on arrival. Booking difficulty is rated easy relative to comparable London fine-dining, but that does not mean last-minute: at this price point and format, plan at least two to three weeks ahead for dinner, a little less for lunch. The restaurant seats 16 in total, which means private group bookings would fill the entire room , factor that in if you are considering an event. Dress expectations are not formally stated, but the Mayfair location and price tier suggest smart casual at minimum. For a broader picture of dining in the city, see our full London restaurants guide.

If this is your first time in the neighbourhood, our full London hotels guide, our full London bars guide, and our full London experiences guide cover the area well.

Pearl Picks Nearby

For fine dining elsewhere in London, CORE by Clare Smyth and The Ledbury represent the leading of the modern European category. If you are travelling beyond the city, The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, and Moor Hall in Aughton are the restaurants in the UK that compete at a comparable level of ambition. For international reference points in the omakase-adjacent precision-cooking category, Atomix in New York City and Le Bernardin in New York City are useful comparisons. Other notable UK destinations worth considering: Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and hide and fox in Saltwood.