Photograph courtesy of Nozomi
When the Beauchamp Place upscale (as in slebs such as Rihanna dine there) Japanese restaurant, Nozomi, contacted Londonist to give its new bento box lunches a try, we were like “yeah, whatever” and then we saw the £18.95 to £48 price range and we were simply like “what!?” - bentos are for cheapos, right? Hmmm intrigued, we made our way to Knightsbridge for some glam sushi investigation.
Three different bento boxes with contents varying according to market availability and the season are on offer at Nozomi. There's the “classic” box at £18.95 including black cod, miso, maki rolls and plenty more; a midrange £26 bento; and a £48 luxury version packed with top Nippon nosh such as lobster tempura and Wagyu beef sirloin.
It's all terribly tasty and to be honest, actually pretty affordable. As Londonist and two dining companions discovered on our visit, one box is considerably more than enough for one person. Between the three of us (with this Londonista confessing a skipped breakfast and a generally hearty appetite) two bentos (the classic and the mid range) could not be completely consumed.
Come nightfall, Nozomi gets all swish and flashy. During our Friday lunch, we had the place to ourselves. As is so often the case with many of London's pricey fine dining establishments, if you can find some free time in the afternoon, a delicious bargain may be had.
Nozomi is located at 14-15 Beauchamp Place (SW3 1NQ). Check out the restaurant's snazzily designed but not very mobile friendly website at www.nozomi.co.uk.
