Koba in City of London, Westminster

This is a Korean barbecue restaurant in Fitzrovia. They give you raw meats and veggies for yourself to cook on a grill. It is an interesting concept. The seasoning was good, however, nothing out of this world. The people serving the food are there for you but there was something missing: no explanations (for a concept that I presume that is new for most non-Korean people) and not really a friendly attitude. Just to clarify - they were not rude AT ALL; but they were not welcoming either. Maybe neutral and slightly annoyed of being there. As a client, that just doesn’t make me feel welcome. But well, perhaps this is just the way it is here. It is maybe a bit expensive for what it is. Therefore, I would say quality/price ratio is not the best. It was an okay experience because it was something new; but I highly doubt I’ll ever come again.

Had a nice Korean bbq dinner! We also tried the kimchi pancakes and fried rice and they were very tasty. Very clean place and friendly staff the will help with bbq. *no wifi*

I fell in love at first sight because the interior of the store was classy and clean. The LA ribs were more delicious than other Korean restaurants, so I kept admiring them. The sauce was pretty, so I tried to enjoy it :) The seafood and green onion pancakes were crispy and seasoned just right, so I really liked them. I was also impressed by the fact that they sold soju by the glass, making it easy to have a glass of soju. I think it would be no exaggeration to say that this is my favorite Korean restaurant in downtown London.

I enjoyed the food but asking for gluten free was not taken seriously by our server. I ended up glutening myself and not being well after the meal. The food was tasty though. I would not come again due to the lack of care for gluten free. The atmosphere was bustling and noisy.

I was satisfied with the atmosphere, hygiene, and taste. It’s a Korean restaurant you might find in a hot neighborhood in Seoul. For enjoy the bbq, I recommend to order Lettuce. Pairing: 1 glass of soju, 1 bottle of Cass

I would avoid the BBQ. Overall Score: 3.08 Food & Drink: 2.2 Experience: 4.4 Value For Money: 3.5

Great Korean restaurant and great food. Great location. Good service. Mid-upper price range for a Korean restaurant offering typical Korean barbecue and the lovely Soju! 🤤🤗 A must try if you love traditional Korean food.

I loved the Korean grill experience. We ordered for 2 and we thought they had made a mistake and had brought us for 4. Recommended.

Very authentic Korean cuisine, the fried rice cake was delicious! The waitress lady was exceptionally nice and sweet!

So delicious! Came here for a birthday meal and it was such a treat. The drinks were delicious! I can’t remember the names but both were non alcoholic drinks, one was a ginger one which was lovely and sweet with a strong almost candied ginger taste. The other was a zingy fresh citrus. The flavours of the starters were amazing, really some of the best food so I’ve eaten out in years! All of the starters (a chicken dish and a prawn and aubergine dish) were so delicately balanced. And the sauces that came with the dishes were exquisite, very fresh and zingy, not like the typical sauces you get. We got the mixed meat BBQ for two. It came with ribeye, prawns, squid, pork, chicken and veggies. I enjoyed the ribeye the most very succulent. I love veggies on the grill and the sweet potatoes and pumpkin were lovely and charred by the end. The squid was very rubbery, most probably to do with the cooking. Probably not the best quality meat or the most tasty but for the price and variety it was decent. The experience of the BBQ is fun and nice to do yourself. We also had the fried rice which again was lovely and balanced in flavour, had the kimichi flavour come through but it wasn’t over powering and you could taste the meatiness of the pork without it being greasy. We sat at the bar and what a great choice, it really added to the experience. The staff were really attentive and regularly checked on the BBQ but it was just the right amount and didn’t feel at all intrusive. I think it was the manager who was happy to talk you through everything and suggest the tastiest way to enjoy the meal. I’d recommend booking on the weekend as it was fully booked on by the weekend.

I really like this place but the prices have increased like crazy.. I went here for dinner in August 2023 and the Korean BBQ was under £40, went again in January 2024 and it was £55 with less ingredients (baby octopus was taken out). The menus available online do not reflect the current prices - if I had known this was the case, I'd have gone elsewhere. £100+ for two people, no alcohol, no dessert is a bit insane (just one BBQ, one starter and a couple of soft drinks). Great quality but for this price I really don't know if it's worth it..

I really like this place but the prices have increased like crazy.. I went here for dinner in August 2023 and the Korean BBQ was under £40, went again in January 2024 and it was £55 with less ingredients (baby octopus was taken out). The menus available online do not reflect the current prices - if I had known this was the case, I'd have gone elsewhere. £100+ for two people, no alcohol, no dessert is a bit insane (just one BBQ, one starter and a couple of soft drinks). Great quality but for this price I really don't know if it's worth it..

This Korean restaurant in London is, without a doubt, our favorite. We make it a point to visit three times a month, and our go-to choices are the rib eye BBQ, kimchi stew, and one appetizer. The beef quality consistently impresses us. However, what truly stands out is the authenticity of the kimchi stew—it captures the true essence of Korean flavors. Despite trying other highly-rated Korean restaurants, we keep returning to this gem. It definitely deserves a higher rating.

The service is very good, the food is delicious, clean, tidy, pleasant atmosphere. I recommend!

It’s so delicious!! Be sure to go when you come to London haha

Delicious food and great service

I am always on a hunt for a good korean barbecue places, we are big fan. Koba is a slightly luxurious option, prices are on higher side. That being said the food was excellent and service a panache. We had barbecue selection which included rib eye, soy pork, veggies, squid and prawns. It came with assortment of sauces, but spring onions lettuce and rice were charged extra. The cuts were delicious. I found the 12.5% service charge a tad bit much after already inflated prices. Total damage was 75 quids for two people. I would definitely recommend.

Unfriendly place for Koreans to go,,,, The bulgogi was already burning, but they didn't pay attention to me and I ended up eating it all, but they took the full service charge ^^ The other foreigners at the table were very friendly..... The atmosphere is nice and clean ^_^

Food was delicious and the service was excellent. Very attentive and helpful with selecting things from the menu.

A friend recommended us to give it a visit. The fried chicken was not too bad, sweet, and crisp. But not meaty. It's fine as a side. The texture of the ox tongue was crunchy, but the taste of the tongue was light. The lemon juice covered all tastes of the tongue. The bbq sets were nice. Meats were tender, tasty prawn. The restaurant served the grill, and they did it for us. But sometimes they were busy that the meat was a bit burnt at the later time of the meal. The price was really fair. It's worth a try.

Quite a decent Korean BBQ restaurant in Central London. The BBQ dishes are quite nice, with reasonable price. Seafood / Kimchi pancakes are also highly recommended. The staff are quite willing to assist for grilling the food, but it’s sometime overcooked as they are quite busying to navigate between tables.

This is the best Korean restaurant in London. Their food is amazing. Even our investors from Korea really liked them. Thank you.

Dong Who served us was amazing! Great service, great food!

Room is nicely lit, food is all great quality, staff are lovely, bit on the pricey end though

The food was authentic and tasted fantastic. The staff were lovely and attentive. We left very full and very happy!

Noice barbecue and dishes!! As other Korean bbq places do, the portion us always unsatisfying but too bad we gotta stand with it lol The quality if meat is very nice, the spicy pork belly was better than I expected or have had!

Been living in London for a year now and this is my favorite restaurant in the city. I’ve also been to SK and have had kimchi jiggae at probably 15+ restaurants there and this is still the best kimchi jiggae I’ve ever had

For those that love the IT Crowd British tv series. These streets were used for filming locations and you will see koba restaurant in It crowds series 4 episode 2 called final coundown (10mins and 36 seconds in). Roy rides on a bike with cleaning equipment and ends up chasing his old college buddy Alistair through the street.

Food tasted really good. All the meat left me wanting more. Only slight complain was when waitress helped us to grill the meat, they often flip the cooked and raw meat with the same tongs.

Perfect spot for KBBQ, food is amazing and amazingly priced. Staff are super friendly

New favourite Korean restaurant

Great food and great service. Very hospitable staff Will also help you cook the food

Fun and different dining experience, korean bbq has been on my bucket lift and KOBA didn't dissapoint. Its worth a try if you're ever curious.

Great place for Korean BBQ. But they seriously need to invest in bigger tables.

A super clean, and modern vibe, backed with great service, and amazing food. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but that’s a given with Korean BBQ in this city.

Great atmosphere and fantastic Experience

The food was fine but the service was so slow and the employees' attitude was particularly rude and questionable

1st hand experience of Korea hot plate cuisine, very interesting 🤔. The meat was juicy & tender, definitely worth a try

It was a while since I had my last corean meal and it was a first for my partner and here we land and Koba. The minimalist setting may be a set back but it’s only added value to help a client focus more on the meal. From the staters (3 selections) to the main barbecue seafood. It was a complete beautiful well orchestrated meal. With a lot of help from the floor manager ( by the way we were seated at the bar near the entrance which is way nicer than inside) with the barbecue and the slicing and the explanation it was a very satisfying experience. Trust your staff. They know their product and they can help you although they tend to be be a bit hasty like they want to be done with you and have to next client fill in your place ! Eat to your heat and your stomach’s delight the deserts aren’t up to the meals’ level. So you can stop there without any regret. It’s not a good experience it’s a great one. Word of the wise don’t leave London without eating there at least one. Have a bowl of soup on my behalf! Cheers!

Can't recommend this place enough. The food is extremely sumptuous. The ambience is great for either family or friends.

Overpriced for what you get. We weren't greeted upon entering the restaurant. When leaving, we didn't get a response for "thank you" or even a "good-bye." This is a place where you are likely to be ignored.. if you like to make connections with people, I'd say it is best to look elsewhere .. 😉

I used to live within 5 minutes from KOBA and it used to be one of my favourite restaurants. Back then I would easily rated both the food and service 5/5. I had to organise a meal for my team at work and choose KOBA. We ordered several starters including KFC (Korean fried chicken), pancake, raw beef with pears and beef rib. None of these were outstanding, the KFC stood out above the rest. Was disappointed with the raw beef which used to be a favourite of mine. We also ordered several BBQ items but some of the food ended up getting a bit overcooked/charred due to the inattentive staff. Bib-n-bab was OK. I much prefer some of the Korean restaurants in New Malden. Won't go back here again.

Food was great quality and delicious. Staff are really kind and helpful. Highly recommend and can't wait to go back.

We were on vacation and searched for a nice korean restaurant to eat in. We reserved this one a day before and it worked all fine. The food and service was really good. Would definitely come here again!

It been great experience for me to in KOBA restaurant, I never knew Korean food before, it is delicious

Wonderful staff, great food... fab atmosphere looking forward to returning!

My experience left much to be desired. Firstly, the noise level in the restaurant has become overwhelmingly loud, making it difficult to hold a conversation without raising one's voice. This detracts from the overall dining atmosphere. Furthermore, it was disheartening to note that the staff seemed preoccupied and inattentive to the needs of the diners. On more than one occasion, my food was left unattended on the table, resulting in overcooked dishes. The portion sizes have noticeably shrunk since the 2020, which is disappointing considering the price point. This, coupled with the decline in service, leads to a sense that the value for money is no longer what it used to be.

Went for dinner and tried their Korean BBQ alongside some kanppongi it was amazing! We all loved it specially the samgyeopsal (pork belly) was beautiful 💖✨

Very nice place. Service was excellent, and the food was very tasty. Price well for the quality serves I will be visiting this place again. I went on a Sunday evening which meant that it wasn't very busy and I can park on the road just infront

Outstanding korean fried chicken (believe me I try a lot of korean restaurants in London and Im asian), Very good soup, pork bbq and japchae. All at fair price and friendly service! Authentic! The portions are less than normal serving in other korean restaurants, but not bad. I would say they make it up on quality and pricier ingredients. For example, not much noodles for japchae but very heavy on toppings and veggies which cost more. Would recommend

Parents were visiting from overseas walked past restaurant and managed to get a table without a booking. Service and food were great. Would definitely recommend

The place looks nice and beautiful. We had an amazing service and we were taking care of the staff. The food was normal nothing special and over priced.

Food was very good here, pricey but tasty and a great experience. Some staff members were more attentive than others. The lady we had cleaned off the burnt food before placing new food on the grill, her colleague did not and subsequently we had some blackened food.

The good thing is they grill for you. But slightly overpriced and average taste BBQ

1st try at Korean hot plate, very interesting 🤔. The meat was tender & juicy, quality of meat was good but not great (could of been more generous in the veggie though) worth a visit & try definitely 👍🏻

Koba is a modern and stylish restaurant which offers an extensive menu of authentic and outstanding Korean dishes. Do not get tired of visiting it. Please, do yourself a favour and book a table!

The food were all so good! They were very generous with the seafood pancakes! The space is also tidy and clean. Will definitely come back to try the bbq options!

Amazing service!! Manager was also super sweet when we needed anything :)

Very nice service and the food was amazing, pretty interior

Lovely little Korean restaurant with friendly staff.

Atmosphere great, staff attentive. Prices are reasonable however bbq selection could be better together with the thickness of the cut compared to other Korean bbq I've tried.

Brilliant lunch! We went first thing on Saturday. Very attentive staff and tasty food. Lovely decor and the vents worked very well to keep the cooking smoke away. My family really enjoyed themselves. We ordered a variety of appetisers (see photos) and had the BBQ after. We ordered 3 types of meat for the BBQ, along with lettuce and sides to make wraps. I recommend the ribeye, bylgogi beef and pork belly for the BBQ. Staff took care of the cooking and came back every now and then. We finished with some Soju!

Excellent concept and well executed, starters very tasty and bbq fun to prepare, but the pork was rather flavourless. Staff very friendly and willing to help with anything. Atmosphere was good, but felt a little cramped, especially when having annoying Americans sitting next to you and talking about all the affairs their parents had and breathing down your neck. Other than that, would recommend.

Service needs to be improved, especially from the Korean lady working there. Seemed cold and uninviting. Didn’t explain what each food was too, as they do at most Korean restaurants. Been to many Korean restaurants in korea, and this one in London didn’t really feel match anywhere near the same experience. The food was subpar and way overpriced considering. Look elsewhere if you want great service and a real taste of korea.

It's reassuring to read other reviews and see that many other people found the service awful. I never write restaurant reviews, but it's such a waste of money when you are spending so much money for a nice occasion but you have crap service and you are felt like you are just holding up the staff from going home. My friend and I arrived for our 2pm booking and the indifferent man who greeted us informed me that we had 30 minutes to order before the kitchen closed. It was then that I realised that our booking was their last lunchtime booking. We were not warned about it when we made a reservation. From then on, everything was extremely rushed. All the staff were rude and unpleasant (apart from one waitress who gave us the BBQ sauces and the barman). We took our order and we had a few questions about the menu, e.g. whether 2 side dishes of rice would be too much with all the food, but the man just wrote down the dishes without answering our questions and said we had to order all our food because the kitchen was closing and just said 'it's up to you' whilst not even looking at us, just looking around at the rest of the restaurant. The food came and it was average (not as good as Olle restaurant). No one came to us and asked if everything was ok during the meal. The waitress came with the bill and didn't ask how everything was, she just put the bill on the table and simply said 'We are closing'. I asked her if the last lunchtime booking gets to have dessert and she said 'No because we are closed and the staff need to finish' and walked off. It's bad when you are paying just as much as everyone else for your meal (close to £100 for 2 people, by the way) but you don't have the same service. If you are going to have a last booking - don't close the kitchen 30 minutes after - I don't know any restaurants that do that. Or at least warn people before that they won't be able to have any dessert. They didn't even say the booking was 1 hour 30 minutes in the confirmation email. There are plenty of other nice restaurants in London where they don't rush you and actually treat you as a valued customer - I would never return here.

Decent service. Food adequate but not for the price. Very poor veggie choice. You should be able to do a rice bowl with tofu or veg.

We enjoyed our meal at Koba. We had never had a Korean barbecue before and had little idea of what to expect although we had read the reataurant's website and some reviews. Our waitress was helpful in making suggestions and explaining how to eat the food. Unfortunately one of the other waitresses who attended to us was much less helpful and seemed uninterested in her guests. The meal iteslf was very tasty. We had a mixture of meat and prawns which were grilled at our table and we put them into a lettuce leaf to eat. We probably wouldn't consider it something we had to repeat soon but it was an unusual and enjoyable experience during our holiday in London.

We revisited this after a number of years and again enjoyed the korean BBQ . cooked in front of us at the table we had the mixed meat and mixed seafood between 4 of us . the waitresses did the majority of the cooking . Everything was fresh and tasty , some the meat a bit overcooked . the accompanying sauces etc were also good . A before the wine by the glass was overpriced but overall it was reasonable value for London . I'd go again

Great value for money ... would defiantly go back..

The food is good, but the service is just awful. As a solo diner I ordered 2 bbq dishes and a portion of rice. I specifically said to bring the rice after the bbq, but it came 2 moments after the bbq dishes. They piled all the meat on the Bbq, so I told them I’d do it myself, as I wanted to eat the pieces one by one. This went ok for a few minutes, then another waitress came and piled some more pieces on the bbq. I was handed the bill before ordering dessert. Sorry but what’s wrong with them? What was the mad rush?

We had a lovely, spacious table and service was charming if uninformative, particularly about the accompaniments to be served alongside our BBQ orders. And, overall pricing has gone up quite a bit, though maybe not more than other Central London restaurants

Such a lovely restaurant The food was great (i loved particularly the spicy fried chicken). My bulgogi bibimbap was good indeed. Service was adequate and attentive Ill be definitely be back soon

Great food and definitely one to do again.

Really lovely restaurant! Went for a Saturday lunch, busy but not packed. Really nice friendly, helpful staff which is always a good start. Started with some dumpling and some very tasty pancakes. The combo bbq (chicken, pork, beef, prawns & octopus) is the real winner. Everything is so tasty and fresh. The kimchi rice and all the dips (soya bean) and pickles are amazing. Highly highly recommend place!

The food is very good, little bit overpriced thought, you have a lot variety you can decide between BBQ and other dishes, the drinks menu has only Korea products that is totally fine! I suggest to try everything because it is worthy. Service not very attentive but overall was a great lunch experience.

Great Korean restaurant. Really delicious food and good service.

We had an enjoyable experience.kids liked the novelty of cooking the meat dishes although some of them were overcooked as we did not know how to cook some of the seafoods and how long it took..we are given a brief crash course at the start and was then left to it. The bibimbaps are delicious.

This restaurant is perfect for a delicious Korean barbecue . The meat was fresh, cooked by your table, and the result was mouthwatering. The starters were yummy too. The service friendly and efficient. This is a very popular place, not so easy to book and....

Love the food here, portions are decent and they are quick. I've been going here for years so always order the same; japchae, pajeon, kimchi soup and bulgogi. I recently tried the LA Galbi but wont recommend it, was quite tough and chewy.

We had the korean bbq with different meats and veggies. It was great! Also had mochi for dessert which was yummy.

This was a great experience. We ordered a platter between two of us along with a portion of rice each and kimchi. The meat platter was served with lettuce leaves and are intended to use as a wrap. You also get a complimentary homemade bbq...

Service was great, both the starters and the bbq was delicious. The staff was always checking in and making sure everything is okay- just friendly and good vibes all around

Delicious food served in simple decor with extremely swift service. Starters were great and the bbq was a class act. The assortment includes prime rib, short rib, pork belly, chicken, prawns and baby octopus. An excellent choice

I was there last Friday, the food was absolutely amazing, lovely and clean ambience and very nice and professional staff. I highly recommend this place :)

First time at a restaurant where you can cook your own food. Very enjoyable and great tasting food, especially the stews. 7.5/10

We first visited Koba, in this trendy part of town, about a year and a half ago. Bad times then but found a window during the stop-start Covid lockdowns. And the food at Koba really lifted our hearts. Having spent over 30 years in Asia,...

We had lunch here with friends. Rather than opting for the usual barbecue we chose, instead, a mixture of starters and each from the range of Bibimbab. Wonderful food in a great location and with friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Friendly staff nice dishes and good value. Staff cooked the food on the plate for us though and if i tried to turn the meat they would come over. Prefer to cook myself as part of the expierence but only a minor issue

The food was amazing and seasoned well. The service is good. We’ll definitely come back

Found this restaurant while exploring the area. This place is amazing! Best Korean food that we have had in a long time - great service too. Highly recommend.

We visted in early November 2021, for a Saturday lunch. It was fairly busy, considering the corona situation. The decor is quite minimalist, the pricing is reasonable. I remember looking at a menu on a prior visit, but it's all now QR code on your...

We came here for my uncles birthday booked in advance blamed us saying we didnt book even though we had.Poor service

I would say that Koba is currently average, Wait time: 2/5 From what I saw they were under staffed as which caused a decent wait between dishes coming out. Service: 1/5 When we first arrived the Manager Jay explained that there was no booking, that...

Friendly staff. Great atmosphere, minimal and pleasant interior, good quality ingredient for BBQ option. Decent price. Definitely will back.

Always a good choice if you want to impress someone or are just after a fun dinner experience. Their USP revolves around the BBQ experience. Every table has its own grill at the centre of the table and you can use it yourself or ask...

What an amazing experience for my first Korean BBQ in the UK. The meat was exquisite and just the right proportion for two

It was an interesting place to go to. It was an enjoyable meal but nothing really stood out. They service was lacking a bit. They do have a varied menu though and the set meals were filling but not too much. It was also nice...

An excellent experience here. Been wanting to go for ages and the wait certainly didn’t disappoint. Food was excellent and cooked in a very unique way that is perfect for any instagrammer to sit back and film. If you’re in the area you must try...

We love Korean bbq in the family and always try to visit some when traveling. Koba was was very nice, with great meat and seafood options, kimchi, excellent ventilation, attentive service. Modern minimalistic interior. I would go back.

A little slow but understandable as there was only 2 servers. However, we did see our food ready on the tray for a good 15 mins. Would rather it be served first rather than they be cooking for other tables - no offence, you can always cook for them right away after.. We could have started our meal 15 minutes earlier.