Jan Moir's review of Roka (The Telegraph)
Giles Coren's review of Roka (The Times)
Kei Kikuchi's review of Roka (Time Out)
Shochu Lounge - the bar at Roka
AA Gill's review of Roka (Sunday Times)
Alfresco Restaurants in London
Roka reviews
Overall, this is a high-end Japanese restaurant with expensive food that warrants its price tag. Full of people who're probably eating lunch on expenses. Try the asparagus with sesame, the ikura, and the red miso soup (different from the white).
by bignewfatjames (4 reviews), 13 Jun 2010
by bignewfatjames (4 reviews), 13 Jun 2010
14/10/08 Sitting around the counter, watching the chefs prepare the most delicious food - heavenly. Sashimi was really good. Helpful service and, despite being quite busy, you never feel rushed. I like it a lot, though not terribly keen on the miso there.
16/04/09
So, having been back to Roka twice in the space of a week, I must confess that it is now officially my favourite restaurant in London and am full of suggestions:
- The rose petal martini is smooth, pretty and oh so chic.
- The king crab
- The tuna sashimi
- The fois gras with ume (Japanese plum) = heaven on a plate.
The service rocks and the atmosphere is energetic, fun and without pretense. Can't wait to go back!
by Milla "top london reviewer" (46 reviews), 16 Apr 2009
16/04/09
So, having been back to Roka twice in the space of a week, I must confess that it is now officially my favourite restaurant in London and am full of suggestions:
- The rose petal martini is smooth, pretty and oh so chic.
- The king crab
- The tuna sashimi
- The fois gras with ume (Japanese plum) = heaven on a plate.
The service rocks and the atmosphere is energetic, fun and without pretense. Can't wait to go back!
by Milla "top london reviewer" (46 reviews), 16 Apr 2009
I have had dinner at Roka quite a few times. The food is fantastic. The Black Cod is out of this world, the sushi is probably the best I've had, and its sashimi is second only to Zuma's. Excellent coffee and desserts too. Service has been consistently very good and the atmosphere is very upbeat and lively.
Although pricey, Roka is worth every single penny. My only complaint is that there is always a wait (between 10 and 15 minutes) in the tiny reception area, despite the fact that we've always had reservations. 4 1/2 stars overall.
by spotless27 (2 reviews), 27 Feb 2009
Although pricey, Roka is worth every single penny. My only complaint is that there is always a wait (between 10 and 15 minutes) in the tiny reception area, despite the fact that we've always had reservations. 4 1/2 stars overall.
by spotless27 (2 reviews), 27 Feb 2009
Eat the tasting menu here - it is brilliant. Great sashimi, amazing little Japanese oysters, king crab, a romp through amazing seafood heaven, Wagyu, some superb grilled lamb cutlets and an Asian take on foie gras. Really good atmopshere and a good-looking restaurant. Just really, really classy on every level.
by StuH "top london reviewer" (40 reviews), 04 Oct 2008
by StuH "top london reviewer" (40 reviews), 04 Oct 2008
One of my favourite local restaurants. I believe everyone agrees the grill menu is simply delicious and (if you sit at the counter) mouth-watering. I feel the sashimi is a bit too pricey, taking its freshness into account. But, the maki dishes are worth paying for and the desserts are to die for. Love it!!
by ppeerrmm (2 reviews), 07 Jul 2008
by ppeerrmm (2 reviews), 07 Jul 2008
Excellent. Great dining atmosphere. On the rare occasion, the sashimi is not as fresh as it could be, but overall great food and variety.
by carson (7 reviews), 13 Apr 2008
by carson (7 reviews), 13 Apr 2008
Was at a loose end on Friday night, so popped in alone (fairly early) on a whim. Got a seat at the counter straight away. Staff very friendly and efficient, even when it got much busier later in the evening. The food is fantastic - fresh seafood, tasty grilled veg. Especially loved the scallops. Quite pricey but I did enjoy wine, dessert, and shochu, and certainly didn't leave hungry! Will definitely be going back soon.
by ms_little, 30 Mar 2008
by ms_little, 30 Mar 2008
Went for lunch for my wife's 40th birthday. Staff friendly and, without being pushy, guided us through the menu. Food came quickly but absolutely perfect and beautifully presented. Crab hotpot lovely and easily enough for 2 as a main with some sashimi and maki rolls to get things started. Ice creams delivered on a block of ice which kept it to a perfect temperature. Pear ice cream magnificent and the strawberry with jasmine ice cream subtle but amazing. Will be back soon. Service charge of 10% included in the bill but very happy to pay it.
by RichT, 25 Jan 2008
by RichT, 25 Jan 2008
I love this place. The tasting menu is fantastic, particularly the yellowtail sashimi when we had it. The king crab hotpot is also delicious. Watching the robata chefs at work while you eat at the bar is fun. My one grouch was that they brought the dishes too quickly, with no chance to finish one before we were brought the next - a bit hectic. By the time we got to eat our sashimi it had been on the ice too long and was too cold. But all in all, I love this place.
by somelikeithot (7 reviews), 03 Dec 2007
by somelikeithot (7 reviews), 03 Dec 2007
I travel all over the world. Returning to Roka is how I know I've returned home.
by bourne.1963, 11 Sep 2007
by bourne.1963, 11 Sep 2007
Had the £50 tasting menu at Roka last night. It was nice but I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. To be honest, I found it disappointing after all the hype. Sashmi starter was as good as my local Japanese restaurant. The cabbage was a spicy touch but served cold it didn't appeal that much. Asparagus was nice, as were the dumplings and aubergine dish - again about the same standard as many a decent Japanese restaurant. Sea bream in miso was the highlight of the meal - creamy fish with a beautiful flavour; if all the dishes had hit this note, my review here would be much more favourable. Chicken yakitori had a burnt flavour and was really not that good. Desserts were creative and fruity - a nice finish.
Overall, a nice meal with nothing terribly wrong but nothing special either. We left, a little on the hungry side, having spent about £140. Would we go back? No. If you choose to go, I'd advise steering clear of the tasting menu as perhaps there are more interesting things on the ordinary menu that we didn't try.
by Deana Bronne, 20 Jul 2007
Overall, a nice meal with nothing terribly wrong but nothing special either. We left, a little on the hungry side, having spent about £140. Would we go back? No. If you choose to go, I'd advise steering clear of the tasting menu as perhaps there are more interesting things on the ordinary menu that we didn't try.
by Deana Bronne, 20 Jul 2007
Roka is a trendy glass-fronted restaurant (the sister restaurant of Zuma) on Charlotte Street, serving modern but thankfully delicious Japanese cuisine. I have eaten here several times and have loved it each time, although I wish I could afford the more expensive items. There have been numerous and mixed reviews of Roka since it opened, but so far I have not had any bad experiences. It is noisy and always full, but I think it's worth going there for the food, and the service is pretty good too.
The best seats by far are at the wooden counter (a huge slab of solid wood) around the robata grill in the centre of the restaurant, where you can observe the chefs preparing and grilling the food. The asparagus yakitori was incredibly fresh, as was the scallop yakitori, and the pork and scallop dumpling was amazing, but best of all were the various maki rolls - particularly the softshell crab and the salmon skin handroll. The dishes can be quite small, so order carefully, unless you can charge it to your company expense account. A light lunch or light dinner for two without wine costs about £60.00, but it could cost far more! You have been warned...
by bobbypants "top london reviewer" (54 reviews), 15 Jun 2007
The best seats by far are at the wooden counter (a huge slab of solid wood) around the robata grill in the centre of the restaurant, where you can observe the chefs preparing and grilling the food. The asparagus yakitori was incredibly fresh, as was the scallop yakitori, and the pork and scallop dumpling was amazing, but best of all were the various maki rolls - particularly the softshell crab and the salmon skin handroll. The dishes can be quite small, so order carefully, unless you can charge it to your company expense account. A light lunch or light dinner for two without wine costs about £60.00, but it could cost far more! You have been warned...
by bobbypants "top london reviewer" (54 reviews), 15 Jun 2007
The food is really so good that you can't seem to stop ordering more. The service is ok. A bit crowded and laid back, great for a relaxing time with friends.
Book as early as possible, they are full on each day of the week.
Try the bar downstairs, very hip place with great drinks.
by Bachrach (18 reviews), 21 Apr 2006
Book as early as possible, they are full on each day of the week.
Try the bar downstairs, very hip place with great drinks.
by Bachrach (18 reviews), 21 Apr 2006
Not sure what that person is on about. We all went the other day and had a brilliant time.
The service was ok. Yes, needs a bit of work, but the friendliness of our waiter more than made up for that (let's face it, most London restaurants, their staff could be better) and the food blew us away, very unique.
Lounge downstairs won't even try and say, was excellent. Overall, next time we're in town, we will be coming back
by DSN (2 reviews), 17 Apr 2006
The service was ok. Yes, needs a bit of work, but the friendliness of our waiter more than made up for that (let's face it, most London restaurants, their staff could be better) and the food blew us away, very unique.
Lounge downstairs won't even try and say, was excellent. Overall, next time we're in town, we will be coming back
by DSN (2 reviews), 17 Apr 2006
This shouldn't be in the Top 100 in the first place and their menu was very hard to read. However the food was quite nice and delicate, but overpriced and very small portions.
by Anonymous, 06 Apr 2006
by Anonymous, 06 Apr 2006
Having read some differing reviews, I was apprehensive about my dinner plans at Roka but the staff were just wonderful, from the doorman to receptionists to bar and dinner waiters. Everyone was so helpful and the food was just amazing. Will definitely be returning.
by luca, 21 Dec 2005
by luca, 21 Dec 2005
I completely resent being charged a service charge on top of already overpriced drinks, when you actually go to the bar and order them. How dare they! And they only serve doubles. The crowd I was with, who like nice places and aren't short of a penny, were all really annoyed at having to pay a service charge. Then we were asked to move, as the table was reserved (they never told us this when we went in). We won't be going again.
by lizzie01, 04 Dec 2005
by lizzie01, 04 Dec 2005
On Sunday we went to the cinema and then said lets get a bite to eat. We thought of Roka. We didn't have a reservation, but we got in, welcomed with smiles.
The service was very attentive and the food was absolutely delicious. They have a good wine list (and the shochus are superb - very refreshing). Roka is at least as good as Zuma - the quality of food makes you realise once again that Rainer Becker knows what he is doing.
by bee, 01 Nov 2005
The service was very attentive and the food was absolutely delicious. They have a good wine list (and the shochus are superb - very refreshing). Roka is at least as good as Zuma - the quality of food makes you realise once again that Rainer Becker knows what he is doing.
by bee, 01 Nov 2005
Worse service than a Little Chef. Good food, but over priced and let down by the feeling of a fast food emporium.
Sadly, restaurants seem to feel that there are enough idiots out there who feel that if they pay through the nose it must be good... At these prices you should just go to Nobu, and not mess around with a substandard imitation.
by Chloe, 19 Aug 2005
Sadly, restaurants seem to feel that there are enough idiots out there who feel that if they pay through the nose it must be good... At these prices you should just go to Nobu, and not mess around with a substandard imitation.
by Chloe, 19 Aug 2005
This isn't the place to go for an evening of lengthy indulgence - it's too much like a smart cafe for that. But it is fantastic to sit facing the open plan kitchen watching the huge knives being wielded and flames in the charcoal pit.
Expertly cooked Japanese food and great sashimi with a buzzing atmosphere.
by capital girl "top london reviewer" (59 reviews), 25 Jun 2005
Expertly cooked Japanese food and great sashimi with a buzzing atmosphere.
by capital girl "top london reviewer" (59 reviews), 25 Jun 2005
Have we missed a great restaurant in London? Let us know.
