Roka

Roka opened its first site on Charlotte Street in 2004, and more than two decades on it is still the flagship of what has become a wider Japanese robatayaki group with branches across London and beyond. The flaming robata grill at the centre of the dining room remains the focal point, fish, meat and vegetables cooked in full view of the counter seats.

Black cod is the dish most associated with the kitchen, marinated and grilled until it flakes apart, and it is worth ordering even though it has become something of a cliché across London’s Japanese-fusion restaurants generally. The robata menu more broadly rewards ordering a spread rather than a single dish, alongside a solid sushi and sashimi selection. Set menus, Spring and Premium among them, offer decent value for anyone wanting a wide sample of the kitchen’s range without ordering piecemeal.

The room itself is striking rather than intimate, glass walls that open onto the street in warmer months, an open kitchen that keeps the energy up throughout service. It suits a lively dinner with a group better than a quiet one for two.

Prices are high, robata dishes and sushi both, and the bill climbs quickly once several small plates are ordered, which is how the menu is designed to be eaten. Some diners have found the experience feels a little formulaic given how widely the Roka format and menu have been replicated across its other branches, and service, while professional, can feel brisk when the room is at capacity.

For solid, reliable robata cooking in an energetic setting, the Charlotte Street original still does the job it set out to do.

Downstairs, the Shochu Lounge offers a quieter, bar-led alternative under the same roof, useful for a pre-dinner drink or a more relaxed nightcap once the main restaurant service winds down. Roka has since expanded to Canary Wharf, Aldwych, Mayfair and beyond London to cities including Dubai and Doha, and while the newer sites are slicker in places, the Charlotte Street original still carries the most character. A full dinner with sake or wine for two comfortably runs past £150, so this sits at the higher end even among London’s Japanese restaurants.