Jin Kichi

This modest, family-run Japanese restaurant in Hampstead has flown under the radar since 1992. It expanded into the next-door premises in 2022, so it’s no longer so tiny, but it’s still hard to snag a table. The best seats are at the counter in full view of the robata grill. The traditionally minded menu runs to nine full pages, from sushi, sashimi and hand rolls to skewers, grills, deep-fried dishes and lunch sets. Grilled yellowtail jaw, chilled soba and inside-out spicy tuna rolls are sold at prices that would make Jin Kichi’s West End competition blush.