Handroll-focused sushi restaurant Maki Nori brings made-to-order rolls and late-night dining to Soho

The team behind Maki & Ramen has recently opened Maki Nori, a new handroll-focused Japanese restaurant, on Old Compton Street in Soho, taking over the former upstairs space previously occupied by La Bodega Negra. The 60-cover venue is centred on made-to-order sushi handrolls and is the latest concept from founder Teddy Lee, aimed at offering a faster, more informal alternative to London’s traditionally formal premium sushi venues.

At the heart of the restaurant is a 20-seat sushi counter where chefs prepare handrolls to order, with the operation built around a “15-second roll” approach intended to ensure each piece is served and eaten shortly after being assembled. The wider dining room features additional service elements, including a roaming sushi cart bringing items directly to tables.

Ingredients are sourced from a range of international suppliers, including scallops from Hikido in Japan, sea urchin also from Japan, bluefin tuna from Spain and salmon from Scotland. A dedicated dry-ageing fridge will be positioned at the entrance to the restaurant, where fish will be aged on site. The kitchen also uses hydroponically grown herbs cultivated within the restaurant.

The interior has been designed with a more relaxed atmosphere than is typical of higher-end sushi restaurants, with a soundtrack of low-beat Japanese hip-hop playing throughout. Opening hours have been extended to cater for Soho’s late-night trade, with the restaurant trading until midnight from Sunday to Thursday and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Teddy Lee, founder of Maki & Ramen and Maki Nori, said: “My approach to Japanese food has always been rooted in discipline, precision and respect for ingredients, values that were shaped early in my career and deepened during my training in Tokyo. With Maki Nori, we wanted to create a concept that puts those principles into a format that feels focused, energetic and accessible: premium seafood, handrolls made to order, and an experience that lets guests see the craft up close. While Maki & Ramen introduced our broader take on Japanese comfort food, Maki Nori is much more specific in its focus, built around freshness, speed and the theatre of handroll dining in the heart of Soho.”

Lee trained in Tokyo before launching Maki & Ramen, which has expanded across several UK sites. Maki Nori represents a narrower focus on handroll cuisine and marks the group’s first opening in central London under a separate brand. 

Food Desk

For further information and reservations, visit Maki Nori’s website here.