Yatay

Barbecue, Bars, Fusion, Japanese·
££££
·
Bronze Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Yatay

Bronze Award

A jet-black shopfront has appeared in Chinatown. Amidst the tourist-friendly lucky cats and red lanterns, Yatay resembles a goth kid in a smiley family photo, insisting, 'It’s not a phase!' Step inside, however, and the moodiness relaxes somewhat. The lighting is ample, the music isn’t too loud and the food all comes on plates. Despite branding itself as a 'social dining experience' (the best kind), Yatay seems to have dodged quite a few hipster pitfalls.

Since the offering here is essentially Japanese tapas, we fittingly started off with house pickles and Padron peppers. The former were a perfect start, with wasabi cucumber, yuzu daikon and soy aubergine providing a surprising breadth of flavour. The latter, meanwhile, came coated in soy and togarashi, another winning combo. All this, paired with a brilliant gochujang-spiked, sesame-rimmed bloody Mary, gave Yatay a running start. 

Sticking to the tapas format, dishes at Yatay arrive when ready. Since pretty much everything is cold or grilled, our table was promptly inundated with the rest of our order. Here the standard was a little more mixed. The star of the show was soy-laced chicken, which had been pressed between two peppery shiso leaves, lightly tempura-ed and came with spicy vinegar. Excellent. A mound of beef tartare, however, needed more of the furikake and garlic miso promised by the menu. And there was the occasional misstep, like some plain, claggy mushroom rice with an undercooked egg stirred in. But then, a delicious upswing: lamb cutlets, marinated in red miso, grilled to perfection and served with burnt lime. 

With almost 50 dishes available, a consistent standard borders on impossible. And at £60 a head before drinks or service, that’s a pricey roll of the dice. That being said, if Yatay shortens the odds (and the menu), we’ll definitely be back.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £30 - £49
Cuisines
Barbecue, Bars, Fusion, Japanese
Ambience
Cool, Dark and moody, Quirky, Unique
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Special Features
Vegan options, Vegetarian options

About

Yatay is a Japanese fusion restaurant located in Soho, London. Located just a short distance from Piccadilly Circus underground stop, Yatay is within reach of many city attractions such as Leicester Square, Chinatown and Covent Garden. The name Yatay means ‘street vendor’ which is where the restaurant takes its inspiration from when it comes to the menu, many dishes are made using traditional Japanese techniques including their light bites, small plates and salads. 

If you’re visiting Yatay for dinner and drinks perhaps you may go for some of the smaller plates to begin, such as the grilled sourdough served with miso whipped butter, or the crispy fried potatoes served with smoked bonito fish and shiso mayo. Other small dishes include a mushroom gyoza served with truffle yuzu, and beef tartare served with toasted pine nuts and sesame. 

You will also find large plates on the menu, and skewers. Perhaps you’ll go for the black tiger prawn skewers served with jalapeno, soy and shallot, or the king oyster mushroom served with lime and smoked salt. Large plates include dishes such as the Wagyu beef ribeye steak served with smoked salt and fresh wasabi, and the gilt head bream served with yuzu butter and burnt lime. There are plenty of sides on the menu including rice and vegetables. 

If you’re looking for dessert perhaps you’ll go for the sesame ganache served with caramelised cashew nuts and smoked chocolate, or the miso ricotta dumpling served with miso cured ricotta and black sugar syrup. 

There is also a large drinks menu of cocktails, beer and wine. Plus a Sunday lunch menu, which includes a garlic and ginger chicken and pork chops served with smoked chilli sauce, cracking and mustard miso. 

Yatay also welcomes group bookings and is open daily, usually from 5pm until late. 


FAQs

Does Yatay do sharing plates?

Yes, Yatay offers a range of sharing plates for groups.

Helpful? 0

Where is Yatay?

Yatay is in Soho.

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Location

22 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1D 6QQ

020 4529 4000 020 4529 4000

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri Closed
Sat Closed
Sun 12:00-18:00
Dinner
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed 18:00-00:00
Thu 18:00-00:00
Fri 18:00-00:00
Sat 18:00-00:00
Sun Closed

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Call Yatay to make a booking on:

020 4529 4000 020 4529 4000

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