I’m a sucker for Japanese food, and after moving from the north to London, I can’t get enough of it.
London is swarmed with luxey, aesthetic Japanese restaurants and I absolutely love trying new ones.
Gura Gura is one of Covent Garden’s newest, and with its stunning interior and great vibes – I couldn’t wait to go.
I went on a Tuesday, and even then it was busy, lively and buzzy, so I imagine on a weekend it's even more of a night out.
It’s situated in Slingsby Place, surrounded by other restaurants, and has an upstairs and a downstairs seating area.
The upstairs seemed more tame, and quiet, and was where I’d want to sit for a quiet date night or chilled meal with friends or family.
Wanting something more fun, we asked to go downstairs, and were met with an incredible looking bar, and gorgeously modern interior.
The cocktail menu was extensive, and had a section of negronis and then other cocktails which were split into sections including sweet, sour and salty.
I really appreciated this as I don’t think there’s anything much worse than a sour cocktail, and I always have to ask for the sweetest on the menu.
There were lights on the table which could be tapped to adjust in brightness or colour according to whether or not service was required at the table.
The staff were so friendly, helpful and really made an effort to make sure we were happy.
My boyfriend and I both ordered a sweet cocktail, which had vodka and blueberry liquor in among other things.
The food menu is split into sections – including sushi, small plates, larger plates, dim sum and sides.
It was a struggle to limit ourselves to not ordering the whole menu, but we chose a few sushi bits to start with.
We had the salmon roll, tuna roll, and crunchy avocado roll.
They were delicious, and were a perfect start before our robata grilled potato skewers with a teriyaki glaze and the scallop and prawn sui mai which my boyfriend was desperate to try.
We also had a sashimi platter, and the kabayaki black cod.
The cod was cooked to perfection, and really melted in the mouth.
The fish tasted fresh, and it was all presented beautifully which is another thing I'm a bit of a sucker for at nice restaurants.
For dessert, which we definitely didn't need, but couldn't resist, we went for the dark chocolate fondant and the mango and passionfruit mousse.
Among lotus biscoff cheesecake and macha and white chocolate mousse, the dessert decision was not an easy one – but I’m pretty confident we made the right choice.
Paired with another drink each – this time I went for the lychee and raspberry mocktail because I LOVE lychee – the chocolate and fruity mix was the perfect way to end what had been a great meal in a really nice setting.
Sometimes in London there’s too much choice, and it’s hard to know where to go, but if you’re looking for good food, vibes, atmosphere and cocktails then Gura Gura Covent Garden is your place.
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