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A high-end Japanese restaurant in Manchester has abruptly closed its doors leaving diners unable to book tables and sparking concern among customers. KAJI, located on Bridge Street, is popular among celebrities and influencers. The restaurant is known for its opulent, futuristic interiors and flame-grilled Japanese cuisine.
The closure became public knowledge after legal notices were spotted on the windows and entrance of the venue, located at Rational House, 64 Bridge Street. The notices state that the landlords have formally taken possession of the ground floor and basement premises.
It reads: "TAKE NOTICE that the landlords have this day 10th April 2026, formally taken possession of part ground floor and basement premises, Rational House, 64, Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BN. This property is now occupied by the landlords."
Since the notice appeared, the restaurant’s online booking system has been deactivated meaning that all bookings are cancelled and reservations cannot be made.
However, in a statement issued to Manchester Evening News, the restaurant said that the closure is temporary.
Diners cannot currently book a table at the restaurant on its booking systems. The owners thanked customers for their patience while the legal matters are being addressed.
The statement shared with MEN from a KAJI restaurant spokesperson states: "We are currently working through a number of long-standing legal matters with our landlords.
"The restaurant remains temporarily closed during this time. We are confident these issues will be resolved in the near future and a further announcement will be made in due course.
"We thank our customers for their continued patience and support."
The restaurant originally opened in 2022 as MUSU, a restaurant that boasted a £3 million renovation and aimed to elevate fine dining in Manchester. Within its first year, the restaurant suffered a significant setback when vandals smashed its windows and covered the interior in paint on Valentine’s Day.
In 2024, the venue underwent a rebrand and became KAJI. Under the direction of chef patron Steven Smith, the restaurant has focused on an "innovative fire-based" culinary philosophy, featuring dishes prepared using Binchotan charcoal and robata grills.
The restaurant offers multiple dining experiences, ranging from a £30 three-course lunch menu and the flexible five-course "Journey" tasting for £55, to an extensive à la carte sushi selection and a premium £90 "Chef’s Choice" tasting menu.
The restaurant has 4.3 stars on TripAdvisor.
One review reads: "It’s taken me too long to review this place - it’s simply exquisite. The service is wonderful, personal thoughtful and attentive. I first tried this place back in July and I’ve been back more times than I can count - the sushi and fish quality is the best I’ve ever had and this includes oversees at places world famous for raw fish."
Another person said about their experience: "Thank you to the wonderful team at Kaji for a lovely Mother’s Day. The set menu was delicious, we were all blown away at the high standard of food.
"The service was excellent as always at Kaji. We really enjoy dining at Kaji as a family, the staff are lovely, they really look after you. I’d like to ask if they could think of opening on a Sunday for Sunday dinner on a regular basis as the roast dinner was incredibly good, the beef was absolutely amazing. We all had a super time, thank you."
William Sitwell from The Telegraph also gave the restaurant four starts out of five in May 2025.