Endo Kazutoshi to open ENDO in Chelsea

Sushi master Endo Kazutoshi will open a new 10-seat omakase restaurant in Chelsea this October, marking the next major chapter in his career following the fire that forced the closure of Endo at the Rotunda.

Created in partnership with Creative Restaurant Group, ENDO will occupy the ground floor of a two-storey townhouse at 8-9 Blacklands Terrace, formerly home to Michelin-starred restaurant The Five Fields.

A Japanese listening bar called Moga will open upstairs, initially operating exclusively for guests dining at ENDO before becoming available to book separately from December.

The announcement followed Endo’s temporary return to service through a five-month residency at Annabel’s in Mayfair, where he reunited with members of the Rotunda team after the September 2025 fire.

A new home for Endo Kazutoshi

ENDO will offer a multi-course omakase experience centred on Japanese tradition, seasonality and the direct relationship between chef and guest.

The restaurant follows a series of extensive research trips to Japan undertaken by Endo and his team, which have led the third-generation sushi master to return more closely to the orthodox training and techniques that shaped his career.

As is customary with omakase, details of the menu will not be disclosed to guests in advance. Instead, Endo will use each service to express omotenashi, the Japanese approach to hospitality built around empathy, anticipation and care.

Dairy will be removed entirely from the menu, while greater emphasis will be placed on dashi and traditional preparations.

All sushi courses will exclusively use wild-caught fish from the British Isles, sourced largely through Endo’s suppliers on the west coast of the UK.

Nori seaweed, wasabi, soy sauce and rice will continue to be brought over from Japan, with each produced exclusively for Endo.

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Inspired by Endo’s family history

The design will draw inspiration from the intimate sushi counters of Tokyo during the 1920s and 1930s, when Endo’s grandfather established his restaurant in Yokohama.

Architect Javier Villar, who previously worked with Endo through Kengo Kuma & Associates, has designed the restaurant around the experience of entering a traditional Japanese ryokan.

Guests will be gradually separated from the pace of the city as they move through the building towards the dining room.

At its centre will be a bespoke, 80cm-wide counter made from 200-year-old hinoki wood from Kyoto, with the ten guests seated directly in front of Endo and his team.

A robata grill will sit behind the chefs within the open kitchen, bringing further theatre and interaction to the counter experience.

Endo said: “I often ask myself what responsibility I have to carry on the traditions and culture of Japan in my work.

“This project is the next chapter of my journey, strengthened by a clear vision and grounded more profoundly in the past.

“Behind every piece of sushi is the work of many hands – those who catch fish, grow the rice and create the objects to serve it. This is a story I wish to tell.

“Like kintsugi, the scars of last year have become part of my history; they have made me return more deeply to my roots.

“I have a responsibility to represent my culture and reflect centuries of craft in each dish I serve, and I look forward to sharing this journey with you soon.”

A boat on a lake

Japanese listening bar Moga to open upstairs

Above ENDO, Moga will offer a contrasting experience inspired by the Taishō era and Japan’s embrace of international influence and cultural exchange during the early 20th century.

Its name references the moga, or “modern women”, who came to represent a new generation of independence and freedom in Japan.

The cocktail menu has been developed around tea in collaboration with London specialist Postcard Teas, reinterpreting one of Japan’s most established cultural rituals.

The room will feature an undulating ceiling made from masu sake cups, a large natural stone bar and a vinyl collection played through custom Taguchi speakers.

Milena Floyd, managing director of Creative Restaurant Group, said: “This is a project that has been many years in the making, one we have long dreamed of and carefully planned.

“Finding the right home for it was, therefore, incredibly important to us.

“We feel very fortunate to have secured such a special location, formerly home to The Five Fields, which has long been one of my favourite restaurants in London.”

The Five Fields closed in February 2025 after more than 12 years at the Chelsea address.