Best bars in London for Saki

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Spice of rice: Zuma is a celeb hangout

Chic: Saki Bar & Food Emporium in Smithfield

Educational: learn all about saki during special events at Yakitoria

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The Japanese may have won us over with their sushi, but saki, the country's traditional rice spirit, has been more of a slow burner. We mostly only try it at the end of a sushi supper — not the best way to showcase this most sophisticated brew.

Until about 2004 there was only one type of saki in the UK, but in Japan there are more than 1,500 saki breweries, each making about 20 different types.

Now a new wave of Japanese imports and the introduction of saki sommeliers to London's restaurant scene gives us a taste of what the drink has to offer.

Xavier Chapelou is saki sommelier at Yakitoria restaurant. He says: “There are as many types of saki as there are wine, so whatever wine you prefer — red, white, rosé or sparkling — you can match its aromatic profile with that of a particular saki.”

Here we reveal London's six best saki bars...

ZUMA
The super-cool saki bar at Zuma is a mecca for celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Posh & Becks. But for serious buffs the real draw is one of the most innovative saki lists in Europe, featuring about 50 varieties, carefully selected by two saki sommeliers. Every two months or so there's a new seasonal selection on offer. This month's specialities include Hatsukame Kame (300ml carafe, £26) with a light melon flavour, or Shirataki Shizuku (100ml glass, £14.50), a premium saki with a silky vanilla texture.
Zuma, 5 Raphael Street, Knightsbridge, SW7 (020 7584 1010, zumarestaurant.com)

GILGAMESH
Giglamesh's majestic bar has hosted the starriest of celebs, Paris Hilton, Brad and Angelina among them. It serves about 30 sakis and sommelier Owen Carisma will help you negotiate the list. For novices he recommends Azure (500ml bottle, £60) with its sweet banana-like flavour, or All Koji Nambu Bijin Sake(500ml bottle, £65), unfiltered and with a light, fruity flavour. Or if you wa n t t o push the boat out, there's the 1985 Kidoizumi Koshu Chiba (720ml bottle, £590).
Gilgamesh, The Stables, Camden Market, NW1 (020 7428 4922)

SAKI BAR & FOOD EMPORIUM
At this saki bar, part of Smithfield's big Japanese complex, the décor is all under-stated Asian chic, with a glass ceiling, green leather chairs and dark wood tables. The brains behind the bar is sommelier Ayako Watanabe, who has drawn up an innovative list of 30 sakis. She says her customers can't get enough: “Once they realise saki is just as enjoyable as wine, they choose it every time.” The bar is famed for its sparkling saki, both white and rosé varieties; it's a fresh alternative to boring old bubbly. Marumoto Hô Hô Shu (300ml bottle, £15) is a white, sweet sparkling saki while Kitaya Ainohime Rosé (300ml, £11.50) is pink fizz — saki style.
Saki Bar And Food Emporium, 4 West Smithfield, EC1 (020 7489 7033, saki-food.com)

SAKE NO HANA
When Asian restaurant supremo Alan Yau opened Sake No Hana last year, much was made of the fact there was no wine on the menu. Instead, patrons were encouraged to use the skills of the resident saki sommelier to select the correct variety to complement their meal. For a swift introduction to a wide range of saki, choose Flight Of Sake (£56 for two people), a taste of six varieties. Or buy by the carafe and opt for the budget Kurashizuku Kaikusakari Junmai Ginjo Usu Nigori (180ml, £12), or Nechi Otokoyama Black Daiginjo (180ml, £37.50).
Sake No Hana, 23 St James's Street, SW1 (020 7925 8988)

YAKITORIA MIZU BAR
The Mizu Bar beneath Yakitoria Japanese restaurant is a Zen-like oasis of Asian chic. Yakitoria has long pushed saki as a great alternative to wine and hosts events to show how to pair it with food. Mizu serves Xavier Chapelou's Isake range in 100ml flasks, a great introduction for the saki virgin and its Isake Premium White (£6.90) has a crisp, pure flavour, perfect to drink on its own. It also has a selection of premium sakis and be sure to try the Yakitoria Mojito (£7.50), a novel take on the Cuban classic.
Yakitoria Mizu Bar, 25 Sheldon Street, W2 (020 3214 3000, yakitoria.co.uk)

SUMOSAN & J BAR
The J Bar sits below smart Japanese eatery Sumosan. In charge of saki selection is Jean-Louis Naveilhan, a French sommelier who once ran his own London saki import company. Since joining J Bar in 2005, he has seen demand rise hugely, with saki sales up from £600 to £2,000 a week. The 30 varieties include blends flavoured with plum, Fuji apple or lychee (150ml flask, £7.50).
Sumosan J Bar, 26 Albemarle Street, W1 (020 7495 5999, sumosan.com)

 

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