The Ultimate Guide To Drinking Sake In London
This year, I’ve begun drinking a lot of sake. I slip into it at restaurants, bars, or in shops and have found that it has accidentally become one of my favourite drinks. London has lent into the sake culture recently, and it’s delivering.
What used to feel like an afterthought at sushi counters has evolved into a genuinely exciting scene: sparkling bottles, tiny-batch imports, full flights, dedicated bars, and chefs who understand how sake behaves with food. If you’re wondering where to start with sake (or, if you’re like me, where to keep going), these are the places that make the cut.
Chisou
Chisou is one of my very favourite Japanese restaurants in London. Not only is the food and drink good, but the service is phenomenal, and I always leave rearing to go right back to try something new. They have a full sake menu which prioritises the quality and story of the bottle. My recommendation is to let your server do the heavy lifting for you and pick the sake that best goes with your meal. That said, it would be a crime to leave without having ordered the Horenso (their famous baby spinach salad), which is one of the more glorious dishes in London. That would be made even better with Gyu Tataki on the table, seared beef fillet in ponzu. Chisou is a must; you’re in good hands there.
The Knightsbridge location is my favourite hidden gem. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but I’d recommend letting the team guide your order as they know exactly how to tailor the experience. Do take a moment to appreciate the sake ware; it’s beautiful and adds so much to the ritual of drinking.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
Where: Multiple locations
Website: www.chisourestaurant.com
Sachi
In itself, Sachi is a gorgeous experience in Japanese dining. It’s exactly what you want – crispy rice, yellowtail, wagyu… It’s classic. But their sake menu is all the more thrilling. It’s here that I have a very clear favourite, one of the more unique sake pours on the market right now. Akashi-Tai’s Junmai Ginjo Sparkling Sake is not only a perfect pour but exactly the kind of bottle I’d reach for to mark almost any occasion. It’s a bottle you try with dinner, then search for in the store going forward. If you don’t believe that, ask the one that’s currently chilling in my fridge.
Where: Second Floor, Pantechnicon, 19 Motcomb St, London SW1X 8LB
Website: www.sachirestaurants.com
Moto
Moto is the UK’s first independent Japanese sake bar, shop and eatery. The concept here is quite groundbreaking – not one of their products has reached the UK outside of Moto. So, upon trying anything, you are getting a first taste of everything. With brews coming directly from the source, Moto is probably one of the more authentic sake bars in London. That being said, it’s important you really lean in. Order one of the flights and let the sake sommelier whisk you away. Once that’s gotten to your head, try cocktails that are impossible (literally) to replicate anywhere else, made from rice, sweet potato, or absinthe, if you’re on that track.
Where: 7 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NA
Website: www.motoldn.com
La Bibliotèque
La Bibliothèque is a slick, modern hangout tucked on Kingsland Road. It’s part Japanese-Mediterranean kitchen, part curated sake, wine, and whisky bar. Its interior blends East London edge with soft lighting and a bit of a library bar aesthetic. What is striking is their sake programme. Alongside wine, cocktails, and whisky, they offer a refined selection of sake and shōchū. Dip into the starters, like seabass with tomato consommé, or go for richer mains like teriyaki pork belly or cod with fermented carrot katsu sauce. But, definitely tease a bit of a sake pairing. Regardless, make it a drinks-led experience, as it’s home to that classic Hackney energy that invites a late night (with a 1 am close time).
Where: 325 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4DL
Website: www.labibliotheque.co.uk
Roketsu
Roketsu is one of the most quietly transportive dining rooms in London, a space built by Japanese craftsmen and designed according to Kappo principles, which celebrate conversation between the chef and the guest. The cooking is meticulous, but the sake programme is just as considered. The list leans toward clean, precise styles that mirror the calm of the menu, with pairings that reveal small shifts in flavour you might otherwise miss. If you want to understand how thoughtfully sake can be woven into a meal, Roketsu is the place to go.
Roketsu is a great introduction to sake, with an extensive menu listing all 47 official classic Japanese sake brands. Let the team guide your drinks pairing – sit back and enjoy your meal in the intimate setting.
Natasha, Digital Editor
Where: 12 New Quebec St, London W1H 7RW
Website: www.roketsu.co.uk
SUSHISAMBA
Sushisamba has always been a little theatrical with their over-the-top views, colours, energy, etc. No surprise, their sake list is equally as fun. They stock a surprisingly thoughtful selection from clean, easy-drinking Junmai to richer and more expressive bottles that stand up to the boldness of their Nikkei-leaning menu. But, honestly, the move is to order the sake cocktails to lean into the playful side of the experience. On a warm day, a sake spritz with St Germain. For something a bit spicier, the Momo Mary, with gin sake, tomato juice, wasabi, shiso, and ponzu. Absolutely ridiculous, but I need one.
There’s nothing more serene than sipping on sake with views of the city as far as the eye can see. Choose a clear sunny day for maximum impact!
Robyn, Managing Director
Where: Multiple locations
Website: www.sushisamba.com
Kioku
With the very sad closure of Endo at the Rotunda following a kitchen fire, Kioku now feels even more precious – a continuation of Endo Kazutoshi’s artistry set within the grandeur of The Owo. It’s a space that leans into memory, a feeling that the cooking is deeply personal, considered, and humbly spectacular, all characteristic of Chef Endo’s legacy. For sake lovers, Kioku is an essential stop. The menu spotlights clean and elegant Junmai through to more expressive bottles that mirror Endo’s balance of precision and warmth. As usual, let the team guide you, as they understand how sake should interact with the rhythm of the sushi.
Where: 6th Floor, The OWO, 57 Whitehall, London SW1A 2BX
Website: www.kiokubyendo.com
Dinings SW3
Dinings SW3 is a quietly exceptional restaurant that Londoners in the know hold very close (don’t tell). It’s tucked away, intimate and serious about the output. Their take on contemporary Japanese dining blends traditional technique with a modern touch, and the sake list is no different. It’s extensive but beautifully curated, with bottles chosen for balance and purity rather than for show.
Order a carafe and let it run alongside the sushi and their signature tar-tar chips. There’s a lightness here, and the sake leans into that lightness specifically with the cooler and cleaner flavour profiles. London’s sake scene is brilliant as of late; this is a place that doesn’t just tack on the idea of sake, but weaves it into the entire experience.
Where: Walton House, Lennox Gardens Mews, Walton St, London SW3 2JH
Website: www.diningssw3.co.uk
