Nakimushi to bring ramen bar and townhouse restaurant to Notting Hill this September

A new three-storey Japanese restaurant will open in a listed Victorian townhouse in Notting Hill this September, bringing together two previously temporary projects – the Urchin counter and Robin’s Ramen – under one permanent roof. Nakimushi comes from the team behind the Michelin-starred Dorian, EEL Sushi, Supermarket of Dreams and the Notting Hill Fish+Meat Shop, and is led by joint head chefs Yuji Shimokawa Kelly and Robin Kosuge.

The new venue works with a dual format: the ground floor houses a ramen bar built around an open kitchen with communal seating, serving Tokyo-style ramen alongside a short list of snacks and cold starters, while the first floor holds a 25-seat restaurant and bar with a broader contemporary Japanese menu. There’s also a top floor visible to guests that contains the chefs’ preparation kitchen and a state-of-the-art larder.

The building has been restored with pale timber panelling, cabinetry and gridded ceilings, parquet flooring, satin-finished brass features and hand-glazed Japanese tiles in varying shades of oxblood – a colour repeated across all three floors. Guests enter beneath a custom-made noren curtain through an oxblood shopfront set against the original brick façade.

Ground-floor dishes include a Lobster Ramen with Seafood Paitan and Komatsuna and Charshu Pork Belly Ramen made with Basque Chicken Broth and Ajitama. There are also cold plates such as Wild Hamachi with Yukari Ponzu and Nori Oil, a Namayasai Salad with shio dressing, and Corn Tempura with Fig Leaf Salt, served in an intentionally energetic atmosphere that recalls the back-street ramen shops of Tokyo.

Meanwhile, on the first-floor there’s a steadier pace and a menu that extends to Red Prawn and Courgette Gyoza with Umeboshi, Quail Tempura with Jerk Tendashi and Apricot Purée and Chicken Karaage with Chive Oroshi and Ponzu. Larger sharing plates come in the form of Steamed Turbot with Red Vinegar An, Grilled Ibérico x Duroc Pork Loin with Red Almond Miso and Grilled Tuna Kama with Padrón Pepper Dashi and Kimizu. Ramen also features, as a consistent thread across the venue.

Behind the bar, the cocktail list is built around Japanese spirits and ingredients, including shochu highballs in full and low-alcohol versions: the Midori-Hai (shochu, Midori, miso sherry and shiso) and the Hato-Hai, named after the Japanese word for dove, which is a shochu version of a Paloma made with maraschino and grapefruit. Sakes and unpasteurised nama sakes feature, with aged examples served by the glass, among them Shirayuki Edo Genroku (a Junmai brewed by Konishi Shuzo to a recipe dating from 1703) and Hayashi Honten Golden Amber (a 12-year-old Junmai Koshu). The wine list focuses on Burgundy and Italian bottles.

Shimokawa Kelly, who is Japanese-British and grew up in London, began his career with the opening team at Dinings SW3 before working in Japan and then spending four years at the two-Michelin-starred Umu in Mayfair. He met the entrepreneur Chris D’Sylva and Kosuge during lockdown at the Notting Hill Fish+Meat Shop, later joining Dorian and contributing to its first star. He subsequently opened Urchin, which began as a ten-seat counter in Sifnos, Greece, before running as a 12-month pop-up at Supermarket of Dreams in Holland Park.

Kosuge was born in London to a Polish mother and Japanese father. He trained in pastry at Kouzu in Belgravia, Selfridges and a Paris boulangerie before spending two years with Dominique Ansel in Tokyo. Returning to London in 2019, he expanded his expertise to sushi at the Notting Hill Fish+Meat Shop, and joined the opening team at Dorian in 2022. Robin’s Ramen began as a one-day pop-up at EEL Sushi in summer 2025 and became an eight-month residency at Supermarket of Dreams from October 2025 until May 2026.

The two distinct yet complementary experiences at Nakimushi, like the two lead chefs, are united by a shared commitment to exceptional produce and traditional Japanese techniques. Bookings are open now.

Food Desk

Nakimushi opens on 7^th September 2026 at 7 Kensington Mall, London W8 4EB. For further information or to book a table, visit the restaurant’s website here.