Gone down hill. Whilst I like this restaurant, it used to be very popular and was difficult to get a table now not so much. The set menu hasnt changed in years. We went for the brunch and whilst the food was nice the service let it down. We were incredibly rushed and the manager was rather rude. My friend is gluten intolerant and was trying to explain but the manager just kept talking over him. He then just stands there watching everyone, it's extremely off putting. We used to go 6/7 times a year but after a couple of times this year, weve decided its lost its magic. Its a shame because the food is nice but I dont like being told (when I still have 30 minutes left) that we will need to be quick with dessert. In my head I was thinking "well you needed to be quick topping up our glasses throughout brunch but you wasnt" Sadly I will not be returning. read more

I've now been to Roka twice and have mixed feelings but overall positive. Once was for lunch and the other was for boozy brunch: 1) lunch: service was awful. We ordered with one server and then never saw him again. Food was brought out randomly and dropped at the table with no order or explanation. I had to flag down a server to order a drink and at no point did anyone check on us to see how things were. With that said, the food was good, I had a nice martini, and the vibes were on point 2) brunch: expensive, but wow they never let your glass sit empty. The ordering system is weird though. It's allegedly re-orderable starters but not once your main arrives? It's just a poorly designed system that encourages you to put off ordering your main for as long as possible. Food was great and we all got very drunk though so no real complaints outside of slightly petty things (I asked them to leave some water at the table - nope; not unless you want to pay for it) I'd probably come back for brunch but don't think I'd return for a different meal. The bottomless sets it apart. read more

Looking for a high quality and yummy seafood, and don't have a budget? Come here. Not 5 stars because the food, though delicious, isn't spectacularly memorable. I only remember it as really good. I think the place is nice and classy, and even though I came in leggings and a T shirt, no one was rude to me. I loved that. Sat at the bar and got to watch the cooks in action. A lot of attention to detail. Ordered the tasting menu and the timing of the food was great, with the exception of dessert which was very slow to come out. Really great raw fish as well as blackened cod. The dessert was some sort of almond cake with ice cream and fruit -- not really worth the calories. They serve high quality hot green tea with your meal which I really enjoyed. read more

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Beautiful restaurant with all the requisite flair of a pricey yuppie haven that kind of falls flat otherwise. Located on the Strand just west of the city of London, I imagine this place does a fair amount of business catering to those with fancy office jobs in downtown financial district. And while Roka has a top notch wine and liquor selection, however, the food was just so-so. We ordered a variety of cooked meat small plates along with some sushi rolls and sashimi. All of it was adequate but none of it impressed me. The toro sashimi we ordered as honestly the worst toro I've ever eaten, and given its decidedly unbuttery mouthfeel, I question whether it even was toro. Okay if you're looking for just okay, but no-go I'd you're looking for something memorable. read more

Each time I'm traveling to London I have a hotel near Roka sushi I love this place food is good Ambiance is ok service is very just ok The host or hostess at the door are rude all the time they don't make you feel welcome if you don't make a reservation they make you feel bad I think this is my last time in this place need new sushi place in London read more

Got a friend suggestion that we go there & have the tastings for two menu - was absolutely insanely delicious & filling. And then they brought out a dessert for two that could have fed five. Was high price tag, but completely worth the cost & experience. read more

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Roka on Charlotte Street is one of my favorite restaurants in London so when my family and I were back in London, Roka was at the top of the list to visit. The Charlotte Street location was full so we booked Aldwych. Has the same cool vibe and great menu and were enthusiastic when we ordered. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre but the experience even worse. My wife and I had the premium tasting menu, my daughter the veg tasting menu and my son ordered a la carte. In terms of my tasting menu, some great dishes like the yellowtail sashimi and the sushi. I found the grilled food just average, including the wagyu. The dessert platter also had beautiful presentation. What was really disappointing was the organization. For my daughter's tasting menu, there were long gaps and then three courses appeared at once (effectively half the menu). That's not how you serve or enjoy a tasting menu. When my son ordered a la carte (and he ordered the same number of dishes as us), the waiter offered to pace them with the tasting menus. Fail. While we had 3 or 4 course, my son spent 45 minutes without any food. Then the dishes came out either concurrently or one after another without a chance to break, and although starting 45 mins after us probably 30 mins before us. Roka does not try to compete with Michelin star restaurants in terms of service but this was not trendy, this was just poor management and execution that diminished the meal. May try again (Charlotte Street) but no longer top of my list. read more

I've had better meals and service in his city, NYC or Hong for this price. Nobody checked on your meal till the end and by then I felt obligated to say the meal was good so I could leave right away. The sommelier also dubbed as a server when nobody is available to pick up food from the Robata grill after the chef yelled out for pick up in Japanese 3x. Sashimi for two, good quality, portion is small. I laughed at their show stopper when they bring fresh wasabi grated and placed on the dish with the fish but they are so cheap that tiny wasabi would have been devoured with once piece of sashimi. My take out place in Toronto is more generous with fresh wasabi than this restaurant! When asked for more wasabi they give you the regular fake wasabi from a tube. Why do you bother with the fresh one? Baby chicken from the Robata menu took 20 mins after our Australian beef that is slightly seared came to the table. The beef was barely even warm on the outside while we ordered medium rare, it felt like it was sitting on the counter too long and cooled off completely. The chicken was delicious. Grilled eggplant came out looking like grilled eel. Not that memorable with its small portion, big plate, not strong in flavour and you can see the Japanese 7 spice on it. Don't bother ordering it. Our server did always have a slight smile when he was at the table. Can't say for the same for two others who helped out in between. One runner also had a smile whenever he appeared with food. People are here for more of the ambience not the food perhaps? Quite a few patrons celebrating their birthday there. read more

I was taken here by 2 of my girlfriends for my birthday and we had a lovely meal. We went for the Sunday lunch which is 10 small sharing dishes and then a main dish each, with bottomless wine or Prosecco. Food was nice although we would have liked a little more sushi. Service was average but it didn't ruin our meal. Pricey but a great way to celebrate something special read more

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We had lunch at Roka yesterday, and I think I'm still in a bit of a food coma. It was amazing. The format of the menu is such that you pick a main course and the rest of the courses are included. We shared the skewers, beef, and ribs as our main course. We also had a 2 year old with us. First of all, the staff was fantastic with our toddler. They would always check on him, make funny faces, and do whatever they could to keep him entertained. it worked! We had a pretty lengthy meal, and he stayed well behaved the whole time. Also, we got a kids meal for him, and it was literally the classiest kids meal I have ever seen in my life. In terms of the actual, real adult food, it was fantastic. I think the crispy rock shrimp was probably my favorite. I really enjoyed the sashimi as well. Our main courses were definitely the highlights, with the ribs probably being the best of the three. I cannot wait to come back. The place isn't cheap, but if you're looking for a great dining experience, one that stresses presentation and really goes above and beyond just serving high quality food, I recommend the place! read more

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The Sushi here is OK. Had a business dinner here, the service was initially quite good, but as the night continued our waiter seemed unsure of what we ordered. It's a bit costly for the quality of the sushi and the service. The dessert saved the night though as it was brilliant. read more

Very overrated, bad value for money. The sushi was cold and tasteless, only the soft shell crab was relatively ok, the rest was below average. Very low quality, unjustifiably high prices. read more

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 decor 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! read more

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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-2nd 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! read more

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Really nice ambience. Service was very slow. The sushi was meh but the grilled chicken was the bomb, super juicy.

I had done a bit of research previously to dining, and after the fantastic marketing watching the video on the Roka website, it was safe to say I had very high expectations. I am glad to report that my expectations were met. We arrived an hour before our friends to have a few drinks at the bar. The bar staff, aside from confusing me with an apparently recognizable semi-famous stage actor (flattering) was extremely attentive. With each drink they made in front of us came an explanation, of the ingredients, the origins, where the ideas came from, and if there was enough, a sample - which was a fantastically interactive and fun education along with little tastes to promote new drinks! We were off to a very good start. We were seated promptly at our reservation time, and ordered two bottles of wine and the seasonal tasting menu for 3 of the 5 of us, a la cart for the other two. The dishes came out at a good pace, and the staff was attentive to making sure the two that ordered a la cart were receiving plates at the same time as the rest of us. The quality of the fish for the sashimi course was fantastic, and the gyoza and tempura shrimp were fantastic as well. Everything was tasty, the atmosphere with an open kitchen at the center of the room where you could watch food being prepared was delightful. When the dessert came we were all a bit stunned by the ornate plating, a huge selection of options, beautifully displayed. My single complaint was that we had a bottle of wine opened on ice, and at one point had to ask a server to bring it back to our table because our glasses were empty. Otherwise, there is nothing bad I can say. The food was extremely tasty, top quality, service was friendly. My local friends were a little surprised at the "high" 13% added gratuity, but being that I was visiting from the States where 20% is average, I was not upset by the 13% for this kind of dining experience one bit. Additionally the bar manager alerted me that Roka's sister enterprise, Zuma, has a restaurant in my home city of New York, which I look forward to trying as well by comparison. read more

ROKA Aldwych - Seasonal tasting menu, July 2017 - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

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Oh, how I hate getting my heart trampled on by sushi-spectations. Roka was gonna be the close-to-my-flat, must-get-my-parents-to-love-me sushi spot but it was so underwhelming, I may have even shed a little tear at the end. With the exception of the yogurt cake, which was something out of this world, the sushi was served in TINY portions, and I mean insultingly small, and it was just average. Like, you can't be small and not that great, right? You're not Danny DeVito. The truffled ponzu sashimi we got at the start was good but nothing amazing, the crab tempura a tad too spicy and the beef tartare was ok, but would I order it again? Would I? The place is pretty and the service was good, but if you compare to other similar-level sushi spots, from Nobu to Hakkasan, and even Aqua Kyoto, this place just comes up short. Sorry Roka, shape it up next time! read more

It was a spontaneous decision on our last night in London to go to Roka. Originally heading to Convent Garden we got too hungry and thought we would give them a go. Best decision we've made! We came quite late on a Sunday night and they were about to close the kitchen. We felt like we might have been a bother but they treated us with the same respect they would any other customer. The food was beautiful, tasty and well presented. And great value for money! We left with our bellies full and happy. Thanks, team! We loved it! read more

ROKA Aldwych - Dessert Platter - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

This was my last timing dining at what used to be my favorite London Sushi Restaurant. Subpar food, slow service and no dress code lead to an unfortunate dinner. I was surprised to see other customers in skater t-shirts and old sneakers at an establishment that used to be fun, upbeat and a great scene. I hope Roka can turn it around but for now, I'll dine elsewhere. read more

Vikki our waitress was absolutely amazing. She really was so lovely and friendly. Food again was amazing (though we did seem to have less than before) ambience is perfect and without a doubt this is one of my favourite restaurants in London. Already looking to get a reservation for next month. read more

Food was ok, tasted good but nothing was standout. Service was poor. We ordered the pre theatre menu for 3 courses and a glass of bubbles for £41 each. You would have thought that they would have wanted to increase our bill through the drinks but we didn't get asked all the way through our meal whether we wanted a drink, or get asked if we wanted to order anything else or if everything was ok. We had to battle for the waiters attention for a good twenty minutes and when he did come to our table he took our order for two drinks, 30 minutes later and we were still waiting. We didn't receive the drinks at all but were still charged for them! Really disappointed after hearing such good things about Roka...we couldn't wait to leave to be honest. read more

ROKA Aldwych - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

It was a close one between a 3 or 4 star but Roka earns a 4 because of the impeccable service. Decor 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. read more

It was a spontaneous decision to go to Roka, no reservation made, we just walked in and were seated instantly! The service was amazing. Welcoming, helpful, extremely friendly and fast. The food was absolutely delicious. We tried several different dishes, including sushi, barbecued meats, gyoza to try as much as possible. We never had to wait long, all dishes were presented well and absolutely delicious. The desserts are an absolute must! The cheesecake was a delight! I can only recommend Roka and cant wait to be back! read more

We had a lovely dinner at Roka right before seeing a show at Prince of Wales Theatre. We were late to our reservation and had very little time (less than an hour) to dine. The waitstaff was completely understanding and worked to get us each of our divine dishes as quickly as possible. Every part of our meal was fresh and flavorful, from the unique wagyu maki to the fantastic ginger broccoli. We also had one member of our party with a dairy allergy, and our waiter was so kind as to have one of the desserts altered to fit her dietary needs. This dessert included the BEST chocolate mousse I have ever had (even being dairy-free!). All in all, our visit to Roka was delightful, and we will definitely be back! read more

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Stopped by and tried a few of the signature dishes. The soft shell crab was delicious. Portions are small, very tasty. The tar tar was delicious and one of my favorite dishes from the menu. I ended my meal with the black cod, it was tasty but not amazing as advertised. read more

Came here for Easter Sunday brunch with family and it was absolutely worth every penny of 47 pounds/person. Everything from the food quality, impeccable service and ambience was above and beyond excellent! Desert was the grand finale !! Highly recommend !! read more

Totally bad experience, and a waste of time and money. The staff from the servers to the restaurant manager did not know how to treat customers. It is very unprofessional here, and besides the fancy room, the restaurant is very unappealing. The experience was as poor as it gets. Would never go again. London has too many nice restaurants to waste any more time here. read more

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. read more

Gets 5 stars for decor 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 entree for 10 minutes. They brought rice for my husband and me, but only my entree. After another 10 minutes and some discussion with staff, my husband's entree 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 decor not food is important read more

okay food, but some are salty/weird for my taste. not really traditionally Japanese style.

Nothing to write home about. For those with sensitive stomachs, and palettes, the food was poor quality and made me feel sick... Currently writing this the morning after going and feeling quite awful... puffy face, brain fog, I want to throw up because my stomach feels so weird and bloated. I had been feeling off since about half way through the meal and basically am kicking myself because that's when I should have known and stopped ordering... All of this is definitely a sign of low quality fish, and it's a very dangerous phenomenon considering that raw fish can come with all kinds of worms and parasites. They also use really cheap wasabi until you start ordering sashimi, and wasabi (and ginger) are served with fish in order to help ward off these bad microorganisms. Anyway, it was the most expensive meal I've ever had in my young adult life and I'm honestly just kind of sad about it. I want my money back. Don't waste your time, there are much nicer sushi places in London for half the cost. Also I ordered the same sashimi twice, the fatty tuna, at two different times, and the plates came out absolutely different... the manager did nothing more than to reduce the cost of the first plate by £2. Anyway... save your money and your stomach and hit up sticks n'sushi, they're amazing. read more