It was the tuna set that sealed it. The eel played a part, as did the tuna truffle roll. Oh, and the open-kitchen stage play. It was all worth coming back for. Sushi Atlier is a small sushi restaurant opened by the team behind Chisou of Mayfair and Knightsbridge. It occupies a tight space in Fitzrovia; it’s really close to Portland and not too far from The Wigmore, both of which I’d happily point you to. There is a blond counter that surrounds the kitchen, where fondness and delight are created with blowtorches, maki rolls are sliced, sea urchins cracked open, and finishing touches made with tweezers. It’s precision cooking that delivers on its promise. They opened in July 2017, and you’ll sure as hell get a table without too much difficulty, unlike the venerable Tetsu with quality not too dissimilar. No offence if that’s your favourite joint. And Boom! There goes review number 400 – 400 tasty adventures, 400 food comas, and culinary wisdom added to the bank. That’s 400 meals, laughs, and way too many food pics later and I’m still hungry for more. Here’s to many more bites, delights, and deliciousness ahead!
We start with a mixed seaweed and cucumber salad £6.10 dressed with a dashi vinaigrette that brings the urgency and tongue puckering wake-up call. We can call it a crunchy palate cleanser.
Edame with yuzu salt £4 are quality too
Next was the salmon carpaccio £9.20 which is seared with a blow torch counter side and gets a dusting of umami salt, a slather of citric tomato purée to balance richness and is finished with a stack of crunchy kataifi on top. This is cooking with clarity, a deft touch and elevation.
Higher notes are hit with the tuna set £22, which comes with a spicy tuna roll and tuna nigiri. The rice, still warm with a subtle whisper of vinegar, signals a chef who has done this for years, perfecting it long before it lands on our plates. The whole business is tongue-melting and executed with clinical efficiency. I didn’t want my palate cleansed afterward – in fact, I had no intention of brushing my teeth for a while after it.
The tongue-melting goodness is amplified five-fold with the aburi toro truffle roll £12.90. Here, the fatty belly of tuna is laid atop the roll and torched – singed on top, buttery underneath, delicate, rich, and sublime. Texture and urgency come from Yutaka kyūrizuke pickles wrapped within the maki, with extra moisture delivered by a drizzle of soy sweetened with mirin, sake, and a bash of truffle.
The last one before dessert, as if my ever expanding waistline had enough was the unagi oshizushi £19.20. I find eel cooked this way is hard to resist, it’s melting in all the right places and we’re treated to more of that glorious vinegared rice and a pile of Yutaka Kyurizuk pickles.
We finish with daifuku £4.50, a Japanese confection of a small round mochi, one stuffed with tropical mango, another with nutty black sesame and one more with grassy green tea.
During my second visit was a determined to try more of their delights
We begin with more edamame £4 and a bowl of steaming miso soup £3.70, perfect companions for a cold October evening that called for a little warmth.
A salad of musky hijiki seaweed with slithers of lotus £6.30 was a stern reminder Japan can be brought to Fitzrovia, the electric garlic dressing induces the lip crinkles and mouth pucker.
We order the outstanding tuna set again £22
If a tsunami of umami is your thing then order the Iberico teriyaki with with mushrooms £15.20, it comes bubbling on a hot plate and once it settles the sauce becomes sticky and unctuous – it’s good to the very last bite.
We then order tamago nigiri £6, a sweetened egg over rice and it’s done brilliantly here. With that came eel nigiri £10.50 – how can I come here and not order eel? They’re not the best I’ve had but are delectable enough to devour.
We didn’t try the uni this time, but watching them prepare it counter-side was impressive, if you don’t like stage-play whilst you dine then you’ll need to have a serious word with yourself in the mirror.
Verdict
When did I go? June 2019
The damage: Expect to pay £45/55 per head with booze
The good: When no one else can make you smile, come here for a good feed. So much is worth trying, it’s hard to pick just a few – everything is worth pining about. Take the aburi toro truffle roll, tuna set, and salmon carpaccio, each a shooting star of the meal. And the chef’s theatrics? Absolutely stellar. Book by the counter to catch the full show.
The bad: Nothing to note.
Rating: 4.5/5
Would I go again? It’s happening in 2026!
Address: 114 Great Portland Street W1W 6PH
Web: https://www.sushiatelier.co.uk
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