Yakitori Near Me in Soho: Inko Nito's Smoked Robata Charcoal Grill

Inko Nito occupies a prominent corner site at 55 Broadwick Street in Soho, right at the intersection where Carnaby's fashion quarter meets Soho's bustling evening culinary corridor. Created by Rainer Becker's Azumi Group (the creative minds behind Zuma and Roka), Inko Nito takes traditional Japanese robatayaki and injects it with a lively, casual Soho tempo. The entire dining room is built concentrically around a massive, open robata grill island constructed from steel and light timber, where grill masters manage multiple tiers of charcoal grates over glowing embers in full view of every guest in the room.

The culinary philosophy at Inko Nito bridges Tokyo skewer craftsmanship with bold, contemporary flavor pairings. Robata chefs cook over sustainable lump charcoal, using tiered iron racks to control thermal intensity: raw skewered meats sear over the hottest lower coals before being elevated to the upper warming racks to absorb aromatic woodsmoke. Basting brushes apply house glazes repeatedly throughout the grilling process, creating a glossy, crackling shell on every skewer that balances savory shoyu notes with caramelized sweetness.

The engineering of Inko Nito's central robata counter is central to the restaurant's culinary execution. The grill island is divided into three distinct heat tiers: a fierce lower charcoal grate for initial high-temperature searing, a middle tier where skewers gently roast over radiant embers, and an upper wire rack where cooked meats rest while absorbing delicate woodsmoke. Specialized air intake louvers around the hearth base ensure continuous oxygen flow, allowing grill masters to maintain precise charcoal temperatures throughout brisk dinner rushes.

While the chicken yakitori skewer anchors the poultry selections, Inko Nito's grill section spans a creative variety of skewered meats and seafood. The Korean spiced lamb skewers priced at £13.00 are marinated in gochujang paste, garlic, and sesame, served beside chilled, crisp pickled cucumber ribbons to balance the fiery chili warmth. Seafood lovers can order the delicate seabass skewers for £12.00, seasoned with fresh shiso leaves and pungent pickled wasabi, or the succulent tiger prawns skewer for £14.50, dressed with a bright shiso and chilli salsa.

Beyond skewered items, larger robata dishes showcase the kitchen's mastery of live-fire temperature control. The beef bone marrow at £13.50 is roasted over charcoal, basted in smoked sweet soy, and served alongside crunchy garlic sourdough toast and pickled shallots. For a decadent centerpiece, order the half rack of baby back pork ribs for £18.50, smothered in Korean barbecue glaze and finished with fresh lime juice, or the famous miso black cod for £36.50, marinated for three days in ginger miso and grilled until the pearlescent flakes slide apart on the fork.

Vegetables receive equal dedication on the robata hearth. Tender charred broccoli tossed in sweet onion soy and roasted sesame seeds provides a crunchy, smoky counterpoint to skewered meats. Sweet corn cobs are grilled over hot coals, brushed with melted wasabi butter, and sprinkled with crushed sea salt, creating an addictive izakaya side dish. Raw starters such as yellowtail sashimi with yuzu truffle dressing and salmon tartare on crispy rice crackers offer cool, refreshing contrast before the hot skewers arrive.

Dining at Inko Nito is an inherently social, sensory experience. Seating immediately surrounding the central robata counter provides front-row views of chefs managing charcoal heat gradients, basting skewers with copper brushes, and plating skewers under warm spotlighting. The background soundtrack leans into curated downtempo beats and upbeat funk, establishing a vibrant setting popular with creative agency teams, weekend shoppers from Regent Street, and couples out for pre-theatre cocktails.

Service is fast-paced and dishes arrive continuously from the kitchen as soon as they leave the grill grates. Start the evening with one of Inko Nito's signature highballs or a cocktail infused with yuzu and Japanese plum wine. The beverage program also features crisp draft Asahi beer, artisanal ginjo sakes served by the carafe, and an approachable selection of natural and low-intervention European wines.

Drink pairings at Inko Nito lean heavily into high-acid, refreshing profiles that cut through the richness of charcoal-grilled poultry and pork ribs. The cocktail menu features house highballs made with Japanese whisky charged with super-carbonated soda water and expressed lemon peel. Artisanal sakes are served in chilled ceramic carafes, ranging from crisp, dry junmai styles that complement salted chicken skewers to aromatic junmai daiginjo bottles that pair with sweet glazed black cod.

Inko Nito is open seven days a week, serving Monday to Saturday from 12:00 pm to 10:30 pm, and Sunday from 11:30 am to 8:00 pm. During weekends, the venue hosts a popular Saturday and Sunday robata brunch priced at £35.00 per person (or £49.50 with free-flowing sparkling or wine), which fills the dining room by early afternoon.

While peak evening hours between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm see heavy demand, the extensive counter seats provide ample capacity for walk-in parties of one or two guests. For walk-ins, arriving between 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm or after 9:15 pm offers the shortest wait times.

If Inko Nito is completely booked and counter wait times exceed forty-five minutes, walk four minutes south into Old Compton Street to Robata at 56 Old Compton Street (W1D 4UE), which specializes in robata charcoal skewers and bao. Alternatively, walk six minutes south toward Piccadilly Circus to Machiya at 5 Panton Street (SW1Y 4DL) for traditional chicken negima skewers and Japanese comfort bowls.