Robata is a Japanese restaurant in Soho specialising in charcoal cooking on the Robata grill. Soon as I heard about Robata Soho I was in, and so was Shiima when I showed her the menu because it has a bunch of her favourite Japanese dishes and many more intriguing options. 

We were sat at the bar directly in front of the robata grill which gave us a good view of the casually designed modern restaurant. But it was also incredibly hot, which is obvious in hindsight 😂. The vibe in Robata Soho is active, and sometimes it seems the service struggles to keep up. Now, the food. 

The food

We ignored sushi because I wasn’t here for that and none of the options were particularly intriguing. Same with Bao Buns. 

Small plates

Both the chicken karaage and chilli pepper prawn were lacking in flavour but still enjoyable. 

We didn’t enjoy the kimchi gyoza at all. We barely had one each.

Robata Skewers

Every single skewer was delicious and each had a distinct flavour. My favourites were the Iberico pluma and lamb breast, and Shiima’s were the chicken thigh and beef fillet. Easily the best robata skewers we’ve enjoyed in London. 

Robata Large

Quite good, especially with the yakiniku sauce. But it easily could’ve been much better. All our dishes arrived essentially at the same time and we put this aside for a bit as we were eating other stuff. Sadly, the beef fillet kept cooking on the grill and when we were ready it was well done and not tender. 

Bowls

Delicious. You might know this already but I’m not a fan of rice, but the runny egg yolk, kimchi, and spring onion combined with the rice for a yummy flavour. 

Dessert!

This was much better than we expected. Mostly because the cheese mixture was incredibly rich but not too sweet. 

Verdict 

We enjoyed our dinner at Robata Soho. Yes, the service was a tad scatty, but the vibe is chill, and the robata skewers are the best we’ve had in London. We weren’t really keen on the other dishes but then the restaurant is called Robata. Also, we advise against sitting at bar in front of the robata grill, it’s hot! 😂. We recommend for a very casual date, a meal with friends, colleagues, or family, and everyone that enjoys grilled food. 

Cuisine: Japanese (Robata Grill Speciality)
Dress Code: Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Beef Fillet Skewer
Amen’s Star Dish: Iberico Pluma Skewer
Price: £30-40pp
Rating: 3.9 out of 5

Robata Soho
56 Old Compton St,
Soho, London W1D 4UE
Reserve a table at OpenTable,
or call 020 7287 5766