When I booked the table at Koto, spring seemed to be on its way, but by the time the date rolled around, we were in the middle of a snowstorm that had led to cancellations across the city. I contacted Koto via their Facebook page to make sure that the restaurant was still open, and received the prompt and cheerful reply that yes, they certainly were - an example of Koto's excellent customer service that continued throughout the evening.

Reassured that neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night could stop a sushi chef, I headed down to the small but cosy restaurant on North Parade Avenue. My companion and I looked through the varied dinner menu and agreed that we really needed to try as many dishes as possible, just so we could assess them properly. We decided to share the sashimi platter, the rainbow maki sushi, pork gyoza (dumplings), takoyaki (octopus balls), and the agadashi tofu (deep fried crispy tofu in a savoury sauce). The staff took our order promptly, and were soon ferrying the food over to our table.

The sashimi, a selection of tuna, salmon, scallops and prawns, was fresh and flavourful - I was unsure about eating raw prawns, but they went well with the soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger. The rainbow maki, a set of rice rolls with cucumber in the middle and salmon, tuna and avocado on top, was filling, and the avocado gave the dish a creamy consistency that complemented the rich flavours of the fish. The gyoza, while not the best I'd ever had, were good, and came with an appetising dipping sauce. I loved the agadashi tofu, which were delicately crisp on the outside and fall-apart soft on the inside, and enjoyed trying the flaky puffballs of takoyaki, a new experience for me.

As well as having excellent food, Koto is a pleasant restaurant; small and friendly, with attentive staff and a straightforward, unfussy atmosphere. They have a wide range of drinks available - although we were tempted by the sake, I went for a white wine, while my companion had the green tea (a good choice for such a cold night). Koto also has a good range of beers, spirits, and soft drinks on offer.

I will definitely be making a return visit to Koto - their katsu curries and chicken chan-chan yaki, which several of the diners around us ordered, look too tempting to resist. Sushi and sashimi may not be the first food you'd think of for a cold winter's night, but I thoroughly enjoyed Koto's takes on these traditional dishes, and would recommend them to anyone who's looking for authentic Japanese food near the centre of Oxford.

A large meal for two, with drinks, cost £57.80.