We are big fans of Hot Stone Sushi in Islington, so we were interested to see them open a location in Fitzrovia last year. We never got a chance to make it down, however, and now the same team have flipped the site to an entirely new concept, called RAI. Now open on Windmill Street, RAI promises omakase-style dining with several creative, unusual twists and flavour combinations along the way. There’s a focus on premium seafood and Kobe beef, as well as sake, whisky, beer and wines. There’s a choice of an a la carte menu or three different set omakase menus, with the most expensive one coming in at £150. Within this there’s also extras you can choose, plus a wine and sake pairing for £95 so it certainly sounds like their aiming for a high end experience.
If you’re not ready to commit to one of the tasting menus, a la carte options include cold starters such as: fatty tuna carpaccio with truffle & caviar; Japanese yellowtail carpaccio with truffle ponzu; and salmon carpaccio with yuzu soy & cream cheese. Given the quality of the sushi at Hot Stone, the sushi section should certainly be a highlight, with the likes of the salmon & akami maki roll and eel maki roll on offer. From the hot dishes there’s mackerel with daikon & spicy ponzu, marinated Chilean sea bass with spicy miso, and Kobe beef with ponzu sauce – RAI is one of only nine restaurants in the UK to serve Kobe beef so this should be special indeed.
3 Windmill Street, London, W1T 2HY
rairestaurant.com
