Iné in Hampstead is a Japanese restaurant with a contemporary touch

Tucked away in leafy north London, Iné's narrow and elegantly unassuming shopfront offers only a hint in its signage that inside lies the latest foodie concept from the team behind Mayfair's Taku – the coveted Michelin-starred stop for lovers of Japanese cuisine. With Iné (Japanese for ‘rice’), restaurateur Geoff Leong and businessman Lucas Leong bring Japanese flavours and sensibility to a tiny Hampstead space with a minimalist architecture setting that nods to the country’s fine dining traditions.

In&eacute; two dishes off the menu, including eight pieces of sushi

Take a seat at Iné

The delicate nature of Japanese classics, such as sushi maki, nigiri and sashimi, reign supreme here, both in the extensive à la carte menu and the characterful omakase (which translates as 'I’ll leave it up to the chef'). The latter is available exclusively through Iné's dedicated eight-seater counter.

At the same time, guests can also experience contemporary takes on classics such as caviar and otoro (tuna) tartare. Bolder flavours are on offer too, such as in truffle-infused nigiri and seared tuna nigiri. Also on the menu are lobster with cauliflower and sudachi jelly, grilled Iberico pork, and wagyu beef katsu sando.

exterior of INE by Taku restaurant in hampstead

Everything is overseen by head chef Meng, who trained in the Taku kitchen (under chef patron Takuya Watanabe). The 15-course omakase echoes the Mayfair venue's approach through its edomae style (food preparation steeped in the history and traditions of Japan's Edo Era).

Says Meng, 'Iné has been the perfect opportunity to offer the traditional delicacy of omakase seen at Taku, alongside contemporary Japanese cuisine, reminiscent of the restaurants in Japan.'

Dishes are all artfully paired with the appropriate sake – specialist sake sommelier Frankie will ensure a meal is accompanied with the right spirit, from aperitifs through the main course, and with dessert sake to finish the experience (plum and yuzu sake are on offer).

Iné is set to launch its own sake bar – one of just a handful in London – which will open in its first-floor space on 24 February 2024.

inebytaku.com

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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).