Poeken just finished their 2 weeks pop up in Suki Gerrard Street on the 24th July but the reason…read morewhy I am writing this review still is because I had they will be doing something else in the future, hopefully something more permanent. Their menu was short and sweet, listing their infamous fantastic value pokēs all £8 and under and all generously portioned too. It's shame I never actually met any of the staff or owners from Poeken so can't really comment on their service in the restaurant itself but communication via online was great. I asked for their menu before going and they sent it straight away and also responded to my feedback of the food too. Deconstructed Spicy Ahi Such a visually stunning and vibrant dish. Everything in it was a match in heaven except the horrible sharp cherry tomato where they need to find a better supplier. The avocado were ripe and buttery soft, cress added a lovely dimension with its earthy aromas, kaiso seaweed gave the dish a nice crunch whilst the daikon pickles added a nice zing. Now moving on to the best bits. One of the highlight of the dish was definitely the sweet potato salad which was basically mash sweet potato in Japanese Mayo. It was mashed till smooth and creamy and its honey like sweetness won me over. Of course the show of it all was the beautiful rich and silky chunky cuts of tuna, cut into good sizes so it wouldn't get lost among the other ingredients in the dish. From their springiness and delicate mild flavours you can tell they were fresh and of high quality. A fantastic pokē overall. Sake miso don The same pairings of ingredients except this one was with beautiful oily slices of salmon. The pieces were buttery and clean cut throughly showing skilful knife skills. The miso dressing was light but fragrant, just add depth and complexity through its umami and to flavour the lovely al dente sushi rice so no flavours were lost. Filled onigiri salmon belly Sadly this was too dry and bland for my liking. Somehow the curry flakes soaked up the moisture in the rice making it lose its fluffiness and stickiness. It became very dense and the small seaweed wrap wasn't enough to season it. This also meant that the salmon belly flavours was very much lost in the rice and were overcooked so it too became dry in the cooking process. Need a bit of soy sauce to save it. I think Poeken couldn't have picked a better time to open up their pop up in London. During the heatwave I think that was nothing more appealing than a refreshing poke, all made with excellent quality of ingredients, high grades of seafood and all dressed in it's unique dressing and perfectly seasoned too. Each ingredient was creatively paired so the flavours complemented each other creating a burst of delightful flavours. Can't wait till they open on 39 Gerrard Street. Heard they are adding more to the menu and hopefully they will keep their awesome prices too.

We were delighted to try this new establishment on opening weekend. Enjoyed a filling lunch with…read moredazzling cocktails. Such an amazing experience! Attention to detail in every dish was apparent. The whole menu was tempting but we settled on the following 5 sharing dishes: - Yellowtail sashimi salad with spicy sauce (my companion's favourite), super fresh and flavourful - Beef tataki salad with such bright colours in the pomegranates, lettuce, coriander, garlic chips and ponzu soaked onions - Fried Jerusalem artichokes, new for me and such a tasty pairing with the aioli - Miso-grilled black cod tacos were a great texture with crunchy taco shells and tender fish, lightly balanced - My absolute favourite, the fried chicken that had the most flavourful, tender (fall off the bone) meat with Chinese five spice and a deliciously spiced peanut sauce with pickles Scott and staff were a pleasure to speak with and enjoy a fun shot. The Freak Scene cocktail is their take on a mojito, fruity and fresh. Sipping on it reminded me of summer. We can't wait to return for the seasonal delights. There will soon be a queue down the block, so get here now!

Freak Scene is a pan-Asian fusion restaurant in Soho serving up tapas-style, often-fried riffs on…read moreChinese, Thai, and Japanese cuisine. We came for our first dinner in London, and booking was easy to get less than a week out. Though it was sparsely populated when we showed up around 8, it was getting busy when we left an hour later; this is definitely a party spot, though it's too small to truly be a clubstaurant. Freak Scene's head chef worked at Nobu for years, as evidenced by both the buzzy, theme-y atmosphere and the theatrical Westernized menu. Expect dishes like sashimi pizza and wonton bombs, washed down with tropical shooters. Dishes run in the low teens and are best split between two. Drinks are wide-ranging, from sake to wine to cocktails, and reasonably priced if not particularly intellectual. I had a citrusy rum drink, while my boyfriend took on the indignity of ordering a Slippery Nipple, some layered shot concoction, alongside an Asahi. Miso-grilled black cod tacos (11 pounds) tasted more Tex-Mex than Tokyo, with an admirable but overpowering salsa and a salty shell that made the well-prepared sushi rice redundant. They're pretty, but logistically difficult to eat. Jerusalem artichoke was not quite what we expected, fried into a thin stick like an elongated egg roll. However, it ended up being one of our favorite dishes and very flavorful with the aioli, though the portion is just silly for the price. Beef tataki salad (12 pounds) was standard, nothing special but a good way to round out the meal. By far, the winner was the lamb, two juicy and substantial chops with a simple sweet-and-spicy sauce. Service was spotty, though food did come out pretty quickly once we managed to place our orders. We spent about an hour here. The space has cool old propaganda posters, but feels a little too slickly designed. Prices were middle of the road for this part of town-- the final bill was about 70 pounds for 2, with a drink each. If you're looking for somewhere fun in Soho for a drink and a bite, this will do the trick, but for savvy customers used to Momofuku and other elevated fusion spots this may come off as juvenile.

This has the best fish and chips we've eaten in UK so far. If you are near Waterloo station, come…read morehere. Place was recommended by my UK cousin. Came here on a Saturday around 1300, and got seated right away. Ordered the haddock and chips. Fish is made to order, and it came out fresh, hot, and crispy. Chips were cooked nicely too. You get a lot of food. Place has lovely music. Staff are very friendly and accommodating. There are 2 clean toilets in back. We will definitely come back.

Ahhh, real London fish-n-chips...how I've missed thee! Came here with my wife and another couple on…read moreour holiday in London. Although the service was a bit abrupt, the food did not disappoint. As a table, we shared a few goodies to get us started, both a fried calamari and an order of onion rings. The calamari was cooked in rings similar in size to the onion rings! They were plump and had a very textured crunchy exterior, served with tartar sauce. The thick cut onion rings were piping hot and also super crunchy. For the fish-n-chips, each couple shared two different versions, one cod and one haddock. We liked each, the cod was thicker and meatier while the haddock probably tasted better but was thinner. Would come back here if in the area.

So excited to finally get a chance to do this…read more I'd heard about the Gingerline experience before, but their tickets are so darn hard to lay hands on. So, when Alex gave a couple of yelpers the opportunity to try them out, I threw as many hats in the ring as I could and was chosen for a 6pm slot on Tuesday. So much excitement to get into Version 2 of the Chambers of Flavour. When they send you your ticket, they ask you if you have any food allergies / intolerance. A friend with me had a shellfish allergy and she was well catered for during the experience. Now everything is kept super secret until the very end, including the location, until 4pm on the evening of. I received my text message at 4:30 and I just about managed to reach in time for my 6pm time slot. Thanks to the wonderful chaos of Oxford Street Station during evening rush hour in the midst of Christmas Shopping mania, making it a herculean effort to change lines. You have to reach on time, given their format, if you reach late, they won't be able to accommodate you in the next lot. This is not the WB studio and they only take a maximum of 16 people in at a time. So plan to be around the Liverpool Street / Islington area by 5pm, if you have an early slot. We were served a welcome alcoholic drink on arrival that was appreciated after the biting cold outside. A lovely machinist explained the concept to me and ran through a few rules (no photographs inside etc) The pre-experience space includes: - The bar which opens at 5pm. - A complimentary coat check where you can leave all bags and purses (recommended to leave your hands free during the experience) - Washrooms (best to use them here. There is one more opportunity mid way through the experience, but you will miss out a bit on the banter) - Seating space with tables. The bar had a nice variety of cocktails. Some could be consumed in the waiting area and there were 4 options that could be bottled for takeaway during the experience. (No other opportunity to buy drinks inside) They pack it in cooling bags and you can even choose a bottle of wine instead of cocktails. These drinks have to be paid for and are not covered in the ticket price. Prices are around 8-9 Pounds a glass. Mocktails too are available. The experience flows through a story, each phase takes you into a new space where you meet new characters, enjoy a nibble or a drink. Each room was equipped with water bottles, glasses and napkins. The performers were lovely, having so much fun. There's a lot of audience involvement at every stage. The food was much better than I expected (supper theater doesn't always have the best food, but ginger line has designed the experience around the food and that makes all the difference) Tips: 1. Leave everything at the coat check and leave your hands free. 2. Buy drinks at the bar, before you handover everything to the coat check. 3. Use washrooms at the start to maximise your experience inside. 4. Arrive early if you can. 5. Flat shoes and comfortable trousers/jeans make it easier to move around. 6. When you finally arrive, you may not be certain that you have found the right door and there's no one outside that you can check with. Just read the instructions carefully and you will know when you are at the right place. As you walk closer to the doors, you will hear some muted chatter. Have fun. I did love the experience and if I'm lucky enough to get tickets for the next one, I'd definitely return.

Of course this gets a 5 star! Gingerline is the best immersive experience happening in London right…read morenow. But it's all very hush hush. The location is only revealed hours before the experience is due to start and there is a very strict no photography/reveal policy. For just ~£60 you get a 5 course meal, the best improv actors you will ever encounter, and the chance to jump, crawl and run your way into different dimensions. With chamber of secrets you move between different rooms/worlds each with their own storyline whereas with classic gingerline you experience one long storyline from start to finish. Both are equally as good! One welcome drink is always given at the start of any gingerline experience but any others will need to be purchased. With chamber of secrets you have to calculate how much you will consume in 2 hours as you will not be allowed to buy drinks during the experience. This was quite stifling for me as I drank 3/4 of my bottle in the first dimension and had to proportion the rest of my drinks for the next 4. I do wish there wasn't a photography ban because I want everyone to know exactly how amazing the different rooms/food in gingerline are but at the same time it is refreshing to get everyone interacting with each other and the actors instead of being face down on their phones so what do I know. Now the actors and actresses where downright amazing! They were extremely quick witted and answered any random questions our slightly/very drunk group threw at them with ease. They really make the experience. I would recommend gingerline to anyone! If you can get tickets that is.. they're always sold out!

*** 5th floor of a shopping center***…read more Food was delicious. Pricing was great. We shared the combo for two that included the lobster, burger and lobster roll. I also got two oysters, to try and I'm so glad I did! Ambiance was nice and our server was super friendly. It was saddening to see the lobsters in the tank, looking half dead and two fighting while one had a claw free. I definitely wouldn't have eaten had I seen that first. So I dinged a point simply for this reason. All in all, great experience.

This restaurant is on the fifth floor of a food court area. Service was very lackluster. We had…read moreasked if we could get a booth but the front hostess said booths were only for parties of 3 or more. Yet, I see her seat a couple in the booth 15 minutes later. We went on a Wednesday night, and it wasn't even crowded with plenty of seats. The quality of the lobster was not good. I noticed the center of the lobster tail was a bit undercooked and didn't taste fresh. Also, the claws were very dry. I ended up getting a really bad stomachache after dinner that lasted the entire next day. Maybe I just got a bad lobster, I don't know. But for me, the burger was the only thing that was tasty here. All I can say is that I have tasted very fresh, juicy lobster at other restaurants compared to this place. For a place that's supposed to be known for lobsters, this establishment was a major disappointment.

Did not disappoint. Walked in after Dishoom next door informed me it'd be a 2 hour wait. Didn't…read morefeel up for lining up solo. Claw had no wait when I popped over. I wasn't confident that this meal would be good as there were zero Yelp reviews to lean on. I was going in dark. The meal was very good. Aspects of it excellent. The grilled colchester oysters are to die for. I don't even like cooked oysters. Rockefeller oysters usually disappoint and besides, there is something sacrilegious about cooking delicate seafood until the merroir is nothing but a figment of your imagination. These oysters are baked with a light touch. They come out mostly raw with a buttery cheese melted atop them. And the accompaniment seems to draw out the flavours of the oysters perfectly. The fish fingers sound pretty basic and they are, but Claw executes it well. The fish is cooked but is soft and moist. And the salad is a well balanced, refreshing counterpoint to it all with layers of endives, chicory, basil (2 kinds), thin radish and heirloom leaves. Lots of eating options in the city, yes, but this is worth a stop in.

I really want to love CLAW, as I work nearby and I LOVE seafood. I've had many a lobster roll,…read morewhole crab, and ceviche in my life. I came to try their new summer menu, and they were also running 50% off the menu at this time. I came away feeling that it was acceptable value at 50% off, and I would have felt robbed at the full price. What was good? The crab roll was great - a spin on the traditional lobster roll, but it was tasty and good. What was not so good was the ceviche - in a city full of great ceviches, this dish is to be avoided here. Overall, I don't think I'll be back. Maybe for the crab roll. If someone else is paying the bill.

Went here a while back and am just finally getting to my review. This is hands down the best…read morechicken and waffles i've had in my entire life. I could eat this every day for the rest of my life it's that good. The cocktails were ridiculously good, so good i may have to make a trip to london just to have them again. Stop on by if you want some fantastic food in a chill atmosphere!

I felt a bit like a genius because I was choosing a place for several friends to meet up and we all…read morewanted different things. I wanted something with at least one good veggie option, they wanted something with meat, and it had to be somewhere in-between Camden and Canary Wharf, not too pricey, and ideally close to the city because otherwise our Italian friend probably wouldn't make it. And lo and behold.... THE FAT BEAR!!! It was all we wanted and more! This place is sort of tucked away and up some stairs above a pub. It's really just a room and a half, which makes it super cozy and they have a pretty awesome looking bar. It's got warm lighting which makes the atmosphere really nice. Their cocktails were delightful and the service was excellent. I will make a very strange observation that someone working there had a very drunk friend who just sort of made herself at home. Then more joined and it turned into me watching this table of really really drunk people trying to order food. Two of them ended up just falling asleep. It was super strange. Anyway, me being distracted aside, I really loved the cocktail I ordered- Sloe Boat To China, and everyone else seemed happy with theirs. I was dying to try the pimiento cheese starter and the fried pickles. The cheese was particularly sharp and delicious. The pickles were good, but quite skinny (I mean come on, you're in an American restaurant I was expecting some serious pickles). The vegan gumbo was super spicy and delicious. I was impressed and enjoyed it. My husband dropped the ball and ordered the regular jambalaya (with sausage) rather than the seafood one which broke my heart a little bit, because I really wanted to try it. You know, I guess that means we'll just have to come back. Oh also another bonus, this place has brisket which is really hard to find. I can't say how it tastes but my friend said he defo approves (am I becoming more British with these words, or just more annoying?) Anyway, to finish it off I had the oreo cheesecake which the bomb. I love oreos. And it tasted like oreo. So all was right with the world. A wonderful place to come if you have people who want to try American food, or if you have out of town Americans who are too scared to try other food, or if you have hungry friends that want to try cajun food, or if you just want to try some really yummy food.

Absolutely loved it! Tucked away but saw it walking to soho in morning avoiding Main Street hustle…read moreand dropped in for dinner on way back to hotel. Recommend the combo lobster and burger for two. Throw in some oysters for HH for $1.50 and a few whiskey sours. Menu was very reasonably priced and drink menu cocktails overall fun! Service had three people attending - great place! Music playing lively and good vibes. As a visitor to London...loved it!

Amazing food from the burger, lobster roll, lobster, Mac & Cheese! Yum! Service was prompt and…read moretimely.

The Mercato Mayfair is essentially an indoor food court living in an old church…read more It's not particularly accessible, there are quite a few stairs to get to the second floor and upstairs patio (there is an elevator but it's for wheelchair users only) but they do have a nice array of restauraunts. We wished we'd known you can just sit at the patio and order and they'll deliver it to you, but you can also go up to each stall to order and receive a pager. We liked that it was an easy way to eat outdoors (which is what we tend to do while traveling) and that they had quite a bit to choose from. The stain glass window is also really gorgeous as you walk up and down the stairs. All in all, while maybe not a must-do, if you're staying in the area, it's definitely a good stop for eats if you're looking for something simple and easy.

Omg probably the best food hall I've ever been to! This place is a church turned food hall. It is…read morefascinating and amazing how they utilized the space to make it a place to enjoy food rather then Jesus! Lool It is multiple stories floors etc etc...when you first walk in you are greeted with all these cute succulents for sale and other foliage. It smells great. There is also a banana pudding place to the right. They have signage on the wall that indicates what is available on each respective floor. They literally have everything to choose from. Mexican, Italian, English food and Gelato! Plus coffee! Since I was visiting London I decided to try fish & chips! Wow fried to perfection! The fries were so good, and the fish needs some Lowrys. There was literally no seasoning. There is also a outdoor seating area with a bar the 3rd floor ample seating. I really enjoyed this place. They also have cool renovated bathrooms in the basement.