Sit at the semi-circular bar at the new 25-cover Kioku Bar in London’s The OWO hotel, and sake will be the order of the day. Helmed by sake sommelier Anthony Yukio and head of bars Angelos Bafas, this groundbreaking new offering, modelled on traditional Japanese listening bars, claims to have the largest sake collection in Europe – 110 currently sit in its bespoke sake safe – curated by sake samurai Natsuki Kikuya.
Its arrival comes as Japan’s national drink is enjoying a swell in popularity here in the UK. With the opening of other sake-specific bars such as INÉ by Taku, the launch of new retailer and events company mai, and the first National Sake Week taking place (15-21 April), it seems that 2024 marks the rise of sake.
Sales also speak for themselves: Waitrose reported a 214% rise in searches for sake on its website, and this month US brand SoGood Saké launched its product into international markets for the first time, including the UK. Plus, with Berry Bros & Rudd reporting a 1,000% rise in sake sales in the past year, is it finally sake’s time in the spotlight?
New openings
In Whitehall, Kioku Bar has been turning heads as it becomes London’s (if not Europe’s) best stocked sake bar. Its sake bible is split into sections designed to evoke feelings, senses or memories, like Trip to the Rice Paddies (sakes made from rare or lesser-known rice varieties), In the Flower Garden (floral and aromatic sakes) and Bubbly
