Nobu

oogywawa

Consistently excellent... 26th February 2009

4 found this helpful

It's always an invidious position when you're reviewing a place at the expense of others. Does the lack of a hit in the wallet at the end of the night blunt your critical faculties? Well hopefully not...

Unlike previous visits, on this occasion we had a private dining room for 20 and more significantly a selection of dishes from the whole menu. It's rare to get the chance to be able to objectively give a realistic overview such as this, mostly down to the breathtaking prices charged here or anywhere of this standard, as usually you have to make a judgement on a whole menu (and restaurant) based on just a couple of dishes.

For those in the party that had an aversion to raw fish, they needn't have worried as the menu was a real fusion of cultures and cuisines, with the South American influence to the fore. There were some real stars for me - the cultish Black Cod in miso really lived up to its reputation and tenderloin of Beef in wasabi pepper sauce was very well received by the non-piscetarians. The tempura dishes were light and dainty and the sashimi utterly fresh, the yellowtail being my favourite.

Service was faultless and unobtrusive and the whole affair actually benefited from having a bit of space away from the sometimes cramped, noisy and packed general dining area.

mazphd at 27/02/09

always i've wanted to try nobu, celeb hang out aside, i hear great things about their black cod in miso - and i'm delighted its as fabulous as rumours allow!

more please mr wawa

Wheely at 28/02/09

Good review, quite discerning between price and standards received. Very helpful for new members to the site as it distinguishes between what the diner had and the rest of the menu.

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acelle

great food 18th February 2009

1 found this helpful

I go to Nobu for the food. Not a fan of fusion cuisine but this is done so very well. Oysters with jalapeno peppers, black cod, beef, shiitake mushroom salad. When I am rich I will probably eat there every day. Once a month will have to do for now :-(.
Service is friendly, I am not too keen on the decor but then again what do I know - I prefer cosy pubs normally!

gastro1

Outstanding 14th June 2008

3 found this helpful

Now an institution but the quality of food and service has remained constant.

I try and go 3-4 times a year and just have all my favourite dishes with either sake or a top Alsace wine.

Go at lunch and try and get a table with a view of Hyde Park.

Avoid evenings as it's full of celebs or wannabe's as well as the Essex crowd who have a few quid.

Hugo at 15/06/08

I have been reluctant to go but the lunchtime strategy seems like a cunning one for the reasons you mention - good call.

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spacexyz

Did i say pricey? 31st March 2008

2 found this helpful

Let's face it, whoever goes to Nobu a second time wants an experience and that is the bill.

Indeed the food is good because the raw material is very good quality and the standard of service is high but the price is just a double back flip of imagination, no matter how much glitter and hype their PR department wants to add.

The place, decoration-wise, felt to me soul-less, the service was good but man it is pretentious and posh.

Would i go again? if someone else pays then yes.

ProfMagellan

buzzy Japanese 31st March 2008

3 found this helpful

I was once told by a hotel manager on a certain Caribbean island that he had to evict Robert de Niro from the premises becase he was not wearing a shirt.
So it was with some relief that I found that the other diners at this Robert de Niro-owned eatery were in fact fully clothed although some of the attire was very casual indeed. This refelects the trendiness of the place and the consequent youthful demographic to which it clearly appeals.
Not a place to bring Mummy.
The food however was delicious. Mainly fish but an understanding waitress - on being informed of the Professor's allergy to seafood - pointed put some great alternatives, including a huge beef dish in some sort of tasty (non-fish) sauce.
Only when I requested a plain green salad did I run into trouble. The waitress reeled in surprise as though I had asked for plovers' eggs in aspic. "I will see what the kitchen can do", she grandly informed me. The salad (when it arrived) was excellent.
The views over Hyde Park were stunning, the acoustics reasonable and the service correct if a little stand-offish.
I cannot comment on the price as I was being entertained
by one of the stars of the digital world who very kindly picked up the tab. He told me that he had stayed once in the hotel above(the Metropolitan) and he still wakes at night in a cold sweat thinking about the size of that bill. I suspect Nobu prices on the same basis.

Ella

Fantastic 26th December 2007

2 found this helpful

For someone who is not a fan of sushi...i was pleasantly suprised...absolutly loved the fusion of japanese and modern day food...really worth while even for those non sushi lovers!
Althou slightly on the expensive side, the food makes up for it!

reenie

Splashing out 21st October 2007

5 found this helpful

I've been surviving on premium apple muffins lately. So I was really looking forward to NOBU. Verdict?

Urm... Majority of the dishes seemed too salty to me. And I usually take a lot of soy sauce in my diet. Sorry, it's probably not what you want to hear. Don't worry, I still ate everything on my plate ;)

The signature miso black cod was great, but it left me hankering for something more... delicate in taste.

Quality seafood produce. However, it's 70 quid for the omakase. I wouldn't expect anything less than quality. It'd be interesting to try the 90 quid omakase to see the difference. Apparently, it's meant to be more traditional in preparation. However, for somewhere that's rated so highly for Japanese, I have to say I've had better. I wonder if this is what happens when renown chefs branch out and open so many restaurants globally.

Me: "As a souvenir, can you get the chefs to sign the sake menu for me please?"
(Waiter goes away for awhile)
Waiter: "Do you want the Nobu signature, or the chef's signature?"
Me: "Is Nobu here?"
Waiter: "No" (big smile)
Me: *lol* "Then not Nobu's. Please tell the chefs who prepared my meal I really enjoyed it and I would like their signature."

Website: http://www.noburestaurants.com/

amandaharrison

3rd September 2007

2 found this helpful

A wonderful selection of food but we found the menu rather confusing and the staff unhelpful as to what we should order portion-wise. The venue I wasn't that impressed with, a bit bright and canteeny. But the Black Cod, wow...

Mez

Nobody does it like Nobu 20th September 2006

1 found this helpful

Did I say I was fanatical about sushi? Yes? many times? ok ok.. so this is the place to go for top Japanese cuisine. Ok it'll burn a hole or two in your pocket, but definitely worth it for that special occasion (went there with my boyfriend for his birthday). The black cod was quite something. The staff was very knowledgeable about the dishes (our waiter was Greek, he may as well have been Japanese). The surroundings are elegant and classy, yet make you feel at ease. One of my fav's even if I go there once in a blue moon (hint - maybe someone can take me there for MY birthday..)

sokratis

Do you like expensive Japanese? 7th August 2006

3 found this helpful

Then this is the place to go. OK, it is really pricey, but at least it backs it up with excellent food and service. Its signature back-cod dish is worth it reputation and the staff are very quick to respond and know the menu very well.

I went there with my girlfriend to celebrate my birthday and we had an excellent night. Thoroughly recommended for a bit of indulgence.