Along with banging floral displays and some serious sushi plates, London's Japanese restaurants are also responsible for bringing this city its drink du jour: sake. Traditionally served in small ceramic cups, the fermented rice wine has been knocking around for more than 1,500 years, and while we're only just getting in on the action (a little late to the party, we know...), it's now never been easier to find yourself a glass of the good stuff. Whether you slurp it cold or warm, cloudy or freshly brewed - we've rounded up the best places in London to drink sake.
Last edited by Lauren Cole
Last updated on 18th November 2024
For some of the city's best tipples, head to La Bibliotheque in Hackney. Their sake tasting experience with food pairings brings you six delicious drinks alongside a complementary tasting menu, or for something heartier check out their three course dinner with a sake pairing instead.
For those of you who fancy a swig of sake with your meal, head on over to Bamboo Mat Stratford. This Nikkei restaurant is slinging out a mighty menu of creative and classic sushi rolls, alongside kingfish tiradito and grilled octopus. Plus, you can bag a 120ml glass of Kawatsuru for £8 (bottle for £42) or Junmai Daiginjo for £9 a glass.
The second venue from this popular Japanese restaurant, Flesh & Buns Oxford Circus is a casual spot for authentic East Asian fare - specialising in bao and fresh sushi platters. There's also a real focus on sake in their drinks menu, with seven different types available by the glass or bottle, starting from £5.80 for a 100ml measure - and they offer a sake pairing brunch on Saturdays too. What's more, they host supper clubs here on a regular basis, where you can enjoy a guided sake testing alongside a mouthwatering four-course menu, costing just £45 per person.
8 at The Londoner serve up contemporary Japanese cuisine, paired with a fantastic selection of delicious sake. The restaurant boasts various grades of the stuff, including Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo, Umeshu and Yuzushu.
From plum, peach and yuzu sake to crisp ginjo and junmai too, Machiya has the full range of authentic Japanese drinks in store at their cool hangout. Expect to sip your way through a glass or bottle, all while munching dishes like wagyu katsu, donburi and more.
And the prettiest London sake bar? That's got to be Zuma in Kensington, which brings the blossom season to the city every darn day. If you know your stuff, dive straight into their extensive sake menu, or if you're new to this drink, try one of the sake-infused cocktails; the Rubabu is a slinky little mix of rhubarb-infused sake, vodka, and passion fruit.
Knightbridge's CLAP is a fine dining Japanese restaurant just a stone's throw from Harrods, offering you the chance to dig into their delicacies and sip through the finest sake. Their bottles range from £45 a piece up to £950 for the rare and premium sakes, while two cocktails - including the yuzu and berry-flavoured Nippon Sangria - also boast sake.
Dedicated to, well, the arts, The Arts Club is a gorgeous private members club set in an old townhouse. Along with a brasserie and leafy outdoor terrace, the club has a Japanese-inspired space with its very own sake tap.
Known for their robatayaki cuisine (cooking over hot charcoal), Roka Aldwych is a stylish and slick spot to dip your toes into sake drinking in London. The smart space has a choice of bottles on their drinks menu every day, or keep your eyes peeled for one of the sake masterclasses.
