Nobu London — Still Worth the Hype in 2026?

A Benchmark Revisited

Nobu London has been on Park Lane since 1997. In restaurant terms, that's geological time. Most places that survive three decades in London do so by becoming comfortable and slightly complacent. Nobu, to its credit, has not entirely done this — though there are signs it's coasting on a reputation that a younger, hungrier kitchen might have maintained more aggressively.

The Room

The dining room remains one of the more handsome in London. The interior has been updated over the years without losing its coherence — warm timber, low lighting, the murmur of a room full of people who've come here deliberately rather than by accident. We were seated at a well-positioned table for two, which in my experience you have to specifically request when booking.

The Food

We ordered the omakase menu (£120 per person) plus supplementary dishes from the à la carte. This is the right way to eat here — the kitchen is strongest when it has permission to decide for you.

Black cod miso: Still the dish. Twenty-five years on, the miso-marinated black cod that made Nobu famous remains one of the great Japanese-Peruvian fusion creations. The fish is lacquered and yielding, the sweetness of the miso tempered by a light char. Order it.

Yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño: Paper-thin slices of yellowtail, ponzu, and thin rounds of jalapeño. Clean, precise, the heat arriving just after you've swallowed. This is the dish that taught a generation of London restaurants how to think about acidity and heat together.

Rock shrimp tempura: Good. The batter is lighter than most London tempura, the creamy spicy sauce is correctly restrained. Not extraordinary but not disappointing.

Wagyu beef new-style: The omakase peaked here. A5 wagyu, briefly seared with hot sesame oil, with yuzu and soy. The fat rendering against the acid of the yuzu is one of those combinations that makes you stop talking.

Dessert: A miso butterscotch with sesame ice cream that was technically accomplished and emotionally forgettable.

Service

Professional, slightly impersonal. The staff know the menu well but there's a transactional quality to the interaction that the food doesn't quite have. You're being processed through an evening rather than guided through one. This is a criticism, not a fatal one.

The Verdict

Nobu London at 4.5 stars means it's still very good — just not the revelation it was. If you haven't been, you should go. If you've been before, the menu changes enough to justify a return visit, but don't expect to be surprised.

Go for: The black cod, the yellowtail sashimi, the omakase progression. Skip: The à la carte wagyu options below the new-style preparation — overpriced for the quality.