Sumi

Verdict: Book Sumi for a lively Japanese evening in Notting Hill — just watch the bill

Sumi is worth booking if you want high-quality Japanese cooking in a convivial room without the formality or the six-month wait of a full omakase experience. It holds a Michelin Plate for both 2024 and 2025, sits on one of London's most reliably busy restaurant streets, and draws a young, social crowd that keeps the energy up from early evening onward. The robata grill dishes are the reason to come; the raw fish is close behind. If you are planning a special occasion dinner and want something celebratory rather than ceremonial, Sumi delivers. Just be aware that the à la carte format and cocktail list mean bills can climb faster than the price tier suggests.

About Sumi

Sumi sits at 157 Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill, W11 — an address that already draws serious foot traffic, yet Sumi is consistently among the busiest on the strip. The restaurant was opened by chef Endo Kazutoshi and named after his mother, and it has since expanded into the adjacent premises to accommodate demand. The extra seating filled up quickly, which tells you something about how the neighbourhood has received it.

The room is designed for ease rather than occasion theatre: pale wood, grey banquettes, an open kitchen to one side. On a warm day, outdoor tables under parasols are worth requesting. The atmosphere skews young and social rather than hushed and reverential, which makes it a better fit for a birthday dinner or a date where you want energy in the room than for a board-level business meal where you need to hear yourself think.

Head chef Christian Onia runs a menu divided into starters, sashimi, nigiri, temaki hand-rolls, robata grills, and gohan rice bowls. This is the key structural difference from Endo's nearby Endo at the Rotunda, where a single highly choreographed omakase experience leaves nothing to chance or choice. At Sumi you choose, which means you can spend wisely or run up a significant tab depending on how freely you order from the robata and drinks list.

What to Order

The robata grill is the standout section of the menu: dishes like Ibérico pork 'secreto', finished with a yuzu kosho dressing, demonstrate what happens when live-fire cooking is applied to premium ingredients with precision. The raw fish is the other anchor: nigiri of chutoro (medium fatty tuna) and silky sea bass are consistently cited in verified reviews, and the temaki hand-rolls , soft, creamy scallop with shiso flowers and soy , are among the more memorable items. A vegetable-forward garden salad with wasabi wafu dressing rounds things out for tables that want balance across the meal. The drinks list includes exotic cocktails, sake, and around 18 wines from £35, all available by the glass from £9 , a genuinely useful feature for mixed groups or solo diners who want to drink well without committing to a bottle.

Leading Time to Visit

Sumi does not currently list a dedicated brunch service in its publicly available data, so if a weekend morning format is your goal, confirm with the restaurant directly before booking. For evening visits, earlier sittings give you a quieter room , this is a venue where the noise level builds as the night progresses and the cocktail list gets ordered heavily. If the occasion calls for conversation, aim for a weekday evening or an early weekend sitting rather than a Saturday at 8pm. Outdoor tables are worth asking about in summer; Westbourne Grove in good weather is a different proposition from a grey Tuesday in November.

Ratings and Trust Signals

• Michelin Plate 2025
• Michelin Plate 2024
• Google rating: 4.5 from 568 reviews

A Michelin Plate does not carry the same weight as a star, but it does confirm that Michelin's inspectors found the cooking worth flagging. Combined with a 4.5 Google score across a meaningful sample of reviews, the signal here is consistent: this is a reliably good restaurant, not a one-visit wonder or a room coasting on its sibling's reputation.

Booking and Practical Details

Reservations: Book at least one to two weeks ahead for a weekend sitting; weekday availability is more forgiving. Sumi is not as difficult to secure as its sibling Endo at the Rotunda (widely regarded as one of London's hardest bookings), but it is consistently busy and walk-in availability is not reliable. Budget: Price range is £££; expect bills to push toward the upper end of that band if you order across robata and cocktails. Dress: No formal dress code indicated; the Notting Hill crowd tends toward smart-casual. Address: 157 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS. Nearest transport: Notting Hill Gate or Ladbroke Grove.

How Sumi Compares to Other London Japanese Restaurants

Within London's Japanese restaurant category, Sumi occupies a practical middle ground. If you want a full omakase at the technical ceiling, Umu in Mayfair operates at ££££ and offers kaiseki-influenced precision in a formal setting. Humble Chicken is a stronger pick if you want Japanese-influenced cooking at a lower price point with a more casual format. For sushi specifically, Chisou and Akira are worth comparing if you are not committed to the robata-led format that makes Sumi worth visiting. Ginza St James's offers a more formal Japanese dining experience if the occasion demands it. The honest answer is that Sumi earns its place not because it is the most technically accomplished Japanese restaurant in London, but because it combines solid Michelin-recognised cooking with a room that actually feels alive , a combination that is harder to find than it sounds.

For deeper exploration of London dining options, see our full London restaurants guide. If you are staying nearby, our London hotels guide covers the full range. For bars before or after dinner, our London bars guide has current recommendations. And if you are planning a wider trip, our London experiences guide and wineries guide are worth bookmarking.

If your interest in Japanese cooking extends to source comparisons, Myojaku and Azabu Kadowaki in Tokyo represent the reference point against which London's Japanese restaurants are ultimately measured. For celebrated UK dining outside 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 each serve a different purpose depending on what you are looking for.

FAQ

• Is the tasting menu worth it at Sumi? Sumi does not operate a tasting menu format , the menu is à la carte across starters, sashimi, nigiri, temaki, robata, and rice bowls. If a set tasting experience is what you want, Endo at the Rotunda is the sibling restaurant to target, though the booking difficulty is considerably higher. At Sumi's £££ price point, the à la carte format gives you more control over spend and more flexibility on dietary preferences, which many diners will find preferable.
• Can I eat at the bar at Sumi? Bar seating details are not confirmed in the available data. The restaurant expanded into adjacent premises in 2022, so the room has grown since its original configuration. Contact the restaurant directly to ask about counter or bar-adjacent seating if that is your preference , it is worth asking, particularly for solo diners or pairs who want a more informal setting.
• What should I order at Sumi? Start with the robata grill section , this is where the kitchen's most distinctive work happens. The Ibérico pork 'secreto' with yuzu kosho dressing is a verified standout. For raw fish, the chutoro nigiri and scallop temaki hand-roll are among the most consistently praised dishes in published reviews. If you want something lighter to open, the garden salad with wasabi wafu dressing provides good balance before moving into the heavier grill courses.
• Does Sumi handle dietary restrictions? Specific dietary accommodation policies are not listed in the available data. Contact the restaurant before booking if you have requirements , the à la carte format gives the kitchen more flexibility than a fixed tasting menu would, which is generally a positive sign for dietary requests.
• Is Sumi worth the price? At £££, Sumi sits below the ££££ tier occupied by London's starred Japanese restaurants. For Michelin Plate-recognised cooking with a lively atmosphere in Notting Hill, the value is reasonable. The caveat is bill creep: the combination of robata dishes, cocktails, and sake means it is easy to spend toward the leading of the band. If you order selectively , robata plus raw fish plus one or two cocktails , the price-to-quality ratio holds up well.
• Is Sumi good for a special occasion? Yes, with one qualification. The atmosphere is lively rather than intimate, so it suits celebrations where energy and conviviality matter more than hushed privacy. A birthday dinner or an anniversary where you want a room that feels festive works well here. For a proposal or a dinner where quiet conversation is the priority, the noise level may become an issue later in the evening , book early and request a quieter table.
• What are alternatives to Sumi in London? For Japanese cooking at a similar price point, Humble Chicken is worth considering for a more casual format. For higher-end Japanese with more technical ambition, Umu in Mayfair operates at ££££ with kaiseki influence. Chisou is a practical alternative if sushi is the specific draw. Ginza St James's serves a more formal Japanese experience if the occasion calls for it.
• How far ahead should I book Sumi? One to two weeks for weekday evenings; two to three weeks for Friday and Saturday nights to be safe. It is not as difficult to book as Endo at the Rotunda, but the restaurant is consistently full and last-minute availability on weekends is not something to rely on. If you are flexible on timing, a weekday evening in the first half of the week is your easiest entry point.