Creative Japanese izakaya The Aubrey has introduced the UK's first deluxe 'sando bar', alongside an Insta-worthy cherry blossom menu inspired by the Japanese art of moritsuke. Olivia Palamountain reports

The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is cementing its reputation as one of London's most innovative Japanese dining destinations with the launch of the UK's first luxury "sando bar".

The Knightsbridge izakaya, which also unveiled a theatrical cherry blossom-themed menu earlier this month, has now introduced a dedicated sando menu that elevates Japan's cult street food sandwiches into high-end culinary creations.

With six specially crafted sandos available between 5pm-7pm and 11pm-12:30am daily, the new offering brings Tokyo's street food culture to one of London's swankiest hotels.
Made with The Aubrey's signature shokupan bread, housemade 'kewpie' mayo and handcrafted tonkatsu sauce, the menu includes premium A5 grade Kagoshima Wagyu sandos alongside various land and sea-inspired katsu creations.

Executive chef Sebastian Comerso explains: "The Aubrey has always had an A5 wagyu katsu sando on the menu, with it becoming a firm favourite amongst our diners. However, we felt like one option was not enough since Londoners have such a growing appetite for them and we've created the new sando bar due to this popular demand. We hope our new menu offers something a little different, turning this humble cult dish into a decadent snack."To complement the new sando menu, The Aubrey will temporarily feature rotating cocktails from the award-winning Kaizen menu developed by Devender Sehgal at The Aubrey Hong Kong, currently ranked number ten in The World's 50 Best Bars in Asia.

These limited-edition drinks, including the Glory Gimlet, Noble Man and In Between the Line, will rotate every six weeks bringing seasonal flavours throughout summer.The sando bar launch follows the restaurant's menu transformation celebrating sakura season, which introduces a series of creative dishes centred around the Japanese concept of Moritsuke – the art of food arrangement – and omotenashi (Japanese hospitality).

Hero dishes from this cherry blossom menu include two limited-availability centrepiece offerings: a deboned poussin stuffed with prawn, chicken, shokupan and ginger, served in a smoking clay pot; and a whole dry aged sea bass with ponzu, both presented tableside with theatrical flair.Perhaps most Instagram-worthy is the restaurant's innovative cherry blossom dessert, a show-stopping creation modelled after a miniature edible bonsai tree. This artful pud features edible leaves and branches suspending white chocolate cherries filled with shiso mousse and cherry sorbet.
Diners "pick" their own cherries complete with edible stones, crystallised white chocolate, azuki beans and hibiki cherries – a contemporary nod to Hanami, the Japanese tradition of viewing cherry blossoms.
The dessert menu also showcases Comerso's unique fruit-based sushi platter (the first of its kind in the UK) where watermelon mimics tuna, honeydew melon cured in kombu resembles yellowtail, and figs take on the appearance of mackerel.

While luxury hotels have long housed white-tablecloth fine dining, The Aubrey's approach feels distinctly of the moment – playful enough to embrace street food while maintaining the polish expected in Knightsbridge.