Moi restaurant, London review: sushi, sake and sound

(Image credit: Courtesy of Moi)

There’s some serious talent behind Moi, the new London hotspot (pronounced moy) in Soho: executive chef Andy Cook, who's opened restaurants for Gordon Ramsay in Japan; head of beverage, Dino Koletsas, the former director of bars at The Langham Hotel; and GM Tatiana Tholtova, who most recently ran the floor at Hide. Japanese-inspired cuisine is the name of the game, from sushi and sashimi, to meat and fish from the grill.

Wallpaper* dines at Moi Restaurant, London

The mood: upstairs eats, downstairs beats

Pull up a stool in the ground-level bar for a Japanese-inspired cocktail before heading to eat at the back of the room, where an open kitchen with two islands show chefs at work over a wood-fired grill. A poured-concrete spiral staircase leads down to a darker and moodier listening room a level below, where the full restaurant menu is offered at lounge-style seating. Guest vinyl residencies and one-off takeovers pump from the bespoke sound system by London-based speaker designer Friendly Pressure.

‘The space is grounded in authenticity and natural materials,’ says Anya Tarabanova, managing partner at architectural and design studio Yodezeen.

‘The design features exposed brick, wood and textured plaster, with earthy finishes. We wanted to create an unpretentious space with a sense of freedom and tranquillity amidst the bustle of Soho. It’s about embracing imperfection, with a touch of controlled chaos that adds personality and soul.’

The food: sushi precision and full-on flavours

Andy Cook, the GM, spent five years working in Japan, while Moi head chef Nick Tannett – after stints at under-the-radar izakaya Evernight and Endo at the Rotunda – also knows his way around a sushi counter.

Punchy flavours and British ingredients make the cuisine at Moi stand out. A crab temaki hand roll, for instance, has a zing of sweetness from apple and kimizu sauce, while rich duck dumplings include Tokyo turnips and wasabi-flavoured duck fat. Another standout is the Tamworth pork chop, with roasted peach karashi mustard. Wash it all down with a strong by-the-glass selection of low-intervention and biodynamic wines, or saké and shōchū.

Moi is located at 84 Wardour St, London W1F 0TQ, UK.

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Ben McCormack is a London-based restaurant journalist with over 25 years’ experience of writing. He has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is a regular contributor to the Evening Standard, Food and Travel and Decanter. He lives in west London with his partner and lockdown cockapoo.