Koya in City of London, Westminster

On a rainy London morning, the English Breakfast Ramen absolutely hit the spot. The curry Ramen was even better! I would definitely go back the next time in London.

I wanted to try authentic udon and visited Koya. Luckily it wasn’t busy and I was seated quickly. I ordered pickles and duck udon. In particular the Kamo Hiya Atsu ie cold udon to be dipped in hot broth. I also requested the Kido Ginju sake. The udon was chewy and fresh tasting. The duck was beautifully cooked, tender and very tasty.

This is a wonderful spot for traditional Japanese breakfast and noodles. The restaurant is one long counter and when we went it was filled with two- and three-somes enjoying each other's company and the delicious food. Everything is made from scratch and moderately priced.

I was here for lunch and went for the Oyakodon donburi. This was one fried egg and maybe 3 or 4 small pieces of chicken with rice in a ‘V’ shaped bowl to give the impression of a larger portion than the reality. So comically, for me, both this dish and the accompanying miso soup were very much leaning towards a child’s rather than an adult size portion. The portions of udon my fellow diners had were similarly meagre. Given the prices, a real shame really given rice and noodles are relatively inexpensive.

We were a group of 4 that visited on a Tuesday after work. The place was fairly busy. I have to admit this was my first try of udon noodles. I went for the braised beef, choosing the hot udon in hot broth option. Our group also shared a few small plates such as the prawn and veggie tempura, a salad, and the pork belly. The food was so-so. Certainly not as bad as some of the dire reviews make it out to be. But not that great either. My friends seemed to enjoy the lamb cumin udon a bit more than I did mine. We also tried the sake flight, which included a nice variety of samples. Service was fairly indifferent but food was delivered quickly. The bill for the 4 of us came to £202, of which £90 was spent on drinks. Overall, I’m glad I tried out udon noodles once, and given its reputation I’d assume Koya does produce a good example of the dish, but on the whole it’s not for me, and I doubt I would return.

Had a quick weekday lunch sitting outside under heaters. 2 Japanese friends liked the quality and authenticity of the food. Chicken in hot udon was generous. Perhaps I should have asked for tempura on the side with my udon as it lost its crispiness. To start, we had the pork belly in cider. Overall a good experience and decent value for its location.

This is appalling and extremely disappointing, I can never imagine such a bad experience at Koya somewhere I find valuation in the past. The quality of food has deteriorated to an unacceptable level, who on earth will use braised beef to pretend it’s a Gyu Don, what a shame, this is the end of Koya.

Always been a fan of Koya but this visit was very disappointing. Food has lost depth and very salty. Shame as the new branch is lovely.

The food is so overpriced and bland. Vegetable tempura was ordered for a sharing starter in a group and it came with big pieces of veg and a great variety. Excellent I thought as I had that with udon for my main. Main turned up and it was basically a pile of just onion with the odd green but of veg now and then. Tasted of nothing. Also way too much was piled onto my noodles and they soaked up so much of the ramen it ended up a disgusting unappetising mess. Revolting and £16 for a few noodles and tempura onion. Wine was very expensive and basic for the money.

Be prepared to wait but definitely worth it. The seating is set in a bar like style, nothing fancy to look at but the food was absolutely amazing. By far the best ramen I have ever tried. Will definitely be going back.

Expensive and minimal. It's trying hard to give it an authentic feel of busy lunch ramen shop in Tokyo but the quality and service is not there.

Some of the best udon in London - perfect chewy noodles and delicious broth! We have been a few times and have never been disappointed by the food here. Top tip though - if you opt for the udon with tempura, ask for the tempura to come on the side to avoid it getting soaked in the broth.

Very delicious udon noodles! They make them themselves and really soak up the flavour! Friendly staff too, only downside, quite expensive.

Very pleased this Japanese restaurant was open on a Sunday night when everything else seemed to be shut. Service was kind and efficient and the curry with noodles delicious and perfect for a cold evening. My companion had the beef broth with udon noodles which she loved.

The food is simple and tasty enough. Quick and easy. But nothing to get excited about. The service was quick and friendly; thank you. I was annoyed that the bill included a 12% service fee; that is not apparent in the menu. I was told it could only be removed by special request to the manager.

Delicious Asian food in a beautiful location. Best udon noodle soup in London. Good value for money but service could be improved.

Amazing japanese restaurant! It was my first time trying japanese food and it was really good. I personally find it affordable and staffs were super nice, they would suggest what to try for a first time ! I recommend 100%

We ordered a crab with nori butter special - absolutely gorgeous, the richness of the crab was so well balanced by the seaweed. The udon broth is delicious, however we did feel that the portions of the smocked mackerel/prawn tempura on the udon could have...

The food is poor but moreover the attitude is terrible. We all understand that post Covid times are tough - but it cuts both ways... staff who rudely turn their backs on customers deserve the inevitable choice made to go elsewhere.

I usually like to keep my reviews positive, but for an establishment whose main focus is Udon, it is absolutely bizarre that they couldn't get their main dish cooked right - the Udon was undercooked. This wasn't a matter of taste. I appreciate that when...

Tried the lamb mince udon and the pork mince udon, and both were very good. Tasty broth and good noodles. ffordable dinner for a date.

Arrived today for an early lunch. Lovely welcome and great service butnoodles were thick and floury, probably not cooked enough as they tasted better after being in the sauce for 10 minutes. The 'curry' was a thick gravy, probably thickened with corn flour. There were...

Really good and authentic causal Japanese restaurant. Main focus is on cold udon noodles and curries. They are fairly efficient and prices a decent value for the quality and authenticity you get! Tried it during EOTHO and Amex Shop Small offer: so got 15 quid...

Not impressed, service was bad and good quality is getting worse each time I visited. Very tiny portion of meat which cost over £12 on a bed of rice. Little sauce and not much flavour. Very disappointed.

The quality of the noodle can be little scratchy time to time, nevertheless I always feel warm inside and happy after bowl of their regular Kinoko udon. The price for Udon in London is much more than Japan so you can not compare the cost...

I visited with a couple of colleagues for dinner after work, and was surprised at the way we were treated throughout our stay. A particular staff member was extremely rude in a very consistent manner. I have never experienced this on such a level before,...

Had been looking forward to our visit, but was quite disappointed by both the food and service; at best, both were average unfortunately.

Recently went to Koya in Bloomberg Arcade for celebration lunch (anniversary). What a disappointment. I had been earlier soon after it had opened, and tried the Tofu hot Udon, and was very impressed, as it was so good. Obviously quality has fallen since then. We...

The restaurant is beautifull the food is great why the policy of pushy sales, 4 different people asked if we want guacamole and we said no, the 5th came with guacamole, when we said we didn't ask for guacamole he got mad, then the waitress...

My partner and I have had dinner at Koya City recently, he ordered the niku udon - the soup base was not much flavour but the beef taste alright and I ordered udon prawn and veg tempura however the dish came out was vegetable udon...

Haven’t really had much Japanese food apart from sushi before so I was in for a re treat! (Also maybe a sign to take this review with a grain of salt). Lots of vegetarian options, we had the agedashi tofu as an entree which tasted...

The rather unassuming Koya sticks with the basics and delivers above expectations. Light fragrant broth, chunky udon noodles with just the right level of garnishing make their staple dish a winner. i had the prawn tempura udon noodle and it was delicious with a huge...

Interesting menu but when delivered it seemed a bit formulaic. The noodles were cooked well but the miso was bland and the meat just added texture rather than taste. The serving was small (udon) but the rice dishes looked more substantive. I was pretty hungry...

Met a friend for lunch who work nearby. Look, for what it is, the food is a little overpriced but given it is where it is, I think their pricing is reasonable. The udon was great and hugely satisfying. Will definitely return.

I come here at least once a week for their cold udon and marinated mushrooms. Service is swift if you come off hours. Highly recommended!

Visited recently to catch up with my brother. Service was quick and good of a good standard but felt the service was rushed and not very personable. Would visit for food again but experience could be improved.

Obviously this is not going to be cheap as it's in the heart of the City banking lunch zone in the Bloomberg Arcade so I'm not sure why anyone would expect it to be cheap. But it manages to pull off being thoroughly modern in...

ordered 2 rice dishes and 1 noodle dish around 815pm friday 26th april. was told 10 mins later that they had run out of rice..a basic ingrrdient. no apologies. asked for utensils. they had run out of those as they lent them out. waited 15...

Some really good choices. Has just a few tables and some space outside. Rice dish with beef was excellent. Friendly service. Location ideal; rightly Cannon St.

Went here with my girlfriend the other day, my girlfriend had the duck which she thought was tough and had not been allowed to rest so the broth became bloody. I had the beef with cold udon, the broth was not hot! I used to...

Had the beef Atsu-atsu udon. The broth had a strong beef taste, there were some spring onions and a piece of spring green. The meat however was inedible, just a small piece of fat and sinew. Udon noodles were okay, but for £12.50 an absolute...

Overall, the experience was good and I will visit again. Location: It is just off the main street and easy to find. Service: The service was good. Upon arrival, I asked for a table for two but was told that they will not give me...

There's alot of hype about Koya and how wonderful the udon and small plates are. The food and udon was fine but nothing special and the prices are quite steep for what you get. The service was pretty poor and disinterested, as if we were...

I’ve showed up at 12.00pm for lunch, 5 minutes before my date arrived. I asked for a table but the receptionist refused in a rude way, barking that only completed parties are given a table. Within 3 minutes the place was full. It’s probably for...

I went for a dish of cold gorgeous udon noodles as I was hungover and needed a clean hit. Got it was good. And some of the best in London. And if you go on a Saturday, it will be quieter than in the week...

Friends invited us for dinner at Koya on City. The place was really nice. Food and service was just ok. I probably won't go back.

We stopped here for lunch around 12:30 pm and there was already a short line formed for second seating. The menu has a variety of hot and cold udon options plus appetizers and rice dishes. We chose a cold and a hot udon dish and...

Excellent Udon, I typically try the specials on the board, but also the ones on the menu are good. If you can find a seat, the service is quick so it becomes a good lunch option even if you are time-constrained.

Nice lunchstop. Plenty of japanese expats. Always a good sign for quality. Be on time. It gets full quick.

Waited over ten minutes in a half empty restaurant on a Sunday afternoon to be served. Tasteless miso soup and rice bowl. Overpriced beer to top it off. Nearly £15 for two pints of draft. Plenty of better places nearby

I was really impressed with both the service and the food at Koya. It was lunch time so obviously busy but we were given a table immediately and served very quickly. The food was fresh, tasty and a very generous portion size. The chicken donburi...

I had the pork miso soup, the broth was delicious, but the rest was a lot of noodles with a few thin slices of pork and some spring onions, so totally overpriced and somewhat disappointing. The agedashi tofu was good and the dashi well done....

We came here for a group dinner on a weekday night, it was busy but the atmosphere was still nice and casual and not too noisy. The staff were very friendly and helpful and luckily very accommodating of different members of our group arriving late...

Food is tasty, however overpriced for what you get. Had the pork and kasu-miso: lots of noodles, a couple of pork pieces and spring onion. No regard to proportions and healthy ingredients. I wouldn't go again.

Much more roomy and pleasant than the Soho location and best of all no queues. The udon is of good quality and the right degree of chewiness. The seaweed salad was disappointing; too vinegry and soggy. The smoked mackerel was excellent. Definitely a good lunch...

Met a friend for lunch who work nearby. Look, for what it is, the food is overpriced but given it is where it is, I think their pricing is reasonable. Some interesting dishes there and for those not familiar with this type of Japanese cuisine,...

Prices were average, food was good but didnt blow me away. Service was good. Ice cream was great!!! The miso caramel ice cream has an INTENSE flavor but if you like that kind of thing you will love it.

This is a fantastic and authentic udon bar and restaurant in the heart of the city with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The menu is extensive with both traditional and more modern udon variations accompanied by other Japanese fare such as don-buri. The staff are...

The food is authentic but felt overpriced. It is different to other options nearby. It is also frustrating that they do not take reservations (but this is to change shortly) or the option to takeaway There is also very limited seating.

Having heard raving reviews of Koya we were excited to finally try it. Only to be majorly dissapointed. The broth was so bland my water had more flavour. It was basically lukewarm water. The udon noodles were also overcooked like they have been sitting in...

Koya is part of that new post-Wagamana breed of Japanese restaurant. Instead of a western take on what we think the full range of Japanese food ought to be, here is a new more authentic more pared-down experience focusing on just one aspect of Japanese...

Koya serves up smooth tunes, welcoming staff and great food. Ultra modern setting. Swift service. Try it.

Popped in as was walking past and so glad I did. The food came quickly and was fresh and hot. I ordered udon noodles. The noodles were the biggest I have ever had but were lovely and soft. The broth it was served in was...

Saw a GQ article saying this is the best udon in London. They were right! No reservations but visiting at 5.30pm on a Monday night there was 4 other people in the whole place. It’s like going to Wagamama - but it’s good.... so you...

well we went at 16.00 so there was no queue. everything was ok, service was perfect and i order the udon with beef and it was amazing like really good you should order that one, also order the fried artichokes with whipped tofu that was...

Tucked within the Bloomberg Arcade, there was a lot of anticipation for a new "proper" Japanese place in the area. With the reputation of serving good Uddon from their location in Soho, I expected a lot from this place. Unfortunately, it did not live up...