ROKA Mayfair

£32 - £110 / Japanese, Sushi, Vegetarian options

30 N Audley St, London

Opening hours

12PM-11PM

Sunday 12PM-11PM
Monday 12PM-11PM
Tuesday 12PM-11PM
Wednesday 12PM-11PM
Thursday 12PM-11PM
Friday 12PM-11PM
Saturday 12PM-11PM

Indulge in Exquisite Japanese Cuisine Bliss

Ah, the notorious ROKA Mayfair. Where upscale sushi meets a whirlwind of service tales that rival a Dickensian drama. As I glided through its sleek, artful interior, where every flick of candlelight dances off designer tableware, I half-expected to hear a symphony from the robata grill, which was as mesmerizing a concerto as you could hope for in London. To the culinary savant, the Black Cod holds mythical status, and rightly so—it flaked apart as though disagreeing with itself quite perfectly, paired with a drink selection curated by a sommelier seemingly telepathic to one's palate desires.

Yet, despite such gastronomic marvels as Michelin-worthy sashimi said to “melt like a sunset in your mouth,” there lingered a baffling dichotomy in the air. The service waltzed between ecstatic highs and questionable lows, leaving one to ponder if each member of staff graduated from entirely disparate schools of hospitality. Some were fabulous—engaging, attentive, bringing dishes with an ethereal swiftness that could exist in a Rupert Brooke poem. Others were, to put it lyrically, doing an impression of the Cheshire cat, grinning obscurely whilst hurriedly rushing my foot-long feast between courses without a moment’s decency to relish. Nonetheless, should you brave ROKA Mayfair, know this: buckle up for splendor, bring company that talks a mile a minute (to drown out any impertinent musical interruptions), and perhaps let your Pimm's guide you more than any single server could. — Milo Tastemaker