I went to Dinings SW3 expecting an interesting sake tasting. I left with a much longer list of questions, considerable affection for the people pouring it, and a fresh appreciation of what sake can do at the table. With Hugo Chan of Masumi guiding us, this Chelsea evening joined Japanese brewing craft with excellent food and genuinely warm hospitality.
I drank my fair share of sake when I lived in Hong Kong more than 30 years ago. Much of what I remember arrived warm, and my attention to it was probably less scholarly than it is now. Enjoyment was the priority. Detailed questions about yeast could wait a few decades.
At Dinings SW3 on 7 October, I realised how narrow that picture had become. The sake in front of us had delicacy, savoury depth and distinct personalities. The change was partly in what I was being served, and partly in how I was approaching it.
That distinction matters. A brewery founded in 1662 hasn’t suddenly discovered craftsmanship because I’ve finally paid closer attention. Sometimes the most useful upgrade is to the drinker.
Dinings SW3 made the evening feel personal
The restaurant deserves a substantial share of the credit. Daniel Alvarado, Dinings SW3’s co-owner and Operations Director, looked after us beautifully. There was warmth from the start, and the evening felt relaxed rather than ceremonious.
Premium hospitality can occasionally make you feel that you’re being assessed for suitability before anyone brings a glass. Here, the welcome made it easy to settle in, ask questions and enjoy ourselves.
On the corner of Walton Street and Lennox Gardens Mews, Dinings SW3 brings together Executive Chef and co-owner Masaki Sugisaki’s Japanese cooking and European influences. The restaurant opened in 2017, and its emphasis on sharing plates and omakase dining fits that balance of elegance and informality.
The building has character too. A former artist’s studio, it has a striking fireplace in the main dining room, while the sushi counter offers a closer view of the chefs at work.
The bar, where our tasting took place, is part of that appeal. Dinings SW3 welcomes walk-ins for drinks and its Otsumami snack menu, so it offers a way to experience the place without committing to a full restaurant meal. Its cocktail programme includes Japanese interpretations of classics alongside seasonal creations (I tried the apricot Manhattan which was very good). For anyone curious about sake, a bar stool and a conversation seem a very sensible starting point.
The dining room at Dinings SW3
The dining room at Dinings SW3. Photograph supplied by Dinings SW3, Robson Media.
Hugo Chan brought Masumi sake to life
Our evening formed part of Dinings SW3’s World Sake Day celebrations, following its earlier tasting with Erika Haigh of Mai Sake. The Hugo Chan event was designed for just 14 guests, making conversation part of the experience.
Hugo was outstanding: engaging, fantastically knowledgeable and clearly enjoying the subject. He could explain a technical detail, move into a brewery story, then bring us back to what was happening in the glass. Asami was a pleasure to meet and helped make the whole evening feel welcoming.
Masumi comes from Suwa in Nagano, and Hugo connected its sake to the surrounding environment, its water and the people making it. He also explained the brewery’s association with the famous No. 7 sake yeast, identified there in 1946, and its continuing work with strains from that yeast family.
I asked about terroir, naturally. Wine enthusiasts can apparently take that question anywhere, including somewhere without a vineyard. Hugo’s answer gave the human contribution real weight: brewing decisions and skill matter alongside place and ingredients.
Studying wine has made me more attentive to structure and balance, but it also makes encounters like this particularly enjoyable. You recognise some questions, then discover that the answers belong to another discipline. By the end, I could completely understand why sake warrants WSET study of its own.
Hugo and Asami at the Dinings SW3 sake evening. Photograph by Damon Segal.
Four Masumi sakes with different stories
The line-up gave us a useful progression through four styles, followed by a yuzu liqueur.
Masumi Shiro, Junmai Ginjo, introduced as Sake Matinee, was the gentle opening. At 12% alcohol, it showed the accessible side of the range. Hugo described apple and pear notes and explained how the brewery manages fermentation to achieve the lighter style.
Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri, Junmai, or Mirror of Truth, moved towards greater savouriness and a deeper texture. Hugo resisted declaring either bottle better. Nobody wants their palate sent to the headmaster.
Masumi Arabashiri, Nama Junmai Ginjo, or First Run, offered the fresh, unpasteurised expression. Hugo described it as undiluted and 17% alcohol, with plenty of flavour to work with.
Masumi Hiyaoroshi, Junmai Ginjo, or Sleeping Beauty, provided the seasonal counterpoint. Rested before its autumn release, it demonstrated the depth that maturation can bring while retaining freshness.
Freshness and maturity became things to explore side by side, rather than abstract words on a label.
The Masumi Yuzu Liqueur added another dimension. Made with fresh yuzu and alcohol distilled from sake lees, it also gave Hugo an opportunity to explain the thought behind a product that might otherwise be treated as simply a citrus finish.
The food gave the sake tasting its purpose
The food was excellent, and it carried the conversation forward. These were thoughtful dishes with enough detail to make the pairings interesting, while keeping the seafood at the centre.
Our menu included British bluefin tuna usuzukuri from Whitby, with crispy foie gras, lemon and extra virgin olive oil; hot-smoked, line-caught Cornish mackerel sushi with chopped ginger and spring onion; and Cornish Umami Ika squid sashimi with shichimi sansho and sweet soy.
There was also aged Cornish sea bass sushi with caviar salt and tomato salsa, and shigure-ni cooked British toro sushi with soy koji and smoked daikon pickle. The mackerel was particularly good, although the quality ran across the selection.
Hugo encouraged us to experience a little sake alongside the food while it was still in the mouth, treating the drink almost as an additional sauce. With Okuden Kantsukuri and the mackerel, he drew attention to the savouriness, smoke and lingering ginger.
Another memorable experiment involved a small addition of sparkling water to Arabashiri for the sea bass pairing. The aim was to soften its alcoholic weight and help it work with the dish. It was a wonderfully practical demonstration of serving the food rather than defending a rule.
Behind the cooking sits Masaki’s commitment to direct relationships with South West dayboat fishermen and his gill-to-tail approach to using seafood fully. That philosophy connects with an evening built around understanding who makes your drink and how.
What I’m taking back to the wine table
My advice after this evening is simple: try contrasting sake styles with food, and let someone knowledgeable guide you. Ask about temperature, glassware and the dish you’re eating. A familiar wine vocabulary can help, provided you leave room for different answers.
From my marketing perspective, Dinings SW3 also demonstrated how discovery works best in hospitality. The people, setting, food and explanation all supported one another. Curiosity became enjoyment because someone made the subject approachable.
Hugo and Asami were a delight. Daniel and the team made us feel thoroughly looked after, and the restaurant gave the tasting a setting worthy of it.
I arrived carrying a 30-year-old idea of sake. I left keen to return, eat more of Masaki’s food and continue the conversation. My wine studies already provide enough homework, but sake has now made a very persuasive application for space on the desk.
I attended this tasting by invitation as WineGuide101.
Explore Dinings SW3 · Walton House, Lennox Gardens Mews, Walton Street, London SW3 2JH.
