Zuma Restaurant, Knightsbridge, London

One of the best sushi bars in London, great japanese cuisine. This one’s a must.

Zuma=the best sushi in London.

This is a quality Japanese restaurant,that I save for special evenings and special people :) A Japanese dining experience only to those who can truly appreciate the delicate flavours, the scents, the taste that lingers on your tongue, and the beautiful presentation of it as well!

the restaurant is very stylish and beautiful, the staff are so kind and knowledgeable, and the food….oh the food….organic, delicious, authentic Japanese dishes – I’m transferred to Japan the minute I set my foot in there, amazing!

Great service

After a bit of a random disorganised day, two friends and I hung our heads as Harrod’s closed in front of us, withdrawing all hopes of a hot chocolate on a cold winter afternoon.

Stocking up on some emergency supplies (caramelised popcorn for one, sausage roll for another) which we devoured, I brought up none other than the qype app on my iPhone (possibly one of the best things about the iToy!), to look for some emergency sustenance and prepare the foundations of “plan B”, since “plan A” (hot chocolate at Harrod’s) had failed miserably.

In the “nearby” listings, something crept up to the top. It had 5 stars. Out of 5. This was the average from 35 reviews. I figured “Hey, this has got to be good!” And proposed it to the boys. A few seconds of umms and errs quickly morphed to us all walking over round the small lancelot street to get to raphael street where Zuma hides. As we turned the corner, it looked like we might have gotten lost in an alley. Then we got to the doorway.

Golden light streaked out, warming the stone that lined the walls. We walked into the warmth, spotting the beautiful hostesses who were welcoming despite our lack of reservation. We could be seated at 20:00, she said. It was 18:30. I turned to my friends and explained (in french) we’d have to wait for an hour and a half. We all shrugged. And raised eyebrows when the hostess continued our conversation in fluent French. A nice touch.

We spent a very happy hour and a half at the rather crowded bar, where we watched lovely waiters handle bottles in ways you didn’t think bottles could be handled, pouring double or triple beers one-handed, and generally shaking and stirring things up like nobody’s business. I had a kiwi bellini. I think. Not that it matters. It was delicious, layered in flavours, and generally to be had again, and again, and again. Well, maybe one again short of that, given the £12 price tag…

At 20:00 sharp (I was very impressed with the timeliness) we were seated. Mesmerised by the sushi masters, it took us a while before we opened the menus and drooled over the contents. Ordering was quick and painless, the food arriving incredibly quickly.

We shared all dishes, being mediterranean. And frankly it’s the style of the place. Every single one of them was SO delicious! A complete symphony. The sweet, the tangy, the spicy, the crunchy, the smooth… melt-in-your-mouth salmon teriyaki, crunchy spicy fresh and perfect calamari. So perfect, in fact, we ordered another later on… and when the kitchen somehow lost track and made a third, our waiter brought it to us, laughing, saying he was sure we’d appreciate it more than anyone else. We did. We SO did!

At the end, you had to roll us out from the food we ate. And we had wine. Given our bill came in at under £100 for each of us, with the wine, and we were quite stuffed with the most delicious food we had every had (well, the best seafood, that’s for sure), we thought it was an absolute bargain!

We’d all go again at the drop of a hat, should anyone find a good enough excuse. Or a poor one. Any excuse, really. I just want to have my eyes roll back and my mouth be stunned at the delicious melting softness of that salmon teriyaki.

Truly. You have GOT to eat there. Even if all you can afford is one dish. It’ll be the best thing you ever had. I promise.

you got to visit, exciting experience the food is good and the price is reasonable given their location

This is our first visit. Having chatted to friends and reading through the critiques we had been stop hopeful for dining here. The service was pretty superior. Very attentive. The atmosphere was satisfied yet inviting.They go the other distance to confirm their guests are happy.This became the most beautiful snack That I have ever had!I recommend this restaurant for anyone who loves cooking. Very accomodating staff members, and always there when you really need them.

The sushi culinary chefs are fantastic simply serve the finest sea food. I’ve encouraged this eating house to quite a few, many folks and none of them happen to be unhappy!!

Best Sushi Restaurant in London

I LOVE THIS PLACE IT IS AMAZZZINNNNNGGGGG

More photos and stuff here
http://hungryinlondon.com/2011/05/zuma-knightsbridge/

Zuma is a restaurant for special occasions. It is part of a small world wide chain with subsidiaries in Hong kong, Istanbul, Miami and Dubai. You might be able to get away with a semi-affordable bill when ordering carefully, but in the end you will want to splash out. Zuma invites to decadence and gluttony, and at this night, for my birthday, I was part of it.

In London, Zuma is located in a very ugly building not far from Knightsbridge tube station and doesn’t look like much from the outside. When you enter it however, you feel like you have stepped into a night club or into one of these bars I never go to because I refuse to pay 15 pounds for a cocktail and I usually don’t confirm with the dress code.

Surrounded by the young, rich and stylish I was glad I had dressed up for this special occasion feeling like a real Chelsea girl, wearing something rather short together with very high heels in the form of my almost virgin golden Sergio Rossi stilettos. Sipping my Saffron and Poppy Seed Martini (10.50) I was waiting to be spoiled.

I really liked Zuma, in fact I liked it about 1 million times more than the only other posh Japanese restaurant I have been to in London, Nobu Berkley Square.

LIKE

1. Lovely staff: Even though we didn’t have a reservation the lovely people at the counter found us a place at the sushi bar within 10 minutes. Friendly and forthcoming they had nothing in common with the pretentious waiters at Nobu. 2. The menu: I liked the fact that in addition to some astronomically priced dishes they do have a good selection of dishes costing less than 10 pounds. 3. The wine: There are also quite some wines for under 20 pounds, which allows you to maybe order a couple of dishes more… 4. The food (see below) was sublime. I loved the fresh and exquisite ingredients, the exotic and well-balanced sauces and the inventive take on Japanese food without losing the traditional touch.

DISLIKE

1. I really wanted some cold sake to go with my Japanese delicacies, but they were out of the two cheapest sakes! (19£ and 29£ respectively for 300 ml). We did not go with the next expensive one (40£) but had wine instead. Wanted sake though!

2. The Sushi Counter: the person who designed this should lose his/her licence really. The broad stone surface gives you plenty of space for all your plates but underneath – this is a completely different story. Even I with my 5.3 ft had no idea what to do with my legs. Not only was there absolutely no space, the inside surface of the counter was ragged, which not only destroys stockings but also hurts! This reminded me of the story that I once heard about McDonalds, where they intentionally use tilted chairs so that the customer does not feel to comfortable and doesn’t want to linger. I wonder if similar incentives were in the mind also of the people behind the Zuma interior design…? 3. Why don’t they put prices on their website? I really don’t like this, people should know what they are in for. And while I’m at it, did I mention that I HATE websites with music?

Anyway, the most important thing is the food, here we go:

Suzuki no osashimi (12.60) – thinly sliced seabass with yuzu, salmon roe and truffle oil – one of my favourite dishes

Tokodai wafu asperagasu (5.80) – beautiful fresh and with delicious wafu sauce and sesame on top.

Shitaki Mushrooms (4.80) – tender and garlicky this was a rather generous portion for not quite 5 pounds.

Chicken Yakitori (5.80)

Yellow Tail sashimi (8.00) – boring compared to the other dishes.

Unagi Nigri (8.80) however, was all the better.

Aubergine (8.60) something

Inaniwa Langustine Noodles (14.80) – this was one of the specials, the chilled noodles with the sweet langoustine and the ripe mango were very pleasant indeed.

Wagyu Beef Sushi with Black Truffle (27.50) – loved the raw beef melting in my mouth together with the subtle truffle flavour. Expensive but worth it :)

Banana and Green Tea Cake with Peanut Toffee Sauce and coconut ice cream (8.80) – weird combination but worked somehow. While I didn’t pick up the green tea flavour, the soft and juice banana cake was all the better with the sweet and salty peanuts.

5.30 I arrive from work. Sitting at the bar with a girlfriend, drinking the amazing rhubabu (rhubarb, passionfruit, sake cocktail) Over the next 2hrs, a steady stream of 'working girls', clearly of eastern european origin, arrive and leech onto the first sad soul who will give them the time of day (and a drink) They're easy to spot- usually two come in together, buy one glass of sauvignon blanc to share, and then find a man. Usually old and fat, or young rich and socially inept.

Possibly the most amusing place for pre-dinner drinks anywhere in London.

Dinner is best at the grill bar- often a little too hot for comfort, but way better atmosphere, and cosier, than the dining tables. The salmon and tuna tartares are divine, as is miso black cod. Actually pretty much everything i have ever had here is lovely... As you would expect being in the heart of knightsbridge, it is not cheap, but I think money well spent.

I know a lot of fellow Journalists love this place because of the diversity of food and - as the Lords who run my Journalistic Manor are kind when it comes to my expense account - I have eaten here on a number of occasions, but mainly because it appeals to the victim I have chosen to eat out with and pump for information. Therefore, working on the basis that the snitch is always right, until they spew out the goodies, I have been accommodating.

Would I choose to eat here by myself or with a friend? No!

Why? Well, to be very frank, the cuisine is not always constant. Whether the owners have a dose of 'Change the Chef often before he get's lazy' or whether that character is fickle, I have no idea. I haven't attempted to grill him to find out. I only take the bright lights to put in politicians eyes, besides, Chefs are usually already conditioned to heat.

I am presuming that the restaurant was named after Zuma Beach in Malibu, California and the owners have spent time there watching the Beach Babes and not enough time watching the staff - or perhaps too much time watching the staff nick the silver, because every time I have been there, I see new faces, but same type of menu. Which I should mention always looks superb on paper: asparagus tempura, crispy fried squid with green chilli, wagyu beef, black cod with miso, and sushi etc.

I am prepared to say, in defence of the place that anything that hasn't been well cooked is not usually my cup of Twinings, therefore, perhaps my comments could easily be put down to seeing too many people eat Sushi. Then again, being a person who likes consistency and good service, I do try to be objective. In that department I must say they really never came up to my standards. But, as I could say the same about Horror Films with giant crabs in them, you can swallow all my criticism with a light grain of salt.

My favourite restaurant in the world! Great lively atmosphere and amazing food! The sparkling sake is amazing and the lobster too!

Oh dear, I'm going to get shouted at by all the other reviewers who have given Zuma such rave reviews. I think this place is awful - but I don't want to score them lower than 3 stars as there's no reason why someone like me (not a professional food critic) should affect their overall rating. And after all, not all the other people can be wrong about Zuma, I perhaps just had a one-off, awful experience....

So, in my opinion: Where Roka is fun, buzzy and serves incredible food and good portions, Zuma is a too-packed, too-noisy, too-huge hanger of a restaurant serving tiny portions of (imho) sometimes quite poor food.

The sommelier is one of the most patronising I've met, who clearly thought 2 women were incapable of choosing their own wine. Don't get me wrong, I like to be helped and guided, but I don't like to be told 'Sauvignon blanc is awful, I'll give you something you'll like' as he snatched the menu away from us and flew off to patronise the 300 other diners packed like sardines alongside us.

And as for the loos....not sure how to write about those, but anyone else got any comments on the 'clientele' and goings-on in the loos?!

I really wanted to love Zuma, but I didn't. But I've been back to Roka twice now, so this moany old bag will shut up about Zuma and spend my pennies at Roka instead.

this restaurant really is a reason to go to london. nice food and good cocktails, but VERY expensive
super daumen hoch:)

I recently went out on a date to this restaurant. I'd heard of Zuma mainly through magazines where celebs had been spotted.

On entry the interior is modern/plush and there is a bar section to the right, where apparently lots of hot women go to snag a wealthy man - you men are soo lucky :-)

My date knew the owner as a friend, so he managed to get seats in the section where the cooks are opposite cooking. I wasn't too sure whether I would like the food, but boy was it amazing! I had crab and spinach for starters, steak (small pieces) and black cod (you have to try this), finished off with warm chocolate cake and icecream - heaven!

The service was excellent as the woman who served us was very friendly/approachable. Zuma is probably the best place I've tried so far. It is expensive but a very fashionable/trendy place and definitely worth a visit...

This is the place for people who have got expansive taste in food and women... If you know what i mean

I recently had the opportunity to lunch at this beautiful establishment. The experience was nothing less than perfect in every way: food, service, ambience and the total dining gestalt. WOW- this was the best spent money for the most outrageously delicious meal that indulged every taste bud and visual experience. I highly recommend making a reservation as quickly as possible for the luxurious and elegantly beautiful. The service was perfect, the choices for each of the courses were magnificent. My meal at ZUMA definitely takes a top billing in my many gistatory experiences.

Go early, drink wine and feast on freshly cooked food. It’s more of an experience than a meal.

Take it all in and make sure you order some champagne, you will see why as your drinking it.

This is nice japenese restaurant with a fantastic variety of japanese dishes original decor and top class service, the sushi chefs offer a spectacle for diners to enjoy, its abit pricey but if you want quality rather than quantity this is the place to be.

I’ve been there few times…there is a very good atmosphere, I think it’s one of the best restaurant in London…