Our Story
Start with the name. TITU is not a brand exercise or a clever Japanese pun; it is the name of the son of one of the owners. That one fact tells you most of what matters about this place. It was never meant to be a concept rolled out across a dozen sites. It is one small room in Shepherd Market that a family put their child's name above.
A Gyoza Restaurant in Mayfair
When the room opened in March 2018, the premise raised eyebrows. The head chef had come from Novikov, one of Mayfair's grandest kitchens, to open what was billed as a gyoza restaurant: dumplings, in the most expensive dining postcode in Britain, in a space so tight it was described at the time as officially London's smallest restaurant.
Critics arrived expecting a gimmick.
Then the Reviews Came In
The Financial Times sent Tim Hayward, who admitted in print he had not expected TITU to be that good, and titled his review "a genuine joy". Harden's called it a tiny Mayfair charmer. Wallpaper* came for the interiors and stayed to write about the kitchen.
The full coverage, quotes and all, lives on our press page.
The Room Itself
Wallpaper* documented what Athens-based DZA Architects built here: travertine table tops, a marble bar, brass pendant lighting over original parquet and open brickwork, in turquoise and gold. Diners tend to notice something else first: the paper cranes hanging from the ceiling, which reviewers mention almost as often as the food.
Around 25 covers fit at one time, counting the tables outside, and the effect is closer to eating in someone's very good front room than in a Mayfair institution.
Made the Same Way Since Day One
The gyoza are folded by hand every day, exactly as they were on the first morning the room opened.
All meat we serve is sourced halal, including the wagyu. That was a founding decision, made so more of London could sit at the same table.
Everything is built for sharing, because a room this size is at its best when the plates land in the middle and everyone reaches in.
The Story Ends at a Table
Eight years in, the eyebrows have settled. The gyoza still do the arguing.