Roka

I was Surprised to see Roka only had 4*s, for me it’s one of the best restaurants in London!
Admittedly the Charlotte street venue is better, but this place still deserves 5*s.
The Menu is perfect, a great mix of everything from sushi to steak, and amazing cocktails to stunning desserts! You could spend a small fortune trying everything as it’s all that good! Some of my personal favourites are–
Soft Shell Crab and Chilli dressing
Black Cod-​2^nd favourite after the Lamb
Spicy Beef and pepper skewers
Lamb Cutlets with Spices-​Possibly the best single dish in London
then add some sushi into the mix and you are well on your way.
For dessert get the platter… a mixture of all things good in life!
The service is good, the drinks are lovely and the décor is great. Worth the trip for a special occasion!

Gets 5 stars for décor but everything is downhill from there. A perfectly beautiful restaurant. Expensively done with good taste. Went early to take advantage of set menu before 6:30. Were offered three menus, 2 for drinks, 1 for food, but none for set menu. Had to ask specifically for it. Ordered food and drink and food courses came so quickly, we thought we were in a fast food restaurant. Even after being told we would have table for two hours. No Japanese cooks to be seen. Sashimi was poorly sliced, certainly not by a sushi chef. Green tea came at same time as drinks. Dumplings doughy and luke warm. They made California roll slices into a tempura dish. Definitely a first. At one point after 15 minutes and 4 courses, we asked them to hold entrée for 10 minutes. They brought rice for my husband and me, but only my entrée. After another 10 minutes and some discussion with staff, my husband’s entrée arrived. At 27 pounds per person definitely over priced. We are comparing this to Michelin one and two star restaurants with set lunch menus. Would recommend only if décor not food is important

It was a close one between a 3 or 4 star but Roka earns a 4 because of the impeccable service. Décor is classy maybe a touch lacking in character but it’s upscale, though I do sometimes wonder why Japanese restaurants even in this price category use disposable wooden chopsticks. There were some stand out dishes, especially the yellowfin tuna sashimi with yuzu and truffles, and the desserts were amazing. Sushi was good to average mainly due to the rice and I suppose for the price you want excellent. Black cod was also good but I wish it came with something more than the pickle for textual difference.
Roka Aldwych seems like a well oiled machine even though it’s in its infancy, maybe just shy of great at the moment but I think you be guaranteed at least a good experience each time you visit.

Once upon a time, before kids, there lived a girl who used to venture out for food regularly. Roka on Charlotte street was one of her favs. Many years later after having two kids, Roka opened up on Aldwych. Many months later she went there for lunch. It was good, almost perfect. Perhaps due to the fact that fancy restaurants don’t get much of a look in for lunch (we save them for dinners when getting babysitters is easy). Perhaps it was the ever filling glasses of your choice of Prosecco, white wine or red wine. Maybe it was the company. Or the neat/​polished interior (that calmed her inner OCD). I loved it. Mixed feelings from the crew but I really enjoyed it. Only niggle was the sirloin main was a little over cooked (but still pretty tasty so only a niggle). Their tasting lunch menu is a gem — It’s like an all you can eat & drink buffet but classier.
Juan Ramirez the general manager is an absolute gentleman.
Beef dumplings were amazing, salmon sashimi was divine and the sea bream was cooked to perfection. But leave room for dessert — the chocolate & green tea fondant was so tasty we almost had a riot at the table.

Fabulous meal and experience. This Roka is much nicer and feels more upscale than the Charlotte Street one. The whole experience and quality of the décor was stunning.
I tried the seasonal tasting menu, which was £55. A pretty good deal I think! The food was very spectacular overall, especially their sushi, which was better than I expected. The only thing stopping them from getting 5 stars was that the service really slowed down towards the end and we had to ask twice for our bill. Also, the chicken main dish was not good. Was very lemony and didn’t taste Japanese at all. Be sure to ask for a substitute if you do the tasting menu.
The sashimi, sushi nigiri, and the desserts were highlights. I also tried a carafe of sake and it was very floral and delicious. Will definitely be back!

The sashimi was very nice and fresh. The ribs were good but a bit cold. Overall high quality food but the portions are just mini.