It says a lot about Kumo’s location on Beauchamp Place that we managed to walk past it twice before we found it. There’s nothing to suggest that it even exists, apart from a door leading off the street into a red-lit staircase. But down the stairs, the red-themed Japanese bar is a cosy venue, serving up sushi and cocktail.
Kumo has recently relaunched, and boasts an impressive drinks menu and food prepared by head chef Yuka Aoyama, formerly of Japanese heavyweight Nobu. It’s very much a bar, rather than a restaurant – food is served at low tables and is perfect for picking at over a glass of something.
The dining area is a mixture of traditional and modern Japanese with striking large ornamental gold disks lining the walls, black banquets and candles creating a seductive ambience.
The sharing platters are the best way of trying a few of Kumo’s delights – we had Californian rolls, spider crab and asparagus sushi, plus delicious deep-fried baby squid and spicy chicken skewers. There was plenty of food for two to pick at, but at £40 it wasn’t cheap given that we were still peckish afterwards.
Main dishes include seabass fillet with wakame and harusame sauce and warm beef sukiyaki salad with lemongrass and sweet basil, but most diners seemed to be opting for sushi shared over a cocktail.
The signature cocktails were disappointingly underwhelming: £11 for a drink that seemed to be mostly pineapple juice seems steep. Perhaps the classic cocktails are better – after all, they’re classic for a reason.
It might have been that we caught the venue on a bad night, but the food and drink came sporadically and although the staff were incredibly helpful and polite, there was a distinct air of disorganisation. The table next to us were left waiting for one of their dishes, which arrived after they had finished the rest of their food, and it took an unreasonably long time to get us two glasses of house wine.
There wasn’t an opportunity to try any of the menu’s desserts – for some reason the only thing on offer that night was chocolate cake, which seemed an odd choice to follow sushi – but the prospect of white chocolate and rose ice-cream does sound good.
Perhaps Kumo just needs to get into its stride – there’s certainly potential for it to be a great place for an intimate evening, but it currently falls slightly short.
Food for two with wine is around £60.
11 Beauchamp Place London SW3 1NQ / 020 7225 0944
Rhiannon Bury
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