Kaya

I've been to Kaya for lunch on many occasions. The waitresses there don't wear hanbok (traditional Korean dress) anymore but, for the most part, are still quite friendly and patient. Some of them seem to have difficulty understanding English, but this has never hindered our orders. The food is by no means the cheapest you could find, but most of the set lunches are still good value for money for a classy, centrally-located restaurant. My favourite set lunch is the Bulgoki Dupbap (£12) which consists of grilled sirloin beef, mushrooms and vegetables on a hot plate, served with rice and soup, as well as a salad for starters and fresh fruit for dessert. The food is generally well cooked and the portion always generous. Not being a fan of kimchi or white radish, I've never really tried the starters, as they don't look all too appetising to me. The soup tastes bland and lukewarm, but the main dish (grilled beef) always tastes wonderful and piping hot. If you don't mind splashing a bit of money, it might be a better idea to pick separate dishes from big menu. For those who are totally new to Korean food or simply wish to economise, the set lunch menu has a variety of dishes that should cater to everyone's taste. The atmosphere is quite relaxed and you certainly won't feel crammed or uncomfortable in this spacious and air-conditioned restaurant.
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Lyn
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I went to this little restaurant last night. Very quiet for a Thursday but I arrived before 8. I thought the menu selection was a little limited but still enough to keep you contemplating for a while.

The standard kimchi side was a litlte soggy and tasted similar to the supermarket bought Kimchi from any oriental retailer.

I chose Bibimbap as my main as its usually a good dish for me to gauge and I love it. Must confess it was quite standard. although Korean food is usually for sharing I didn't really get the urge to share my tiny portions with my dining parter. The service was very good, However this is not suprising for anything Korean based. All and all I had a nice meal and an expected price for the location. I doubt I'd rush to go there again but it's certainly not on my avoid list.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Friday, January 16, 2009

KAYA is marvellous restaurant. I think it is the best Korean restaurant in London. The thing I liked most about it was the taste of true Korean food such as Galbi, Bulgogi and Bossam. They were really exquisite. In addition, what I also liked about it was the excellent service. The waitresses wore traditional Korean clothes, 'Hanbok', and they were very friendly. While I was having dinner they asked me if I need more food without interupting my meal. What also impressed me was the reasonable price compared to any other type of restaurant. If you have a party with your friends, you should go there and drink a Korean alcoholic drink called 'soju' in order to relax more. KAYA makes you happy and satisfied.
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kkalssam
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, May 24, 2007

3 pounds for a cup of tea, which wasn't even refilled. Adding insult to injury is that the kimchee was terrible - soggy and old (in a bad sense). I've been a couple of times and at best found the food to be ordinary. With so many Korean restaurants in London, you'd think they'd improve their act.
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Mike
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Friday, February 23, 2007

Kaya is a wonderful restaurant. The food is absolutely fabulous and the service is pretty good too. For its location in Mayfair, its a fair priced place. They also have a kareoke bar downstairs which feels like you're walking into a completely different world from the restaurant upstairs. Definately take your friends for a meal and order the Korean Sake, its delicious!
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Sana
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Saturday, September 02, 2006