Yes, it is possible to order the wrong thing at Eel Sushi Bar

I walk into Eel Sushi Bar in Notting Hill on a Friday lunchtime with a very specific craving. I’ve watched enough people eating sushi here online for it to turn into a fixation. I’ve also been in a sushi mood for a while now, which makes ignoring somewhere like this almost impossible.

Still, there’s a question hanging over the bar before I even sit down. Is a roughly £100 spend per person actually worth it at Eel Sushi Bar Notting Hill? As it turns out, the answer depends almost entirely on how carefully you order.

This is high-quality sushi. It’s also surprisingly unforgiving, and some of it can be a challenge to eat. I’ll take you through this restaurant review so you know what to order, and what to avoid on the menu at Eel Sushi Bar Notting Hill.

Quick info on Eel Sushi Bar Notting Hill

• Restaurant: Eel Sushi Bar
• Location: Notting Hill, London
• Cuisine: sushi and nigiri, some hot dishes
• Best orders: otoro nigiri, scallop nigiri, red snapper nigiri
• Approach with caution: chutoro nigiri, salmon roe gunkan
• Flavour profile: minimalist and soy forward
• Best for: focused sushi eating, solo diners
• Price point: high – very easy to reach £100 per person
• Overall verdict: good when you order the right things from the Eel Sushi Bar menu

First impressions of Eel Sushi Bar in Notting Hill

Eel Sushi Bar in Notting Hill works well for solo dining. There are wooden counters, comfortable stools, and chefs working with quiet efficiency in an open kitchen. Service is fast, calm, and professional. If you arrive early enough at lunch time, walk-ins are possible, although the bar fills quickly and people do get turned away.

This is a restaurant built around sushi, and we’re here to take their nigiri for a test drive review. As we find out though, it’s very easy to order the wrong thing on the Eel Sushi Bar menu.

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A risky start with salmon roe gunkan

I begin with salmon roe gunkan, expecting something light and briny to ease me in. At first bite, it behaves. Then the roe bursts, and a bitterness arrives that I really don’t enjoy. It lingers longer than I want it to.

Worse still, I’ve ordered two pieces.

After finishing the first, I already know I’m not looking forward to the second. This is where the most important lesson of Eel Sushi Bar becomes clear: never order doubles until you know exactly what you’re getting.

Scallop nigiri that steadies the ship

The scallop nigiri immediately restores confidence in the Eel Sushi Bar menu. It’s beautifully carved, with soy brushed on top so it settles neatly into the crevices of the flesh.

The rice holds together just long enough, then disappears.

This eats exactly as scallop nigiri should. Soft, clean, and precise.

Red snapper nigiri I could eat endlessly

The red snapper nigiri follows, and it’s another strong moment. Light and delicate, it carries the soy beautifully and falls apart cleanly in the mouth. There’s no resistance, it’s all upside.

If I were ordering again, I’d happily eat these by the dozen.

Hamachi with more structure

The hamachi nigiri is denser than the snapper and closer in texture to the scallop. It has more body and a slightly firmer bite, but still eats well.

This is a dependable order and, with what I know now, I’d lean on it more when ordering from the Eel Sushi Bar menu.

Salmon nigiri that changes the rhythm

The salmon nigiri is good, but noticeably heavier still. This is the first of the nigiri that actively requires chewing. After the earlier pieces, it shifts the tone of the meal from delicate to dense.

Is it an enjoyable element of the Eel Sushi Bar menu? Yes. But it doesn’t linger in the memory.

Otoro nigiri that earns its place at Eel Sushi Bar

The otoro nigiri does exactly what you hope it will. The fat distribution is excellent, and it melts cleanly in the mouth. It’s buttery without being greasy, and indulgent without becoming overwhelming.

I like it the most out of all the tuna nigiri we order at Eel Sushi Bar.

Chutoro that pushes fat too far

The chutoro nigiri takes fattiness in the wrong direction. It’s meatier than otoro and significantly oilier, with more sinew. It doesn’t melt in the mouth – you need to chew, chew and chew some more, to get through what seems like tough sinew.

It’s fatty, but not in a pleasurable way. After finishing it, I actively want acidity to reset my palate. A lemon would help.

Again, I’ve ordered two. Again, I regret it.

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Seared kama-toro that recovers some balance

The kama-toro nigiri, served seared, brings things back. Although it’s described as being even fattier than the chutoro nigiri, it’s much better, because it’s seared.

The sear transforms it into something closer to wagyu or a well-marbled steak. Rich, yes, but structured and much easier to enjoy.

I prefer this far more than the chutoro. Notably, it’s also served unseared, which I would avoid entirely.

A note on flavour and comparison

As the lunch at Eel Sushi Bar in London goes on, one thing becomes increasingly clear. Many of the nigiri on the menu seem to sit within a narrow flavour band. There’s soy and wasabi, then varying levels of fattiness, especially with the tuna cuts. In the case of the gunkan, bitterness lingers longer than you want it to.

That isn’t wrong. It’s very much the point of this style of sushi. Still, after a while, it becomes slightly one-note.

It’s not an entirely fair comparison, because the cuisines are doing different things. However, it’s hard not to think back to the yellowtail with yuzu and jalapeño at Bottarga, which manages to be raw, clean, and delicate while also layering acidity, heat, and freshness. That dish evolves as you eat it. The nigiri here largely does not.

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For some diners, that purity will be the appeal. For others (especially at this price point) the lack of complexity may leave you wanting more by the end.

What to order and what to avoid at Eel Sushi Bar in Notting Hill

If you’re going to Eel Sushi Bar in London, order from the menu deliberately.

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Strong choices:

• Scallop nigiri
• Red snapper nigiri
• Hamachi nigiri
• Otoro nigiri
• Seared kama-toro

Proceed carefully:

• Salmon roe gunkan
• Chutoro nigiri
• Ordering doubles too early

It’s entirely possible to spend close to £100 here and leave having actively disliked part of your meal.

Final thoughts on Eel Sushi Bar Notting Hill

Eel Sushi Bar in London delivers excellent ingredients and technical skill, but it demands as much discernment from the diner as it does precision from the chef. The highs are excellent. The lows are frustrating, especially at this price point.

This isn’t a place for blind ordering or experimentation. It’s a place for restraint, intention, and careful sequencing.

Get it right, and you’ll leave satisfied. Get it wrong, and you’ll chew through regret alongside your nigiri. I know I did.

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Eel Sushi Bar Notting Hill, London restaurant review
Address – 118 Talbot Rd, London W11 1JR
Nearest Tube – Notting Hill