ROBATA

4.4 (1977)

£26 to £40

Japanese

56 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 4UE

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Healthy

Specialising in the long-standing tradition of Japanese charcoal cooking.

Head Chef Charles Lee has worked in a number of Michelin starred restaurants during his career before arriving at ROBATA. Possessing a strong command of Asian cuisines from across the globe, Chef Lee has devised a menu which shows the diversity of the country’s food, highlighting traditional cooking techniques and contemporary flavours, along with using the best of British produce.

ROBATA meaning ‘fireside’ specialises in robata grilled charcoal cooking, a Japanese tradition that was first introduced by ancient fishermen who took boxes of hot coals with them on their boats to warm their food at they gathered their day’s catch. While the cooking method has largely stayed the same, the menu is a modern interpretation of some of Japan’s most prized dishes as well as a number of ROBATA signatures sure to please Western pal

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Additional information

Dining style
Elegant Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Japanese Speciality
Hours of Operation
Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–10:30 pm
Phone number
020 7287 5766
Website
http://robata.co.uk/
Payment Options
AMEX, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Smart Casual
Executive Chef
Charles Lee

Location
56 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 4UE
Area
Soho
Cross Street
Between Dean Street and Wardour Street
Parking Details
Street Parking
Public transport
Soho Leicester Square Piccadilly Circus Tottenham Court Road Oxford Circus Covent Garden
Additional
Gluten-free Options

Mixed Sashimi Set£17.00
salmon, tuna & sea bass (2pcs of each)
Deluxe Sashimi Set£29.00
salmon, tuna, scallop yellowtail & sea bass (2pcs of each)
Sashimi£12.00
Salmon
Sashimi£16.00
Bluefin Tuna
Sashimi£10.00
Scallop (4pcs)
Sashimi£14.00
Sea Bass
Sashimi£16.00
Yellowtail
Nigiri (2pcs)£7.00
Salmon
- Aburi Salmon£8.00
Nigiri (2pcs)£9.00
Bluefin Tuna
- Aburi Bluefin Tuna£10.00
Nigiri (2pcs)£12.00
Scallop
- Aburi Scallops£13.00
Nigiri (2pcs)£7.00
Sea Bass
- Aburi Sea Bass£8.00
Tataki (5pcs)£14.00
Beef
Tataki (5pcs)£15.00
Bluefin Tuna
Tataki (5pcs)£13.00
Salmon
Tuna Tartar£13.00
green wasabi tobiko, quail egg & black truffle aioli
Sea Bass Ceviche£11.00
coriander yuzu soy & aji amarillo & red chilli

Signature Rolls

Dragon Roll£16.00
ebi prawn, cucumber avocado, spicy mayo & unagi sauce
Aburi Salmon Roll£16.00
avocado, crab meat, spicy & yuzu mayo, orange tobiko
Rainbow Roll£17.00
avocado, cucumber asparagus, yuzu mayo, orange tobiko, salmon, bluefin tuna & sea bass
Prawn Tempura Roll£13.00
cucumber, avocado, chives, orange tobiko, wasabi mayo & unagi glaze
Soft Shell Crab Roll£12.00
gochujang mayo, cucumber chives & orange tobiko
Spicy Tuna Roll£13.00
chilli mayo, chive, avocado cucumber & jalapeno puree
California Roll£13.00
crab meat, avocado, chives & yuzu mayo
Vegan Roll£9.00
avocado, cucumber, asparagus, carrot & sushi ginger sauce (vg)
Salmon Roll£12.00
asparagus, avocado, crispy shallot & yuzu mayo

Small Plates

Steamed Edamame (vg)£5.00
maldon sea salt sweet spicy soy
Homemade Kimchi (vg)£5.00
Wasabi Prawn (4pcs)£11.00
Ebi prawn, mayo, yuzu & wasabi
J.Fried Karaage£9.00
chicken thigh & gochujang mayo
Chilli Pepper Squid£11.00
yuzu & coriander
Pork Gyoza (4pcs)£9.00
homemade || waterchestnut shitake, spring onion & chilli soy
Kimchi Gyoza (4pcs)£8.00
homemade || cabbage, carrot spring onion, seaweed & chilli soy
Crispy Duck Salad£12.00
hoisin sauce & was dressing
BBQ Chicken Wings£10.00
yakinku, sesame seed spring onion
Prawn Tempura£10.00
Vegetable Tempura£8.00
Padron Pepper£8.00
yuzu zest, sweet pepper & miso sauce

Bao Buns

J.Fried Chicken£14.00
sweet spicy glaze, kimchi & pickled daikon
Braised Beef Short Ribs£17.00
lettuce, pickled daikon, cucumber & chipotle miso
Soft Shell Crab£15.00
spicy mayo, cucumber & red chilli, frilluce lettuce
Crispy Duck£16.00
lettuce, pickled daikon, carrot, mayo & hoisin sauce

Robata Skewers

Chicken Thigh£4.50
sweet soy glaze & spring onion
Iberico Pork Pluma£5.00
black pepper miso
Beef Fillet£5.00
sweet spicy soy
Pork Belly£4.50
apple gochujang glaze
Hand Dived Scallop (2pcs)£10.00
apple & hizami wasabi
King Oyster Mushroom£3.50
sansho pepper & chipotle glaze (vg)
Asparagus£3.50
sweet sesame soy & sesame seed (vg)
Corn on Cob£3.00
miso glaze & crushed wasabi peas (vg)
Lamb Breast£4.50
homemade || japanese 5 spice & lime

Robata Large

BBQ Free-Range Chicken£20.00
bbq glaze & pickled daikon
Miso Aubergine£14.00
pickled shimi mushroom & red chilli (vg)
Black Cod£34.00
spicy miso & japanese pickled cucumber
Pork Ribs£18.00
yakiniku, spring onions & sesame seed
Hay Flamed Beef Fillet£34.00
smoked and cooked over hay, served with yakiniku, chimichurri & chilli oil
Mushroom Tobanyaki£16.00
assorted mushroom, sake & yuzu (vg)
Wood Flamed Iberico Pork Pluma£26.00
black pepper miso & sweet pickled green apple

Bowls

Kimchi Rice£9.00
homemade kimchi, nori, spring onion & fried egg (v)
Truffle Fries£8.00
nori, porcini & truffle mayo (v)
Green Salad£5.00
maldon sea salt & olive oil (vg)
Wakame Salad£6.00
Tobiko Salad£7.00
Rice£3.50
steamed || sushi
- Sushi Rice£4.00
- Steamed Rice£3.50

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at ROBATA.

4.4

(1977)

4.5Food
4.4Service
4.2Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Robata offered a delightful range of dishes, including "fantastic karaage chicken, sushi, and squid." Diners praised its "intimate friendly vibe" and "great authentic food," with particular mentions of the "black cod to die for." While service and menu presentation occasionally received mixed feedback, the overall dining experience was "excellent," with highlights such as the crispy duck bao and pork belly. Despite its closure, Robata left a lasting impression as "definitely worth another visit" for its flavorful offerings and welcoming atmosphere.

1,976 Reviews

S
Simon
London14 reviews
5.0
Dined on 14 August 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Love the good - fantastic karaage chicken, sushi and squid. Never disappoints!
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D
Dom
Orange County2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 14 August 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Black Cod to die for! Intimate friendly vibe, reasonable prices and great authentic food.
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J
James Gold
Denver / Colorado35 reviews
5.0
Dined on 25 July 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always excellent food. We always eat here every time we visit London. Best sushi in the city.
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H
Hugh Gold
London122 reviews
4.0
Dined on 24 July 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Hadn't been here since visiting when it opened and was really impressed. It's an appealing menu, the food was mostly excellent (only disappointment was the chicken kara age which had the dry texture of chicken nuggets rather than the juiciness of good kara age.) We particularly enjoyed the crispy duck bao and the prawn tempura sushi roll. Portions were generous and our meal overall was very good value. Feedback would be that the music felt at odds with the atmosphere (80s soft rock/90s power ballads!) and lots of things were crossed out on the menu with Sharpie rather than having new menus printed, which felt a bit cheap! But overall I was impressed and will definitely be back sooner next time!
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K
Kelly Gold
London18 reviews
1.0
Dined on 17 July 2026
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
We arrived on a Friday evening at around 9:30 pm and were immediately asked if we had a reservation. I hadn’t bothered making one because we were only five minutes away. When I said we didn’t, I was told they don’t accept walk-ins. I replied that I’d just make a reservation online, and as I was doing so on my phone, the waitress looked noticeably disappointed before eventually seating us. Unfortunately, the experience didn’t improve from there. The service felt rushed, and the food was underwhelming. The sushi rolls were overloaded with sauce, which overwhelmed the flavours, and the presentation was quite sloppy in places. While we were there, I watched the same waitress turn away four more groups of walk-in customers. It just seemed like a strange way to run a restaurant, especially when there were tables available. Overall, it wasn’t an experience I’d be keen to repeat. I think management need to revise their “no-walk in” policy for an empty restaurant in the heart of Soho….The cocktails were syrup sweet and the beer flat.
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E
Edith Gold
Las Vegas89 reviews
3.0
Dined on 8 July 2026
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
The sushi list was pretty limited but good. There was yellow tail sashimi but when is asked for yellow tail nigiri, I was told they don’t have yellowtail nigiri only sashimi, strange. The server was nice. The place was clean. One side of the table, for six of us, had chairs the other side was a bench. All in all, the food was good and as it was close to the theater where we were going it worked out great.
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C
Catherine
London4 reviews
3.0
Dined on 2 July 2026
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
We enjoyed cocktails, food and wine. Everything was lovely .... I just wished the drinks had been served together, it was a bit random, and the food delivery spaced out a bit more, so it felt less rushed. The food was delicious and fresh and overall really good value, but I felt not enough sashimi to justify the price on that dish.
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T
Trevor Gold
London24 reviews
4.0
Dined on 27 June 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Went here for lunch, the choice of dishes is fantastic from sushi to beef fillet & black cod. The ceviche, black cod and Iberico pork were delightful. It’s reasonably priced for central London & definitely worth another visit.
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A
Anna Gold
London2 reviews
3.0
Dined on 24 June 2026
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 1
Hot day - only customers in the place. Not a huge effort being made. Good food though
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U
Uberto Gold
London39 reviews
5.0
Dined on 19 June 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Robata is always a great spot in Soho. Sushi and the skewers are excellent and service is brilliant
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Additional information

Dining style
Elegant Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Japanese Speciality
Hours of Operation
Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Sat 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–10:30 pm
Phone number
020 7287 5766
Website
http://robata.co.uk/
Payment Options
AMEX, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress Code
Smart Casual
Executive Chef
Charles Lee

Location
56 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 4UE
Area
Soho
Cross Street
Between Dean Street and Wardour Street
Parking Details
Street Parking
Public transport
Soho Leicester Square Piccadilly Circus Tottenham Court Road Oxford Circus Covent Garden
Additional
Gluten-free Options

Featured in

FAQs

Yes, ROBATA is well suited to a date night, with several guests praising its intimate lighting and reporting successful anniversary and couples visits.

Yes, ROBATA offers clearly labelled vegetarian and vegan dishes, such as the Vegan Roll, Miso Aubergine and Truffle Fries (vg)/(v).

ROBATA is a compact, long dining room with closely set tables (bench seating on one side), an open robata grill/open kitchen you can watch, and a bar, the venue also accepts private parties.

Yes, families do dine at ROBATA: one reviewer mentions enjoying sushi with their daughter, and another visited for a child’s birthday, indicating children are welcomed.

Smart casual is the guide, polished but relaxed, with many guests dressing up a touch for birthdays and anniversaries.

ROBATA's early‑bird and brunch offerings are often described as generous, guests say the portions left them comfortably full.

ROBATA is a great pre-theatre and early-evening choice, many guests praise it for pre-theatre dinners and early sittings (around 5:30pm); Sunday lunchtime is often a quieter time.

How FAQ content is generated

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

ROBATA

About this restaurant

Permanently Closed

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Additional information

Raws & Sushi

Mixed Sashimi Set£17.00

Deluxe Sashimi Set£29.00

Sashimi£12.00

Sashimi£16.00

Sashimi£10.00

Sashimi£14.00

Sashimi£16.00

Nigiri (2pcs)£7.00

Nigiri (2pcs)£9.00

Nigiri (2pcs)£12.00

Nigiri (2pcs)£7.00

Tataki (5pcs)£14.00

Tataki (5pcs)£15.00

Tataki (5pcs)£13.00

Tuna Tartar£13.00

Sea Bass Ceviche£11.00

Signature Rolls

Dragon Roll£16.00

Aburi Salmon Roll£16.00

Rainbow Roll£17.00

Prawn Tempura Roll£13.00

Soft Shell Crab Roll£12.00

Spicy Tuna Roll£13.00

California Roll£13.00

Vegan Roll£9.00

Salmon Roll£12.00

Small Plates

Steamed Edamame (vg)£5.00

Homemade Kimchi (vg)£5.00

Wasabi Prawn (4pcs)£11.00

J.Fried Karaage£9.00

Chilli Pepper Squid£11.00

Pork Gyoza (4pcs)£9.00

Kimchi Gyoza (4pcs)£8.00

Crispy Duck Salad£12.00

BBQ Chicken Wings£10.00

Prawn Tempura£10.00

Vegetable Tempura£8.00

Padron Pepper£8.00

Bao Buns

J.Fried Chicken£14.00

Braised Beef Short Ribs£17.00

Soft Shell Crab£15.00

Crispy Duck£16.00

Robata Skewers

Chicken Thigh£4.50

Iberico Pork Pluma£5.00

Beef Fillet£5.00

Pork Belly£4.50

Hand Dived Scallop (2pcs)£10.00

King Oyster Mushroom£3.50

Asparagus£3.50

Corn on Cob£3.00

Lamb Breast£4.50

Robata Large

BBQ Free-Range Chicken£20.00

Miso Aubergine£14.00

Black Cod£34.00

Pork Ribs£18.00

Hay Flamed Beef Fillet£34.00

Mushroom Tobanyaki£16.00

Wood Flamed Iberico Pork Pluma£26.00

Bowls

Kimchi Rice£9.00

Truffle Fries£8.00

Green Salad£5.00

Wakame Salad£6.00

Tobiko Salad£7.00

Rice£3.50

Review summary

Additional information

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