Zuma London is an exquisite contemporary Japanese restaurant in Knightsbridge. Zuma is one of the quintessential opulent Japanese restaurants in London, right with Nobu, which is one of our favourites. We’ve been to all the Nobu London restaurants several times but hadn’t yet been to Zuma for three reasons… it’s in West London and we’re proud East Londoners; you can’t reserve online; and the menu on the website is very limited. Well, we were craving Japanese cuisine so we got over all that quick. 

Zuma is very elegantly designed and, as opposed to other restaurants of its ilk, the lighting is perfect for all occasions. The service is superb, as you’d expect. Very attentive and knowledgeable. Now, the food…

Starters

The lamb skewers were majestic. Really soft and very well seasoned. 

The crispy squid was simple yet delicious. Not much seasoning other than salt and pepper but that was enough, and it was really well fried. 

Very delicious. The batter was light and crunchy and the shrimp was fresh and meaty. We’d asked for chilli oil at this point, and it was just right with the shrimp and squid. 

Mains

The lamb was more sweet than spicy, but delicious anyway. It was also incredibly succulent and moreish.

We requested the beef cooked medium and it was perfect. Soft and juicy from the sauce which wasn’t spicy, more sweet… although a very different flavour from the lamb. Shiima really enjoyed the sauce with steamed rice.

The black cod was excellent in every way, which just reinforced that I’m over black cod. I used to order black cod all the time, but then I got tired of it and haven’t ordered it in over a year. From memory, this is one of the best black cod I’ve had the pleasure of eating because the miso was well balanced and the fish was cooked to perfection. 

Dessert

The baked cheesecake was half cheese brûlée and half cheesecake and both halves were fantastic. The caramel brûlée wasn’t overly sweet and mixed well with the creamy cheesecake, and the guava sorbet was much better than we expected. Overall, a very well balanced and delicious dessert. 

Verdict

We absolutely enjoyed our dinner at Zuma. It is everything you’d expect… beautifully designed, superb service, and fantastic Japanese cuisine. It’ll cost you though, but you ought to be expecting that as well. We recommend for romantic dates and special occasions with friends or family, especially family. 

Cuisine: Japanese
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Spicy Beef Tenderloin
Amen’s Star Dish: Spiced Lamb
Price: Over £50 pp
Rating: 5 out 5

Zuma London
5 Raphael Street
Knightsbridge
London SW7 1DL
For Reservations, call 020 7584 1010