Small scale but far from straightforward, Nagamato (named after head chef Teruhiko Nagamoto) is perfect for lunch or dinner when you want to be charmed and seduced by the quality of the ingredients and expert skill of your chef. Soft lighting, sleek lines and stark minimalism mark out what is a characteristically austere dining room, completely in keeping with the rigours of the kitchen philosophy where zero compromise is the norm. However, there is no sense of gloom, the seats are comfortable and the chefs engaging. The cooking is notable both for its exquisite flavours and beautiful presentation.
Every dish is aligned to what is best in that particular season. So in summer Hokkaido hair crabs and fish from Okayama are served with ginger, pickled jelly, junsai (a traditional fresh water vegetable), the Japanese Blue Crab 9served with green taro yam and salmon roe) arrives from Miyagi in Autumn, while Matsuba crab is a winter crab, bursting with electrifying sweetness, and presented as sashimi, shabu shabu and Kamameshi (a traditional and wonderfully flavoursome Japanese rice dish) in winter.