Defune Restaurant
34 George Street
Marylebone
London W1U 7DP
Nearest Tube: Bond Street
4.2 Yummy stars
Price £££ Starters/soup/salad £6.40-£36; Rolls/Sashimi (4 pieces)/Sushi (2 pieces) £9.20-£23 (at time of writing)
☏ 0207 935 8311
Assorted Sashimi at Defune Japanese Restaurant
Buzz Factor 4.2/5 stars
Food 4.5/5 stars
Value for money 3.8/5 stars
A traditional authentic Japanese restaurant with consistently fresh sashimi and sushi. The restaurant has a Zen-like feel. The waitresses and even the clientele always appear so calm. People tend to talk rather quietly and seem not to wish to disturb others. The ground floor sit the sushi counter and a small seating area – with the basement hosting a communal teppanyaki area and a separate space down a few steps with a domed ceiling and tranquil lighting.
Service is great here. The waitresses are super polite and attentive, wiping off any and every spillage as you make it without being intrusive. That takes some skill. Well, the service charge is 15% after all, for which you would expect better than standard service.
The menu had an extensive list of sushi and sashimi with quite mouth-watering prices, ranging from £9.80 for 2 pieces of mackerel sushi to £16.80 for 2 pieces of fatty tuna sushi. The sushi and sashimi has been of a great quality over the years. The sushi rolls were delicious too and more reasonably priced. Better bet might be to order a starter with a combination of sushi or sashimi and some sushi rolls or go for their lunch menu.
The cooked food is of a very good standard too. You can’t beat a classic Japanese black cod with a bit of white miso-based sauce on the side. The fish was perfectly cooked and melted in your mouth. They also offer a variety of daily specials. We tried their beef fillet with Defune’s special sauce. The beef was seriously tender and juicy.
As with many Japanese restaurants, you can have a pretty efficient meal here and leave feeling tranquil and relaxed (apart from having less in your wallet).
