A leading outlet of Korean food, long before it became a hot trend in the capital, Koba has stood in London’s Fitzrovia since 2005. However, a recent refurbishment to celebrate the restaurant’s second decade of trade has dramatically brought it into the present day, finally matching the impressive cuisine with an environment it deserves.
Working with chef and owner Linda Lee, Korean design agency Elephant have married elements of the country’s traditional design heritage with more contemporary accents, peppering the restaurant with craftworks from Korean ceramic specialists KwanJuYo, as well as pottery from Seoul’s renowned Woong Gallery. Fronted by trompe l’oeil doors, the ground floor dining room is now a bright and modern space, heralded by a long bar and illuminated by a skylight. Downstairs, the basement space takes on a noticeably more sultry mood, with art picked by Lee lining the walls, including porcelain panels printed with enlarged versions of famous Korean imagery.
To coincide with Koba’s reopening, Lee has introduced a new menu, yet the focus remains on table barbeque cuisine, signalled by a series of unadorned low-hanging extractors hovering over tabletop burners. Here, classic dishes like bulgogi are cooked by diners themselves, but for those not keen on the DIY approach, other Korean staples, such as shinsunro, a hotpot served in a flaming copper pot, and bibimbap are prepared traditionally: in the kitchen.
INFORMATION
Website
ADDRESS
11 Rathbone Street
-
‘I want to bring anxiety to the surface': Shannon Cartier Lucy on her unsettling worksIn an exhibition at Soft Opening, London, Shannon Cartier Lucy revisits childhood memories
-
What one writer learnt in 2025 through exploring the ‘intimate, familiar’ wardrobes of ten friendsInspired by artist Sophie Calle, Colleen Kelsey’s ‘Wearing It Out’ sees the writer ask ten friends to tell the stories behind their most precious garments – from a wedding dress ordered on a whim to a pair of Prada Mary Janes
-
Year in review: 2025’s top ten cars chosen by transport editor Jonathan BellWhat were our chosen conveyances in 2025? These ten cars impressed, either through their look and feel, style, sophistication or all-round practicality
-
Form... and flavour? The best design-led restaurant debuts of 2025A Wallpaper* edit of the restaurant interiors that shaped how we ate, gathered and lingered this year
-
At last: a London hotel that’s great for groups and extended staysThe July London Victoria, a new aparthotel concept just steps away from one of the city's busiest rail stations, is perfect for weekends and long-term visits alike
-
French bistro restaurant Maset channels the ease of the Mediterranean in LondonThis Marylebone restaurant is shaped by the coastal flavours, materials and rhythms of southern France
-
Sir Devonshire Square is a new kind of hotel for the City of LondonA Dutch hospitality group makes its London debut with a design-forward hotel offering a lighter, more playful take on the City’s usual formality
-
This sculptural London seafood restaurant was shaped by ‘the emotions of the sea’In Hanover Square, Mazarine pairs a bold, pearlescent interior with modern coastal cuisine led by ‘bistronomy’ pioneer chef Thierry Laborde
-
Montcalm Mayfair opens a new chapter for a once-overlooked London hotelA thoughtful reinvention brings craftsmanship, character and an unexpected sense of warmth to a London hotel that was never previously on the radar
-
Follow the white rabbit to London’s first Korean matcha houseTokkia, which translates to ‘Hey bunny’ in Korean, was designed by Stephenson-Edwards studio to feel like a modern burrow. Take a look inside
-
Poon’s returns in majestic form at Somerset HouseHome-style Chinese cooking refined through generations of the Poon family craft
