Swish and contemporary Hakuba is a sophisticated little haven off Tottenham Court Road.

The Venue
Tottenham Court Road is not exactly the go-to area if you’d like to buy a nice dinner – a new camera, maybe, but not a meal. However, just a block away from the various fried chicken establishments and sandwich chains lies Hakuba, a trendy yet still low-key Japanese restaurant.

The restaurant has several different areas, with a bar located on the far side accentuated by low tables and cube-shaped seats. In the main restaurant area the tables are simple and dark and evenly and cleanly spaced. A series of more intimate seats line the walls in the form of long tables and separate booths, divided from the rest of the room by golden orange partitions made of rice paper. The colour scheme is very warm, with splashes of red and orange throughout, creating a comforting environment that’s the opposite of the cold, clinical settings modern Japanese restaurants tend to favour.

The Atmosphere
Although the restaurant is dark and stylish, the atmosphere is still friendly and laid back, with none of the snobbery you might expect. Staff are ever-present and always smiling, however they seem a bit unsure of themselves, which could be chalked up to new-opening nerves. All in all, it’s a calm place, relaxed without being sedate, and a nice retreat from the hectic street less than a block away.

The Food
Hakuba serves contemporary Japanese food and sushi, forgoing simplicity for creativity – for the most part, anyway. Although, like many restaurants, if you try a couple of plates the prices will no doubt add up (especially when it comes to sushi) there are several set and tasting menus available so you’ll know exactly what your dinner costs. Otherwise, dishes here are on the pricey side, but not shockingly so, with the highest mains coming in at about £15.

There’s an enormous choice of starters, including hot, cold and signature dishes, and the options double when you include sushi in the mix. Besides the usual nigiri and sashimi there’s also carpaccio sashimi (where the fish is sliced paper-thin) as well as loads of creative maki rolls. The Kanzashi roll (£8.70) is very impressive, with a variety of ingredients (tuna, salmon, yellowtail, crab and asparagus) neatly tucked into a peel of cucumber – the perfect sushi option if you’re not a fan of carbs. Although untraditional, the sharp and creamy flavours blend together well and the cool and refreshing cucumber keeps it all together nicely.

Another sushi option is the Niji roll (£7.90), a veritable rainbow of fish (sea bass, salmon, tuna and prawn along with avocado) sprinkled with sesame seeds. The combination is both complementary and visually appealing. The King Prawn roll (£9.50) comes highly recommended by staff and is almost as fun to look at as it is to eat. The pieces of tempura prawn are arranged into a little crown at the top of the roll, so that the whole thing looks like a thin, crunchy dragon. Luckily it’s tasty as well, with loads of crisp and succulent tempura pieces drizzled with a sweet but sharp bright orange mayonnaise.

Whilst there are a decent number of mains on the menu, after the staggering amount of starters on offer, the second course choices seem a bit less exciting, especially as a third of them are varieties of teriyaki, which – although a decent dish – isn’t particularly thrilling. The Hakuba pork ribs (£12.40) are good, though, smothered in a tangy, nutty sauce, and the meat is so tender that you don’t even need a knife to cut the ribs apart. Grilled black cod with miso (£15.90) is a favourite dish at Japanese restaurants in the capital; when done well it can be amazing, but if it’s a bit off it’s much too sweet to eat. This restaurant’s version is close to perfect, with flaky slices of cod complemented by a tart but sugary sauce.

Desserts include ice cream for £3.20, in flavours of vanilla, black bean and a creamy green tea with just the right amount of bitterness, served in a generous three-scoop portion in a martini glass. Misezushi (£5.20) is almost too cute to eat: cheesecake that looks like nigiri sushi, complete with chocolate chopsticks. The cheesecake is light and creamy and though it doesn’t have the traditional biscuit base it holds up nonetheless and is well textured. On top of each piece is a slice of glistening candied fruit, and the chocolate chopsticks on the side are solid and dark, almost like eating pure cocoa.

The Drink
The drinks menu is long, and like the food, innovative. Traditional cocktails get a Japanese twist with a dash of shochu or sake, and there are a few signature cocktails created by the restaurant as well. If you like sweet drinks, the Rose Petal is highly recommended, a pretty, multicoloured drink with a lovely floral smell and light and sugary taste. Other drinks include a Peach Smash, made with shochu, peach puree and lemon juice, and the Saketini, made with sake, lychee liqueur and apple and lime juice. Cocktails are priced between £7.50 and £11 - a bit expensive for a restaurant - but they’re well made and you won’t regret shelling out for a couple.

There’s also a decent wine list, with prices starting from a very reasonable £14 a bottle to £225 for Cristal Champagne. The wines are a mix of old and new world, and there are several choices by the glass for under £5.

The Last Word
Hakuba serves up creative sushi in a cool and comfortable environment – definitely worth braving Tottenham Court Road for.

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