Crispy rice with tuna tartare (£7) - from the snacks menu and a sign of the joys to come.
What do we need to know about Hot Stone Fitzrovia?
As you might guess from the name, it's not their first restaurant. Chef Padam Raj Rai opened his first standalone restaurant in Islington back in 2018, having worked for the likes of Tsukiji, Nobu and Zuma. Over various lockdowns, he also made a name for himself by turning out some exquisite delivery meals. Now he's opened his second restaurant, in Fitzrovia.
Where exactly is it?
You'll find it just off Charlotte Street, on Windmill Street (not to be confused with Great Windmill Street). The nearest tube is Goodge Street.
Where's good to meet for a drink first?
There are two good options within yards of the front door - the terrace at Charlotte Street Hotel or the Fitzroy Tavern on the street corner. Or you could skip that and come here for cocktails - there's a pretty short list of classic cocktails with a Japanese twist, think Green Tea Negroni and Cloudy Sake Old Fashioned.
Lychee Martini (£12) - sweet and strong. Both of those are good things.
Where should we sit?
If you like watching the chefs at work, the sushi counter at the front is the place to be, and there's a large-ish dining room at the back. Both - should you be interested - are very nicely air-conditioned.
The counter at Hot Stone Fitzrovia - there's also a large dining room further in.
What kind of food is it?
They set out their stall as a steak and sushi bar - so there's all manner of top drawer sushi, lots of it with innovative sauces and toppings, and then a section of steak and seafood to be cooked on the titular hot stones.
Here's a flavour:
Fresh Oysters with Tosazu Sauce (£5) and with caviar (£12) - that Tosazu dressing, made from vinegar, soy sauce, mirin and bonito dashi stock was AMAZING.
Yellowtail Carpaccio with jalapeno and truffle ponzu (£19)
Seared salmon with a spicy truffle yuzu miso (£14) - pretty as a picture and the hit of heat in that sauce was just the thing for the salmon.
And then there's the hot stone cooking?
There is. It's actually the Ishiyaki part of the menu "an ancient form of Japanese cookery using searing-hot stones crafted out of volcanic rock".
To be honest, we were a bit freaked out at the prospect of buggering up the cooking of such a glorious piece of A5 sirloin Japanese wagyu, but it turned out to be pretty straightforward. The hot stone is delivered to your table with some strict instructions governing what not to do (i.e. don't add oil or salt to the stone or wait too long before cooking etc). It also comes with Yuzu-soy Jalapeño salsa sauce, fresh wasabi and asparagus to add to the last bit of cooking.
Here's what's delivered to your table - this was 150g of wagyu (£89) along with the asparagus.
Mere minutes later, it's this buttery, melt-in-the-mouth cooked steak. Once you know what you're doing the stress evaporates and you have this properly amazing steak to enjoy.
Room for dessert?
There's really just two options - a variety of mochi - and this...
Homemade green tea matcha cheesecake (£8) - there's a particularly lovely-tasting base to this.
Summing up:
London's sushi scene is pretty exciting at the moment, and the opening of Hot Stone Fitzrovia is a further boost. If you're after really excellent quality sushi, but you also enjoy food from a chef who's not afraid to experiment, then this is the place for you.
More about Hot Stone Fitzrovia
Where is it? 3 Windmill St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2HY
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @hotstonelondon
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Hot Stone. Prices correct at the time of publication.
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