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
-
How We Host: Interior designer Heide Hendricks shows us how to throw the ultimate farmhouse fêteThe designer, one half of the American design firm Hendricks Churchill, delves into the art of entertaining – from pasta to playlists
-
Arbour House is a north London home that lies low but punches highArbour House by Andrei Saltykov is a low-lying Crouch End home with a striking roof structure that sets it apart
-
25 of the best beauty launches of 2025, from transformative skincare to offbeat scentsWallpaper* beauty editor Mary Cleary selects her beauty highlights of the year, spanning skincare, fragrance, hair and body care, make-up and wellness
-
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
-
One of London’s favourite coffee shops just opened in Harvey NicholsKuro Coffee’s latest outpost brings its Japanese-inspired design to the London department store
-
Enjoy a Kyoto-inspired menu with London attitude at this new restaurantAki London offers a serene counterpoint to Oxford Circus, where stately interiors and elevated Japanese cooking cross paths
