The story
At 42E Poole Road in Westbourne, Art Sushi is the project of chef Kamil Skalczynski, a sushi master with an international pedigree. He was a finalist in the World Sushi Cup 2016 in Japan and the Global Sushi Challenge 2015, and holds the Certificate of International Sushi Kuro-Obi – a proficiency award given by the Japanese Government under the World Sushi Skills Institute. That deep training is evident in every plate.
The restaurant has earned a place in the MICHELIN Guide and The Good Food Guide, and was named one of the UK’s top 100 restaurants by both The Good Food Guide and OpenTable. National press including The Times and The Telegraph have featured Art Sushi, too.
The atmosphere is intimate and focused. Counter dining is available, letting guests watch Skalczynski work. The menu centres on sushi sets composed from the best selected Japanese and locally sourced ingredients. For those who want the full experience, there is omakase – the chef’s choice, where Skalczynski builds a personalised menu based on what is freshest that day. He describes it as an “amazing journey, discovering new flavors step by step,” and talks about every ingredient that creates a unique taste.
Beyond the restaurant, Art Sushi offers private chef services, sushi master classes, catering, and private dining – making Skalczynski’s Japanese cuisine available for events and parties. The space is also kid-friendly, and there is a Sunday lunch service with a dedicated Sunday menu.
This is a restaurant built on skill, humility, and a genuine connection to the craft of sushi. Michelin recommends it. The regulars fill the seats.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
To one side of the old 1920s Grand Cinema in the Bournemouth suburb of Westbourne, Art Sushi's stark grey frontage marks a Japanese eatery of rare distinction. Its proprietor, Kamil Skalczynski, is an adviser with the World Sushi Skills Institute, a honour bestowed by the Japanese government – all the more remarkable for the fact that he happens to be Polish. In this small room with its counter seating, the flashing blades and exquisite presentation that make sushi preparation such consummate restaurant theatre are the object of beady-eyed attention. California-style seafood variations in tempura offer king prawns with mint or salmon with mango encased in brittle batter, while the platters of chirashi sushi mobilise visually ravishing garnishes of glazed kanpyo gourd, soy-marinated ajitama (aka ramen eggs), edamame, avocado and chilli for sea bass, salmon and yellowfin, or perhaps the white meat of Dorset crab. Nigiri are on point too – scallop with tobiko roe and smouldering sansho pepper, for example. The omakase selection is the chef's own six-piece menu surprise , while Sundays are reserved for chirashi sushi feasts. Sake cocktails and a short slate of sharply defined white wines help things along no end.
Location
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