Hi Londoners! I hope you’re all enjoying this fabulous weekend. I really don’t think we could have asked for a better one with constant sun, high temperatures and a refreshing breeze. My sister and a friend are in town, so I’ve been playing tour guide, as per usual. The great weather has been a huge relief for our itinerary that has included some of my favorite outdoor activities. We’ve taken a canal ride, wandered through Camden and Borough markets, explored Hampton Court Palace, and just enjoyed the city’s scenery in general. As the two girls are exploring the Tower Bridge Exhibition (a previous London Checklist Do!) right now, I’m sunning along the bridge, taking this peaceful opportunity to tell you about last night’s dinner at the delicious Kurobuta!

This was my first visit to the King’s Road Kurobuta. From the outside, it looks like a low-key casual bar/restaurant. Inside, it was more lively than I expected, with excited patrons enjoying sake bombs, which kept inadvertently waking up the dining crowd. The servers were cool and upbeat, keeping with the great energy. The menu was sassy and fun. There was nothing dull about Kurobuta, which made it the perfect venue for our girls night out. 

I wouldn’t describe it as casual, necessarily, more like chill. No fuss decor and service. Almost minimalist like you would find a bachelor pad or an art gallery. Sexy with dim lighting, and kept interesting with mixed decor of different textures, dark colors and edgy artwork. It’s an easy place to slip right in for a weeknight dinner or plan ahead for a Friday night date. It ticks all the boxes.

The service was so lax, but given the vibe of the place, I was okay with it. We had ordered a bottle of wine, and at some point it was dropped at our table. We didn’t even notice the server bring it by, because we are used to a legitimate wine presentation. This was actually the first time in my life that a bottle was just dropped like that. I’ve had tastings been skipped before, but the server has always at least poured. Even though it was very strange, and we all noticed this before discussing, it really didn’t bother me that much given the place. Plus, with the quality of the food, it would take a lot to rile me.

Onto the food. Everything we had was fabulous.  We were unsure of the Kurobuta portion sizes (or our appetites after pre-gaming with a giant cheese plate and prosecco at the house) so we started with just a few things to share. The grilled aubergine, shrimp tempura maki, and tuna sashimi pizza. They were all delicious. The tuna pizza was much smaller than expected, and so tasty, that I would recommend for any small party sharing to order two right off the bat. We were still hungry with those small teasers, so we threw in two more items which came out surprisingly fast. The spicy tuna maki and the pumpkin tempura. Both, again, amazing. The girls agreed on the pumpkin for their favorite dish, for me, it was the eggplant (aubergine). Really, though, it doesn’t appear that you could go wrong with any dish at Kurobuta.

We left full and happy, especially after owing under £30 each. Reasonable prices for outstanding food. I definitely recommend Kurobuta on King’s Road and cannot wait to go back and try their other locations! Go see for yourself and enjoy!
Kurobuta Chelsea
312 King’s Road
London SW3 5UH