UNI London Restaurant – Review

To the average non-Japanese-speaking Brit, ‘uni’, short for ‘university’, of course, might be a confusing name for a restaurant. Tell most people you’re off to ‘uni’ and they’ll probably look at you with the blank stare of a life suddenly re-imagined. You’re what!? For those who do speak Japanese, it makes more sense as ‘uni’ in Japanese translates to ‘sea urchin’ in English, with specific reference to the sea urchin’s roe. 

Not far from Buckingham Palace, a stone’s throw from Victoria Station, situated on the corner of Ebury Street and Lower Belgrave Street, Uni is refreshingly located in a largely residential area. With its fresh and tidy white paint job contrasted by a black awning, some shrubbery marking its border, and a handful of tables placed optimistically on the pavement (in a dreary and cold mid-March), the outside could easily be mistaken for a smart neighbourhood French bistro or Italian trattoria. 

Inside, a bronze plaque boldly announces the restaurant’s name, making sure you know exactly where you are, but if you don’t know where you’re going, upstairs and downstairs are options. I head downstairs, where I’m unexpectedly transported to what feels like a 1920s-type cruise liner. Five oceanic coloured, curved booths fit into a large right angle. Each has a round marble-topped table and what could be windows looking starboard but are, in fact, mirrors. Below them, even more unexpectedly, two private dining rooms are set within historic caves, practically hidden away and rendered invisible with dark curtains. 

Upstairs, the first thing to catch any diner’s eye is the enticing golden glow of the equivalent of a wine cellar for sake; the first visual sign that Uni is, indeed, a Japanese restaurant. If there was any doubt, the sushi counter around the corner confirms it. Topped and bottomed by slick, slatted wood and bronze railings, six seats stand in front of six red lanterns in front of three hard-working chefs. The space stretches to the right with more slats and golden wall paper emblazoned with red flowers and white blossom. A mirrored wall at one end offers the illusion of an area larger than the reality and we find ourselves seated at a table which should be looking out of a window but is surrounded on three edges by black velvet drapery. Uni serves forty-seven covers and definitely makes the most of its space which is intimate and cosy.

Cocktail menu offers both classics and Japanese twists on classics, so expect Sakura Sour, Geisha, Raichi Collins to sit alongside Mojitos, Margaritas and Martinis. Usually, I aim for the restaurant’s more specific offerings but my friend utters the words ‘Espresso Martini’ almost before we’ve opened the menu and I can’t shake it out of my head. My friend defects to a Lychee Martini which is, happily, less sweet than many served in the capital, whilst my Espresso is thick and cool and served with three coffee beans. 

The menu includes several subsections, including Nigiri, Rolls, Sashimi, Uni lux,  Izakaya style, Salads, Tacos and even the Latin American Parilla and an Omakase option. A handful of different Sea urchin options include Risotto with Parmesan and chives, and an extravagant Sea urchin with caviar gunkan. We keep proceedings relatively simple and start with a handful of baby corn cobs and an Indian inspired Fatty tuna Pani Puri. The former comes with an appealing Tajin wasabi mayonnaise, which conveys the piquancy and flavour of the fruit vegetable but none of its brutal kick. The menu describes the latter as ‘make your own’ so that’s what we do. There are five small crispy baskets in which to add not only the exemplary tuna but a smokey and spicy paste, barbecued corn niblets and a mojo verde type dip. 

We cleanse our palate with a bold but refreshing Wasabi Caesar salad. It’s light and crispy and again, the wasabi doesn’t overpower. The truffle gnocchis are warming, the pecans caramelised and sweet and the radish slices, zesty. The sushi comes both as nigiri and maki. The seared Tuna nigiri disintegrates impressively, the Salmon is spruced up with a small dollop of cucumber paste which almost overpowers the salmon and the Yellowtail is lightly basted in some kind of aniseed derivative for an unusual but winning nigiri. 

Buzzing from my Espresso Martini, I return to my original intention of trying something more in line with Uni’s aesthetic. ‘Sakura’ is Japanese for ‘cherry blossom’ so I opt for a Sakura Sour, which veers towards a pink colour, is frothy on top and decorated by a purple and yellow petal. Gin-based and with cherry blossom liquor, it’s light and refreshing and rather blissful, a liquid version of a bunch of pear drops. 

We share Chilean Sea Bass which is covered in a Miso and basil paste. Pad choi, chimichurri sauce in a wooden spoon and Gohan (white) rice sprinkled with furikake accompany. There’s no Black Cod on the menu so, chunky, tender and slick, the sea bass is undoubtedly a worthy competitor to Nobu’s sublime signature offering.

For dessert, the Mochi’s look tempting, but we finish with an extravagant off-piste option worthy of any of London’s finest patisseries. Layered with flavours and textures, green pistachio sponge is divided by a yellow Yuzu jelly and a creamy top. Striations of liquid chocolate decorate, and an egg-shaped, violet coloured ice cream vies for attention opposite.

Uni likes to consider itself a neighbourhood restaurant, but even if you don’t live in Belgravia, it’s definitely worth a visit.