Bubbles and Bites: The Artful Harmony of Rathfinny & Kioku by Endo

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

When you hear the words Japanese cuisine alongside English sparkling wine, your brain may hesitate for a moment, until it doesn’t. Like a line from Keats, “Two souls with different directions form one path to the heart,” this pairing proves that contrast can be the foundation of harmony, on the plate and on the palate.

This summer, Kioku by Endo marks its first anniversary with a seasonal collaboration that’s as refined as it is unexpected. In partnership with the Sussex-based Rathfinny Wine Estate, the restaurant has launched Kioku Bites and Bubbles: a terrace-exclusive menu designed to thrill the senses and surprise even the most seasoned diners. Set against sweeping views of London’s skyline, the experience is equal parts visual poetry and culinary precision.

Terrace in the Sky: A View to Savour

High above Whitehall, Kioku’s summer terrace unfolds like a well-kept secret. Accessed through a discreet side entrance on Whitehall Place, this elevated oasis is situated between the sky and the skyline, offering one of London’s most impressive panoramas. On a rare sun-soaked afternoon, we were lucky enough to experience it in full clarity, with a view stretching from the London Eye to Buckingham Palace, across Whitehall and down towards the curve of the Thames.

Framed by 360-degree views, the terrace is a visual and sensory escape. Plush Rathfinny blankets and cushions soften the timber seating, arranged beneath sweeping parasols and nestled in curated greenery. Light stone tiles underfoot lend a coastal feel, while the earthy tones of terracotta and mustard-coloured upholstery mirror the natural palette within. A long balcony runs alongside the restaurant, offering smaller tables with an intimate view of the skyline. Nearby, a turret turned private dining room peers out over Horse Guards Parade and St James’ Park, a rarefied vantage point that quietly reminds you of the building’s storied past.

While the interiors are serene, layering oak, cork, clay and calligraphy with considered calm, it is the terrace that steals the show. Designed not just for dining but for pausing, breathing and letting the city’s rhythm slow, it reflects what both Kioku and Rathfinny do best: honouring time, craft and the pleasure of the present.

History of Two Houses: When Sussex Meets Tokyo

Marking one year since opening its doors at The OWO, Kioku by Endo enters a new chapter through a quietly refined collaboration with Rathfinny Wine Estate. This partnership bridges two distinct but kindred philosophies — the precision of Japanese culinary artistry and the elegance of English sparkling wine, rooted in the chalky soils of Sussex.

Rathfinny Wine Estate is a family-owned, B Corp-certified vineyard located in the heart of Sussex. It spans 230 acres of a single-site vineyard, with a unique microclimate and free-draining chalk soils that mirror the terroir of Champagne. Beyond its bucolic setting, the estate blends tradition with science, conducting detailed viticultural audits to select and nurture grapes with absolute intention. The result is a sparkling wine of remarkable clarity and balance, with the 2018 and 2019 vintages standing out as some of their finest to date, both of which we had the honour of tasting.

On the other side of this collaboration is Endo Kazutoshi, a third-generation sushi master whose life’s work has taken him from the intimate sushi counters of Japan to the heights of global fine dining. His Michelin-starred career is a reflection not only of exceptional technique but of a deep cultural reverence for memory and legacy.

The name Kioku translates to "memory" in Japanese, reflecting the restaurant’s guiding ethos — to preserve and share stories through food. Endo's dishes, though rooted in Japanese tradition, are shaped by the best of British ingredients, in particular the exceptional seafood of the British Isles.

What unites these two houses is a shared dedication to excellence and a refusal to compromise on quality. Each has an unwavering focus on detail, sustainability and craft, resulting in a pairing that feels both natural and elevated. It is not simply a fusion, but a respectful dialogue between two traditions: one coastal, one mountainous, brought together in perfect seasonal harmony.

Bites and Bubbles: A Study in Balance

This isn’t just a menu; it’s a sensory conversation between land and sea, acidity and umami, East and West. The “Bites and Bubbles” terrace experience at Kioku by Endo is as considered as it is understated, a curated pairing that gently coaxes out the purity in both Rathfinny’s sparkling wines and Endo’s small plates.

The welcome begins with a glass of Rathfinny Rosé Brut 2019, whose fine bubbles and red berry notes set the tone. There’s a gentle lift on the palate, strawberries and wild herbs with a saline edge, that prepares the senses for the precision of the first bite. The Torotaku, a finely diced blend of fatty bluefin tuna and pickled daikon, is clean yet indulgent, the daikon adding a sharp crunch against the richness of the fish. Together with the sparkling wine, it becomes a moment of textural contrast and freshness, like salt air on warm skin.

Next came the Wagyu Temaki, where the richness of the beef is cut through with ponzu and a kiss of yuzu gel. It’s decadent but never heavy, and the English sparkling wine steps in with the acidity and structure to keep things bright. Unlike traditional Champagne, Rathfinny’s approach favours minimal intervention and a focus on terroir. The result is a wine that doesn’t overwhelm but elevates.

Other dishes, from the scallop chawanmushi with kombu dashi to the miso brioche topped with tuna tartare, reinforce the same principle: restraint, balance, and a quiet elegance that lets ingredients breathe. Much like the terrace view itself, this menu invites you to slow down and notice the detail. Here, every sip and bite is deliberate, and the harmony between British winemaking and Japanese culinary tradition feels not just intentional but inevitable.

Priced at £30 per person and available from 3 pm - 5.45 pm

For more information, visit HERE

Kioku by Endo Restaurant

Located in: Raffles London at The OWO

Address: 6th Floor, The OWO, 2 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD

Phone: 020 3327 3692

Words by Jheanelle Feanny