Food review insights for United Kingdom, Restaurants

*Disclaimer - I am from the United States and am aware that Pho may be prepared differently there when compared to here. That being said, this is the worst pho I’ve ever eaten; there was absolutely no flavor to the noodles nor the beef. And, speaking of the beef, I think there may have been two pieces in my bowl - could you be any more stingy? This, paired with above average prices, leaves one to wonder how they keep the doors open, but I digress… You’ve been warned.

1-Star Review: Extremely Disappointing Experience – Poor Service & Tasteless Food I spent 7 wonderful days in Edinburgh exploring various local and international restaurants – Chinese, Indian, Japanese, McDonald’s, Nando’s, Wagamama, and many more. Sadly, my last meal of the trip turned out to be the worst experience of all. My family was looking for a vegetarian option and came across Hong Fu Noodle Bar and Restaurant. We entered and were told the restaurant was upstairs. Before dining, we asked to use the restroom to wash our hands. The staff told us it was downstairs – only for customers – then changed the answer seconds later saying food and toilets are both upstairs. This inconsistency was confusing and unwelcoming. Despite the restaurant being large, it was completely empty – which in hindsight, made sense. We were a group of 4 but chose to order just one dish initially to check the taste. From that moment, we felt unwelcome. The staff member, Jassice, made a comment to her colleague in Chinese while giving us a negative look and body language. It was clear we were being judged for ordering only one dish. While waiting, the children were quietly playing with chopsticks (as commonly done in many Asian cultures). Instead of handling it kindly, Jassice pointed her finger to her lips and sternly signaled the child to be quiet, leaving the child confused and upset. When I asked why, she said they were making noise and might break the chopsticks. Things got worse. While I was still reading the menu, she suddenly snatched it from my hand without asking. When I asked why, she replied, “They will get sticky and oily because your food is here.” I explained I was not eating yet and still reading. Her tone and approach were unnecessarily rude. When the food finally arrived, it was completely tasteless. We were relieved we hadn’t ordered more. This was not just bad service – it was disrespectful, unprofessional, and unnecessarily rude. The entire experience left a bitter end to an otherwise great trip. 📌 My recommendation: Avoid this restaurant completely. If the owner is not aware of this, I suggest reviewing the CCTV footage for staff behavior. This is a genuine review, and I will attach the receipt as proof of visit. 👎 Worst food and worst customer service in Edinburgh.

5 stars all round. Also an additional star for food being served on hot plates - not just lukewarm. Enjoyed lunch so much going back on Monday

Finally got around to posting the review of Restaurant Gorden Ramsey his three Michelin starred signature restaurant in London which was a very special treat for my 50th.  To set the scene we opted for the 7 course taster menu called the prestige and matching wine accompaniment.  The good stuff Firstly the food was outstanding. The flavours the chef managed to pack into the crystal clear consume was amazing. Layers of flavours coming in waves telling the story of what ingredients were used in its creation. Truly the finest consume I have ever tasted.  There were a couple of other things that neither of us thought went together in our opinion but food and taste is very personal and the rest was fantastic.   The lows: The cheese trolley was a real disappointment to be honest. It was stacked full of various cheeses from local to French and the waitress responsible for this gave her suggestions on what we should try. Firstly I should say that the portions of cheese were tiny and neither of us liked two of the cheeses but we weren't offered any replacements despite these two being the cheeses that she suggested.  The biggest let down was the service. We were one of the first tables to arrive, three tables arrived together, to start with they were so attentive you felt like you couldn't have a conversation as they were on top of you all of the time. It got so bad at one point,  I picked up a pallet cleaners off the plate and just before I could put it back down a waitress tried to take the plate away!  The last service disappointment was as the evening went on the service got slower and slower which is to be expected and not a problem at all. But we paid a lot of money for the accompanying wine matched to the food for each course. The wine servings were so small that we ran out 3 times between courses!  We were only offered a top up to make up for the delay in service on the final desert wine as we had finished this before the long awaited desert arrived, but we went short for the main and fish dishes having to finish these course with only water.  All in all a great experience and fantastic food but at this level there are too many others we want to try so we wouldn't rush back.

Not sure if it was an off day considering other good reviews but was really disappointed. First time I've been and wanted to eat near Union Chapel before a gig. Waited 45 mins for our meal after asking twice where it was. When it came (with no apology) the pork souvlaki was almost inedible. Meat was gristly and chewy and in a dry pitta. The moussaka was even dry. Left most of the meal which never happens as I'm proper greedy. Best thing were the olives and an ice cold beer but can't really go wrong with those. Won't be returning considering all the great med/Turkish options on Upper St.

This is a place to have Nepali and Indian food. The food, service and ambience, all were very average. The restaurant played Indian Bhajans (religious songs) and serving non veg and alcohol which didn't match the overall vibe of any of these two cultures. I would not go there again to be frank.

Went here for our last meal on Sunday before travelling home, service great, staff friendly and attentive, beautifully decorated restaurant, food delicious - however the salmon pasta gave me food poisoning which is a real shame. I have had severe sickness ever since and was actually refused on the flight home and unable to fly home for 48hrs due to the severity of my food poisoning symptoms. Had to book another hotel and pay more money due to all of this. Such a shame as I was so pleased with my visit, but the aftermath has put me off going back.

Review rating: 3.0

A frustrating experience. We visited on a busy Friday evening and had booked in advance. Our reservation was at 8.30pm to be told our table would be a while. It was 9pm before we sat down. The staff seemed overly keen to take our orders, twice we had to say could they just give us a little time to study the menu. We ordered 2 starters and poppadoms to begin. The poppadoms arrived but no starters. A half hour later, our main courses arrived, still no starters! The food was sent back and we waited another half hour! We were still eating our main meal at 11pm and it was obvious the staff wanted us out. The food was nice, not fantastic and certainly not the best Indian food we have ever eaten, the curry sauces were very ‘samey’. I would say the naan bread was delicious though. Was it good value for money, no! Was the service good, definitely some communication errors along the way, but polite non the less, was it a slick and efficient service, a definite no, it was chaotic to be honest. There seemed to be a lot of stressed waiters and waitresses! The wine, be careful, we chose the Pinot Grigio which was the most expensive White as there was little to choose from, it was like drinking grape juice and only 10% VOL, it was not a quality wine nor good value at well over £30 a bottle and no mention of proof on the wine list, which any good restaurant should highlight. Would we go back, possibly, but only if the restaurant’s owners up their game in terms of customer service and efficiency. The Ladies toilets were also filthy which was off putting to say the least! Regular checks should be put in place, to ensure guests receive a clean environment to ‘powder their noses’! Much room for improvements!

Review rating: 3.0

*Disclaimer - I am from the United States and am aware that Pho may be prepared differently there when compared to here. That being said, this is the worst pho I’ve ever eaten; there was absolutely no flavor to the noodles nor the beef. And, speaking of the beef, I think there may have been two pieces in my bowl - could you be any more stingy? This, paired with above average prices, leaves one to wonder how they keep the doors open, but I digress… You’ve been warned.

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1-Star Review: Extremely Disappointing Experience – Poor Service & Tasteless Food I spent 7 wonderful days in Edinburgh exploring various local and international restaurants – Chinese, Indian, Japanese, McDonald’s, Nando’s, Wagamama, and many more. Sadly, my last meal of the trip turned out to be the worst experience of all. My family was looking for a vegetarian option and came across Hong Fu Noodle Bar and Restaurant. We entered and were told the restaurant was upstairs. Before dining, we asked to use the restroom to wash our hands. The staff told us it was downstairs – only for customers – then changed the answer seconds later saying food and toilets are both upstairs. This inconsistency was confusing and unwelcoming. Despite the restaurant being large, it was completely empty – which in hindsight, made sense. We were a group of 4 but chose to order just one dish initially to check the taste. From that moment, we felt unwelcome. The staff member, Jassice, made a comment to her colleague in Chinese while giving us a negative look and body language. It was clear we were being judged for ordering only one dish. While waiting, the children were quietly playing with chopsticks (as commonly done in many Asian cultures). Instead of handling it kindly, Jassice pointed her finger to her lips and sternly signaled the child to be quiet, leaving the child confused and upset. When I asked why, she said they were making noise and might break the chopsticks. Things got worse. While I was still reading the menu, she suddenly snatched it from my hand without asking. When I asked why, she replied, “They will get sticky and oily because your food is here.” I explained I was not eating yet and still reading. Her tone and approach were unnecessarily rude. When the food finally arrived, it was completely tasteless. We were relieved we hadn’t ordered more. This was not just bad service – it was disrespectful, unprofessional, and unnecessarily rude. The entire experience left a bitter end to an otherwise great trip. 📌 My recommendation: Avoid this restaurant completely. If the owner is not aware of this, I suggest reviewing the CCTV footage for staff behavior. This is a genuine review, and I will attach the receipt as proof of visit. 👎 Worst food and worst customer service in Edinburgh.

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5 stars all round. Also an additional star for food being served on hot plates - not just lukewarm. Enjoyed lunch so much going back on Monday

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