Dinings at London. Brilliant restaurant with tapas and sushi. Nice sashimi otoro and great waygu beef and scallops. Great service and friendly staff. Highly recommended.
Superbly fresh, creative Japanese fusion cuisine. Think sushi meets foie gras. Intimate, simple surroundings, superb service. Might dent your wallet...
Let me start by saying it's my family's favourite restaurant, hence, my review is far from objective. Innovative, tasty, original, friendly, consistent and amazing. Though they have opened a new place on Walton Street, I still suffer the cramped space of Harcourt out of loyalty and feeling at home.
Global Foodie & Filmy
+4.5
Divine... Fresh.. Flavoursome... One of the best Japanese I have had... Yiu can sit there eat for hours.... Must visit. Sake is great. Service could improve
Living in London means that we spend a lot of time chasing the latest and greatest crazes- Freakshake? Rainbow bagel? Eyeball licking? (nope to all 3, thank you) and sometimes in chasing all those shiny bright lights, the long established places, especially ones who don’t have a massive social media following (or a massive celeb following) gets forgotten. My sister and I were actually recommended Dinings years and years ago, yet we’ve only started visiting a couple years ago when we decided we didn’t need the pomp of Umu and just wanted some decent sushi for sibs dinner.
Dinings is a very small Japanese restaurant with a clean, simple interior (very much in true Japanese style). The table dining area downstairs is definitely nicer than the sushi bar upstairs, if you are able to choose.
Service is extremely attentive and sushi is expertly prepared. There is a selection of cooked dishes, which are excellent, but my preference is definitely for the sushi and sashimi, which are outstanding. The Capricciosa roll, which is a chef's choice mixed fish roll, should not be missed out!
Absolutely adorable and casual little place! The food was just spot on everything was made to perfection and the selection was great! Love the concept! Would definitely recommend it and will definitely be back!
Hidden, like most great places, will surprise you properly. Faultless sushi. Cosy atmosphere. Great service - Proper place to do a business lunch.
I was surprised to end up in front of a rather unostentatious establishment in Marylebone and thought we were going to someone's home for a supperclub. Little did I know those unsuspecting doors would open into what would be one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in the city, Dinings. Using the freshest ingredients, the restaurant marries traditional Japanese cuisine with modern European fare.
The akami tuna sashimi (£4.25 per piece) blew my mind. The moment I put it in my mouth I almost cried. It was so fresh it just melted! I wanted the experience to last as long as it could because it was so good and I didn't want it to end... but it was TOO good and I just wanted to devour the damn thing!
I couldn't think of any other place to have had my birthday dinner this year. Service was excellent and the food was amazing - possibly some of the best Japanese I've had in London. It's truly a fantastic establishment and I definitely won't wait for my next birthday to come back!
Put simply: Dinings is my favourite destination for top quality sashimi/sushi in London. It beats the likes of Roka, Zuma and Nobu hands down both in terms of taste and presentation. Really no contest here. The service is very attentive yet not intrusive. It is a small establishment tucked away so make sure you book in advance. All is beautifully presented and whilst it's on the higher band in terms of price point, each mouthful is a real delight. Highly recommended, go for it, you won't be disappointed!
Very happy I gave Dinings a second chance after they messed up my booking. Delicious food and excellent service throughout. The menu includes exciting Japanese fusion cuisine like wagyu sushi with truffle and ponzu but also Japanese classics like otoro fatty tuna nigiri. Definitely worth a visit :) cherry on top to end this perfect meal was a truffle ice cream (with real truffle shavings!) delicious! 😋 Special thanks to Nicolo Sabatini for making my evening extra special.
My favourite Japanese restaurant in London! Excellent food with some interesting dishes and an amazing sake menu. It is not cheap but you enjoy every penny.
So you enter, right? You enter Dinings, which is as big as somebody's flat. You walk in, and you're greeted with the greatest greeting ever. By everybody.
Literally every single member of staff greets you in Japanese. The sushi chefs chopping at the finest fish will stop what they're doing, and almost simultaneously will greet you. It's really beautiful, in a strange way. It makes you as the customer feel special before you've even entered the actual restaurant.
The food in Dinings is special, really, if you've not had the pleasure of sampling it, please do. All dishes are created equal and I'd rate every single one of them a 9 or higher (out of ten).
Masaki, I bow to you.
Wonderful staff.
The food is amazing! waygu steak is a must. It was so good I ordered 3 plates.
Sushi was nice and everything just looked so amazing.
One of the best Japanese restaurants I've been. Love it! Not only sushi but also other dishes are great. Ask the waiter for recommendations, they tell you the best.
Faultless
A hidden gem with the most exquisite food you can imagine. It is a fusion restaurant of typical Japanese with a modern edge, the addition of truffle in the sea bass carpaccio for example making it devine (would definitely recommend), with regards to sushi, the open sushi rolls are a modern take on the traditional maki rolls, I can't describe how amazing they are above all the soft shell crab and spicy tuna (oh my god!!!)
I can't recommend this place highly enough, if you like perfect food and warm, impeccable service this is the place
Oh and if they have the truffle ice cream special get it!
Fresh, fantastic, delicious. Already planning my next visit. Each dish that was brought out was better than the last. Inventive and surprising while altogether fantastic.
9/10 for Quality of food,but Very expensive.. Service is excellent , their staffs are very nice and friendly. Please make sure to order Sushi . It's the best Sushi restaurant in UK! Japanese point of view, This restaurant is very morden Japanese.
if you like to try something different and you have budget for £80 per head,it's great place to have dinner. I got a table in basement, It's bit dark and small. I recommend to get seats at sushi bar on ground floor. Main chef is Japanese who makes amazing food!!
Great lunchtime venue. Friendly staff, Donbori boxes always a winner. high quality sushi and sashimi. Stripped back (Spartan?) decor, small dining room makes for elbow to elbow seating. Great staff, book to avoid disapointment.
Dinings is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in London. Dinings is very different to your average Japanese restaurant as it serves fusion British/ Japanese food, and does it so skillfully I am always amazed. I never thought you could do good British/Japanese fusion food before I went to Dinings, but they do it perfectly, and you almost think this sort of fusion food could rival Japanese food. The food was originally based on the traditional Japanese Izakaya style of cuisine, however since opening 6 years ago Dinings has created a new type of fusion Izakaya food. Dinings is located on a small street in Marylebone, and it is hard to find it or walk past it, unless you know where it is. The restaurant is very tiny, and you are bound to sit very close to other people when having your meal, and you can book (but as it is so small you need to boo
Last night we headed to try the wagyu beef nigiri at Dinings with the boys in tow. This was easily the best "fusion" Japanese I've had...
Booking at least a week in advance is almost a prerequisite to get a chance to enjoy Dinings. Reason being, there are very few tables and they don’t having two sittings, so that they can ensure the comfort of their customers. And what fuels this demand? Tomonari Chiba; a former chef of the oh so well-known Nobu.
This is the perfect place to come if you want quiet night with friends filled with conversation or a romantic night out with a special someone with less conversation and more gazing into each others eyes if that's what you feel like - I'm happy to say I've done both ;-)
I’d walked past this on my way home. It’s in that that non-area of Marylebone, leading to Edgware Road tube station. I was surprised that I’d never heard of it and thought it was some dodgy little sushi operation. I asked Twitter whether there was anyone who had heard of it, or who had actually been there. I immediately received some very positive responses and one in particular, from another lawyer who seems to be as interested in food as I am. Which is saying something. In fact, there is a whole community of fairly food-obsessed lawyers out there on Twitter. You know who you are.
It happens now and again, that something really good just doesn’t get onto the radar. And given the amount of restaurants in London, I suppose that isn’t really surprising, but I did feel like a complete food failure. So it made absolute sense that my dining partner for my first Dinings adventure would be that very same lawyer.
If you are looking for modern Japanese food, Dinings is the place to go. Classic tuna belly but topped with foie gras mousse, simple lemon sole sushi but topped with parma ham and waygu beef cooked in mouthwatering ways.
When people ask me what my favourite Japanese restaurant is - my reaction is always Dinings. This answer is always met with the same response - "Where? What about Zuma? Or Nobu? Or Umu?" Nope, as much as I love all three, there is something nice about the utilitarian approach of Dinings, where one gets the impression, that this place is serious about their food.
The a la carte menu looked incredibly appealing, but being conscious of costs, I decided the lunch menu would be perhaps more appropriate.
I have been massively distracted lately. My one-track foodie brain has been occupied and while I am still able to ramble endlessly about super awesome delicious cookie dough , I'm not really thinking about food. I'm thinking about one thing and one thing
Modern Japanese food has definitely come a long way since Nobu's heyday with many restaurants now vying for the runner-up spot. Dinings has been around for a few years with some rather vocal fans so eventually we booked a table for us and 6 other friends
I'd read about Dinings in the Metro ages ago and suggested to Ed that he should go there with Erin. So when the opportunity came up to go to Dinings with Anne I got very excited. It's hard to find, which is the mark of a good Japanese restaurant according
Japanese restaurant Dinings is the latest participant of the recent Taste of London festival that I chose to visit (the others being L’Anima, Launceston Place and Salt Yard). At Taste, I sampled a tiny bit of my friend’s wagyu beef tataki with ponzu sauce
The restaurant is superbly snug and I wished we were seated upstairs on the sushi bar which gave me the impression that I could replicate the Kill Bill scene with Sonny Chiba slicing up some razor fresh sashimi. Alas, they led us downstairs to the incande
The Food: We followed all our server's recommendations and the food just kept coming. We started with the seabass carpaccio with truffle salsa and ponzu sauce. Lovely. Clean. But my absolute favorites were grilled eel and foie gras maki with summer truffl
Quite hidden small gem of a place in Swedish quarters of Marylebone. Good European take on Japanese food in terms of tapas, truffle and foie gras usage. A bit hefty on pocket but quality does come at a price. Reservations recommended.
Though I don't believe fine dining will ever die, it's certainly on the decline. White table clothes are on the out and more minimalistic dining rooms and a strong emphasis on excellent cooking is on the up. Something I saw this year at Clove Club and Picture, who's stark dining room belie the culinary excellence of the experience. Chefs such as Marcus Wareing are rebranding and revamping their restaurant style focussing on 'relaxed formality' rather than the slight solemnity of formal dining.
But it seems the Japanese were way ahead of us Londoners.
My dining companion, Brett, who spent his honeymoon in Japan, told me that most of the restaurants there are like this. Apologies if this isn't the case, I've never been there myself and I struggled to find any images in my google research.
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I've always thought that a great restaurant would have the perfect combination of the following factors:
a) Interesting ingredients that are of good quality
b) Talented chefs who will create beautiful plates of food
c) The right atmosphere and service to ensure you are having a lovely experience
Of course, the more famous the chef, more expensive the ingredients and more popular the location, you could end up spending quite a bit of money on the bill. However, there are times when it is just simply worth it. Dinings in Marylebone is one of those places. Don't be fooled by the rather uninspired name, the food served is amazing and dishes look like works of art on your table.
Story has it, that the head chef of Nobu Tomonari Chiba left and started his own place. But other than serving a similar cuisine, the two restaurants are very different. Dinings has none of the razzle-dazzle effect of Nobu. Located on a quiet residential street, you enter a small room with a sushi bar where you can see the chefs at work. Downstairs has a sort of intimate, underground bunker feel with minimalistic decor.
They serve a sort of high-end version of Japanese food - a lot ponzu-truffle-foiegras-wagyu magic going on with most dishes. It can be intimidating looking at their endless menu and daily specials but there are a couple of must-have signature dishes which I think showcase the best of Dinings.
1. Sea Bass Carpaccio with Truffle salsa and Ponzu sauce.
Simple divine. I liked it so much that the second time I went there, I tricked my unsuspecting friend A. to order it twice. The presentation is so dainty and delicate and the flavours of ponzu and truffle come together beautifully.
2. Eel and Foie Gras sushi roll
Another signature is their take on mixing European and Japanese flavours by adding foie gras to sushi.
3. Wagyu beef tataki with ponzu and porcini oil
Wagyu beef is the big-daddy of beef. It's a premium cut of beef which is very popular in Japan and taste amazing - in a dense, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth kind of way.
4. Yellowtail Sashimi with jalapenos
The simplicity of it shows how good the quality of the fish is.
5. Lobster tempura
I went green with envy with I saw this on the neighbouring table. A huge lobster comes out with bits and bobs of it encased in a light tempura batter.
There are many more dishes that I would like to try and I find it very hard to control myself from over-ordering at Dinings. I usually get a severe case of food envy from seeing what other tables have ordered but despite all this, even with some wine added, the bill usually comes up to 50£ per person - which is much, much cheaper than Nobu. Another strategy of mine, is after trying out a few big-ticket items, I then proceed to fill my self up with some sushi rolls. It was at Dinings that I discovered how good a sushi roll tastes when it is served correctly with the rice slightly warm/at room temperature.
This is the perfect place to come if you want quiet night with friends filled with conversation or a romantic night out with a special someone with less conversation and more gazing into each others eyes if that's what you feel like - I'm happy to say I've done both ;-)
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"Good food is divorceable but the best food seduces you with each and every bite." (H.H Asquith, 1909)
Mr Asquith's brainwave was the product of a feast on the loin of a freshly caught and cooked deer in his governmental office, as the rest of the cabinet presided over how best to correct the mismatch in supply and demand of Izakaya 'wizard' chefs. If that had anything to do with the establishment of Dinings many years later, Mr Asquith and co. did a good job.
N and I were there for a Thursday night dinner for two, having been fortunate enough to secure a table that day (unprecedented, but we had been on a waiting list). The restaurant is traditionally designed, with the Itamae (skilled sushi chefs) waving their wands behind a high bar upstairs and the intimate table section downstairs. Upon entry, N and I were greeted by them with a chorus of 'irashaimase!' (welcome!) before being led to our table. Let the games begin.
We started with the Toro Fatty Tuna, the Seared Wagyu Beef and the Scottish Scallops from the Tar-tar chips section, which were all little bites of flavourful heaven.
Almost as if part of a chapter-less story, the second course, a wonderful array of cold seafood tapas including the Seabass Carpaccio, the Yellowtail sashimi and the Seared Scottish Salmon, had seamlessly replaced the first. Desperate to savour every mouthful, we dared not eat hurriedly.
Next, our shared mains: the sumptuous Chargrilled Wagyu Beef and the absolutely remarkable Grilled Chilli Garlic Black Cod.
In traditional Japanese cuisine, sushi is eaten last so that it does not reduce the appeal of the rest of the food. The logic is that rice is the most filling ingredient served in the meal. Accordingly, we were served our final course, a selection of Open Sushi Rolls, “a new style of roll with ingredients on the outside”, and regular Sushi Rolls. We ate the Lobster Tempura sushi roll and the Spicy Tuna open roll, both delicious.
If you are willing to pay a hefty premium for what is outstanding Japanese food, Dinings is certainly worth a visit.
We went here for a Saturday lunch. Was extremely impressed by the freshness of the fish and quality of the menu. Set lunch menu's are around £25 which gets you around 15 pieces of sushi/sashimi which is quite reasonable. We mixed that with some a la carte offerings and left extremely satisfied. The staff were very knowledgable and friendly and the decor is minimalist. Highly recommended. Miso happy!
Excellent quality, immense variety, sushi here is freshfreshfresh. From the yellowtail jalapeno sashimi soup spoon, to every single element of the chirashi, the softshell crab tempura, the special scallop rolls, to the surprisingly amazing black and white sesame bavarois to finish...what a delightful meal. top tip - riesling with sushi...delightful. A very happy customer, I hadn't been to Dinings in years, and I am already wondering when I can go back! It's not cheap, but the quality is worth the price, and with the lunch menu, surprisingly affordable, especially if you go in a large group, which I didn't think would be the case. We didn't try any of the hot dishes though...next time!
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I’m a big fan of contemporary and fusion sushi and japanese food… Dinings is one that delivers one of the best japanese food experience in the heart of Marylebone. A good friend of mine recommended me to sit in the counter, to get an experience similar to chef’s table and seeing the masters creating his work…
First up, tuna and lobster tartare crisp…. This dish super fresh, crispy thin chips, sweet lobster and tuna, creamy avocado… A perfect dish to get your stomach going. Another starter dish thats is very well executed is the seabass carpaccio with truffles and ponzu sauce….. A very vibrant dish, tangy ponzu sauce and jelly, fragrant and aromatic fresh truffles and diced radish gives it the extra crunch….Next up, the wagyu beef tataki with ponzu sauce…. “Wagyu” marbled beef is tender and juicy, complimented with the tangy fresh ponzu sauce was excellent. Sizzling scallops with miso sauce and garlic chilli were indeed sizzling and delicious…. The scallops was tender and firm… The sauce gives it a kick that all goes well together. This is for me is the highlight of this meal, Wagyu beef sushi topped with foie gras and sweet soya sauce… As a person who loves both wagyu and foie gras… This is a match made in heaven… Tender and juicy beef, smooth and creamy foie gras gives it that luxurious feature and the sweet soy sauce just blends it all together.. It might sound as a very rich combination but turns out it is a perfect combination. Last sushi dish is the open roll scallop tempura with spicy mentai sauce, this is another great dish combining the freshness of the scallop with the crunch of the batter and top with spicy sauce just leaves u wanting more…
And finish off with a luxurious truffle ice cream, one might be surprise but wow its really good… The ice cream was light, not too sweet and the truffle stands out…
For drinks I recommend their umeshu or plum wine from France is a perfect drink to accompany all these dishes…
If you never experienced fusion japanese before I highly recommend Dinings at 22 Harcourt St, Marylebone.
If your a sushi lover this is the place for you - extremely high quality and fresh fish. A fabulous / gastro sushi experience. I believe a former chef at Nobu started Dinings and it is always packed with sushi lovers. It is expensive, but so is good sushi. The decor is very simple (what I imagine an eatery in Japan to be like) - caters to real foodies.
Stephanie Yang Guillemet
+4
Delicious and inventive Japanese food. The truffle miso aubergine was so good, we ordered seconds! Everything we had was fantastic.
We were there celebrating with friends and brought a bottle of champagne. Unfortunately the server didn’t seem very experienced in serving champagne and quite a bit was wasted due to bubbling over and spilling. The service was otherwise good and friendly.
The desserts were a bit of a let-down. I love truffles as much as the next person but don’t think they need to be in everything!
Extremely high quality sushi and Japanese fusion dishes, some less authentic than others.
My favorites are the sea bass carpaccio, yellowtail carpaccio, popcorn shrimp roll and toro sashimi.
They always have different specials that are worth trying out. Prices are high, but worth the splurge when you’re craving sushi.
Definitely worth spending an evening here, though not sure it quite lives up to the hype. The truffle miso aubergine and the truffle mochi desert were both very special. The tartare tacos were great. The sushi rolls were very good as well.
Simply the best. One of the best, one of my favorite meals ever. Delicate, bold, surprising & unexpected flavors & textures, and an ever so lovely staff. Merci, Dinings!
Great meal here the other night. I loved the sea bass carpaccio, tuna tartare, lamb cutlets, and the popcorn shrimp tempura rolls. Small, intimate and a friendly team. -1 star as someone in our party had an egg allergy… and although the team was accommodating and helpful - the options were extremely limited in contrast to other London Japanese restaurants. Overall, excellent!
Delicious, elegant and set in an intimate setting. Fantastic service too. This tops any other Japanese restaurant in London that I have been to. The ingredients are fresh, and the mix of flavours particularly in the sauces pairs very well with the actual ingredients. The highlight for me was the unagi sushi with truffle & sweet soy, although it was also delicious without the truffle & sweet soy (we had to order more). For the quality of food, the price isn’t too unreasonable. It’s definitely perfect for a special occasion!! Highly recommend trying it out!
My favorite place in London
Every thing is fresh
The best Japanese restaurant
A little amazing Japanese restaurant. We sat at the Chef's table and tried the tasting menu with two different brand of Sake. The food was delicious. It was a festive night for us.
We came here for our first anniversary dinner with my girlfriend. Every single thing was amazing. Absolute feast of taste! According to other fancy Japanese restaurants price was really ok as well. However, atmosphere was a bit catastrophic. If you like Japanese food you should definitely try this place. You will not regret!
Excellent service and delicious food! We showed up without a reservation, and they were full for the night (highly recommended making one!). We got lucky that someone cancelled as we were walking out… the hostess came running out to get let us know — we were SO happy to find a table. Incredible food all around!
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