Upscale Japanese cuisine is hugely popular in London. Zuma, Nobu, Hakkasan all refer to this cuisine in a beautiful way. I think each of them has its unique attributes. Roka, within those selections, is the one that perfectly matches my personal taste. It has a relaxed atmosphere, with beautiful wood-dominated décor. The setting is more informal than the other upscale options. The food and service, however, are excellent.
The open grill takes the central stage here in Roka. The Robatayaki Cuisine, in which the meat is cooked through a chargrilled barbecue, is the specialty. I like this concept very much. The tender meat prepared by this process is extremely delicious. The lamb cutlets with Korean spices and chicken skewers were the items I ordered for the main course at my last visit. In addition, all the sushi and sashimi selections, tempura, and dumplings I have tried so far were also yummy.
We chose sake for our second visit instead of wine. The main reason for that is their beautiful serving of cold sake if you order it for a carafe or more. It is presented in a wooden box full of ice, and the process of pouring it into your glass is noteworthy.
When it comes to the service quality, I am also impressed with the overall performance. The staff is really polite and helpful. I like the attitude they show as they assist you throughout your dinner.
Roka offers a very elegant upscale dining experience in a casual setting. Their food is top-notch, the service is great, and the décor and atmosphere are warm and trendy. It is one of my top recommendations for dining in London.
An update on the post: Over the years, Roka became one of our favourite restaurants. Their consistency in delivering superbly presented, tasty food every time is what I like most about it. With time, our sake taste has also developed. Personally, I prefer drier, less fruity sake. Junmai and Daiginjo are the ones we mostly go for.
