Review: Roka Aldwych

I first visited the bar at Roka's Charlotte Street branch not really knowing anything about it, except that it was rather popular on a Friday night and that there was a pretty swish bar downstairs with some great bar food and cocktails. 

2 years later, I finally made it to the food at the Aldwych site. 

We came on a Saturday night for the set meal at £31 including a glass of bubbles. Of course, we had a drink by the spacious bar first (be rude not to really). The atmosphere as soon as you step in as electric. Wide open space, with a bar area in front with some comfy looking sofas, and the dining area surrounding the open kitchen. I was really looking forward to this dinner. 

Sashimi - from left to right - tuna, salmon & sea bream. The block of ice is an art in itself

I'm not usually a big fan of tuna (cooked or raw) but this one had a texture of jelly and was surprisingly not like tuna (if that makes sense) - I liked it anyway. Fresh and clear, I thoroughly enjoyed the sea bream too.

Roka were very good with substituting dishes for the GFF (Gluten Free Friend) as well as another friend who doesn't eat sashimi. Pictured: beef, ginger and sesame gyoza, gf avocado rolls, green beans with sesame dressing (no dressing for gf), spicy mixed sashimi with tempura and substitute californian sushi rolls.

For a 'starter', we had a lot of food, though we weren't complaining. The sesame dressing was a hit with my fellow diners, it tasted slightly peanut-ty. The tempura wasn't very spicy however, and would have tasted quite bland without the wasabi/soy sauce. We also had to ask for extra wasabi as there wasn't too much of it, plus we're really big fans of wasabi. 

Choice of 3 mains (the chicken with miso also has very high recommendations) - it was a close call between the beef and the sea bream, but I think I made the right choice in the end - sea bream fillet with ryotei miso and red onion. It looks a bit like chicken, and meatier than your average fish, but my gosh the flavour of the miso was incredible and very moorish. The fish was cooked perfectly, falling off with ease and silky soft inside. I could eat this all over again. This dish also comes with a bowl of slightly sticky steamed rice which was ideal. 

The beef sirloin with chilli and spring onion. Both beefs were not exactly cooked to how my friends wanted to have it, a little on the overcooking side, but overall I was told it was pretty good. 

When it comes to dessert, Roka did something I haven't seen before on a set menu - a choice of ANY dessert on the a la carte menu. Amazing. It was a tough choice as I wanted them all (you can actually have a dessert platter for £58 with real portions), but I decided to go for this:

Note the 'Roka' written on top of the chocolate

Which turns into this:

Drak chocolate and green tea pudding with pear ice cream. I don't usually go for chocolate desserts but the green tea intrigued me. Not to sweet and warm, the green-ness of the green tea takes you by surprise (well it did for me anyway). It was soft, gooey and worked well with the pear ice cream. This was another firm favourite. 

Overall, our experience at Roka was pleasant, the service was slightly hit and miss towards the end, almost as though we were now not as important as we'd had all our food, up until then however they had been very helpful. We did actually want to order one more round of drinks afterwards but it wasn't to be. For £31, it was a great deal. I would love to come here for the full menu, bank account permitting. The food was exceptional and it has a great ambience. For me, the stand-out dish has to be the sea bream. It was probably one of the best fish dishes I've eaten in a long time. 

RATING: 4 out of 5 (slightly knocked down for the service)

London Cheap Eats - the ultimate guide to dining out on a budget

A recent study by TripAdvisor sites London as the 7th most expensive city in the world, where an average meal for two costs £66.77.

The million dollar question for London’s food fans on a budget: when dining out in our great city, is it possible to get tasty, fresh and filling food that is truly cheap?

YES. Apparently so. New website www.londoncheapeats.com is the answer. 

It’s no secret London is a pricey city to socialise in, but it’s also full of solid, inexpensive feeds - most people just don’t know where to find them. Looking for a budget brunch dish in Brixton, cheap and cheerful pasta in Primrose Hill, or a finance-friendly lunch spot in Farringdon? London Cheap Eats is here to help. It directs discerning customers to the best places in town to eat well for £8 or less, advising not only where to go, but also what to order once there.

London Cheap Eats is designed to assist both Londoners and visitors alike in seeking out a good dining experience that doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Sure, there’s always a place for the finer things in life, but there’s no arguing that wonderful feeling of having a good meal out, and not recoiling at the sight of the receipts the next day.

London Cheap Eats doesn't guarantee a gourmet dinner or fine dining experience, but what it can promise is a solid and tasty feed on the cheap. Chuck in a couple of beers and a few good friends, and that sounds like a pretty good time to us.

 Founder, Leyla Kazim, said:
"I like to go out as much as I can. I still very much wanted to be an active member of London's dining scene, enjoying the fantastic meals it has to offer on a frequent basis, but without the £20-£60 (and beyond) price tag each time. And I figured there would be others like me.
"I thought to myself: wouldn't it be great if there was an insider guide to the best budget food in London, made up of trusted and objective opinions, suggesting not only where to go, but also what to order?
"As I pondered this, I realised it didn't exist - I figured I'd better do something about that. And so, the idea of London Cheap Eats came to be."

London Cheap Eats founder and creator Leyla Kazim is a food and travel writer and photographer based in London.