Roketsu

This was such an incredible meal. The service was impeccable and every dish was so thoughtfully crafted. The meal was very authentically Japanese with some ingredients, like the seaweed used for the kombu, from Japan. I have been to Kyoto and this meal surpassed even some of the amazing kaiseki meals I had in Kyoto. The restaurant was also very thoughtful about food restrictions and was able to account for someone in our group who doesn’t eat raw fish. Highly recommend Roketsu for a special occasion!

+2

Just had the brand new lunch menu. Took me back to my days in Japan- delicious but also healthy food and really get a wide variety of dishes/Japanese ingredients. Was particularly impressed by the gozen box. Also the service was fantastic.

The most authentic Kaiseki restaurant in London, Roketsu, is amazing. We had the nine-course menu, which changes every month. The flavours and presentation were stunning. A food experience

Creative presentation, freshly prepared in front of you if you get the counter seating.

Roketsu is one of the best Japanese restaurants in london, you will need to give at least one week for advanced booking. The taste is amazing, lobster tempura is fired to excellent condition. fish tsukuri and slow (3 days) cooked iberico pork is quite reasonable. I and my wife were also given a cup of koyto tea and crown melon for celebrate brithday.

+6

Enjoyed a wonderful night in Roketsu with absolutely premium quality, authenticated Kaiseki dishes. Even not easy to find such quality in Japan and Hong Kong.

+5

The real taste of Japan but in London! A wonderful experience it was like being back in Japan again! Hayashi san and his team offers a more relaxed atmosphere for Kaiseki ryori and incorporates seasonal ingredients from the UK and Europe but delivers an authentic Japanese taste, even the water used for dashi has been considered carefully. Service from the staff was excellent as expected and they would share the story and background of the restaurant which added to the overall experience - like the story of the decor especially the beautiful hinoki wood counter gifted from his mentor Murata san from Kyoto which adds to that lovely Kikunoi connection.

+4

Amazing Kyoto Kaiseki restaurant with traditional and modern dishes. Love the fresh ingredients and technique to deliver an unforgettable experience!! We really enjoyed the langoustine and o-toro sashimi. Dishes were accompanied by an amazing selection of sake and wine pairing !! Well done sommelier!!

+6

Incredible Japanese restaurant, easily Michelin star level. Good is creative and the way the sashimi is prepared is outstanding. Served with freshly grated wasabi and a wide range of hot and cold saki, the food stands out as 100% authentic Japanese. I'd recommend the 10 course set menu at the bar for the truly authentic experience.

+6

Had a lovely time, the waiters were very attentive and the chefs very professional. Really enjoyed the food! Absolutely loved the personal touch of watching the chefs wrap your leftover rice to take back home. Would love to come back for their summer menu

+5

As always, a superlative experience. It is great to return and find that the things that made my last experience so special remain unchanged. The service is outstanding and the food is divine (I went for the main dining area Kaiseki option). I don’t think there are many (any?) options in london that exceed this in terms of overall quality. Only downside is that, at 9 courses, you need to come hungry else you just won’t manage to go through all the available courses.

+6

If you like fish and Japan, you'll love the experience here. They have a whole set menu of courses lined up, with details and stories about the seasons of the year, with a beautifully decorated interior, materials even imported from Japan. The room is a private area, and the staff are just wonderful! Joe

I went with my wife last night after she had booked two seats sometime in December. Wow - all I can say is that the entire experience was so worth it. The ambiance and design are beautiful, minimalist and intimate. The food was absolutely incredible from start to finish - so many different flavors and textures. The menu changes every month in accordance with kaiseki's focus on seasonality and we had the New Year's experience. We had the wine and sake pairing and were pleasantly surprised that it featured more sake than wine, but the three wine choices were very good. In fact, the sommelier was very charming, knowledgable and good fun! The service was top notch and everyone was very welcoming. The entire experience was quite unique for London and it is definitely something you should try for a special occasion. We will definitely be back with our friends and whenever we want to feel like we're in Kyoto! Thank you so much for the wonderful evening.

+4

Absolutely stunning Japanese kaiseki-style meal. All the dishes were gorgeously plated and oh-so delicious. The service was excellent and the atmosphere intimate and cosy. Would recommend!

+6

What an amazing place. We went for lunch and order a la carte but every dish was amazing! The freshness and the quality were just outstanding. The toro was incredible and even the simplest things such as vegetable tempura. Definitely should have a star

Something completely unique for London. Dinner at Roketsu, Kaiseki, a traditional Japanese multi-course meal. Chef Daisuke Hayashi has created something quite exceptional. His cuisine is based on dashi and the flavours of the seasonal ingredients themselves. Only 10 seats on a counter where the room’s interior was made in Kyoto and shipped to London. Chef cooks and prepares everything in front of you. Really interactive. If you want something completely different and and prepared to try new tastes and textures it is an easy recommendation. This will no doubt be awarded Michelin stars and and once word gets out I’m sure will become one of the hardest seats to get in London.

It was an excellent evening hosted by chef Hayashi and team. We felt we were brought back to Japan and were treated to a wonderful 10 course kaiseki, crafted masterfully with fresh and creatively used ingredients. We look forward to our next visit!

Best tradicional Japanese restaurant in London. I personal y recommend rating at the counter it’s omakase menu

The staff were all amazing. So friendly, happy to explain when we needed it. The food was so authentic and made me think of all the times I spent in Japan. The happy birthday was such an unexpected treat too. Would love to come back again for another season!

Beautiful atmosphere, food is fantastic, perfect services. Was really impressive for me. And I highly recommended with sake and wine paring.

Finely balanced and imaginative Kyoto keiseki menu in the heart of London. Seasonal and original. Highly recommend.

Everything was so exquisite ! It's a feast for the eyes, the palate and the mind. This is a truly authentic Kaiseki theatre for special occasion.

Beautiful tasty meal, everything on the dish serves a purpose and well thought out combo that give you a fun experience.

I liked it; the food was delicious, and the presentation was beautiful.

Loved the experience. Most of the food dishes were so good. Will definitely come back again

I went to Roketsu for lunch with my wife and had a great time. All the food were super delicious. I especially liked the dessert, mango pudding with an ice cream. Tempura was also amazing. I definitely recommend this place!

Incredibly fresh and very high quality food. We had the a la carte, pretty much all seafood and fish: absolutely amazing. The lobster (with vegetables) tempera was beautiful. The mixed starter was fun to share and really lively and we both adored the sashimi. The Japanese wine (by the glass) was interesting and I really enjoyed the saki we tried.

We had the most amazing experience at Roketsu. The ambience is incredible. You almost feel like you are in a different world. Everything is made to create a relaxing and truly exciting experience, where food is the focus. All staff were incredibly accommodating and welcoming. The chef was super kind and cooked fabulous food. We can't wait to go back!

THE BEST JAPANESE IN LONDON. I booked a table here to take my girlfriend as her first meal out of hospital after 3 weeks, it didn't disappoint. She is from Taiwan and said it's the best Japanese she's had outside Japan. Quite outstanding, the cuisine the service the attention to details. We will return. Thank you for a wonderful evening. 🙏 Highly recommended 👑👑👑👑👑

Great experience dining in with 10 other guest while watching the chefs work their magic. 10 course taster menu. Staff are very attentive and friendly. Attention to detail with the food was excellent. Great presentation

+6

This is a Kaiseki style restaurant in London. The exterior and interior decor/design are well done. Very minimalistic Japanese with lots of wood tone. The menu is diverse with a good mixture of pork, seafood, and vegetables. Overall, we had a good experience.

+6

This place is a true hidden gem of Japanese hospitality. We were taken of the moment we walked in through the door. The kaiseki menu is generally ok. To be honest individually the dishes are great, but altogether I'm not too impressed with the combination of flavours of the whole menu. Maybe it's because kaiseki requires seasonality incorporated into the menu structures, and as we went in early winter there wasn't anything that stands out. Regardless, we enjoyed the whole experience, and the sashimi selection is definitely one of the best in London.

+6

The setting was gorgeous and seeing the chefs at work was a real treat. The majority of the menu was exceptional. A real taste sensation with presentation to match. I thought the wines and sakes could have been described in more detail with a bit more interesting information about the regions, notes, ingredients. As it was the introductions for pairings were quite stale, with the extent of the descriptions being about acidity or mellowness. Given the theatre of the setting and the dishes I would expect the same for the alcohol. The last 2 savoury dishes were a bit of a let down. The shiizakana was described as being the texture of a soufflé but was more like a frittata. The pescatarian rice with roe was disappointingly plain for the price of the meal. I am glad we went and think this place could be unforgettable with a few tweaks.

+6

At c£200 / head, you have high expectations, but it felt like it was trying to be too clever. Too many dishes had pieces that were freezing cold and reminder me of airline food. Yes, there was some tasty dishes, but I didn’t think worth the price. Ikeda much better option IMO.

A truly authentic experience, from the restaurant interior right down to the taste. Local ingredients are carefully sourced and meticulously prepared, cooked and plated. I enjoyed my meal and it was generously portioned, though it was a little too much for me to digest. Service was attentive and the staff were very warm and helpful. The reason for the 4 star is that I’m still not use to some of the dishes, choice of ingredients, how its cooked and flavouring. I’m just not accustomed to the taste and texture. It’s just me and not the restaurant. I’ve been to Japan on numerous occasions and I love the people, culture and food, but when it comes to some dishes, primarily from a very traditional Kaiseki meal, it just doesn’t seem to agree with me. Hopefully one day I’ll get over it…. Thank you for a lovely evening and dining experience.

I came here for dinner, and I will give you my honest opinion. When I entered the restaurant, it was gorgeous, and I felt as if I was in Japan. The counter seats are not too closely spaced, and the lighting is bright. The plates and food are beautifully presented and it is rare to find a place like this in London. The service from the staff and chef is also first class. However, what was very disappointing was the food. Octopus is too salty! The crab had shells in it. The cooked rice at the end had chicken cartilage in it. I felt that it did not carefully prepare and cook. I do not think this is representative of professional Japanese cuisine. Some of the seasonings are London-style, with sauces that cancel out the taste of the ingredients, so if you are looking for "authentic" Kyoto-style Japanese food, this is not for you. However, highly recommended for those who like well seasoned food and also enjoy the atmosphere as you are in Japan.

A small and authentic restaurant, with the chefs working right in front of the customers. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but we found the food too minimalistic. If it was an experience of traditional Japanese street food then it would still be worth it but as soon as it is a complete meal in a restaurant with a very cold atmosphere and at very high prices the value in our eyes was really not good enough . It was the first time we sat in a luxury restaurant and didn't even want to stay for dessert because something about the atmosphere just didn't work for us. I must mention that the service was very kind and attentive.

+1

Dined here for a special occasion with family last night. Sadly, the overall experience especially the service was a let down. We were greeted by the male Maitre D’ on arrival who was cold faced and disinterested in small talks. We were shown to the private room downstairs. Our main waiter was also cold faced at first (warmed up a little later) and when we said we needed more time to think abt the add on options (eg special mushroom rice at 75 quid for 2), we were told rather abruptly that we had to make a choice on the spot. The room door was left open after most courses despite my constant asking that it be closed for us to not be disrupted by the chattering from the bar area next door. The bill I had to go upstairs to ask personally as no one came to check on us after our dessert. The food was bit of a mixed bag. Some courses were good like the sashimi. However the others were over seasoned and too salty like the Wagyu beef sauce and lobster dashi. There were crab shells in two of our starters. Overall I was disappointed by the experience as I expected more for a dinner for four with no alcohol that came to nearly £1000 (which includes a 15% service surcharge). I have dined in Roketsu shortly after their opening when the experience was better so I m sad to see that it has taken a clear turn to the worse since. The one plus side is the special bday pink sorbet that was offered therefore I have given this review a 2 star instead of 1. The young female waitress who served us was courteous and professional.

The waitress was not clear on the food and menu options. We asked couple off times. If you are asking a couple of time for well priced food than I would expect your staff to be trained in a better manner. The food was of good standard but lacked flavours and the menu was limited. The lobster tempura was just a basket of fried vegetables which has soggy batter. Even Eat Tokyo with less of a price has better flavours and services. When I’m paying £150 pp I would expect a higher standard of experience. Not sure this place will last. There is something cold and lacking in this place which is the opposite from how it presents itself when you walk past the restaurant.

I went with 3 other people for my birthday spending just under £1000. I have been to a few omakases (I’m aware this is a Kaiseki) in London around this price point and have been blown away by every course. Unfortunately there wasn’t a single course I enjoyed. Maybe perhaps the last course which was a lemon sorbet and mango pudding. I tried to keep an open mind throughout the entire night but it really didn’t meet my expectations. Everything was quite bland and none of the flavours really melded together nicely. It was incredibly disappointing which is why I gave the food 1 star. The service was good except at one point during the meal a lady with her 4 kids were brought into the small 10 seater dining area (not as seated customers) and started talking to the chef with us in the middle of it all. It came from nowhere and then the chef proceeded to step out, stop his preparation of people’s dishes to entertain her. I assume she was an important person but we felt quite disrespected. So the service was a 3. I really wish I hadn’t had to write this but if I’m spending this much on a meal, I expect a certain standard and this just didn’t meet them. I’ve been to other Japanese omakases at a similar price point that were immaculate in their service and food. I felt quite unhappy about the entire experience.