Junsei

Junsei, whose name means "genuine", is a yakitori counter and listening bar on Seymour Place, a quiet stretch of Marylebone near Marble Arch. Chef Aman Lakhiani, who cooked at Barcelona's Dos Palillos, opened it in 2021 with Rizwan Khan, and its reputation rests on a single craft: skewers grilled over binchotan, the dense white charcoal that burns hot and clean. The kitchen works nose to tail through more than twenty cuts of chicken, alongside kushiyaki, izakaya small plates and donabe rice pots, reading Japanese technique through British produce.

The room is compact and low-lit: an open counter facing the grill, a marble-backed bar and a run of tables along a banquette, with brushed skewer scrolls hung above the pass. In 2025 Junsei took on an after-dark identity as one of the few Japanese listening bars in London. On Thursday and Friday nights the lights drop, vinyl runs from Japanese city pop to soul, and guest selectors play alongside a list of sake, shochu and Japanese spirits.

The whole venue takes exclusive hire, seating around forty-three or holding fifty for a standing reception, which suits a private dinner, a birthday or a closely held corporate evening. There is no separate private room; the appeal is the counter itself, the grill in full view and the sound system after hours. Hire is arranged directly with the team.