Ginza Onodera: Japanese Opulence
- Lasharna Turner
- Nov 20, 2017
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 16, 2019
Ginza Onodera is situated in the affluent West End area of St James, London and is a part of the world-renowned Onodera Group, which includes sites in Tokyo’s Ginza district, Shanghai, Hawaii, Los Angeles, New York and Paris. A colleague and I dipped into the restaurant on a cold and brutal Monday at 1 pm keen to uncover what the lunch menu had to offer.
The entrance leads directly into the upstairs cocktail bar, made of marble and guarding an impressive library of various wines and sakes. I spent a moment taking in the labels and names, mesmerised by the sheer choice and diversity on display. Low-hanging statement lighting and polished surfaces aggrandise the high-end atmosphere. Bar Manager and Mixologist Gergö Nyiri set out to fuse Japanese flavours with fresh ingredients when developing the menu. Cocktails feature beautiful handmade garnishes that are delicate and sublime. Ingredients are seasonal and carefully chosen to ensure excellent quality and immaculate delivery. Decadent and modern, the upstairs cocktail bar is excellent preparation for the luxury that awaits you in the main restaurant below.
A friendly hostess leads me down a somewhat mysterious looking staircase, and I feel as though I'm walking into a scene from a Keanu Reeves action blockbuster. Confronted with plush textures and sumptuous colours, I spend a moment taking in the details of the room. Black marble, gold geometric accents, mirrored wall panels and grand floral arrangements. The space screams lavish elegance, and I'm quietly elated that I went all out with a pair of chandelier earrings and my best YSL lipstick. Ginza Onodera is not the kind of place you want to be spotted doing less than the absolute most.
Mr Yamaguchi, the restaurant manager, appears offering drinks and a welcoming smile. He begins sharing his extensive knowledge of meal and drink pairings. Before long our table is being covered with sake cocktails and sashimi. I would recommend that you allow and trust the staff's suggestions, they selected a marvellous spread of complementary flavours. Fresh and colourful, the only thing more sublime than the taste is the flawless presentation. We enjoyed a clear fragrant soup, vegetable tempura and a surprisingly tasty pepper and rock salt dish. The finale, sliced steak cooked to buttery soft perfection. Followed by Matcha Kinako Blancmange a traditional Japanese dessert. The entire experience was a glorious merger of traditional Japan and West London extravagance, just the right flavour of international prestige.
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