11 years after initially opening in Fitzrovia, Koba re-launched in February on Rathbone Place after a full refurbishment from owner and chef Linda Lee.

Perhaps historically not as popular in London as other Asian cuisines, Korean food has had a surge in popularity over recent years, but most restaurants have been towards the casual end of the spectrum.

Koba’s new look and menu sits somewhere in the middle: smart and elegant enough for a business lunch or romantic dinner; accessible enough to pop in for a week day catch up with friends.

Start your dinner with the delicious prawn pan-fried dumplings and the light but spicy deep fried calamari with Korean dips. Another surprising hit was the patterned rice cake, served with Korean honey dip.

With table-top burners and an extractor fan as the centrepiece to your table, ordering a dish to cook at your table is a must.

Try the Koba BBQ Selection of rib eye, beef spare rib, pork belly, spicy chicken, prawn, baby octopus, and vegetables. Top quality ingredients and a little theatricality go well together at Koba.

Accompany this with traditional dishes such as kimchi and bibimbab rice dishes while sipping on traditional Korean soju.

Mochi balls and red bean jelly with green tea ice-cream make perfect palate cleaners as desserts.

Koba is a great introduction to Korean food for the uninitiated in smart, fun surroundings. Service is warm and friendly, with the charismatic Linda leading the way.

For further information on Koba, visit their website at www.koblondon.com

If you enjoyed this review of Koba London, you may like to read some of our other recent restaurant reviews including 45 Jermyn St and Sexy Fish.

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