Koba

Korean
Fitzrovia

Most restaurants are all the same. You take your seat, order your food and 20 minutes later, it arrives on your table, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. There are, however, a few restaurants that like to do things a little differently, slight changes to the formula to shake things up and keep it interesting. Koba is one such place, a Korean restaurant in Fitzrovia where the food is cooked directly on your table.

This may not be one for the traditionalists, but if you are looking for something a little different then this really adds some theatre to the dining experience. Each table, including those at the bar, has a small gas hob in the middle on which the waiters cook the food which is delivered to your table raw.

The menu is perfect for carnivores with chicken, beef, pork, squid and others available for the barbecue, or if you are a big group, sharing platters are available allowing you to try all the meat. We ordered duck marinated in spicy sauce and giant prawns, both of which were expertly seared on the grill before being wrapped in lettuce with chilli sauce, cucumber and spring onions, fajita-style.

There are plenty of options for vegetarians too, such as babimbap, a rice and veg dish served in a hot stone pot with egg which we shared as a side dish but could be a main course for one. We also enjoyed the appetisers: crispy, crunchy calamari and soft dumplings stuffed with vegetables, the perfect way to warm up before the main event of the barbecue.

11 Rathbone Place, W1T 1NA

Average price for main meal: £8 (based on tapas style dishes)
Average price for a glass of wine: £7
Food and drink: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Price: 3/5

MAP