Oliver Maki closes its only UK site with plans to relocate

In a statement to patrons, CEO Joe Hajjali says that the restaurant will reopen at another central London location.

He lists a number of the restaurant’s achievements, including being listed in the Michelin guide and amassing over two million views on a picture of its matcha tiramisu.

“As much as we love Soho, and as much as we have grown attached to this wonderfully buzzing place, we are sadly having to relocate our Michelin-listed restaurant Oliver Maki to a new home within Central London,” the statement reads.

“We leave this beautiful part of London to another anticipated site to embark on a new adventure. We shall keep you updated on the timeline for the new site opening.

“Until then, we thank you and thank all our fans who have made our mission that much more meaningful when we saw the smiles on their faces.”

The 28-cover restaurant, opened at 33 Dean Street in 2016, is the fifth in the Oliver Maki group and its only UK site.

The restaurant was well-reviewed, and was praised for head chef Louis Kenji Huang’s unusual and expensive sushi dishes, that used ingredients such as pico de gallo; and chilli mustard.

The London site served the group’s theatrical signature ‘Sushi Jewel Box’ dish, which is available at all of its restaurants. It comprises sushi rolls served in a transparent, multi-tiered box filled with smoke.

Owned by brothers Oliver and Amer Zeitounm, the Maki group launched in Kuwait in 2004 and now operates restaurants in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The restaurant’s closure follows several others in the area, including Cinnamon Soho; and The Gay Hussar on Greek Street.