London's Araki becomes fifth restaurant in UK to win three michelin stars

The Mayfair sushi restaurant joins the top-tier of British dining

A London sushi restaurant which seats just nine diners has been awarded three Michelin stars.

The Araki in Mayfair has a single set eleven-course menu, and chef Mitsuhiro Araki refuses to change or adapt any of the courses for a customer's dietary requirements.

The restaurant opened off Regent Street in 2014 - taking two sittings each evening - and picked up two Michelin stars last year.

The latest accolade from the world's most prestigious food guide means it sits in the top tier of world food establishments.

There are only four other restaurants in the UK and Ireland with a trio of stars: Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck and Alain Roux’s Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire, Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester in Park Lane and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea.

Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin guides, said: "With its nine-seater counter, The Araki has gone from strength to strength.

Dinner at The Araki will set you back a hefty £300 - excluding drinks

"When Mitsuhiro Araki moved to London from Tokyo in 2014 he set himself the challenge of using largely European fish and his sushi is now simply sublime."

Mr Araki won three stars for his sushi restaurant in Tokyo but decided to close it in 2013 to pursue a new adventure.

Chef pal Joël Robuchon suggested London to him and the move took three years to organise.

The interior of the restaurant features a counter made from 200-year-old cypress wood, and the counter is divided from the kitchen by a pair of green curtains.

As well as the nine counter seats, there's room for six more people in a private dining room.

20 UK and Ireland restaurants now have two stars, while a further 150 restaurants have a single Michelin star this year.