Roka's dimly lit, stylish basement bar is more seductive than the glass and metal restaurant upstairs and serves the same world class Japanese menu. The decor is rich but tasteful, with low couches for diners and plenty of pillows to prop yourself up on if you eat too much. The menu is inventive and delightful, but the classy ambiance lifts this expensive dining experience above the equally delicious but austere Yakitoria and Nobu. What's more, the Shochu lounge offers a selection of brilliant liquor that draws a cocktail crowd - the house speciality martinis are a good way to kick things off - and perfectly complements their meals. The menu is lengthy, giving aficionados plenty to think about, but you can't really go wrong with a £50 or £75 tasting menu. Alternatively put yourself in the hands of the attentive staff. A starter platter of tuna sashimi crowned with ginger and honey are individual taste explosions - nine perfect sashimi pieces and some caviar-crowned beef rolls, tuna sushi with a tempura coating on the seaweed roll are brilliantly imaginative. Main courses include grilled asparagus, rock shrimp with sweet chilli, and some exquisite quail marinated in plum wine. If you're feeling overwhelmed by this point time out for a shot of 'Hard Wood' shochu tonic. This extremely expensive shot is laced with the natural aphrodisiac Bois Bande. It is delicious and revives the appetite completely, leaving room for green tea and chocolate pudding. Shochu provides a rarefied and relaxing atmosphere for their diners, and take evident pride in their attention to detail from the kitchen to the staff. The food is irresistibly good. Prices are a little eye-watering but for a treat, I can't think of a more enjoyable place in London. We felt like old friends as I winched myself up the stairs.
Shochu Lounge
Hidden below the capital’s finest Japanese restaurant, and serving the same menu, Shochu Lounge is a seductive, elegant basement bar that is chock full... More
Shochu Lounge
37 Charlotte Street, W1T 1RR
Roka's dimly lit, stylish basement bar is more seductive than the glass and metal restaurant upstairs and serves the... More
Best of the Chinatown cheapies, Misato is a chic, friendly spot just off Leicester Square that gets packed every lunchtime with smiling youthful workers enjoying ...More
Smoothies are blended to order and designed to put a zing in your step. The Big Breakfast, yoghurt mixed with museli, bananas, stawberries and OJ, ... More
Centrally located in Fitzrovia, otherwise known as NOHO, it’s a short walk from The Rathbone to Oxford Street, Soho and London’s theatre district. The hotel ... More
Slick design, statement furniture and modern fittings, this is what you get from the Schrager-Starck design partnership. From the funky lobby and the bar (very ... More
The British Museum is staging an Indian Summer this year with a programme of events and an exhibition which includes treasures from India never seen ...More
Wrapping up the year with the third of its major exhibitions in 2009, the British Museum brings us a selection of recent archaeological discoveries from ...More
Crammed inside two townhouses (one 18th, the other 19th century) on a pretty sidestreet you'll find this historic haven for toys of all kinds. Named ... More
Steve Lazarides' Rathbone Place gallery spans just under 4,000 square feet of space for exhibitions, studios, and offices in a five-storey Georgian building. Home ...More
Set up in NYC in 2003 by Oliver Sweatman, Larry Paul and Mark Gilbertson, SHARPS the barbers brings their own brand of 'necessary maintenance that ... More
Evening classes in dozens of European and African languages. SOAS is among the best schools for the studies of foreign cultures and languages in the ...More
Swimming lessons for children and aquaphobic adults. This is one of the more popular swimming schools in London, and one of the most long-running, with ...More
Despite several high-profile aficionados – J-Lo and Angelina Jolie included – Israel’s contribution to martial arts is still unknown to the general public.
Krav ...More
Prohibition-era themed basement bar in Fitzrovia, with a good line in retro comedy. The joke is that it's a bar dodging the law by masquerading ...More
If you're not up for the hectic atmosphere of Waxy O'Connors it might be worth slipping across the street to her infinitely more tranquil Little ... More
This
was once a sleazy Soho strip club, as the name suggests, and it really
shows. Deep reds are the dominant colour, with mirrors, booths and
velvet curtains ... More
Essentially an upmarket club with a restaurant attached, this Grade II listed townhouse overlooking the gardens of Cavendish Square was formerly the Spanish Embassy.
Boasting ...More
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Roka's dimly lit, stylish basement bar is more seductive than the glass and metal restaurant upstairs and serves the same world class Japanese menu. The decor is rich but tasteful, with low couches for diners and plenty of pillows to prop yourself up on if you eat too much. The menu is inventive and delightful, but the classy ambiance lifts this expensive dining experience above the equally delicious but austere Yakitoria and Nobu. What's more, the Shochu lounge offers a selection of brilliant liquor that draws a cocktail crowd - the house speciality martinis are a good way to kick things off - and perfectly complements their meals. The menu is lengthy, giving aficionados plenty to think about, but you can't really go wrong with a £50 or £75 tasting menu. Alternatively put yourself in the hands of the attentive staff. A starter platter of tuna sashimi crowned with ginger and honey are individual taste explosions - nine perfect sashimi pieces and some caviar-crowned beef rolls, tuna sushi with a tempura coating on the seaweed roll are brilliantly imaginative. Main courses include grilled asparagus, rock shrimp with sweet chilli, and some exquisite quail marinated in plum wine. If you're feeling overwhelmed by this point time out for a shot of 'Hard Wood' shochu tonic. This extremely expensive shot is laced with the natural aphrodisiac Bois Bande. It is delicious and revives the appetite completely, leaving room for green tea and chocolate pudding. Shochu provides a rarefied and relaxing atmosphere for their diners, and take evident pride in their attention to detail from the kitchen to the staff. The food is irresistibly good. Prices are a little eye-watering but for a treat, I can't think of a more enjoyable place in London. We felt like old friends as I winched myself up the stairs.
