Maru in City of London, Westminster

My husband and I had an exceptional experience at Maru yesterday. From the moment we stepped into the restaurant we felt as though we were back in Japan. Every course was absolutely out of this world and showed just how talented the chefs are. Special shoutout to the monkfish karaage which will live in my head rent free for the rest of my life. This is the first omakase we’ve had since a Michelin star experience in Kyoto and it was absolutely on par. We’ll be back! Ps get the sake pairing - you won’t regret it.

My fiancé had his eye on this realm for many a month and I finally obliged and booked for his birthday. To say it exceeded expectations would be a huge understatement. The intimate environment was glorious (it feels as though you’ve stepped from London into Japan as soon as you enter), the service was beyond spectacular, and most importantly, the food was sublime. I can’t possibly imagine sushi being better than this. Each course was carefully created, perfectly seasoned, melt in the mouth magic. We loved the clear attention to detail involved with every step of the creation; I feel so lucky to have experienced this meal. Chef Ochiai is one of a kind. Thank you so much for the meal of a lifetime. Additionally, the Japanese sake and whisky was phenomenal. We also loved selecting our own chopsticks to take home as a souvenir of this incredible experience!

I love my omakase experience. Everything from the food to the atmosphere, the service from chef Maru, the other chef and the sommelier was perfect. I was worried that I won’t be full but by the end, we couldn’t even eat the dessert

I was extremely excited to try this place and I love Japanese food. I thought it would be nice and fun to say a few words/phrases in Japanese to the chef but he always responded back in English which is fine. I joked to my husband that he doesn’t like my Japanese and won’t talk back to me. He over heard this and literally went out of his way to call me out in front of everyone ( it’s a very intimate sushi counter) and say I obviously don’t speak Japanese so why should he speak to me in Japanese then started to only speak to me In Japanese saying is that better is that what you wanted. He literally went out of his way to be mean to me ! I’ve never in my life had a chef especially a Japanese chef be so rude! Most of the time people love it when you make an effort to speak their language. Not this guy !! He went so far to embarrass me I literally ended up crying. It’s embarrassing to even write this review but I don’t want anyone else to have this experience. We ended up leaving after just a couple of courses it wasn’t enjoyable after that. Worst experience of my life and we still had the pleasure of paying over 400 pounds to not eat the food and to have the chef make me cry. Awful awful awful!

Hands down one of the best dinners of my life. I have experience in michelin star restaurants, two or three stars, but they are hardly comparable to a dinner like this one. The chef Maru and his team have been extraordinary in explaining the plates. The place is very intimate and you feel like you are part of a family. The quality of the food was stunning and varied. We enjoyed this experience a lot and we are looking to repeat it soon.

So I am a bit conflicted with this dinner as I enjoyed the food immensely (food was comparable to a sushi master you could find in Singapore/Japan/Hong Kong/Malaysia) and obviously the London standard for Omakase isn’t as competitive. Food wise, I thought the nigiris were excellent, perfect rice to fish ratio and served room temperature. Rice seasoning is on point. But a couple of things that happened made me feel like this was a four star as opposed to a five star experience. So how I would usually eat my nigiri is to eat it fish side down (as opposed to rice on the tongue first). At the end of the meal when I was chatting to the chef he made a comment that that was very odd and he was wondering why I was doing it throughout the meal and was also saying that that was not the way he intended someone to eat the nigiri he prepared. This irked me for two reasons - 1. I would have appreciated it if he told me this BEFORE or DURING the 20 course menu and not after I just spent 390 quid (including drinks) on the meal and 2. I have done this at other omakase restaurants such as Sushi Saito etc and similar second third generation chefs and none of them said anything. If you google how to eat nigiri you’d be able to see that it’s pretty 50:50 as to the “correct way”. Basically, the chef is a big fish in a small pond that is London, great Omakase and I would have dearly loved to have gone again but his condescending attitude has thrown me off completely.

You really won’t understand how good Maru actually is until you go. We read all the reviews like everyone else and we’re expecting it to be excellent but once you leave you can’t help but think that what you just experienced was on a different level. The whole evening was exceptional. Right up there with the very best restaurants in the world. I literally can’t express how amazing it was any more than that. Thank you Taiji Maruyama and your team.

Head chef Taiji is a brilliant mastermind, serving seasonal 21 course menus to 8 guests at every experience. It’s not just a good quality food that you will get, but you literally having an Omakase theatre experience where you watch an incredibly skilled team performing the magic. It is nearly impossible to make an extra sound as you are watching, listening and then with your eyes closed indulging the individually prepared divine pieces of sushi. The Head Chef Taiji and his assistant Paride describes the fish, where it’s from (most of the produce are locally sourced) and answers any questions one might have about the cuisine or products. The sommelier Vitalijus will offer you a very interesting journey with tea, sake or wine paring that will make the Omakase experience even more complex and luxurious. They also serve some of the finest and rare sake and Japanese whiskey around. One of the most incredible dining experiences of my life, no doubt. You simply can’t fault anything. Highly recommended.

Brilliant dinner - one of the best in London! The toro hand role was a perfect dish. Great addition to the London sushi scene

I made a reservation for my mom and me. This is hands down the best sushi and Omakase experience I have ever had! The food is so fresh, innovative, and absolutely delicious. The staff is absolutely delightful! Having only 10 seats available for any seating makes this a very intimate and special experience. This was the highlight of my trip to London! I cannot wait to return!

Have had the privilege of eating all around the world, most extensively in Hong Kong and New York. The incredible 21 course meal I just completed at Maru has rocketed to being the best meal of my life. Maru's attention to every detail, in taste, in aesthetic, even in the sequencing of the meal is unparalleled. The exclusive 8-person maximum seating adds to a truly unique dining experience with your own personal master sushi chef. If you weren't previously aware, literally every second that a piece of sushi sits out impacts its taste. For example, in a hand roll, every second that passes allows the ingredients in the roll to make the seaweed slightly soggier and less crispy. Maru's items are of such excellence that you will literally care to consume it in such ideal conditions. Don't bother with Maru if you don't appreciate such details. One final note. Sushi Nakazawa in Manhattan was my previous top meal. Maru has forced me to recalibrate as it established a new definition for excellence. Nakazawa is now an 8.5/10 while Maru is now my personal definition of 10/10.

They use ingredients mainly from UK and Europe, many seafood are from Cornwall, and most are aged. Overall is average. 6/10 for me.

I have a love of authentic Japanese cuisine. Not Japanese “fusion” as popularised in the West by Nobu, Zuma and all the rest. But the real thing. The purity of flavour. The beauty of presentation. And the elaborate way meals are constructed. I have spent many years in Japan and outside of Japan such is very hard to find such. HK and Macau come closest to replicating true Japanese in a few places. I have not found anything comparable elsewhere however much critics who don’t really understand traditional Japanese food might rave about the latest hot place. Maru is very interesting. It seeks to replicate the true essence of a Tokyo style omakase meal. A tiny restaurant with 10 seats. A set menu. Rigidly timed to allow all courses to be served at the correct temperature and consistency. And each course is prepared to absolute perfection. Whilst European and U.K. fishing and preparation methods may prevent the exact replication of a top Tokyo experience, the way Maru takes the best ingredients from all over Europe and combines them into a multi-course meal is unique and outstanding. Scallops from the Orkney’s, sea Urchin from Iceland. Tuna from Spain. Crab from Dorset. Etc. What stuck me is the concentration of flavour in each course and the time spent on the detail to make the experience so memorable. I have eaten here three times and all have been extremely good. Without doubt Maru is the best and Japanese restaurant in London. It is the only truly authentic formal omakase experience I have had in London. Well done!

Amazing food - really special restaurant. The dinner feels very unique and celebratory. The attention to detail and quality of the product was fantastic!

After strong initial press coverage, this miniscule place has subsequently gone a little bit under the radar. This shouldn't be the case - it's serving food in the top tier of London's Japanese restaurants, easily at one-star standard and towards the upper end of that, it could push for two.

A spectacular evening, with wonderful food, sake, service, and ambience. Every member of staff is highly knowledgeable and the head chef incredibly skilful, making numerous exquisite dishes. A faultless experience, which I could not recommend enough (especially with sake pairing)!

Quite simply the best meal of the year. Everything was exquisite. Extremely talented chef and great interactive experience.

Really enjoyed the chef’s table experience at Maru. Locally sourced produce mixed with the flair of Chef Maruyama. The small gift at the end and a final course to prepare yourself the next day at home was a nice touch / fitting end to a...

Rude and offensive. Restaurant has poor quality food potentially dangerous to health. Will discriminate against customers and fail to properly charge.

Incredible food amazing attention to detail. Honestly one of the best restaurants in London. Cannot recommend enough.

What can I we say about Taiji and his perfect Japanese food, localised with amazing selection of British produce and ingredients. The choice of cured fish and the perfect rice, plus his creativity and service, then add some of the best sake ever tasted ,...

I have been fortunate enough to eat at numerous one, two and three Michelin star restaurants in Japan. The experience at Maru compares favourably to the meals I have had in Japan and I would be very surprised if they are not awarded one or...

Awesome, authentic Japanese dining experience that uses UK ingredients, prepared to a perfect high end Japanese method, all prepared in front of you, individually, for each diner. Every course is a delight, and perfectly engineered. The staff are knowledgeable, engaged and clearly love what they're...