Whereas the name refers to the ‘pubs’ that can be found all over japan serving cold beer, sake, and cheap eats, Izakaya at the Sir Albert Hotel is a rather different affair. Around 6pm every evening the whole place roars into life as very fancy cars start pulling up outside the hotel and expensive handbags are thrown down on tables – by 6:30 the place has the feeling of part restaurant / part club. It all makes sense when you know that the chef, Hariprasad Shetty, previously worked at London’s Nobu, an education that shines through here in the exquisite Japanese dishes on offer. Among the many highlights are fresh sushi; sashimi swimming in citrusy yuzu dressing; scallop with clarified butter and yuzu mayo (a revelation); and sweetcorn fritters which have the unmistakable flavour of popcorn but taste infinitely better with added crunch from the tempura batter.