Matsuri St James

In Japanese Matsuri means festival, and it's probably fair to state that this (and it's High Holborn sister) restaurant is a celebration of Japanese cuisine. To the Japanese, eating is more than appeasing your appetite; how a dish looks is as important as how it tastes. So, in its large softly-lit subterranean restaurant Matsuri serves the traditional flavours of sushi (amongst the best in the capital) with the modern tastes of teppanyaki, all presented with precision. Favourite set menus are Matsuri and Taiko, both three courses. Managed and staffed entirely by affable Orientals, this is as authentic a Japanese dining experience as you're likely to enjoy in London. There's even a huge black-haired puppet head dominating the stairway leading from the bar to the restaurant. He's called Nebuta and he's a traditional matsuri symbol. Or the general manager's granddad (his joke). You decide.