Kumori Bar London Review: Is This Japanese Handroll Bar Worth Booking?

August 24, 2026

Kumori bar in London is Soho’s answer to the quick dinner that still wants to look good under low light. It is a Japanese handroll bar, but also a listening bar, a counter restaurant and a useful first stop before the night becomes less organised.

The premise is simple. Rice, fish and crisp nori are assembled in front of you, then handed across the counter while the seaweed still has its snap. There are no long menus to decode. No ceremonial silence. Just handrolls, sake, cocktails and a room that seems designed to move at Soho speed.

It is not a place to linger for three hours. It is better than that: fast, polished and rather addictive.

At a Glance

Best for: Quick Soho dinners, counter dining, date nights and pre-drinks sushi
Cuisine: Japanese handroll bar
Location: Denman Street, Soho
Price: Around £40–£70 per person, depending on drinks and premium rolls
Signature orders: Burnt salmon, spicy scallop, unagi with foie gras and caviar bump
Atmosphere: Neon-lit, compact, music-led and high-energy
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square
Booking tip: Book the counter and go earlier if you want a calmer experience

What Is Kumori Bar in London?

Kumori is a design-forward Japanese handroll bar built around immediacy. Each roll is made to order, passed straight from chef to diner and intended to be eaten before the nori loses its crackle.

The kitchen is led by John Randy De Guzman, with experience at Tobi Masa and Nobu, which gives the concept more technical weight than its nightlife-friendly surface might suggest. It follows a growing London appetite for temaki, but Kumori pushes the idea into Soho’s evening economy. Food, music, cocktails and pace are treated as part of the same experience.

The Atmosphere and Design

The room is compact, with around 30 seats and a long counter facing the chefs. This is the seat to book. Watching salmon being torched and rolls being folded is half the point. The design leans into pink and purple light, sheer drapes, vinyl references and a Tokyo-at-sunset mood. It could easily feel overdesigned. Mostly, it works because Soho can absorb this sort of thing without looking embarrassed.

By day, Kumori is calmer. By night, the music gets louder, the lighting more dramatic and the handrolls arrive at a speed that does not encourage philosophical conversation.

The Menu

The menu is short, which is a mercy. You can order à la carte, but the smarter move is one of the set menus, with three, four or five handrolls arriving as they are made.

Classic rolls include salmon and avocado, tuna with spring onion and eel with cucumber. The more interesting choices are less restrained: spicy tuna with jalapeño miso, torched scallop, baked crab, toro with bone marrow, burnt salmon and unagi with foie gras. Burnt salmon is the obvious signature. The fish is torched until the fat begins to loosen, then wrapped with rice and crisp nori. It is warm, soft, smoky and gone rather too quickly.

There are small plates too, including sashimi, nigiri, miso soup, wasabi cucumber and padron peppers. Dessert is simple: mochi, available in flavours such as matcha, vanilla, black sesame and mango passion.

Drinks & Wine

The drinks list is longer than the food menu, with sake, wine and cocktails built for a short, sharp Soho meal. Yuzu margaritas, sakura Negronis and grape gimlets suit the room better than a serious bottle and a long debate. Sake by the glass or carafe is the more elegant route.

Who Is Kumori Best For?

Kumori is best for people who like counter dining, fast service and restaurants with a little nightlife energy. It works for casual dates, solo dining, pre-theatre sushi and the first stop on a Soho evening.

It is less suited to long catch-ups, big groups or anyone who wants a quiet, traditional sushi experience. The room is compact, the pacing is quick and the music is part of the proposition.

Is Kumori Worth Booking?

Yes, if you treat it as a handroll bar rather than a full restaurant trying to be profound. Kumori is fun, stylish and sharply edited. The best rolls are genuinely good, especially when eaten immediately across the counter. Some premium combinations feel designed as much for attention as balance, but the overall experience has confidence.

Book the counter, order the burnt salmon, drink something cold and do not make Kumori responsible for the entire evening. It is best as the beginning of one.

Practical Information

Address: 26 Denman Street, London W1D 7HX
Area: Soho
Nearest stations: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road
Cuisine: Japanese handroll bar
Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday, 12pm–4pm and 5.30pm–10.30pm; Thursday to Saturday, 12pm–4pm and 5.30pm–11pm; Sunday, 12pm–4pm and 5.30pm–10pm
Reservations: Recommended
Walk-ins: Welcome
Best for: Counter dining, quick sushi, date nights and pre-drinks food

FAQs

What type of food does Kumori serve?

Kumori serves Japanese handrolls made to order at the counter. The menu also includes sashimi, nigiri, small plates, caviar bumps, miso soup, padron peppers and mochi.

Where is Kumori Soho?

Kumori is at 26 Denman Street, London W1D 7HX, close to Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.

Who is the chef at Kumori?

Kumori’s kitchen is led by John Randy De Guzman, who previously worked at Tobi Masa at The Chancery Rosewood and spent almost a decade at Nobu.

What should I order at Kumori?

Order the burnt salmon handroll, spicy scallop or torched scallop, and unagi with foie gras if you want something richer. Add a caviar bump if the evening has already become unserious.

Is Kumori expensive?

Kumori is not cheap, but it is more accessible than many central London sushi counters. A meal can sit around £40–£70 per person, depending on the number of rolls, premium additions, cocktails and sake.