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Roka (∗∗)

Address:37 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RR
Tel:020 7580 6464
Email:
Website: Visit Roka website
Price: £68.00Wine: £28.00 Champagne: £48.00
Opening Hours:Mon-Fri 12N-3.30pm Sat-Sun 12.30-4pm Mon-Sun 5.30-11.30pm (Sun -10.30pm)

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Come rain or shine, boom or recession, Roka remains one of London’s busiest & buzziest dining rooms, packed to the gills even on a Monday night. It may be the younger sibling of Zuma, but there are plenty of fans who claim it’s ‘every bit as good as, if not better than’ the Knightsbridge original. The menu offers a similar roll-call of modern Japanese hits, though the main emphasis is on the robata grill, which forms the centrepiece of the amber-hued, wood-clad dining room. Stand-out dishes include sushi platters beautifully presented over crushed ice with freshly grated wasabi, as well as juicy lobster & black cod dumplings, while the robata delivers everything from ultra-tender chops infused with Korean spices to plump skewered scallops grilled to nutty perfection. The room is worked by legions of staff who ensure diners are well looked after. Great for a special treat; even better ‘if someone else pays’.

Wine List: Roka’s selection matches its sister restaurant Zuma’s for excellence. Laid out by variety, this is an accessible range of Japanese food-friendly wines. There are several options by the glass &, while it’s not bargain territory, pricing is sensible with plenty of choice under £40. There is also an interesting range of saké. Consult the approachable & knowledgeable staff. Best Buy White 2006 Pecorino Gran Sasso, Abruzzo, Italy, £22. Best Buy Red 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Stoney Vineyard Domaine A, Tasmania, Australia, £38.

Chef: Rainer Becker

After opening a second site in Hong Kong in 2007, the global expansion of Rainer Becker’s Zuma restaurant has continued into 2008, with new restaurants in Dubai and Istanbul. The hyper-trendy Zuma was a truly cosmopolitan affair when it opened in 2002: a German chef with an Indian business partner selling Japanese food to London diners. Becker began his career working in Germany’s finest restaurants, before touring the world with Hyatt hotels. He arrived in London via Sydney and Tokyo, where he spent six years immersed in local cuisine and culture. After launching the Rib Room at London’s Hyatt Carlton Tower (now the Jumeirah Carlton Tower), he branched out on his own in 2002 with Zuma, following it up two years later with Roka.

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Reader reviews of Roka:

Giles A.

Giles A. ( 50s, Male, United Kingdom )

My wife brought me here for a birthday lunch today. I've had the pleasure of dining here before, but the premium tasting menu was DIVINE (yes there is a God). No dish failed to excite the taste buds, it is difficult to say what was best, such competition between dishes. The oysters, lamb, lobster dumplings (we would like to have had more an more of them), quail… it goes on.
Roka is for foodies, on weekends, for families, a delightful atmosphere. I prefer it to Zuma & Nobu
Thank you all.
Yes, we will be back

22 November 2009
Overall:9
Food and Drink:10
Service:9
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:9
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Kofi A.

Kofi A. ( Over 60, Male, United Kingdom )

went to roka last friday having not been since 2007. the food was fine but not great. i agree with a previous poster in that at £22 you expect a lot more from the blackened cod! service was fine but very anonymous. atmosphere was ok but that was due to my companions. if it is trying to recreate a manhattan feel, it is failing quite spectacularly. all in all, i doubt that i will be returning unless the mists of time cloud my judgment and memory down the line.

4 November 2009
Overall:6
Food and Drink:7
Service:7
Atmosphere:6
Value for Money:6
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Richard E.
Silver Reviewer

Richard E. ( 40s, Male, United Kingdom )

Roka is a restaurant that feels like it wants to be in Manhatten; big, buzzy, lots of glass, lots of flames, lots of theatre. Alas, it doesn't quite live up to what it wants to be; the buzz is just a heavy, loud bass beat, making conversation possible only at a shout and the theatre would only work if the substance (the food and service) lived up to form (the glass, the flame etc).

The food is fine, sometimes better than fine, but at £22.50 for the black cod, I don't want fine, I want Nobu good. It isn't. The sushi rice was unforgivably soggy, although the rock-shrimp tempura (thank you again Nobu), was on the excellent side of good. Service too was patchy; it took an age to get served, but then everything turned up quickly. The desert menu appeared rapidly, but the deserts themselves must have been lurking at the Canary Wharf branch, and why is it that trying to get a bill at some places is more difficult than getting the (unordered, and soon removed) glass of sake that abruptly materialised from nowhere?

Roka is referred to as Zuma's baby sister, and in a lot of ways there are similarities. The difference is, Zuma works the buzz, works the theatre and works as a whole. Roka falls short. It… More

28 October 2009
Overall:5
Food and Drink:7
Service:4
Atmosphere:4
Value for Money:5
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Emma M.

Emma M. ( 20s, Female, London )

Without a shadow of a doubt, Roka is my favourite restaurant in London. The service is slick, the food orgasmic! The black cod is out of this world. Everything is served as soon as it’s ready – making sure that everything’s as near perfect as possible. Both sitting at a table (you have to book well ahead) or sitting around the kitchen are fantastic. It’s a busy, lively restaurant with a fantastic energy about it. Have a lychee martini downstairs before. It’s the perfect starter … Highly highly recommended!

8 October 2009
Overall:10
Food and Drink:10
Service:10
Atmosphere:10
Value for Money:10
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Robert B.
Gold Reviewer

Robert B. ( 40s, Male, United Kingdom )

Can only speak about the downstairs experience. Now looking a bit tired and faded. The food is good but it’s expensive, the wine list equally so. Service is fine, the atmosphere is very vibrant the clientele mostly young. I have never left feeling I got value for money.

June 24th

Lunch a couple of weeks ago upstairs. Had the tasting menu, extremely good, beautifully presented, lots of different flavours and well balanced. The fish dishes were particularly good, the sashimi was outstanding. Service was a little slow at times.

24 June 2009
Overall:7
Food and Drink:7
Service:7
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:6
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Incognito
Silver Reviewer

Incognito ( 30s, Male, London )

Great menu, fantastic food and friendly, knowledgeable staff…expensive but worth it and better value than its sister restaurant Zuma. I also like the design and suggest sitting at the counter to eat, on the corner if you can…bar downstairs is also worth a visit.

7 April 2009
Overall:8
Food and Drink:9
Service:8
Atmosphere:8
Value for Money:6
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Simon D.

Simon D. ( 40s, Male )

Smart venue, the menu and food are fantastic, and the service has been good on the last couple of occasions that I've been here.

However, value for money is not on the agenda – it's very poor for what it is. And when you're paying that much money, a 2 hour time limit on your table in the evening is very poor…

February 2009
Overall:7
Food and Drink:9
Service:9
Atmosphere:9
Value for Money:4
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James A.
Silver Reviewer

James A. ( 20s, Male, London )

Being the younger sibling of one of London's hottest restaurants Zuma, Roka had a lot to live up to, and I wasn't disappointed.

Upstairs is the main dining area, where patrons can choose either to reserve a table (2 hour time slot is the general norm) or you can turn up and wait for a table at the counter (probably not the best option if dining with a group larger than 3 people). The decor and layout is contemporary and fresh. During the summer months there are tables on Charlotte Street, which makes for some excellent alfresco dining.

The food does not disappoint. This is top quality Japanese cuisine. One of my favourites is the tuna tartar, served of course with a quails egg. The quality of the sushi and the sashimi is excellent.

Downstairs is Roka's bar area the Shochu Lounge. A subterranean lair where you can try one of the many varieties of shochu (a japanese shot normally of distilled barley, sweet potatoe, or rice, and typically 25% alcohol) or one of the many japanese themed cocktails. You can book a table in the Shochu Lounge, but I would advise against it as service can be terrible. Having eaten in both the upstairs restaurant area and downstairs lounge on several occasions, the… More

September 2008
Overall:7
Food and Drink:7
Service:7
Atmosphere:7
Value for Money:7
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