Last Updated on January 27, 2026
Pan-Asian Plates to Inspire.
4.0 out of 5.0 starsPerhaps it’s symptomatic of multicultural London to take a Latvian chef, Pavel Baranovs, who started his career in a Japanese restaurant in Riga and set him up in the kitchen of the Hart Shoreditch Hotel, creating dishes for their Pan-Asian restaurant UBA. But it’s a testament to the hotel and to Pavel himself that what results is a delightful place with excellent and well-priced dishes in a glamorous and warm setting.
The beautifully balanced menu includes a large raw section, small plates starting at just £4.50 (don’t miss the Edamame!), a fabulous robata section, dim sum, hirata buns and sides. Add in desserts, cocktails and a comprehensive selection of wine, beer and soft drinks for a Shoreditch treasure that’s perfect for meeting up with friends or for a family night out. They have a great weekend brunch offer, with bottomless prosecco for £45 or bottomless cocktails for £65.
The bar menu at UBA Shoreditch offers innovative cocktails that capture the essence of various Asian locales, such as the Jasmine Pearl with Roku gin, lemongrass and ginger cordial, jasmine pearl, and peach soda and the Smoky Dragon with Tarry Lapsang Souchong tea-infused tequila and Szechuan pepper-infused agave. A selection of sakes from the Akashi-Tai brewery and Japanese liqueurs are also available. I’m trying to avoid drinking spirits, so I ordered a glass of bubbles while my companion indulged in a blushing geisha, with vodka, umeshu, lychee, sorrel, lemon and vanilla.
The stunning interior of UBA draws inspiration from Asian culture and mythology, featuring red and gold tones, scarlet velvet banquettes, lava stone tabletops, and a statement marble bar offering counter dining for up to 14 guests. The restaurant also includes a private dining room that seats 12. We loved the elegant space – somewhere spacious and yet with an intimate and charming feel.
Edamame to start came dressed with sesame oil and seeds, yuzu and salt. Deliciously crisp and just warm, these were the perfect (almost) healthy way to begin the meal.
We ordered three more small plates, though it would have been very easy to work our way through everything on offer. The salmon ceviche tacos were beautifully presented and clearly freshly made, with wonderfully crisp taco shells and a generous filling of salmon ceviche with aji panca (chilli) offset by creamy avocado and dressed with radish, masago and tiny cornflower petals.
Deliciously sticky almond miso-glazed aubergine came with fried garlic crisps, edible flowers and micro herbs, and a generous lacing of toasted sesame, adding nutty texture to the dish
Our final small plate, chicken yakitori, with baby leek, coriander, lime and ginger miso, was hot from the grill, deliciously spicy skewers with a fragrant coriander and chive topping and with a delicate ginger and lime glaze
We both picked Robata Teppanyaki dishes for the main course. My companion’s imperial miso black cod with chilli, lime, yuzu and miso was a classic dish, beautifully prepared and presented with flaky cod cooked to perfection.
My Yakiniku beef ribeye came topped with a ‘sweet potato nest’ – a delicious and moreish accompaniment that perfectly complemented the tender, melting and beautifully flavoured beef with onion miso and wasabi furikake. One I’d definitely order again!
Robata tenderstem broccoli with satsuma miso and crispy shallots made for an excellent Asian style side dish, while the Japanese steamed rice was a great foil for the delicious sauces and juices.
For dessert, my companion picked the omakase mochi from the UBA menu – a trio of mochi ice cream, which hit just the right spot.
My lychee, jasmine and raspberry creme brulee with Calpis ice cream was beautifully executed and a light, fragrant dessert option. Calpis is a kind of fermented milk – a bit like yoghurt – that’s very popular in Japan, so I think that makes it a healthy choice too!.
To drink, we enjoyed a bottle of 2022 Vega Badenes, Verdejo from La Mancha in Spain, which at £39 was excellent value for money and which worked well with the Asian flavours.
UBA is the kind of restaurant you’ll wish you’d found sooner. It’s somewhere in Shoreditch where you can enjoy dishes that punch well above their price tag, and the surroundings are elegant and atmospheric without being formal. If you are a fan of Pan-Asian dining, it’s a great place to go.
UBA London
61, 67 Great Eastern St,
Shoreditch
London EC2A 3HU
tel – 020 3995 3622
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