Nobu (Nobu)

Member Name: Alex

Product:	Nobu
Date:	07/06/00 (319 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The best and most unusual food in London

Disadvantages: Very expensive

This restaurant is located in the Metropolitan Hotel on Old Park Lane and boasts a menu of Japanese/South American fusion food that is unequalled anywhere in the world (apart from the other three branches in New York and Las Vegas).

It tries hard to be cool: the minimalist decor that is a feature of almost every new restaurant in London, the views over Hyde Park, the celebrity clientele, plus the models/waiters in their black Kenzo uniforms who attend to your every need. There is substance to their style however, as one quickly discovers that the unbelievably complicated menu is indecipherable without their help. The best plan is to put away the menu and let them recommend the dishes - I did this and was impressed by the result, a series of about 10 dishes, each one a little work of art both in terms of presentation and taste.

Highlights of the menu are the "new style sashimi", which is basic sashimi but served with superb marinades and seasonings, the blackened cod, and also the sake which is served in bamboo flagons. In fact the sake menu itself is enough to be getting on with: about 15 different varieties including the rare and unusual dessert sake and even sake with gold flakes inside!

If you've got either room or money left after this then the dessert menu is definitely worth a look. It changes often but when I was there I was blown away by the chilli pineapple, something which I've seen nowhere else and has to be tasted to be believed.

This in my opinion is the best restaurant in London, but doesn't come cheap at about £100 a head if you go for the sake and wine as well. Well worth it for a once a year treat however book well in advance as demand is still high.

Summary: