
A “European-Japanese fusion” restaurant is set to open at One Cavendish Square, Marylebone early next month.
Aki London, an outpost from the Malta-based Lifestyle Group, will be serving “bold” fusion cuisine from a recently renovated Grade II-listed banking hall. The restaurant features a main dining room as well as an underground late-night bar named Kiyori, found in the bank’s former vaults.
The Lifestyle Group launched its flagship restaurant Aki Valletta in 2020 and it has been listed in the Michelin Guide since its conception. The London branch will, the team promised in an announcement, bring “contemporary interpretations of Japanese culinary tradition” and “Mediterranean warmth” to W1.

Dishes will include tuna tartare with aged soy and caviar served theatrically on an ice place, wagyu tataki with Japanese beer mustard pickle, hay-smoked scallops, and yuzu-marinated lamb.
According to the team, Aki also has 80 in-house micro-farms dedicated to growing rare Japanese herbs. Chefs will use techniques from traditional Japanese robata grilling to innovative aquatic farming techniques using recyclable coconut husks to showcase “a contemporary twist on traditional Japanese cuisine.” The restaurant will also hold certification to serve Japanese Kobe beef and dishes are set to feature plenty of Maltese honey, one of the country’s most treasured exports.

In the underground bar, accessible only via a discreet VIP entrance, guests can sip on rare teas and house-infused shochu and Awamori (traditional Japanese distilled spirits). The cocktail menu plays on classics with a reinvented Negroni using ponzu, but also brings new cocktails to the table. In the coming months, Kiyori will host DJs and events “to continue the night well into the early hours”.
The venue underwent a £15 million transformation in the lead up to launch, with the interiors designed by Francis Sultana. The restaurant’s art collection features work from contemporary artists around the world including Yoshirotten, Ryan Gander, and Bouke de Vries.
Robert Debono, director and CEO of Lifestyle Group, said: “Launching Aki in London is a defining moment for Lifestyle Group, as we introduce our first international restaurant in one of the world’s great dining destinations, we’re proud to bring together the artistry of Japanese cuisine with the warmth of Maltese hospitality.
“Partnering with Francis Sultana on the transformation of this historic space has allowed us to create a setting that reflects both our ambition and our respect for design and heritage.”
Aki London opens in September 2025 at One Cavenish Square, W1, akilondon.com