New Year's Even Dinner at Nobu Londontikichris

What a way to end the year (and start the next)! The seven course New Year’s Eve 2013 dinner and wine menu at Nobu London at the Metropolitan Hotel ended the year on a delectable note and set high the bar for restaurant experiences for the months to come.

Check it out:

Seared salmon sashimi with jalapeno dressing, paired with Vouvray 2010, Vincent Raimbault, Loire;
Shrimp harumaki spicy miso, paired with Pinot Gris 2011, Les Princes Abbes, Domaines Schlumberger, Alsace;
Tuna sashimi salad with ponzu dressing (luxuriantly laden with loads of fresh black truffles might I add!), paired with Pouilly-Fuisse Vieilles Vignes 2011, Domaine des Gerbeaux, Burgundy;
Shiso and mint sea bass with roasted bell pepper sauce, paired with Montagny Premier Cru Les Plateieres 2010, Domaine Berthenet, Burgundy;
Roasted Venison with blueberry sansho sauce, paired with Clos Henri Pinot Noir 2009, Marlborough;
Assorted Nobu sushi, paired with Hokusetsu Junmai Dai-Ginjo; and
Ecuadorian chocolate mousse , orange and toffee cream, vanilla and olive oil sponge, white goma ice cream, paired with Sherry Moscatel Emilin, Solera Reserva, Lustau.

Believe me, it was all good and to a standard above London’s usual fine fare offerings, even in this upscale part of town. Still for me, the highlights were easy to discern. That tuna sashimi was a dream. And, typical to my taste buds, the wines from Burgundy were an absolute delight. The venison tasted great but seemed somewhat novel; I kinda wished I’d gone with dining partner Kemey’s pescaterian substitute: a big yummy lobster salad. Dessert seemed a bit obligatory but it was scrumptious and the sherry served alongside it was a gorgeous way to end an extraordinary meal.

Service (noticeably overwhelmed by a packed house of overly expecting NYE celebrants) proved efficient and capable. The setting? Maybe not as swish as one might expect but elegant and comfortable – just right really. And the lofty view across Park Lane to Hyde Park is a lovely one.

The dinner (£95 per person, £150 per person with paired wines) wasn’t my Nobu first. I’d dined at the original Nobu in New York ages ago, and during my 2012 visit to Japan I had an exquisite lunch (possibly the best that year) at Itoh Dining by Nobu in the mountain resort town of Hakone. This was, however, my first Nobu experience in London. And not even halfway through my meal I was keen to plot a repeat visit … and to try to get in Nobu’s Berkeley Street outlet ASAP. Two weeks into 2014 and since my visit, those intentions have not changed.

Double the fun, NYE is also the anniversary of when Kemey and I met. So what we do that night doesn’t necessarily have to be as fancy schmancy as dinner at Nobu, but it certainly should be something special. We left on a tipsy foodie high, glad to have enjoyed such a feast and to start a new year together so deliciously.

A no brainer choice for important occasions when palates must be pleased, Nobu London is located on the first floor of the Metropolitan Hotel, 19 Old Park Lane, W1K 1LB. There’s another Nobu restaurant just down the street at Berkeley Street as well. Find out more at noburestaurants.com/london.