Koba

There was a time when Korean barbecue restaurants were hard to come by in London, but in recent years, the trend for cooking your own dinner has really taken off. You can now practice your barbecuing skills at the likes of Olle in Chinatown, Superstar BBQ on Tottenham Court Road, and Gogi in Little Venice.

Koba however, found in Fitzrovia, pre-dates them all. The restaurant takes up residence on Rathbone Street, also home to Banh Mih Bay and The Newman Arms, and is classy enough to attract prim and proper clients while also offering the fun theatre of cooking your meal at your table.

Inside, the dining room features unexpectedly upscale décor – think a large central skylight that allows the dining room to be bathed in a natural glow, smart banquette seating which lines the walls and shelving units stocked with chic crockery and trinkets.

Whether you are here for a business lunch or a dinner date, we would recommend kicking things off with yook hwei, which is Korea’s answer to steak tartare. The dish combines strips of raw beef with slivers of sweet pear and an egg yolk that is stirred in at the last moment. Otherwise, opt for the goon mandoo (pan-fried veggie dumplings which are not unlike gyoza), or a casserole or broth with mushrooms and gnocchi-esque rice-flour dumplings.

Once you have polished off your starters, it is time for the main event. Sit back while efficient staff fire up the hotplates and barbecue pieces of sirloin steak, or feast on the pork belly that pairs perfectly with kimchi (chilli-hot pickled cabbage) –  “to die for”, as one reader swoons.

To wash it all down, order a bottle of cold Hite, which is Korea’s favourite beer, or stay sensible with a non-alcoholic cocktails such as the Plum Punch.

Korean barbecue restaurant Koba is a long-standing fixture of Fitzrovia’s restaurant scene, having thrilled diners since opening its doors in 2005. The restaurant is unique in that its dining room is smarter than people have come to expect from barbecue restaurants, while a refurbishment in 2016 helped to give the space a little bit of extra sheen.

Of course, the main appeal of dining here is the chance to practise your skills on the grill and have a go at cooking your own lunch or dinner, but there are plenty more dishes on the menu to entertain you before you get to that stage. Appetisers at Koba include a daily-changing soup and a squid and seaweed salad, while you can pad out your table barbecue with assorted kimchi or a portion of steamed rice. Drinks wise, expect a succinct but impressive list of wines from around Europe (with a few international flourishes too), alongside tempting house cocktails and a few Korean beers.

The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner, and if you are flying solo at lunchtime, we would recommend nabbing a spot at the bar. Koba’s lunch menu includes stir-fried noodles topped with chicken, vegetables or seafood, while you can also enjoy steamed rice topped with the likes of spicy pork and grilled mackerel.

If you are short on time, you will also be glad to know that some of Koba’s menu is available to take away. Among the dishes that you can bring back home or to the office are a Korean-style pancake topped with seafood and spring onion, or a kimchi and pork stew on a bed of steamed rice.

Koba is also a viable option when it comes to dining out in a group. For parties of eight people or more, there is a set menu available which takes away the burden of having to order for multiple people.