Latest reviews in Leytonstone, London, United Kingdom

Heathcote Arms - Great family lunch / dinner spot by ckruger

ckruger — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:21:51 +0000

Review by ckruger

Rating: 4.00

We used to live near this pub and it was such a great spot for a cheap drink, generous portions and just a great time. We went back there yesterday as we were in the area and I was wondering how it would be after more than a year. They had a new menu - portions as big as ever, drinks as cheap as ever! All desserts were Â£1.50 - we had the Chocolate Fudge cake and had 2 between 3 of us (2 of which were male) and we COULD NOT FINISH IT. It comes with ice cream and it's heaven. The staff is so friendly and the moment you walk in, it feels like home. Very clean, spacious, with a lovely outdoor area. Perfect for families. I love this pub.We used to live near this pub and it was such a great spot for a cheap drink, generous portions and just a great time. We went back there yesterday as we were in the area and I was wondering how it would be after more than a year. They had a new menu - portions as big as ever, drinks as cheap as ever! All desserts were Â£1.50 - we had the Chocolate Fudge cake and had 2 between 3 of us (2 of which were male) and we COULD NOT FINISH IT. It comes with ice cream and it's heaven. The staff is so friendly and the moment you walk in, it feels like home. Very clean, spacious, with a lovely outdoor area. Perfect for families. I love this pub.

Naman Restaurant - Worst serivce and food ever keep away by kirpan

kirpan — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:32:04 +0000

Review by kirpan

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 8532 2845

Tags: vietnamese, expensive, romantic

Dear all,

Please be careful in this place. Went there yesterday with my wife and 2 children. Ordered there chew main which came burnt after 50 minutes waiting. I complained to the waiter who said to me "What do you want me to do about it" in an extremely sarcastic voice, obviously this guy had 0 customer service training. I told him that I would like a freshly made chew main. He took the old chew main and brought me a new one after 20 minutes. I told him that after waiting 70 minutes was not prepared to pay for the chew main as I have already finished my meal which was nothing amazing for the price. He said fine and would remove it off the bill.
More to comeâ¬¦ Deserts come, fried bananas with ice cream. The fried bananas were fine however in the middle of the ice cream was a solid lump of ice. Believe me if I had that I would have had to go the toilet very quickly. I took the waiter about the ice cream and he laughed and said, â¬Sdo you want me to take it off the billâ¬. I replied â¬SForget itâ¬.
My wife ordered a tea when Chinese herbal tea turned up when we wanted normal tea. Again they changed it with a bad attitude.

Finally the bill, they added more drinks then I had and added an alcoholic drink when my family and I donâ¬"t drink alcohol. They even left the chew main on the bill. I asked the waiter that he said he would take off the bill and the waiter told me that because I had tried it I had to pay for it even though he said earlier he would take it off the bill??? I asked for the manager and he replied â¬SHe is having his dinner and you will have to waitâ¬. By this time I was become very annoyed and said either call the manager now or I am walking out now apaying you nothing. He snatched the bill and within 3 minutes he gave me a new bill and threw it on the table.

These guys are jokers and have nothing special to offer. If you donâ¬"t believe me go to the restaurant and you will see for your selfâ¬¦
Dear all,

Please be careful in this place. Went there yesterday with my wife and 2 children. Ordered there chew main which came burnt after 50 minutes waiting. I complained to the waiter who said to me "What do you want me to do about it" in an extremely sarcastic voice, obviously this guy had 0 customer service training. I told him that I would like a freshly made chew main. He took the old chew main and brought me a new one after 20 minutes. I told him that after waiting 70 minutes was not prepared to pay for the chew main as I have already finished my meal which was nothing amazing for the price. He said fine and would remove it off the bill.
More to comeâ¬¦ Deserts come, fried bananas with ice cream. The fried bananas were fine however in the middle of the ice cream was a solid lump of ice. Believe me if I had that I would have had to go the toilet very quickly. I took the waiter about the ice cream and he laughed and said, â¬Sdo you want me to take it off the billâ¬. I replied â¬SForget itâ¬.
My wife ordered a tea when Chinese herbal tea turned up when we wanted normal tea. Again they changed it with a bad attitude.

Finally the bill, they added more drinks then I had and added an alcoholic drink when my family and I donâ¬"t drink alcohol. They even left the chew main on the bill. I asked the waiter that he said he would take off the bill and the waiter told me that because I had tried it I had to pay for it even though he said earlier he would take it off the bill??? I asked for the manager and he replied â¬SHe is having his dinner and you will have to waitâ¬. By this time I was become very annoyed and said either call the manager now or I am walking out now and paying you nothing. He snatched the bill and within 3 minutes he gave me a new bill and threw it on the table.

These guys are jokers and have nothing special to offer. If you donâ¬"t believe me go to the restaurant and you will see for your selfâ¬¦

Hadley House - fab food locally by gght2

gght2 — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:08:49 +0000

Review by gght2

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8989 8855

Tags: lively, romantic, expensive

been lots of times, always great treat, reasonable prices, relaxed and excellent food.been lots of times, always great treat, reasonable prices, relaxed and excellent food.

Singburi - Leytonstone Thai Gem by tex051

tex051 — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:49:06 +0000

Review by tex051

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 8281 4801

Tags: thai, cheap eat, lively

Great food, dodgy Asia meets the 70's decor, BYOB with no corkage!!

The service is very hit & miss here, used the place regularly for a few years and everything from the warm welcome you would reserve for old friends to almost complete disdain!

Food is always great and worth the attitude swings.

Check the bill! I Prefer to think of it as poor arithmetic!Great food, dodgy Asia meets the 70's decor, BYOB with no corkage!!

The service is very hit & miss here, used the place regularly for a few years and everything from the warm welcome you would reserve for old friends to almost complete disdain!

Food is always great and worth the attitude swings.

Check the bill! I Prefer to think of it as poor arithmetic!

Star of India - Overated, dirty by cbw

cbw — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:12:39 +0000

Review by cbw

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 8989 4028

Website: http://www.star-of-india.co.uk/

Tags: indian, crowded, pretentious

I visited this place recently and was very dissappointed by the quality of the food and the state of decor of the place.
I had one of their "Specials" the vegetable jalfrezi. It was a cold, mess of soggy vegetables in a loads of oil, I struggled to eat it. My friends were also served cold food. We were advised that the plates were extremely hot and they needed to be. At the next table the diners were provided with hot plates however we were not.
Could this be because the host, Shah, who fancies himself as the MP for Leytonstone, fawns over the customers so that they are lured into returning despite the appalling food? The waiters are rude and surly apart from one of them. The stench of damp and mould in the toilets is overwhelming. Avoid tis place and go to The Lane in Wanstead.I visited this place recently and was very dissappointed by the quality of the food and the state of decor of the place.
I had one of their "Specials" the vegetable jalfrezi. It was a cold, mess of soggy vegetables in a loads of oil, I struggled to eat it. My friends were also served cold food. We were advised that the plates were extremely hot and they needed to be. At the next table the diners were provided with hot plates however we were not.
Could this be because the host, Shah, who fancies himself as the MP for Leytonstone, fawns over the customers so that they are lured into returning despite the appalling food? The waiters are rude and surly apart from one of them. The stench of damp and mould in the toilets is overwhelming. Avoid tis place and go to The Lane in Wanstead.

Mudra - Now Mudra by e_eater

e_eater — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:11:27 +0000

Review by e_eater

Rating: 5.00

Tags: indian, good food, friendly staff

Swaad has now changed to Mudra. If such a thing is possible it is even better. It's the best indian restaurant in Leytonstone - just not at the fashionable top-end of the High Road. It's well worth the five minute walk from the station. The food is delicious and includes a great selection for vegetarians and vegans. The masalla dosas are fantastic. A meal in themselves. The modern, spacious setting is very relaxing and although you can eat quickly if you want to it's perfect place to relax over a memorable meal with a group of friends.Swaad has now changed to Mudra. If such a thing is possible it is even better. It's the best indian restaurant in Leytonstone - just not at the fashionable top-end of the High Road. It's well worth the five minute walk from the station. The food is delicious and includes a great selection for vegetarians and vegans. The masalla dosas are fantastic. A meal in themselves. The modern, spacious setting is very relaxing and although you can eat quickly if you want to it's perfect place to relax over a memorable meal with a group of friends.

British Queen - A treat! by jennufcboss

jennufcboss — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:37:51 +0000

Review by jennufcboss

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 89898975

Tags: cool, relaxed, friendly

This is a nice and lively pub in Wanstead. They do a limited amount of food - but their pizzas are cooked authentically and are very tasty. On tuesdays they offer 2-4-1 pizzas which is excellent value! I also recommend their garlic bread with cheese.

The drinks are reasonably priced, and there is a darts board.

Just a really nice pub!This is a nice and lively pub in Wanstead. They do a limited amount of food - but their pizzas are cooked authentically and are very tasty. On tuesdays they offer 2-4-1 pizzas which is excellent value! I also recommend their garlic bread with cheese.

The drinks are reasonably priced, and there is a darts board.

Just a really nice pub!

Dunhuang House - value for money chinese takeaway by jennufcboss

jennufcboss — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:34:32 +0000

Review by jennufcboss

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 85303939

Tags: chinese, bargain

This is a takeaway restaurant offering average chinese food at very low prices, and with a lovely smile! The food would probably be above average if it wasn't all quite so salty - but I struggle to enjoy the meal as much as most as I usually get through about 5 pints of water!This is a takeaway restaurant offering average chinese food at very low prices, and with a lovely smile! The food would probably be above average if it wasn't all quite so salty - but I struggle to enjoy the meal as much as most as I usually get through about 5 pints of water!

Ristorante Gotico - CLOSED - by jennufcboss

jennufcboss — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:31:15 +0000

Review by jennufcboss

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 8530 4245

This restaurant has now closed down. I believe it is going to be an Indian restaurantThis restaurant has now closed down. I believe it is going to be an Indian restaurant

Gastrodome - CLOSED - by jennufcboss

jennufcboss — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:27:26 +0000

Review by jennufcboss

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8518 8516

Tags: cheap, lively, stylish

This restaurant is no longer open. It is now the excellent restaurant - SeasonsThis restaurant is no longer open. It is now the excellent restaurant - Seasons

Nice Croissant - Very nice croissant by jennufcboss

jennufcboss — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:25:32 +0000

Review by jennufcboss

Rating: 4.00

Tags: lively, good brew, proper food

I completely agree with the other reviewers. We're very lucky to have a place like Nice Croissant in Wanstead and I think it's really important to support independently owned places like this. It really is no sacrifice to support it though as the coffee is excellent, the sandwiches and pastries are delicious. This is the perfect place for lunch. I recommend you arrive early though as it fills up very quickly!I completely agree with the other reviewers. We're very lucky to have a place like Nice Croissant in Wanstead and I think it's really important to support independently owned places like this. It really is no sacrifice to support it though as the coffee is excellent, the sandwiches and pastries are delicious. This is the perfect place for lunch. I recommend you arrive early though as it fills up very quickly!

El Toro Loco - by jennufcboss

jennufcboss — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:20:09 +0000

Review by jennufcboss

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8518 8111

Website: http://www.eltoroloco.co.uk

Tags: lively, tapas, spanish

Good quality tapas restaurant. Really nice atmosphere, and staff are very friendly. I'd definitely recommend this!Good quality tapas restaurant. Really nice atmosphere, and staff are very friendly. I'd definitely recommend this!

Georges Cafe - Lovely Jubbly by stantoncarlisle

stantoncarlisle — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:35:52 +0000

Review by stantoncarlisle

Rating: 5.00The grey Aluminum bordered front is more cold than welcoming and the low-key decor inside matches the humble front. There's a wooden counter, checkered tables and the whole place needs a thorough scrub or two to make it gleam. Yet that doesn't stop it being the best local cafe in the area mainly because the amazing value, no-nonsense. homemade grub. The walls are lined with framed 8 by 10 signed colour photos of show biz celebrities. None of the usual fly by night stuff modern stuff. There's Beadle, Des O'Connor, Bruce Forsyth, Ant & Dec, Joanna Lumley, Frank Bruno, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and David Jason - who could be the patron of this place. Run by a guy called Tony. The lunch menu runs to homemade Shepards Pie with potatoes, cabbage, carrots and gravy - Â£2.90. Lamb Chops Â£3.50. The Waitress strolls into the centre and announces each meal royally. The nosh arrives in large oval plates, the food is practically spilling over. The homemade Shepards Pie was made with good mince meat, the potatoes good and the veggies a tad overdone - although the gravy masked that. The place shuts at 2:00. On Fridays they have fresh fish which runs out fairly quick.The grey Aluminum bordered front is more cold than welcoming and the low-key decor inside matches the humble front. There's a wooden counter, checkered tables and the whole place needs a thorough scrub or two to make it gleam. Yet that doesn't stop it being the best local cafe in the area mainly because the amazing value, no-nonsense. homemade grub. The walls are lined with framed 8 by 10 signed colour photos of show biz celebrities. None of the usual fly by night stuff modern stuff. There's Beadle, Des O'Connor, Bruce Forsyth, Ant & Dec, Joanna Lumley, Frank Bruno, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and David Jason - who could be the patron of this place. Run by a guy called Tony. The lunch menu runs to homemade Shepards Pie with potatoes, cabbage, carrots and gravy - Â£2.90. Lamb Chops Â£3.50. The Waitress strolls into the centre and announces each meal royally. The nosh arrives in large oval plates, the food is practically spilling over. The homemade Shepards Pie was made with good mince meat, the potatoes good and the veggies a tad overdone - although the gravy masked that. The place shuts at 2:00. On Fridays they have fresh fish which runs out fairly quick.

Central Restaurant - by kspence

kspence — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:43:23 +0000

Review by kspence

Rating: 4.00The first thing youâ¬"ll notice about the Central Restaurant is the gorgeous dÃ©cor â¬ itâ¬"s painted in warm colours inside and is hung with beautiful lights made out of bottle gourds (some of which I think are also for sale too). In the daytime itâ¬"s a very nice, cosy cafÃ© which sells cafÃ© food of the cakes, sandwiches, toasties and hot and cold drinks type. It has a lovely atmosphere but the premises arenâ¬"t huge inside, and as the place can be popular with the fallout from local parent and toddler groups at certain times of day it can get quite crowded with prams etc. - but the congestion doesnâ¬"t usually last long at all. I understand that it is open in the early evenings for main meals too and although I always intended to go - it looks like it would be very good - unfortunately I never got the chance to visit at that time myself.The first thing youâ¬"ll notice about the Central Restaurant is the gorgeous dÃ©cor â¬ itâ¬"s painted in warm colours inside and is hung with beautiful lights made out of bottle gourds (some of which I think are also for sale too). In the daytime itâ¬"s a very nice, cosy cafÃ© which sells cafÃ© food of the cakes, sandwiches, toasties and hot and cold drinks type. It has a lovely atmosphere but the premises arenâ¬"t huge inside, and as the place can be popular with the fallout from local parent and toddler groups at certain times of day it can get quite crowded with prams etc. - but the congestion doesnâ¬"t usually last long at all. I understand that it is open in the early evenings for main meals too and although I always intended to go - it looks like it would be very good - unfortunately I never got the chance to visit at that time myself.

Cafe De Asia - Excellent option by kspence

kspence — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:32:54 +0000

Review by kspence

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 85187463

The CafÃ© de Asia is the very first restaurant / cafÃ© we visited in while we were looking at places in London to live and I have to say in its own way it had a small influence on our decision to live in Leytonstone! Itâ¬"s a nice, modern cafÃ© / restaurant with friendly staff and a nice atmosphere. They sell a smallish but regularly (daily?) changing range of spicy dishes â¬ various curries, barbequed / skewered meat options and rice â¬ which are all available to see under the glass counter, so you can point out exactly what youâ¬"d like. The prices are very reasonable too. I canâ¬"t recall if they operate as a standard sandwich bar as well â¬ since we always opted for the Asian dishes as they were so good. I miss the place now we no longer live in Leytonstone! Highly recommended.The CafÃ© de Asia is the very first restaurant / cafÃ© we visited in while we were looking at places in London to live and I have to say in its own way it had a small influence on our decision to live in Leytonstone! Itâ¬"s a nice, modern cafÃ© / restaurant with friendly staff and a nice atmosphere. They sell a smallish but regularly (daily?) changing range of spicy dishes â¬ various curries, barbequed / skewered meat options and rice â¬ which are all available to see under the glass counter, so you can point out exactly what youâ¬"d like. The prices are very reasonable too. I canâ¬"t recall if they operate as a standard sandwich bar as well â¬ since we always opted for the Asian dishes as they were so good. I miss the place now we no longer live in Leytonstone! Highly recommended.

Baburchi Restaurant - by kspence

kspence — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:22:44 +0000

Review by kspence

Rating: 4.00

Tags: restaurant, london, leytonstone

Barburchi is an excellent curry house serving a good range of good quality, reasonably priced meals. It is a nicely appointed, modern restaurant in Leytonstone near the Green Man roundabout and the A12 (sneaky free parking is abundantly available in the Tesco car park, which is literally at the back of the restaurant and can be accessed via a footway.) The staff are nice and friendly - and very accommodating for people with pushchairs / young children! As well as dishes from the menu, a Sunday buffet lunch is available which provides a range of meat and vegetable curries and side dishes. This is excellent value and very reasonably priced. Highly recommended!Barburchi is an excellent curry house serving a good range of good quality, reasonably priced meals. It is a nicely appointed, modern restaurant in Leytonstone near the Green Man roundabout and the A12 (sneaky free parking is abundantly available in the Tesco car park, which is literally at the back of the restaurant and can be accessed via a footway.) The staff are nice and friendly - and very accommodating for people with pushchairs / young children! As well as dishes from the menu, a Sunday buffet lunch is available which provides a range of meat and vegetable curries and side dishes. This is excellent value and very reasonably priced. Highly recommended!

Petch Sayam Thai Restaurant - good choice by kspence

kspence — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:34:18 +0000

Review by kspence

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 8556 6821

Website: http://www.petchsayamthairestaurant.co.uk

Tags: lunch, smoking, party

Petch Sayam is a Thai restaurant in Leytonstone and is well worth a visit. The food is of good quality and the wide range of the Thai (red / green etc) curries and stir fried dishes that have become familiar to British restaurant goers are available. The vegetable side-dishes are also particularly good â¬ I would recommend the ginger broccoli. Despite its smallish shop front in Leytonstone High street there is plenty of room inside â¬ itâ¬"s nicely appointed and decorated (inside and out) â¬ there is lots of greenery and a very pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant also offers takeaways which are very good.Petch Sayam is a Thai restaurant in Leytonstone and is well worth a visit. The food is of good quality and the wide range of the Thai (red / green etc) curries and stir fried dishes that have become familiar to British restaurant goers are available. The vegetable side-dishes are also particularly good â¬ I would recommend the ginger broccoli. Despite its smallish shop front in Leytonstone High street there is plenty of room inside â¬ itâ¬"s nicely appointed and decorated (inside and out) â¬ there is lots of greenery and a very pleasant atmosphere. The restaurant also offers takeaways which are very good.

Chopsticks - Good value by worst_trip

worst_trip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:30:17 +0000

Review by worst_trip

Rating: 3.00This is a buffet-style Chinese restaurant so thereâ¬"s as much food as you can eat and the vast majority of it falls in the class â¬ good - to pretty good - to OK. There are many deep-fried types of savouries â¬ some potato or vegetable-based so you can see there is a trend going on for fillers here, and a good selection of Chinese-restaurant style staples although some of these sometimes tend to be on the slightly gloopier side. There are also various desserts. Its main selling point is probably that it is very reasonably priced. It also does a take-away option from the buffet if you donâ¬"t want to eat on the premises. I believe they may also offer a restaurant menu â¬ although weâ¬"ve never tried this.This is a buffet-style Chinese restaurant so thereâ¬"s as much food as you can eat and the vast majority of it falls in the class â¬ good - to pretty good - to OK. There are many deep-fried types of savouries â¬ some potato or vegetable-based so you can see there is a trend going on for fillers here, and a good selection of Chinese-restaurant style staples although some of these sometimes tend to be on the slightly gloopier side. There are also various desserts. Its main selling point is probably that it is very reasonably priced. It also does a take-away option from the buffet if you donâ¬"t want to eat on the premises. I believe they may also offer a restaurant menu â¬ although weâ¬"ve never tried this.

Ichiban - Terrific value, excellent food by worst_trip

worst_trip — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:10:01 +0000

Review by worst_trip

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8556 7591

Tags: japanese, good value, cheap eat

It seems slightly churlish for me to think of awarding the Ichiban only four out of five stars in this review, since Iâ¬"ve now read the glowing write-ups everyone else has been giving it â¬ and there is only one reason Iâ¬"d even think of knocking a star off this restaurantâ¬"s rating and that has nothing to do with the food â¬ which is abundant, of excellent quality, inexpensive and beautifully served (some dishes in gorgeous lacquer boxes) or the ambience â¬ which is small-restaurant cosy, and very nice. No, the only possible negative point anyone could think of raising regarding this restaurant concerns its rather unexpected opening schedule. Youâ¬"ll need to check this before going, as I donâ¬"t think itâ¬"s open every evening of the week - we have certainly been caught out before, trying to arrive for a meal on spec.It seems slightly churlish for me to think of awarding the Ichiban only four out of five stars in this review, since Iâ¬"ve now read the glowing write-ups everyone else has been giving it â¬ and there is only one reason Iâ¬"d even think of knocking a star off this restaurantâ¬"s rating and that has nothing to do with the food â¬ which is abundant, of excellent quality, inexpensive and beautifully served (some dishes in gorgeous lacquer boxes) or the ambience â¬ which is small-restaurant cosy, and very nice. No, the only possible negative point anyone could think of raising regarding this restaurant concerns its rather unexpected opening schedule. Youâ¬"ll need to check this before going, as I donâ¬"t think itâ¬"s open every evening of the week - we have certainly been caught out before, trying to arrive for a meal on spec.

Gioberti - Better than pizza hut, anyway! by carolinebee

carolinebee — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:54:19 +0000

Review by carolinebee

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 8989 9989

Website: http://www.gioberti.co.uk/

Tags: cosy, italian, friendly

I admit, I'm not particularly partial to pizzas. Usually, they're greasy, doughy, and generally far too "fast foodish" to stomach. However, Gioberti's changes that a bit, and prepares freshly made, authentic pizza which is actually pretty good.

I've been here twice, but have sampled various pizzas having taken some friends along, too. They were all freshly made (not frozen like the stodge from Pizza Hut) and were truly thin and crispy - real Italiano!

The pizza tasted fresh and flavoursome, although was perhaps a little sparsley topped, so if you like your pepperoni you might be dissapointed. The prices were also mis-proportioned, with a single pizza to share rising above Â£10.

Good for an irregular Italian treat but not a regular visit.I admit, I'm not particularly partial to pizzas. Usually, they're greasy, doughy, and generally far too "fast foodish" to stomach. However, Gioberti's changes that a bit, and prepares freshly made, authentic pizza which is actually pretty good.

I've been here twice, but have sampled various pizzas having taken some friends along, too. They were all freshly made (not frozen like the stodge from Pizza Hut) and were truly thin and crispy - real Italiano!

The pizza tasted fresh and flavoursome, although was perhaps a little sparsley topped, so if you like your pepperoni you might be dissapointed. The prices were also mis-proportioned, with a single pizza to share rising above Â£10.

Good for an irregular Italian treat but not a regular visit.