It would be easy enough to live in London and never know of the existence of Violet Hill. Once in this small district nestled between Maida Vale and St John’s Wood with a cute park, it would equally be quite possible to walk past Kotta Sushi without appreciating it. Your reviewer has lived in the area for over 25 years and yet a recent visit was his first. It won’t be his last.
Like many things Japanese Kotta prides itself on its discretion. This is neither a large nor showy venue. Indeed, the best template is probably the sushi bars that nestle between and above shops in much of Tokyo, only pimped here for northwest London class. Kotta has just 14 covers. Inside, the décor is a combination of muted grey walls adorned with traditional Japanese murals on one side. Glass and brick comprise the remainder. The kitchen is up a vertiginous flight of stairs.
The menu at Kotta does not push any boundaries by Japanese standards. But it does not need to. The whole angle is to keep it simple, keep it fresh and use very high-quality ingredients. All the above was abundantly evident to your reviewer on his visit. At lunch, boxed bento sets are available and, in the evening, the menu shifts to classic sushi and sashimi plus hand rolls as well as larger mains such as teriyaki.
For the purposes of research, the ‘Kotta Set’ seemed the obvious dinner option, albeit complemented by some prawn gyoza (the helpful server’s suggestion) to begin. The aforementioned set comprises Salmon, tuna, sea bass, prawn, eel nigiri, ikura gunkan, and salmon sashimi. As the picture shows, presentation was superlative and the fish selection at least matched the quality of other high-end places in London. Pricing is fair too. Looking forward to the return trip to Kotta already.