Kioku: Sushi and Sake in London
Kioku consists of a ground floor bar and a restaurant on the top floor of the hotel, located in the Grade II* listed Old War Office building on Whitehall, which once housed the military departments of the British government.
Pirajean Lees created Kioku, which means “memory” in Japanese, to capture memories of sushi master Endo Kazutoshi’s life and work in Japan and Spain.
The hotel’s ground-floor, one-room bar is accessed through a door framed by plain wood joinery inspired by the traditional Japanese Sashimono joinery technique. Guests are greeted by a unique oak reception desk, adorned with embroidered floral textiles and mesh details, and a light-controlled sake cellar covered in quilted cork panels.
All of Kioku’s furniture is custom-designed, says James Lees, co-founder of the studio. “We’re both passionate about storytelling and obsessed with detail, from the way your hand touches the back of a chair to the height of the table,” says the designer. “From the beginning, we knew that the attention to detail in the interior needed to be on the same level as the food that was served.”
The bar's floor plan is subtly stepped to provide a view of everything at each intimate seating area, rather than crowding guests into hidden corners of the room, Lees said.
A wide selection of sake is served at the curved central bar, which is clad in knotty wood. Hand-crafted tiles and a slatted oxblood red carpet are used for the flooring, while deep red baseboards and natural clay walls hint at the space's Spanish influence.
And in one corner, a unique record player has been placed where guests can play Japanese records from Endo's personal collection.
Kioku's restaurant is located in a long room on the north side of the hotel, with panoramic views over central London. Entering through oak double doors, the restaurant is greeted by similar design elements to the bar.
Wooden frames and boxy, mirrored “portals” divide the spaces within the main dining area, which is furnished with L-shaped benches and oak dining chairs upholstered in Japanese embroidered silk. The chairs are carved with bow details, a nod to the seating at one of Endo’s favorite hotels in Yokohama. Subtler versions of the bow motif are echoed on the wooden tables at the bar.
Pirajean Lees has also created a private dining room with a chef's table at one end of the restaurant, built above an intimate outdoor cigar terrace overlooking OWO's central courtyard.
The curved glass-roofed extension is positioned opposite the open kitchen so guests can see their food being prepared. The main terrace is furnished with oak dining tables and chairs, upholstered in Mediterranean-style terracotta and mustard, and surrounded by lush plants.
At the end of the terrace is a historic tower overlooking St. James' Park and Horse Guards Parade. Here, a private dining room for eight seats is decorated with soft linen curtains and an oak table illuminated by an oversized rice paper pendant lamp.
Pirajean Lees chose a striking yellow rug for the circular floor, a nod to the sun, while the circular ceiling was hand-painted with an indigo blue mural by British artist Tess Newall, a contrasting reference to the moon – all recognizable motifs in Japanese mythology.
“We aim to create emotional spaces that are rooted in their history, rather than interiors driven by purely aesthetic considerations,” said studio co-founder Clémence Pirajean.
