Oba Korean & Japanese Kitchen & Bar in Leeds

Fabulous good lovely staff can't fault anything

Went in for drink before the arena. Wish I'd have stopped here for food as it smelt amazing. However the drinks were really lovely. Will be returning for food.

We came here on a Sat evening. The restaurant is nice and small. The service was great, staff were attentive. I think some of the portions were lacking for what we paid for, especially the fish taco. Although it was tasty, I wasn't expecting the sushi taco to be that small. Overall the food was nice. Also (as pictured) they have the cutest cutlery set in Leeds.

Went here on a Saturday at 12 pm. On arrival, we were seated quickly and given menus. However, there was a man inside cleaning all of the windows, which was very distracting, this should have been done at a quieter time when there weren't any people trying to enjoy their food. Aside from this, I thought the food was very good. We ordered ramen with Tokyo beef and kimchi as sides. The only issue I had overall was the quality of the service provided. The staff weren't overly attentive, two of them stood to the side just looking out of the windows. And when the bill came, the server didn't make any eye contact with us, ask us how the food was, she didn't say anything at all! When we left, we didn't get a 'goodbye' or 'have a nice day', which is something I expect from an establishment like this. Unfortunately, i wouldn't come here again based on this.

Thank you to each and every member of the staff for the amazing food and service. You all made my daughter’s 18th birthday special. She had a wonderful time with her friends. Everyone complimented on the food and drinks . We shall be back soon

Would definitely come back for the lunch bento set that's just £12.50 for sooo much food! The side dishes were all delicious as well (except the karage chicken had thick and undercooked batter), especially the truffle edamame and miso soup. The Korean fried chicken is one of the more authentic ones I've tried!! Wouldn't really recommend the katsu chicken, texture was off (I think it's been velveted for too long, was a little bouncy which was weird for breast meat). I tried their dry stir fried soba noodles as well and it was also delicious!! I don't have a picture but their bibimbap is also to die for. Overall, a great place to eat when you're out for sure!!

Super value Bento boxes Miso Soup delicious!

The staff is extremely pleasant and helpful, and the atmosphere is absolutely fantastic! Both the quantities and the flavour of the food are excellent.

If i could give more than 5 stars i would! The staff were very kind and attentive and made me and my friends feel welcomed and comfortable from start to finish. The food was amazing and the vibe of the restaurant itself is perfect. I would 100% recommend and will definitely be coming back the next time im in Leeds :)

Really enjoyed a meal for a show at the arena round the corner, tasty food and great service

Very delicious! The service staff is proficient in Korean, Chinese and English, and will personally bibimbap and smile. The dishes are very authentic and affordable! 非常好吃！It is good for business people, it is good for Korean language, Chinese culture, English language, etc. Damn! Very delicious! The service staff are fluent in Korean, Chinese, and English, and they make the bibimbap themselves and smile. The dishes are very authentic and affordable!

How lucky to be able to eat such delicious food in Leeds

Highly recommended here ,It became my daily dinner favorite places now . The seafood bibimbap and gyudon you must try !!!!

Honestly couldn't find anything bad to say about this place. The service was impeccable - the staff were friendly but not overbearing, very attentive but not in an annoying way and extremely friendly! The food was amazing, the pumpkin croquettes in particular were lush. I liked the fact that they separated the vegetarian options as well, it had a good variety. Would definitely go again. :)

Great meal for daughters 21st, we all got different dishes and they were all lovely, would definitely recommend, balloons, card and birthday cocktail were a very nice touch and much appreciated. Will definitely visit again ☺️

Great food, good prices and excellent service by Vee. The music was a bit loud.

GREAT food and staff super friendly :) great value for money too!

the best korean restaurant in leeds

I was just today ,kimchi rice is amazing

The food is really yummy and affordable. Staff is friendly, we were served by Travis and got the very good service. Worth visiting when we came to Leeds.

Delicious food! The staff were kind enough to set up celebration balloons for my partners graduation without us asking. We even got a polaroid taken to remember our day. Our waitress (I believe her name was Jean?) made us feel so welcome. Please support this business!

Best Korean and Japanese restaurant in Leeds. I haven’t yet ordered anything that I didn’t like. The do amazing food and great service. The staff are lovely and attentive. The place is very clean, reasonably priced, and fast service. The food tastes unreal! So fresh and delicious.

highly recommended . As someone who isn't particularly fond of sushi, I was a bit apprehensive but decided to give it a try. However, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. A welcoming atmosphere. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive. The quality and presentation was beautiful, making the whole dining experience enjoyable. Third time coming here

It takes good, recommended for fish cake and rice cake.

it’s tasty and the service is good!!

Went here with a big party, for graduation celebrations and we had an amazing time! We were given our own floor and with own wait staff and they even added some balloons of their own which was lovely. They really made an already special day even more memorable!

Was here on Monday and the food was nicely seasoned, good portion size and the server had great customer service as well. Good price for everything too!

Really tasty food with a lot of good options on the menu. Staff were super welcoming, friendly and attentive. The cocktails were beautifully presented and tasted amazing. We all had a lovely and memorable time and will definitely be coming back :)

I love, love, love this restaurant so much so I've been twice in a month. The food is spectacular and there's a real variety which the staff are happy to adjust based on your needs. I'd recommend the Kang Poong Gi (Korean Fried Chicken with Sweet Chilli sauce), the beef Bibimbap and the Jinro Mango Soju as a drink. The service here is excellent, they'll top your wine up for you, bring you little extras (a boilermaker!) and mix your food at the table for you. I can't wait to go back again soon. Thanks Oba.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon with my family and the meal was great but the outstanding element was the service. They really made us feel like welcome, were very attentive and so nice to the kids . Cant recommend enough .

Had a lovely meal. Food was very fresh Waiters were friendly attentive and very efficient.

A very lovely place. The service was friendly, swift, and well paced. The food was phenomenal. I cannot recommend the ebi gyoza enough - just brilliant! It is a small joint, seating maybe 26 people, so would recommend booking. Walk ins were available midweek, 6pm, on a non-gig night when I went, but feel that any one of things not being true, booking is recommended!

Unbelievable food, incredible service, we had a very enjoyable experience before going to our girls aloud concert, can’t recommend enough

We had a lovely meal before going to girls aloud. The staff were brilliant. We were very well looked after. Thank you for a great experience.

Cannot recommend enough, incredible food and service. Thank you 🤩

Oh gosh, the food was so nice here! Went for a pumpkin katsu bento and a tofu soya ramen and they were both banging. The katsu sauce in particular was delicious... deep and rich in flavour, with a nice bit of warmth and a bit of a kick, too! 🙂 Staff were very polite and helpful 🙂

Ordered the seafood bibimbap which was so tasty and a huge portion.

Came for a birthday meal out, and as I had booked before hand and let them know the occasion they had set up a special table with balloons and a card, and they brought me out a free drink, literally going above and beyond. The food was lush and the staff were friendly and helpful, will definitely be eating here again!

Very expensive for the service and food they offer

Really lovely staff and the food was amazing !

Lovely staff, really could food. Lots of vegetarian options!

Really nice garlic prawn spring roll ！I love the bibimbap. Service soooooo good

Being forced to pay 10% service charge when it is optional kinda ruins what was a nice meal out with friends. And don't lie about it being the Merrion Centre making it complusory, this is your decision alone. The fact you can lie to us with a nervous face just says it all. Edit: Great reply, v professional. I've been to a few restaurants in Leeds and decided to give the ratings for my experiences in past few months all in one go and you now accuse me of lying for what you did? No problem Ill be sure to let my friends give you the same feedback later. Thanks for showing your poor behaviour online as well just the same as when we were there. No point deleting your comment I have it screenshotted, you're welcome 👍

Food is good quality most times and tasty but not fully authentic. overpriced. £12 pound for a six pieces of kimbap is a lot. On top of it isn't even authentic kimbap sticking in avocados in kimbap is insane!

A nice place with good food and staff. I had kimchi rice with bacon, and it was very tasty indeed. Recommended!

Marvellous gastropub with a cracking Sunday roast.

One of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Amazing service, very nice owner and mouth watering food. Can’t recommend more.

2-for-£14 Cocktails (Sun-Thur) were very well crafted and presented. Relaxed atmosphere in Bar Area with ambiance music. Will return to try their menu offerings as each Cocktail thoroughly enjoyed. Would love Happy Hour promotion to be available weekends.

very nice food, just a bit spicy but it’s worth it and it’s helping mine and my friends spice tolerance, waiters so lovely and polite. felt very welcomed. also surprised me with a card and balloons for my birthday. atmosphere were lovely

Great food and excellent service, highly recommended!

Well situated bar and Asian kitchen with a nice atmosphere and friendly / attentive staff. We enjoyed the sushi starter but found the main courses to be lacking in quality, flavour and creativity. I was disappointed with the chicken in the kimchi fried rice which I suspected was pre-cooked given the watery taste and flavour. My partner's salmon portion was on the smaller side and dry and overcooked. Such a shame for such a nice place, I won't be returning.

Had a great time here, the sushi and drinks were amazing and staff were so nice to us, looking forward to coming back to try the bento and ramen.

Went here because it was one of few places near the arena could get a booking before a show, and was v impressed. Food was mostly really tasty- wasn’t mad keen on the salt and pepper squid - the powdered cheese on it wasn’t to our taste - but the chicken gyoza and kimchi fried rice were delicious and the service was fantastic, will definitely go again

Had some lovely sushi, gyzoa and fried Korean chicken.

Great Bento boxes, especially the vegetarian ones.

Oba is by far my favourite place to go for dates when we visit Leeds. The food is amazing, staff are so friendly & take good care of you while you're there, the vibes are immaculate. Even when trying new things that aren't necessarily for you, they're still great & you can appreciate that it's done well. 10/10 will continue to keep coming back. ☺️

Great food, attentive staff and nice atmosphere. Will definitely go again next time I'm in Leeds.

When booking my boyfriend noted that we were visiting for my birthday and when we arrived there was a birthday card on the table and some balloons! Service was fantastic and the food was incredible. We were even offered a complimentary birthday drink as we were leaving which was such a nice touch!

Nice atmosphere with welcoming staff.

An amazing restaraunt with a lovely atmosphere, staff were very friendly and explained everything well and the food was delicious

Delicious food and fantastic service

Thank you for hosting Nancy lunch this afternoon, had a lovely relaxed snack, the service was friendly, attentive and very professional, every dish was lovely, full of flavour and wonderfully presented, the restaurant itself was very clean, modern with a chill vibe. Definitely will be back to try an evening setting. Thanks again everyone

Came here for a late lunch. Great vegetarian options and I loved the veg teobokki. The bibimbap was good but wasn't to my taste. The staff were really helpful and easy to have a conversation with.

Excellent food here, was really filling and prices reasonable for it. Had great meat/veggie options and a good drinks menu with wine and cocktails.

Incredible food and service, will definitely be coming here again

I have tried Ramen with Oden. It was good in taste. Service was really good. Got a keychain as a Christmas gift as well.

Could not fault a single thing with Oba. We were waited on hand and foot. The food was the best I've had outside of Japan and also the first restaurant I've found that serves actual beef Gyudon. The cocktails unique to Oba are absolutely flawless as well. One of the best dining experiences I've had in years.

Food was delicious and the service great. Can't ask for more !

Top notch everything especially the garlic prawn rolls.great service and nice atmosphere.👍

Had a great birthday experience here for my partner. She had an amazing time. Great good and drinks.

The food, the cocktails, the service - everything was perfect! We went for bottomless brunch and it was the perfect experience. Huge shout out to our server Shelly who made sure the next cocktail was always coming. Highly recommend!

I go here with my mum every time she comes to visit me in Leeds. Our favourite place for dinner. Very friendly and welcoming staff. Food is delicious!

Great restaurant. Lovely setting, friendly staff, good service and the food was great!

Went for a birthday meal, had written this on the booking and the staff were lovely enough to decorate our table for the occasion. The staff were extremely nice and friendly, offering a free birthday cocktail. Food was amazing. Overall good quality tasty food and friendly staff couldn’t recommend enough :)

Perfect food and service 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The service was amazing,they were s9 polite and quick to keep the table clear,food was brought quickly, the stake was amazing so was the Brownie,my whole family enjoyed their time and food. They also have very reasonable prices.

Super friendly staff and delicious food. Hight highly recommend 👌

The food and the service were abysmal. Starters came at different times as did the mains. The quality of the food was very poor and left me with food poisoning with episodes at both ends for 24 hours.

I ate here 12 months ago and when a colleague and I wanted somewhere good to eat I suggested Oba. Excellent food and exemplary service. Highly recommended.

Amazing food, great service and reasonably priced!

Fairly smallish restaurant in Leeds but a nice atmosphere and good food. Took my girlfriend with me to eat here and had a great time. We ordered the salmon and tuna sushi, Ttokkbokki with fishcakes and seafood bibimbap. All were great and fairly spicy but not overwhelming. Great on a cold, rainy day. The bits of crispy rice and soft, chewy rice cakes were nice. The staff were fairly nice, and we were seated quickly and served fairly fast. We got our tea refill easily and had no trouble. Overall, it is a charming restaurant with nice Korean food.

HIDDEN GEM ALERT! Visited Oba for my post graduation meal last weekend, booking on the premise of the good reviews, although it was somewhere I had not visited personally before. SO glad I took the risk - everything was flawless. We were a table of 6, and were moved upstairs to allow us more space and a quieter environment without asking. This was such a nice touch as my Nanny who was with us is hard of hearing, and we were also with my little brother who is neurodivergent and sometimes struggles in loud, busy environments. They also turned the music and heating down for us without query when we asked. Oba is clean, has a lovely atmosphere and the staff are so attentive and accommodating. All of the food and drinks we had were delicious, and I was even given a free cocktail and congratulated many times by the staff on my graduation. I would recommend Oba to everyone (as I already have done) and will definitely be going back in the future to try more of the menu. Thanks so much for an amazing experience, keep doing what you do!

Lovelly food and lovelly place to go.

Great food and bibimbap bowl served in a hot stone dish, stays hot for ages and is mixed/served to you at the table. The food is really good. It's quite expensive but it is good quality. The salt and pepper cheese is quite something to taste. The kimchi is tasty. Worth a visit.

The restaurant and service were spot on. Didn't like the fact you couldn't have half rice and half chips. Chips were disappointing and sauce was very thin.

Fabulous food and service. Definitely recommend to others and will be visiting again.

Went out for my brothers birthday and was a little dissapointed? The food quality was amazing I had an eel donburi which was amazing but my miso soup was cold and the duck my father ordered was also cold. They also messed our order up and one member of our group had to eat when everyone else had finished. They knocked the price of that dish off the bill which was considerate, but it still had a 10 percent table charge. As a whole was good food but I've had better experiences in similar Leeds restaurants.

I want to thank Oba for being such a unique restaurant. Not only is the food delicious, the staff absolutely amazing and the atmosphere one of a kind but the staff at Oba went their way to make me a surprise for my birthday. By the time I have arrived at the restaurant, the table was decorated, had balloons prepared and was gifted a card wishing me happy birthday (the sweetest honestly!!). After finishing the fantastic food (would recommend the kimchi fried rice and topokki- scrumptious!!), i was served a birthday drink and the staff sang happy birthday to me which i was really touched by. Thank you so much to the staff and chefs for making my birthday special. Will forever remember the experience!!

Great place to eat. Amazing food and fair prices. Great for birthdays! Servers were friendly and went the extra mile. Will go again for sure.

We visited there without booking. It was Tuesday night and no one was there.I had great Bibimbap and Asahi tap, Made me so happy! Great customer service and it’s at the Merrion centre the location is convenient too.

Superb food and service, the best I've had

Delicious food at reasonable price. Nice decoration. Convenient location. Very good!

This is a nice Korean place in the heart of Leeds. We were 5 of us (2 kids) for lunch and the place was just filling up around lunch time. Service is good. The place has a lot of natural light, which we liked. We ordered the following : 1) Topokki with fish cake in Korean Sweet Chili Sauce - We asked the chef to ring down the spice a little for the kids. This was a well balanced dish (I have had spicier topokki in Singapore). The rice cakes were nice and chewy and we opted for the extra cheese. 2) Honey Mustard chicken - Another dish that was done right. Chicken glazed with honey and mustard. Nice to bit into and savour. 3) OBA Salt & Pepper Karaage cheese powdered chicken wings - This was just ok according to me. Chicken a bit too bony for my liking. 4) Chicken Teriyaki - Soft tender chicken, this was really good. Teriyaki sauce is served on the side, so you can choose to dip our pour. We poured so the chicken mixes well with the sauce. 5) Apple & Elderflower fizz and Passion Fruit cooler - some mocktails to wash it all down! No

So glad we came here as it was the only meal we had in our fleeting visit to Leeds. The service, food and ambiance was great. The seafood japchae and chicken katsu curry are highly recommended.

So glad I found this place, it's beautiful. I was surprised it wasn't as busy as it deserves but it was a Sunday afternoon. Staff are so, so lovely and very attentive, their service was 5* and the food... Insane. I'll be going back as soon as possible! Very fairly priced too. Highly recommend. Thank you to all at Oba for a lovely, lovely time

Generous amount of serving, food was good. The staffs were friendly and accommodating

Under cooked salmon, overcooked steak, plates removed before people have finished. Otherwise nice atmosphere.

Absolutely loved this place, staff were lovely, helpful and friendly and the food was perfect, may be the best food I've ever tasted. Definitely worth trying. And Definitely ill be going back for more food. Thank you OBA. Your restaurant is amazing 😊😇

Really nice food and the staff were friendly and polite the restaurant was excellent very clean and satisfying would recommend it to everyone who wants a great meal with friendly staff 👍😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😃😃😃

Did lunch, food was spot on, would recommend and will be back