A SUSHI restaurant has continued to receive national recognition after being named in the Michelin Guide for the second year running.

Art Sushi, in Westbourne, is featured in the guide for 2024, after being included in 2023, alongside being named among the top 100 local restaurants in the Good Food Guide.

Owner and chef Kamil Skalczynski said he and his fiancée, Natalia Stawicka, were ‘pretty surprised’ when they were told they were in the guide again.

“If you are in the Michelin Guide, it’s not you are in the guide and then that’s it, forever,” Kamil said.

“They can kick you out if you don’t meet the standard or you change something, or you drop down standards.

Bournemouth Echo: Kamil Skalczynski is owner and chef at Art Sushi.

“This is proof we are going in the right direction. What we are doing is right, we need to keep what we are doing.

“It’s not a posh restaurant. It is a simple concept, we just focus on the small menu and fresh food, served in a simple way. I think this is the key.

“And the service, this is very important.”

The pair paid tribute to their staff for their work in achieving this recognition.

“Without the team, we are not here, for sure,” Kamil said.

“Every person puts something into the restaurant. We make this concept together.”

Bournemouth Echo: Art Sushi have celebrated being named in the prestigious Michelin Guide.

Natalia added: “They are just amazing.”

Off the back of this most recent recognition, Kamil and Natalia extended an invitation to elected leaders in the area to the restaurant, to encourage working together to help the town grow.

“Especially now, so many restaurants are shutting, and we get so many awards that are very important in the country,” Kamil said.

“Now, in Bournemouth, there are only two restaurants in Michelin Guide, which is Art Sushi and Roots [in Southbourne].

“People travel to Bournemouth to visit us. We would appreciate to invite the mayor here, to taste our food and have a look how we are working.

“Together, we make the city stronger and more attractive for tourists. This is what we want.”

Looking to the future, the restaurant is looking to open on Sunday lunchtimes with a special chirashi sushi menu – a traditional type of sushi served in a bowl.

Kamil said: “Sunday is the typical Sunday roast day. People know the famous types of sushi, but we need to give them something different.

“A little bit from the Japanese street food side, presented in the restaurant way.”