Murakami restaurant - London, UK

Not one, but three kitchens are at the heart of Murakami, a contemporary Japanese restaurant in Covent Garden. The result is a rare menu that centres on sushi and sashimi as well as robata, with the odd pan-Asian dish making an appearance. This is the first London branch from Murakami, an established Ukrainian restaurant group, though the concept here has been tailored to the capital’s audience. As such, the elongated space, outfitted by the group’s in-house designers, stylishly amalgamates an earthy Japanese aesthetic with contemporary finishes; a vivid 12-metre living wall (actually preserved in glycerine) and the long narrow planters that divide the room introduce colour and life to the space, which also features a wooden fronted sushi bar and low-hanging bulbous glass pendants. Drinks conceived by Brixton cocktail maestros The Shrub & Shutter give a good enough reason to linger once the meal is over.