Chopsticks are off the menu at the much-hyped Italian-Japanese restaurant, Shumi, launched last year in St James's Street, London, by celebrity restaurateurs Geoffrey Moore and Jamie Barber.

	Shumi: new menu is more traditional

Shumi's highly publicised Japanese style of eating overshadowed its modern Italian menu and led to confusion on the part of customers, according to Barber. He also admitted that customers had found the interior cold and the menu over-pricey.

"The presentation of the food in a Japanese style meant that people expected something it wasn't," said Barber, who also blamed "bad press" for the menu's failure.

Shumi will continue to serve modern Italian food, but chopsticks are now available only on request. The new menu is split into a more traditional format of starters and main courses, and prices have been reduced, particularly for the lunchtime set menu.

A refurbishment will commence later this month and will include some style features from the group's other London restaurant, Hush.