Sticks 'N' Sushi Oxford

A “swanky yet relaxed” Danish import serving “consistently excellent” Japanese food, this canny chain blends the best bits of both cultures, including a shared passion for minimalist interiors and the art of presentation – even the menu is styled as a food-porn photo album. The large, light-filled dining rooms have a Mad Men appeal with their low-slung Danish chairs, retro cabinets and dimly lit bar, while helpful, friendly staff ferry plates from the open kitchen. Pick and mix from 100-plus dishes that fans swear are “better than Nobu” – perhaps skewers of gooey-glazed teriyaki scallops, tempura shrimp ‘bites’ with crisp bubbled batter and miso aïoli for dipping or beef tataki dotted with smoked cheese, chives, almonds and yuzu dressing. The lively atmosphere is helped along by a great mix of tourists and locals, plus Asian-themed cocktails such as the Shojito (a shoshu- and ginger-laced take on the Mojito).