Finer ElementsGreat RestaurantsRestaurant Profile: SUSHISAMBA, Bishopsgate

When it first opened its doors in New York City in 1999, SUSHISAMBA had one goal: to bring together the eclectic taste sensations of Japan, Brazil and Peru.

When it first opened its doors in New York City in 1999, SUSHISAMBA had one goal: to bring together the eclectic taste sensations of Japan, Brazil and Peru. This meant that crispy taquitos (finally) sat comfortably next to delicate sushi and sashimi plates at the dinner table. Fast forward to the present day and the restaurant, known for its spunky, romantic atmosphere, has laid roots in some of the world’s most thriving, innovative and culture-rich cities. Now, this intercontinental fusion has permeated throughout Las Vegas, Miami, London and Amsterdam.

Setting up shop atop London’s Heron Tower in Bishopsgate in the summer of 2012, the easy, roll-off-your-tongue word of SUSHISAMBA spread around town. Bringing the outdoors in, the quirky designs that weave throughout the space and the remarkable orange tree sculpture are brought to life by leading landscape architecture firm, Randle Siddeley. Twinkling light fixtures descend from the open bamboo ceiling structure, illuminating the vibrant palette of mangos, golds and limes used to decorate the space, representing all that is synonymous with south America. Enjoy the captivating view of the sprawling capital on all sides of the room and sip cocktails during warmer climes in one of its two outdoor terraces before meandering your way to the heart of the room: the sushi bar.

At the very helm of the restaurant’s ethos is food you can sink your teeth into. Executive chef at the London restaurant Claudio Cardoso brings supreme dishes to the table from kanpachi to kobe beef ishiyaki. Meaty plates aren’t all that’s on offer, though. The contemporary restaurant caters to the vegans among us with their sumptuous mushroom tobanyaki and mae terra (vegetables, tofu and truffle) dishes.   

London loves SUSHISAMBA so much that the group will be settling into another residence in historic Covent Garden later on in 2018—watch this space.

If you enjoyed this article on SUSHISAMBA, click here to read a profile of the presigious Hakkasan Group’s Sake no Hana.