Roka Mayfair - Mayfair, London

Roka Mayfair is a different animal from its forebears. A chimera of sorts, it seamlessly fuses the buoyant energy of its sister restaurants with the ice-cold sophistication of Zuma. Opened on North Audley Street by the Waney Brothers and Rainer Becker, this newest restaurant is calibrated to become an instant classic, and, with only eighty covers, to boast some of the most coveted tables in the capital. As with the other Rokas, the robata grill takes centre stage in the dining room, instilling the restaurant with kinetic energy and the diner with a frisson of excitement.  The interiors echo the design palette of the other openings, with plenty of clean lines and organic materials that are soothing to the eye, including natural woods, casted concrete and raw steel spread throughout the dining room. A bar runs along the right hand side of the room where mixologists craft an array of shochu-based and Asian-inflected cocktails that serve as refreshing aperitifs. The food, as anyone lucky enough to sample Roka or Zuma will attest, is Japanese par excellence, and the flavours at this newest outpost are no exception. Most of the feted dishes make appearances on this menu, including seared yellowtail with garlic and cucumber; wagyu gunkan with oscietra, spring onion and fresh ginger; robata-kissed lamb cutlets with Korean spices; and sumptuous black cod marinated in yuzu miso. However, Roka group executive chef Hamish Brown does have some new tricks up his sleeve, namely softshell crab with roasted chilli dressing and baby back ribs glazed with master stock and studded with cashew nuts. The wine menu is extensive, and includes a strong showing of sakes and Japanese whisky. Perfectly attuned for the Mayfair set, it's difficult to imagine this newest Roka being anything other than a wild success.

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