There is a moment in every Japanese restaurant when you look at the menu, glance around the room, and wonder if everyone else knows something you do not. Good news: you do not need to be an expert. Japanese dining culture is built on consideration and enjoyment, not intimidation. A little knowledge goes a long way, and the staff at London's best Japanese restaurants are genuinely happy to guide you.
Here is everything you need to feel confident and get the most out of your meal.
The Phrases That Matter
You do not need to speak Japanese, but a few well-placed phrases show respect and will almost always earn you a smile from the staff. Here are the ones worth knowing:
| Phrase | Pronunciation | When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Itadakimasu | ee-tah-dah-kee-mass | Before eating. Means "I humbly receive." Hands together, small bow. |
| Gochisousama deshita | go-chee-so-sa-ma desh-ta | After eating. Means "Thank you for the meal." Say it to the chef or staff as you leave. |
| Oishii | oy-shee | During the meal. Means "delicious." Use it — chefs love hearing it. |
| Sumimasen | sue-mee-mah-sen | To get attention. Means "excuse me." Much more polite than waving. |
| Omakase | oh-mah-kah-say | When ordering. Means "I'll leave it to you." The chef chooses your meal. |
Chopstick Etiquette
Most chopstick rules come down to one principle: do not do anything that resembles a funeral ritual. That might sound dramatic, but it explains most of the guidance. Here is what to remember:
- Never stick chopsticks upright in rice. This resembles incense at a Buddhist funeral and is the single biggest chopstick faux pas.
- Do not pass food chopstick to chopstick. Again, associated with funeral customs. If you want to share, place the food on the other person's plate.
- Do not point with chopsticks. Use them for eating, not gesturing.
- Rest them on the holder. When not eating, place your chopsticks on the hashioki (chopstick rest) or across the top of your bowl.
- Do not rub disposable chopsticks together. It implies you think they are cheap. Just use them as they are.
If chopsticks genuinely are not for you, it is absolutely fine to ask for a fork. No one will judge you, and the staff would rather you enjoy your meal comfortably than struggle through it.
How to Order: The Sequence
Japanese meals are structured differently from Western ones. Rather than a strict starter-main-dessert progression, the idea is to move from lighter to heavier, and from cold to hot. Here is a sensible ordering sequence at an izakaya or full-service restaurant:
- Start with drinks. Beer, sake, or a highball. Saying "kanpai" (cheers) before the first sip is the done thing.
- Cold dishes first. Edamame, sashimi, cold tofu, pickles. These set the pace.
- Grilled and fried dishes. Yakitori, tempura, karaage. The heavier, warmer dishes come in the middle.
- Rice or noodles last. In a traditional Japanese meal, carbohydrates come at the end, not the beginning. Ordering rice with your first dish is not wrong, but it is not the Japanese way.
- Finish with something light. Miso soup (yes, at the end, not the start), pickles, or a simple dessert like mochi.
At a place like Sakagura on Heddon Street, which has one of the largest sake collections in London, you can really lean into this progression. Start with cold dishes and sake, build up to grilled items, and finish with rice.
Omakase: The Art of Letting Go
Omakase literally means "I leave it to you." You sit down, the chef decides what you eat, and the meal unfolds course by course. It is the ultimate act of trust in a chef's skill and judgement.
Omakase Etiquette
- Eat each course promptly. Sushi especially is served at a specific temperature. Do not let it sit while you check your phone.
- Eat it in one bite if possible. Nigiri sushi is designed to be eaten whole. Biting it in half lets the rice fall apart.
- Trust the chef. The whole point is that they are choosing for you. If you have dietary restrictions, mention them at the start, but otherwise let them lead.
- Engage. Many omakase experiences happen at a counter. The chef is right there. A nod, a smile, an "oishii" — these are all welcome.
- Do not drown sushi in soy sauce. A light dip, fish-side down, is all you need. Some omakase chefs will pre-season each piece, in which case soy sauce is not needed at all.
London has exceptional omakase experiences at every price point. Sushi Tetsu in Clerkenwell is famously hard to book — seven seats, one chef — but it remains one of the most revered sushi experiences in the city. For something more accessible, many of the mid-range sushi restaurants on Oishii London offer omakase options alongside their regular menus.
Tipping in London
This is straightforward: tip as you would at any London restaurant. In Japan, tipping is not customary and can even cause confusion, but in London, the usual 10-12.5% service charge applies. Many restaurants add it to the bill automatically. If the service was exceptional, you can always add a little more — particularly at counter-style restaurants where the chef has been cooking directly for you.
A Few More Things Worth Knowing
Soy sauce is a condiment, not a sauce. Use it sparingly. Drowning delicate fish in soy sauce is like putting ketchup on a steak — the chef will notice.
Wasabi goes on the fish, not in the soy sauce. Mixing wasabi into soy sauce (wasabi-joyu) is common but technically incorrect. At good sushi restaurants, the chef places wasabi between the rice and fish for a reason.
Ginger is a palate cleanser. Eat it between pieces of sushi, not on top of them. It is there to reset your taste buds.
Miso soup is sipped from the bowl. No spoon required. Pick up the bowl, drink the broth, use chopsticks for the solid pieces.
The Most Important Rule
Enjoy yourself. Japanese food culture is fundamentally about pleasure and care — the cook's care in preparation, and your enjoyment of the result. The etiquette exists to enhance that exchange, not to create anxiety. If you make a mistake, no one is going to throw you out. The best Japanese restaurants in London want you to have a great time. That is the whole point.
Now you know the basics, browse our directory of 84 Japanese restaurants across London and find your next meal.