Nobu’s choice
Internationally famous chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa recently praised El Pirata, telling The Glossary style magazine: “When I want a taste of Spain, El Pirata is my top choice”.
Nobu – as he is better known – is founder of a global chain of 50 restaurants and 27 hotels, so you can imagine how pleased we were.
Mediterranean Restaurant close to the Japanese Embassy Piccadilly Mayfair
We weren’t that surprised, though, because our tapas restaurant is very popular with Japanese people, and we often have guests from the Japanese Embassy just around the corner on Piccadilly.
Tapas – small plates of food – is a style of cooking popular all over the world, and the Japanese have their own version, Izakaya. An Izakaya is an informal bar serving alcoholic drinks and snacks and unlike in other Japanese styles of eating, plates of food are shared by everyone at the table. And the food is ordered slowly over several courses – just like tapas.
Where the chefs eat: Nobu Matsuhisa’s favourite restaurants in the world. Full review..
– The Glossary Magazine.
El Pirata in London’s Mayfair is my favourite restaurant. it’s casual, simple and I find tapas so interesting.
– Nobu Matsuhisa – the owner of the global iconic restaurant group Nobu
Izakaya bars encourage social interaction and a casual dining atmosphere that suits group dining among friends or co-workers after work. Japanese people also have a curiosity and appreciation for high-quality foreign food, especially when it’s thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented.
So, don’t be surprised if next time you visit El Pirata you find a group of Japanese people happily working their way through our tapas menu. For many of them, it’s a home from home.
