Dinings (Restaurant)

Call me old fashioned but I am a stickler for courtesy, especially from professionals in the hospitality business. Imagine my delight, then, when I was greeted not by the customary wan smile, but by a warm cheer as I walked through the door at Dinings. I felt like I had scored a goal...or had they mistaken me for a high spending regular? No, this is a traditional Japanese greeting which translates to "welcome to our home" and is extended to every customer. The "family" inside this "home" is completely international, all possessing a helpful, attractive and attentive DNA. Their house, the restaurant, actually was once a real little Georgian town house, down an ordinary little street somewhere between the Edgware Rd and Marylebone Rd. Only six stools at a counter facing the preparation area are on the ground floor and a small number of tables are in the basement. The decor is mild, modern and practical, leaving the real drama, colour and buzz to be focussed on the food. What emerges is pure art work. I had a house speciality of a ten piece sushi platter consisting of sea bass, eel, salmon, sea urchin, tuna, lobster and mackerel with a side of hot truffle soup. I needed to lose my sushi virginity, but after this I have become a sushi slut. Go there with your partner, boss, client to impress. Forget loud gestures and birthday cake candle blowing. There is a gentle hint of Zen here, which is very satisfying....read more