Latest reviews in Spitalfields, London, United Kingdom

New Tayyabs - Terrible by sam189

sam189 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:53:58 +0000

Review by sam189

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7247 9543

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

Worst night out I've had in an extremely long time. Tayyabs was once a great restaurant with fantastic food. The service was always average, but overall a well above average place to eat. Now however, I'm afraid the word is out and the place is absolutely horrendous. Rammed no matter what time you arrive, I made the mistake of arranging a night out there for a group of six. We arrived and our pre booked table was no where to be seen, the waiter actually told us to stand out in the rain until it was ready. When our table finally became free after a 20 minute wait (and a lot of persuasion) we finally sat down to some of the rudest service I have ever experienced. As soon as we had sat down we were being hassled to order, before we had even had a chance to look over the menu, we were practically threatened into placing an order, this was after our waiter had tried to order for us, telling us what we were to eat. We made it clear that we weren't yet ready and he was definitely not pleased. Once the food arrived it was not bad, but no where near the standard which gave it the reputation that it no longer deserves. Squeezed round our very small table we were forced to confront a different waiter, when we pointed out that he'd given us several dishes that we didn't order, included lamb filled naan bread given only to our 2 vegetarian friends (suspiciously feeling like sabotage). We were constantly harassed into eating faster and moving on. We were made to feel like a complete inconvenience to both the staff and the restaurant as we were bullied through every aspect of our dining experience. I had been to this restaurant on more than a couple of occasions when it was still a hidden gem, but now, you couldn't drag me back. If you want a great brick lane meal, I'd head for Aladdin's up Brick lane and avoid Tayyabs like the plague.Worst night out I've had in an extremely long time. Tayyabs was once a great restaurant with fantastic food. The service was always average, but overall a well above average place to eat. Now however, I'm afraid the word is out and the place is absolutely horrendous. Rammed no matter what time you arrive, I made the mistake of arranging a night out there for a group of six. We arrived and our pre booked table was no where to be seen, the waiter actually told us to stand out in the rain until it was ready. When our table finally became free after a 20 minute wait (and a lot of persuasion) we finally sat down to some of the rudest service I have ever experienced. As soon as we had sat down we were being hassled to order, before we had even had a chance to look over the menu, we were practically threatened into placing an order, this was after our waiter had tried to order for us, telling us what we were to eat. We made it clear that we weren't yet ready and he was definitely not pleased. Once the food arrived it was not bad, but no where near the standard which gave it the reputation that it no longer deserves. Squeezed round our very small table we were forced to confront a different waiter, when we pointed out that he'd given us several dishes that we didn't order, included lamb filled naan bread given only to our 2 vegetarian friends (suspiciously feeling like sabotage). We were constantly harassed into eating faster and moving on. We were made to feel like a complete inconvenience to both the staff and the restaurant as we were bullied through every aspect of our dining experience. I had been to this restaurant on more than a couple of occasions when it was still a hidden gem, but now, you couldn't drag me back. If you want a great brick lane meal, I'd head for Aladdin's up Brick lane and avoid Tayyabs like the plague.

Rosa's - M&S Thai takeaways are better by michou

michou — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:17:27 +0000

Review by michou

Rating: 1.00

Phone: +44 20 7247 109

Tags: thai, good value, lively

Went there having read reviews; what a disappointment; sure it is good value and service is efficient (but without a hint of a smile) but the food is extremely poor. Had soft shell crabs which were 90% soggy mess with some tasteless matter in the middle and Pad Thai noodles which were the worst I have ever tasted; lots of sugar on a messy dollop of tasteless nooddles. I've had much better and "authentic" Thai food from M&S and all the other supermarkets. Another restaurant in a trendy area that thinks it can throw any old rubbish at not too discerning people.Went there having read reviews; what a disappointment; sure it is good value and service is efficient (but without a hint of a smile) but the food is extremely poor. Had soft shell crabs which were 90% soggy mess with some tasteless matter in the middle and Pad Thai noodles which were the worst I have ever tasted; lots of sugar on a messy dollop of tasteless nooddles. I've had much better and "authentic" Thai food from M&S and all the other supermarkets. Another restaurant in a trendy area that thinks it can throw any old rubbish at not too discerning people.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake - by WineTravelr

WineTravelr — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:40:32 +0000

Review by WineTravelr

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7729 0826

Tags: bargain, cheap eat, jewish

Best bagels I know - and also some great breadsBest bagels I know - and also some great breads

Sheba - by Sarah_Law

Sarah_Law — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:25:35 +0000

Review by Sarah_Law

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7247 7824

Tags: indian, family & home feel, lively

I forgot to mention we found rat droppings in the toilet!!I forgot to mention we found rat droppings in the toilet!!

Aladin Restaurant - The Best food ever by alan123

alan123 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:25:20 +0000

Review by alan123

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7247 8210

Tags: lively, indian, good value

The food is just amazingly tasty. You can taste the real flavours right from the moment the curry enters your mouth. Truly mouth-watering. Fantastic service and atmosphere. One of the best in brick lane. i definitely recommend it. Its great value for money especially because its buy your own alcohol. I rate it 10 out of 10.The food is just amazingly tasty. You can taste the real flavours right from the moment the curry enters your mouth. Truly mouth-watering. Fantastic service and atmosphere. One of the best in brick lane. i definitely recommend it. Its great value for money especially because its buy your own alcohol. I rate it 10 out of 10.

Muhib Indian Cuisine - Go Somewhere Else by SophieGreen

SophieGreen — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:11:05 +0000

Review by SophieGreen

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7247 7122

Tags: indian, vegetarian dishes

We went as a group of five to Muhib last Saturday will NOT be returning!

We were looking forward to a good evening out and took advantage of the bring your own drink policy.

We barely had time to open our menus before our order was demanded for by a waiter, when we had question about a dish on the menu all we got in response was 'I dunno'.

The starters came out literally 2 minutes after ordering them, our main dishes were practically served before we had finished them and our plates cleared before we had time to put our forks down! We decided to have desserts and coffees and we asked for one of our bottles of wine which had been put in the restaurantâ¬"s fridge only to have the waiter bring our entire bag of wine back, dump it on our table along with the bill and waltz off!

When we said we hadn't asked for the bill and would like to order desserts we were told they did not serve them even though we had ordered them on a previous visit to the restaurant and to basically get lost as they had other customers!

We had gone to Brick Lane specially as had visitors from out of town and it was a complete let down, the whole meal was extremely rushed, we were in and out of there within an hour and the service was terrible and rude.

Wouldn't recommend going here, there are better curry houses in Brick Lane! Maybe Muhib should consider reopening as fast food joint!

We went as a group of five to Muhib last Saturday will NOT be returning!

We were looking forward to a good evening out and took advantage of the bring your own drink policy.

We barely had time to open our menus before our order was demanded for by a waiter, when we had question about a dish on the menu all we got in response was 'I dunno'.

The starters came out literally 2 minutes after ordering them, our main dishes were practically served before we had finished them and our plates cleared before we had time to put our forks down! We decided to have desserts and coffees and we asked for one of our bottles of wine which had been put in the restaurantâ¬"s fridge only to have the waiter bring our entire bag of wine back, dump it on our table along with the bill and waltz off!

When we said we hadn't asked for the bill and would like to order desserts we were told they did not serve them even though we had ordered them on a previous visit to the restaurant and to basically get lost as they had other customers!

We had gone to Brick Lane specially as had visitors from out of town and it was a complete let down, the whole meal was extremely rushed, we were in and out of there within an hour and the service was terrible and rude.

Wouldn't recommend going here, there are better curry houses in Brick Lane! Maybe Muhib should consider reopening as fast food joint!

Mirch Masala - Can you keep a secret? by sidsen

sidsen — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:07:02 +0000

Review by sidsen

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7377 6700

Tags: indian, cheap eat, lively

I am a religious follower of food at Lahore Kebab House & Tayyabs but I was getting a bit fed up of their over-popularity and nowadays quite expensive meals. So based on a recommendation by a car park attendant at Sainsbury's we decided to try it. Well, what a pleasant surprise it was. Food was as good as the other two (known to be the the bees-knees). The Karela dahl was superb, better than the other two by miles. Everything was quite reasonable in price considering it's decor was no less down market than the other two. After all you go to these places for the great food and the ability to bring your own booze. So there was nothing lacking here. The manager was so attentive. Every time he saw us looking for a waiter to order more, he sent on of them straight over to us nearly at once. Very quick serving times as well. OK, all these places have a limited repertoire in menu items. But that is exactly what veterans need. Well for the present it is good bye Lahore & Tayyabs. Well of course until MM goes greedy and inflate their prices unnecessarily. The impressive bit about this MM restaurant chain is that they have got their presence in so many places especially like Southall, where they will have a very discerning and veteran clientele and if they have survived over there- what more can one say. They are just opening one in Ilford and in a couple of month's in my Harrow area. I can hardly wait! . By the way MM could you get some proper wine glasses next time. Cheers and all the best!I am a religious follower of food at Lahore Kebab House & Tayyabs but I was getting a bit fed up of their over-popularity and nowadays quite expensive meals. So based on a recommendation by a car park attendant at Sainsbury's we decided to try it. Well, what a pleasant surprise it was. Food was as good as the other two (known to be the the bees-knees). The Karela dahl was superb, better than the other two by miles. Everything was quite reasonable in price considering it's decor was no less down market than the other two. After all you go to these places for the great food and the ability to bring your own booze. So there was nothing lacking here. The manager was so attentive. Every time he saw us looking for a waiter to order more, he sent on of them straight over to us nearly at once. Very quick serving times as well. OK, all these places have a limited repertoire in menu items. But that is exactly what veterans need. Well for the present it is good bye Lahore & Tayyabs. Well of course until MM goes greedy and inflate their prices unnecessarily. The impressive bit about this MM restaurant chain is that they have got their presence in so many places especially like Southall, where they will have a very discerning and veteran clientele and if they have survived over there- what more can one say. They are just opening one in Ilford and in a couple of month's in my Harrow area. I can hardly wait! . By the way MM could you get some proper wine glasses next time. Cheers and all the best!

Le Bouchon Breton - Choose wisely... by QueenB

QueenB — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:38:04 +0000

Review by QueenB

Rating: 4.00

Tags: french, lively, expensive

Now, with family in France and spending a lot of my time there, I am an avid fan of finding a decent french brasserie in London - which is harder than you may think

A friend at work suggested we try this for our team dinner as she had seen a great deal on Top table Â£15 for 3 courses and a glass of house wine from a set menu. So far so unbelievabley good considering the team behind this place!

All 11 of us arrive and are meeted and greeted by a swarm of staff pleased to see us.
I was even more pleased by the cheese display that already had my mouth watering!

The table was set and sliced mini baguettes with pots of butter were placed along the table and swiftly replaced when empty

The set menu changes daily, so we did not know what to expect - we ended up with a choice ot 2 dishes per course, none of which really appealed to me - tomato and cheese tart or pork/duck rilletts then choice of pork chop or bowl of spicy tomato pasta anyone?
everyone who had the menu said it was fine and cooked well but not what you come to a restaurant like this for!

some of my team strangely stuck to the set meal but I was wiser and had something from the main menu:
Panfried Seabass Filet, with Crushed Potatoes and
Spring Onions, Served with a Mustard Butter Sauce for Â£17
The seabass was crispy skinned and cooked so perfectly it just melted in your mouth. the potatoes were crushed with butter, garlic and spring onions that made me want to order a plate of them alone but i resisted hehe

My friend had the Boeuf Bourgignon Â£15
Slow Cooked Beef in a Rich Red Wine Sauce with Bacon, Mushroom and Glazed Silverskin Onions Served with Croutons and Mash Potatoes - this was delicious and envied by most of the table!

Even the house wines were enjoyable but the wine list was extensive and well selected - staff were happy to advise on this front - also with something for every budget.

It was quiet when we arrived at 7 pm but it quickly filled up and became very buzzy and vibrant, with people also just drinking at the bar

I have already booked for a saturday next month to take my boyfriend for a full meal and will be able to give a more indepth review after! I can't wait!!!Now, with family in France and spending a lot of my time there, I am an avid fan of finding a decent french brasserie in London - which is harder than you may think

A friend at work suggested we try this for our team dinner as she had seen a great deal on Top table Â£15 for 3 courses and a glass of house wine from a set menu. So far so unbelievabley good considering the team behind this place!

All 11 of us arrive and are meeted and greeted by a swarm of staff pleased to see us.
I was even more pleased by the cheese display that already had my mouth watering!

The table was set and sliced mini baguettes with pots of butter were placed along the table and swiftly replaced when empty

The set menu changes daily, so we did not know what to expect - we ended up with a choice ot 2 dishes per course, none of which really appealed to me - tomato and cheese tart or pork/duck rilletts then choice of pork chop or bowl of spicy tomato pasta anyone?
everyone who had the menu said it was fine and cooked well but not what you come to a restaurant like this for!

some of my team strangely stuck to the set meal but I was wiser and had something from the main menu:
Panfried Seabass Filet, with Crushed Potatoes and
Spring Onions, Served with a Mustard Butter Sauce for Â£17
The seabass was crispy skinned and cooked so perfectly it just melted in your mouth. the potatoes were crushed with butter, garlic and spring onions that made me want to order a plate of them alone but i resisted hehe

My friend had the Boeuf Bourgignon Â£15
Slow Cooked Beef in a Rich Red Wine Sauce with Bacon, Mushroom and Glazed Silverskin Onions Served with Croutons and Mash Potatoes - this was delicious and envied by most of the table!

Even the house wines were enjoyable but the wine list was extensive and well selected - staff were happy to advise on this front - also with something for every budget.

It was quiet when we arrived at 7 pm but it quickly filled up and became very buzzy and vibrant, with people also just drinking at the bar

I have already booked for a saturday next month to take my boyfriend for a full meal and will be able to give a more indepth review after! I can't wait!!!

Happy Days - Fantastic Tradional Fish and Chips :-) by gpzarquon

gpzarquon — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:23:59 +0000

Review by gpzarquon

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7377 9815

Best Fish and Chip Shop in London... and an
excellent restaurant in the city to sit down and eat, cheap, tasty and fast service !Best Fish and Chip Shop in London... and an
excellent restaurant in the city to sit down and eat, cheap, tasty and fast service !

Body Basics - by SamUrq

SamUrq — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:34:06 +0000

Review by SamUrq

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7628 6404

Terrible service. My girlfriend bought a pair of gold shoes from this shop, which fell apart within a week. They then refused to refund the money or exchange them and were extremely rude in the process.

Avoid.Terrible service. My girlfriend bought a pair of gold shoes from this shop, which fell apart within a week. They then refused to refund the money or exchange them and were extremely rude in the process.

Avoid.

Taylor St Baristas - by Linga

Linga — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:21:50 +0000

Review by Linga

Rating: 5.00

Website: http://www.taylor-st.com

Tags: amazing brew, quick bite, crowded

Love this place! It has awesome coffee (flat whites) and i really liked the selection of sandwiches. Very gourmet, using fresh bread and ingredients. The salads are fresh and i liked the portion sizes.

Loved the fact that you could get all your Aussie treats too.Love this place! It has awesome coffee (flat whites) and i really liked the selection of sandwiches. Very gourmet, using fresh bread and ingredients. The salads are fresh and i liked the portion sizes.

Loved the fact that you could get all your Aussie treats too.

Yummy's Cafe - everyones welcome by 1111

1111 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 22:57:04 +0000

Review by 1111

Rating: 5.00

Tags: cosy, lively, quick bite

hi i am the chef at yummys and i would like to say thanks for your kind words and i will keep makeing the best food i can lol jasonhi i am the chef at yummys and i would like to say thanks for your kind words and i will keep makeing the best food i can lol jason

Prithi - by Maria_Hackney

Maria_Hackney — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:26:14 +0000

Review by Maria_Hackney

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7377 5252

Tags: indian, smoking, takeaway

Went there for lunch and were very disappointed. The starters were not fresh and had "fried" as primary taste. The dosas we had were not really good aswell. The staff was a bit slow and not all of them wore clean clothes. When we ordered a water and a beer, we got 640ml beer (for lunch!) and a liter bottle of water. I noted that i only wanted a glass of water, but the waiter ignore this.
ItÂ´s hard to make a choice between all the indian restaurants on Brick Lane most of which are in the same price range. But IÂ´d say you can skip trying out Prithi & Preem, mainly because the taste of the food was below average.Went there for lunch and were very disappointed. The starters were not fresh and had "fried" as primary taste. The dosas we had were not really good aswell. The staff was a bit slow and not all of them wore clean clothes. When we ordered a water and a beer, we got 640ml beer (for lunch!) and a liter bottle of water. I noted that i only wanted a glass of water, but the waiter ignore this.
ItÂ´s hard to make a choice between all the indian restaurants on Brick Lane most of which are in the same price range. But IÂ´d say you can skip trying out Prithi & Preem, mainly because the taste of the food was below average.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill - Jay Rayner was right by anthonykennedy

anthonykennedy — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:00:40 +0000

Review by anthonykennedy

Rating: 2.00

Phone: 020 7247 5050

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

Tags: steak, lanes, mpw

While I would like to leave a long and wordy review of this establishment and our experience there, it will be better for all if I direct you to the review by Jay Rayner from May.

'There will be blood'
Marco Pierre White's latest poor showing takes him straight to the top of Jay Rayner's hit list
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/17/jay-rayner-marco-pierre-white-steakhouse-grill-review

The only point of difference from our experience to that of Jay Rayner was that there is now a choice of four desserts instead of one. Secondly, I hate it when a restaurant butterfly's my steak without asking.

If you must try it don't do it on your own money.While I would like to leave a long and wordy review of this establishment and our experience there, it will be better for all if I direct you to the review by Jay Rayner from May.

'There will be blood'
Marco Pierre White's latest poor showing takes him straight to the top of Jay Rayner's hit list
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/17/jay-rayner-marco-pierre-white-steakhouse-grill-review

The only point of difference from our experience to that of Jay Rayner was that there is now a choice of four desserts instead of one. Secondly, I hate it when a restaurant butterfly's my steak without asking.

If you must try it don't do it on your own money.

The Last Days of Decadence - Sumptuous Art Deco in the heart of Shoreditch by SusieH

SusieH — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:55:16 +0000

Review by SusieH

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7729 2896

Website: http://thelastdaysofdecadence.com/home.html

Tags: live music, jazz, cool

What really makes this place different is the atmosphere. When you have a venue to get dressed up for, a cool crowd and delicious food all at a more-than-decent price you can't go wrong. I go to the Saturday nights regularly and end up dancing all night, which is more than can be said for most Shoreditch venues. Try it, you'll definately be back.What really makes this place different is the atmosphere. When you have a venue to get dressed up for, a cool crowd and delicious food all at a more-than-decent price you can't go wrong. I go to the Saturday nights regularly and end up dancing all night, which is more than can be said for most Shoreditch venues. Try it, you'll definately be back.

The Drunken Monkey - Rubbish by adamgrimsley

adamgrimsley — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:43:59 +0000

Review by adamgrimsley

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7392 9606

Tags: chinese, expensive, bar

Walked in, was quite busy. Staff ignored me for 10 minutes, one guy cleaning fridges, then stopped and served someone then went back to cleaning fridges, so I left.

It is just near where I live I wondered why we never go there, now I know!
Go to the Commercial Tavern instead, 10 times better and the owners are fab.Walked in, was quite busy. Staff ignored me for 10 minutes, one guy cleaning fridges, then stopped and served someone then went back to cleaning fridges, so I left.

It is just near where I live I wondered why we never go there, now I know!
Go to the Commercial Tavern instead, 10 times better and the owners are fab.

Trafik - food posoining by sillysnake

sillysnake — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:46:15 +0000

Review by sillysnake

Rating: 1.00

Tags: expensive, pretentious, international

I had dinner there with a friend and we both decided to grab a pizza. I have to say both of us felt seriously unwell afterwards. It ruined our whole day getting food poisoning from this place and I couldn't apologise enough to my friend for taking her there. WILL NEVER EVER GO TO AGAIN!!

My friends have said it is terrible for a night out also.

STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!I had dinner there with a friend and we both decided to grab a pizza. I have to say both of us felt seriously unwell afterwards. It ruined our whole day getting food poisoning from this place and I couldn't apologise enough to my friend for taking her there. WILL NEVER EVER GO TO AGAIN!!

My friends have said it is terrible for a night out also.

STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!

Green & Red Bar & Cantina - The Jury's Out.......... by Bowgreave

Bowgreave — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:54:04 +0000

Review by Bowgreave

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7749 9670

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

Tags: lively, good value, mexican

Been really looking forward to trying this place as weâ¬"re big fans of Mex food, as well as Tex-Mex. We called for lunch on the Bank Holiday Monday and, with their limited cut down lunch menu, we probably just got a sniff of its potential.
DÃ©cor is good â¬ a nice Cantina style feel to the place. Bar is good â¬ if you havenâ¬"t tried it before, the Bohemia beer is so good.
Guacamole seemed a touch bland. Burritos were well filled if lacking a little in the presentation stakes. Tasty though and we look forward to exploring the dinner menu.
Been really looking forward to trying this place as weâ¬"re big fans of Mex food, as well as Tex-Mex. We called for lunch on the Bank Holiday Monday and, with their limited cut down lunch menu, we probably just got a sniff of its potential.
DÃ©cor is good â¬ a nice Cantina style feel to the place. Bar is good â¬ if you havenâ¬"t tried it before, the Bohemia beer is so good.
Guacamole seemed a touch bland. Burritos were well filled if lacking a little in the presentation stakes. Tasty though and we look forward to exploring the dinner menu.

Kings Stores - Venue Hire by michou

michou — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:12:02 +0000

Review by michou

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7247 4089

Website: http://www.laurelpubco.com

Tags: relaxed, food, friendly

We hired this pub for a 50th birthday party and I cannot praise it enough. Very accommodating owner and staff, great venue so central, just the right size for 60-100 people. Space to dance, or talk ; food was excellent, late licence, could go in early to decorate, reasonable priced wine - made for a perfect evening. Will definetly use again if the occasion ariseWe hired this pub for a 50th birthday party and I cannot praise it enough. Very accommodating owner and staff, great venue so central, just the right size for 60-100 people. Space to dance, or talk ; food was excellent, late licence, could go in early to decorate, reasonable priced wine - made for a perfect evening. Will definetly use again if the occasion arise

Commercial Tavern - Kooky relaxed by aimeealewis

aimeealewis — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:32:06 +0000

Review by aimeealewis

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7247 1888

Tags: relaxed, trendy, cool

I like this pub. It's very Shoreditch with it's darkness and random wallpaper samples, chandelier collection decor and photo wall. It also serves wine in tumblers. Yes that is because it's cool to disregard wine glasses. Not because they broke them all (apparently). Upstairs the decor is a little smarter with artistic lighting. You can reserve areas which is a good idea if you have a big group. They have a pool table too, if you like that kind of thing.I like this pub. It's very Shoreditch with it's darkness and random wallpaper samples, chandelier collection decor and photo wall. It also serves wine in tumblers. Yes that is because it's cool to disregard wine glasses. Not because they broke them all (apparently). Upstairs the decor is a little smarter with artistic lighting. You can reserve areas which is a good idea if you have a big group. They have a pool table too, if you like that kind of thing.