A seat at an omakase counter takes most of the decisions away from you, which is the point of it. At ALBA's ten-seat counter in Knightsbridge, opposite Harrods, there is only one choice left to make, and you make it when you book: the nine-course omakase at £130 a head, or the twelve-course at £190. Both are chef's tasting menus, both follow the same day's sourcing, and both are served across the same counter by ALBA's Japanese Head Chef, who has more than twenty years' experience behind it. The difference is three courses, and what three courses do to an evening. This is a guide to choosing between them, for anyone looking for a Japanese tasting menu in London and wondering which one to book.
What Both Menus Share
Everything but the length. Each of the ten seats follows the selection of ALBA's Japanese Head Chef Takuya Kaneko, built around the season's finest sourcing: Icelandic uni, bluefin otoro, A5 wagyu, scallops, Kristal and Beluga caviar, and daily deliveries of the best catch. Nigiri, sashimi and small raw courses are made and served directly across the counter, in full view, and every guest at the sitting is served together, with the first course landing at the reservation time. Nothing is fixed in advance, so the sequence on a Tuesday in November is not the sequence on a Saturday in March; the counter follows what came in that morning. The view is Harrods across Brompton Road, lit after dark. Whichever menu you choose, that is the evening, and the longer version of what the format is and how it works is in our guide to what omakase is.
The Nine-Course Menu
Nine courses is a complete omakase. It carries the full run of the counter's idea, from the lighter raw courses through the richer pieces, and it is long enough that nothing is rushed and short enough that the evening still has somewhere to go afterwards. It is the menu for a first omakase, because it asks for a single decision and then simply happens; for a weeknight, when the 6:30pm seating and nine courses leave the rest of the evening free; and for a table of two that wants the counter rather than the dining room without turning dinner into an occasion. At £130 a head, with service included in the pre-payment, it is also the easier number to say yes to twice.
The Twelve-Course Menu
Twelve courses is the extended expression of the same meal. The three additional courses give the chef more room to work through the day's sourcing, so the sequence can go further into the pieces that make the counter what it is, and the evening settles into a slower rhythm. It is the menu for an occasion, a birthday or an anniversary at the counter, for a guest who has done omakase before and wants the fuller version, and for anyone who finds that nine courses of good fish is exactly the point at which they would like three more. At £190 a head it is the counter's full statement, and the 8:30pm seating suits it, with nothing to get to afterwards.
How to Choose
Three questions settle it. Is this your first omakase? Then nine, and come back for twelve. Is it an occasion? Then twelve. Is appetite the question? Then twelve, and the counter will tell you on the night whether anything can be added. Drinks are not included in the pre-payment unless a drinks pairing is booked in advance, and the sake list runs from a sparkling Dassai by the glass to the Heavensake bottles, alongside Japanese whisky and a short list of Japanese cocktails; for anyone not drinking, there is a Seedlip cocktail and two sparkling teas. Whichever length you take, allergies and strong dislikes go in at booking, because the menu is built around raw seafood and may include shellfish, and the sequence is planned around the room before the first guest sits down.
Before You Book
The counter runs dinner only, Tuesday to Sunday, with seatings at 6:30pm and 8:30pm and ten seats at each; it does not run on Mondays. Reservations are pre-paid in full per guest, service included, and can be cancelled or changed up to 72 hours before the seating. ALBA asks guests to arrive thirty minutes before the reservation to settle in, because everyone is served together from the start. The dress code is smart elegant, and guests from the age of fourteen are welcome, with under-eighteens accompanied by a parent or guardian. For a more flexible visit, the Japanese à la carte is served in the main dining room, Tuesday to Sunday, at lunch and dinner, with the A5 wagyu nigiri in its Nigiri Special section; ALBA's own FAQs cover the rest.
Booking the Counter
Reserve a seat through the omakase page, choosing the menu as you book. Friday and Saturday go first; midweek is the easier night to find, and from this month Sunday is a counter night too. ALBA is at 70 Brompton Road, London SW3 1ER, an Amalfi-inspired Italian restaurant in Knightsbridge that runs a Japanese counter along its window, directly opposite Harrods and a minute from Knightsbridge station. Why an Italian restaurant runs one at all is a story of its own, and how the counter measures up against the rest of the city is in our piece on the best omakase in London. In November 2026 Forbes named the counter among five places to eat in London right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many courses is the omakase at ALBA?
Nine, or twelve on the extended menu. Both are chef's tasting menus built around the day's sourcing, chosen when you book.
How much is the omakase at ALBA?
£130 per person for nine courses and £190 for twelve, pre-paid with service included. Drinks are separate unless a pairing is booked in advance.
What is the difference between the nine-course and twelve-course omakase?
Three courses. The twelve-course menu gives the chef more room to work through the day's sourcing and runs at a slower pace; the nine-course menu is a complete omakase in a shorter sitting.
When does ALBA's omakase counter run?
Tuesday to Sunday, dinner only, with seatings at 6:30pm and 8:30pm and ten seats at each. There is no omakase on Mondays.
Is ALBA's omakase a Japanese tasting menu?
Yes. It is a chef's tasting menu of nine or twelve courses, served across a ten-seat counter in Knightsbridge, opposite Harrods.
