I had the Lamb Kathu Roti, and it hit the spot! This place is busy, and rightfully so! Make a reservation if possible, and do not miss this as a stop when you are in SoHo! This place is one of my favorite restaurants that I have been to in London and is well worth your stop! Order a Guava Lassi as well while you are here - it is an amazing twist on the traditional Lassi! read more

Loved the hoppers here! Not something that I can get anywhere in North America except maybe in NYC and Silicon Valley... Just in London, Sri Lanka, and the southernmost tip of India (I'd love to check out Sri Lanka and southern India some day after the pandemic). I want to return for the vegetarian tasting menu. Loved the Soho-Picadilly area! Very trendy area with lots of amazing restaurants open late... a bit like the Marais in Paris but without all the fashion boutiques. read more

What a cool experience. We queued extra early to get a seat at the bar. They only take reservations for 4 or more and we're quite busy. Once we got there we were greeted by a fabulous bartender and began to order. Also when we chatted with the person sitting next to us it turned out he was the "goat supplier" - how cool is that!? The food comes out extremely quickly. Everything was terrific. The egg hopper and the fish curry stood out. As did the spicy fried cheese which we added yogurt to and ate with a roti. The food is similar to Indian yet still unique and very worth trying! read more

Hoppers - Fried cheese - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

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I have enjoyed two delicious meals here, lunch and dinner. There is an assortment of dishes and names I am still trying to recall. Luckily there is a glossary on the menu although no photos so trust the Yelp app! I have not had one bad dish, just some that I prefer over others. Their hoppers or thin pancakes are fun and tasty when dipped in curry or your choice of chutney. There are many types to suit your spice level and preference. Our waitress helped to explain the dishes and asked if I preferred relish or sauce so the side dishes were suited to me. It's not a cheap place to eat unless you want a nibble and best to share dishes. The express lunch was nearly £20 which is steep however you do get three small dishes along with a hopper or dosa and tea or coffee. I ended up sharing some of it because it was a lot. Okra curry, lamb koti and the veggie croquet was amazing. The sweet hot tea was also a nice treat. Recommend to come early unless you want to queue up for an hour during the dinner rush. Service is slow for lunch but better for dinner. Overall a fantastic taste of Sri Lanka. read more

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One of the best meals I've had! It was not the first time we have had sri lanken food but this was exemplary. We just happened to be in the area and decided an early dinner might be a good idea on a Friday night. Found hoppers and decided to give it a try. We walked right in at 5:20pm on a Friday night and were greeted warmly. We started with a G&T very pretty and tasty. For appetizer we chose the bone marrow dish. WOW, absolutely delicious with complex spices but not overly spicy. We also got the crab kari and the black pork kari with a hopper and a side of rice. The crab was messy and not a ton of crab but the sauce was exquisite! We skipped dessert but we will return again. FYI think they will take your name down to hold a table after 5:30pm. GO HERE. read more

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Had a friend recommend I try Hoppers when I came to London and wow, I was not disappointed. I have absolutely no experience with Sri Lankan cuisine and when I told my waiter that, he was super helpful in telling me what he recommended I try as a first-timer and going over ingredients in everything. The food itself was super tasty, the portion looked small but I actually got so full I couldn't finish. The hopper was absolutely delightful and was great dipped in the chutney and the kari. Fish kari was made with sea bass and tasted delicious without being too fishy. The arrack attack was described to me as having traditional flavors and it certainly lived up to that, complimenting the food perfectly. Can't wait to come back next time I'm in the city! read more

Hoppers - Hopper, coriander chutney, and fish kari with the arrack attack cocktail - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

Hoppers might be one of my true loves if I'm being honest. I live for their bone marrow varuval and egg hoppers with coconut chutney and mutton curry. Also their mocktails and cocktails are lovely. I've been to their Soho and KX locations. KX has much more space and is better for larger groups. Go for soho if you want a little more intimacy! read more

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It's a nice little Srilankan restaurant serving some nice authentic island food and lived upto the reputation of all the reviews I read . Started with a lamb Kothu roti and G&T for a drink , it did open up my palette :) And couldn't help but order the Podi dosa as well. Nothing great with the ambience but would def go back again when I'm in town for the food. read more

Hoppers - Lamb Kothu Roti - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

"Well, it's Wednesday night, how hard can it be to get into a Sri Lankan place?" "Stephen, you obviously forget how into food we Londoners are." So there I was, 30 minutes before I said I would meet my friend, putting in my name at a place that doesn't take reservations, so that we could duck in there almost an hour later (they'll text your mobile when you are 10 minutes from the next table) Fair disclosure: I don't really like waiting more than 30 minutes for any place anymore, I don't care how many Michelin stars it has. I just don't wait for food anymore - too many other awesome possibilities, especially in London. That said, I'm glad I made an exception to try Hoppers. Sri Lankan cuisine is distinctive and the service here is fast and friendly. Worth the line? Just about. read more

I've never tried a Sri Lankan hopper before, so this was definitely a new experience to me. For those wondering, this dish is like a thin bowl-shaped crepe that is made from fermented rice and coconut milk. I opted for the egg hopper with black pork kari - both solid but a tad pricey. Actually, what I enjoyed even more was the bone marrow varuval appetizer. Don't miss it! read more

Hoppers - Bonemarrow Varuval, Roti (£7) - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

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After hearing great reviews of this place decided to check it out on a weekday evening around 07:30 and was told the wait is more than an hour and a half long. They do not take reservations but when we arrived there we were given a queue number - decided not to wait then and went someplace else. Came back yesterday around 12:30 which I think was prefect timing as was seated immediately. I was sharing the table with few other customers and was seated on one side of the sofa but it did not feel cramped - had plenty of space to put my stuff on a nearby chair. The decor inside was basic and simple. Met the owner Karan - asked for his recommendations since was my first time here. Was very helpful - he asked my preferences etc. He explained the dishes in detail too. Decided to go with the egg hopper - it doesn't come with any chutneys or condiments and they have to be ordered separately. Was told the curries go well with it - The server recommended fish curry - I decided or try out the lamb curry. Curry and hopper combination was great - lamb curry had the perfect amount of spice level and was cooked to perfection. I also tried their peach and ginger drink which complemented the spiciness of the dish well. The service was good and food was served in just 10 minutes They have quite a selection on their menu too. Good food - will definitely go back to try other dishes too. read more

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I want to disclose up front why this is not a 5 star review. That has nothing to do with the food here which in itself is 5 stars. But it is the way they handle their seating. It is a very small restaurant, with a great ambience. However, all seating is cramped and you will find yourself sharing your table with others. Also they don't take reservations, and you will need to go to the restaurant well before you want to eat, just to put your name down. Then you can go for drinks. In our case, it took over 90 minutes to get a table even though we got there at 6p (on a Saturday). They could simply take paid reservations if they are so busy. Why make people wait around in the cold in busy Soho! On to the food. I tried the Chicken Lollipops, the Mutton roll, the Fish Kari, the Egg Hopper and the Podi Dossa along with a side of Idli. All items were very good but the stand out dishes for me were the Mutton Roll and the Fish Kari. I cannot recommend those enough. I looked over at the person next to me and he was having what looked like the Bone Marrow curry. It looks very good and I might return to try that. Overall, a good experience, which would have been great if I didn't have to wait around. read more

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I stopped by this cozy place during a short trip to London and I could not have been more happy finding this gem. Needless to say there were a number of folks waiting, as with many of the great restaurants in Soho. However, I was fortunate enough to grab a seat at their bar table without having to wait at all (perks of a solo traveler?). I got the egg hopper, a bowl shaped thin crepe / pancake with an egg in the middle and a lamb curry. I also got a hot buttered deviled shrimp dish that was equally as delicious. To cut some of the heat I ordered the Wattalapan Milk, which was very tasty and much needed. This would be at the top of my list of favorite restaurants in London - really wish I could pluck this place up and drop it in my NYC neighborhood! read more

Hoppers - Egg hopper, chutneys, and lamb curry - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

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"Authentic food and friendly service" Date of Visit: 07.03.18 Time: 3pm Review: A great place to eat and not having had Sri-Lanken before this was a nice pleasant surprise. The service was good although the table were small and the resturant shuts down for a period of time between lunch and dinner so you do have a limited time for lunch. I look forward to visiting again. I can see the Soho branch now also offers picnic lunch boxes which would be perfect for the summer. So I will look to try this one day. Dress Code: No dress code Booking Process: In the Soho branch you cannot book so its walk in only, being small this can be a bit hit and miss as it is a busy place and I prefer to book to be honest so I am not as comfortable with this process. Location: 49 Firth Street, Soho, London, W1D 4SG Cuisine Type: Sri-Lanken Parking: Soho, so not really but there is an NCP car park not to far away. Advice you use the well connected London Transport system. Decor & Lighting: Basic decor, nothing special but still clean, tables are a bit small given the size of the dishes so bear this in mind when ordering. Heating and Cooling: It was a sunny day but everything inside was comfortable. Drinks: Sunshine juice - Cold Press Orange Juice - Ginger - Turmeric - Honey - Given they do not do normal range of soft drinks i found this refreshing and ginger and turmeric was very subtle. I had the following food: Chicken Kari - A large portion with some great flavour in the curry to me it is like a mix between Thai and Indian. Egg Hopper - This is a light crispy pancake with an egg inside, similar to a south indian Dosa but a nice accompaniment. String Hopper - Another large portion and really light and great taste, it went really well with the chicken to be honest as a substitute to rice which can be a little heavy and filling. Mutton Buriani - Another really large portion and another great dish where the lamb was succulent. Plenty for two or more. Really fresh and one of the best I have eaten. Bill / Cost: £80.00 for 2 (with enough food to take away for another night) Conclusion: A great place to eat some great food. I would not order as much next time but with so many new items I have never tried I went a bit crazy. read more

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Hoppers is amazing but I feel like you have to know what to get. The hopper/dosa and kari (curry) selection I found to be a bit boring but the lamb roti was so delicious I'm still drooling about it now. For someone who doesn't really like curries this is a big. deal. I've been informed by a reliable source (Dan F.) that some of the starters are to die for too I.e. The marrow. The menu is a bit of a gamble. The descriptions are vague and tiresome to understand. Just point and chose and I'm sure you'll be fine. read more

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Disgusting food. Disgusting service. Disgusting management. I ordered veggie taste of hoppers for 2 over Deliveroo. They served me the lamb kothu dish instead of the jackfruit version of the same dish. In fact, jackfruit looks like meat, so I ate some. I am a vegetarian, and the dish did not settle well in my stomach. I have been vomiting for the past hour, NON-STOP. This is unacceptable. Absolutely horrible that they did this; I have used deliveroo and this has not happened even once before in the last 5 years. So this is the first reason I am writing this critical review. The second reason: I tried to call the restaurant to directly report my concerns, and the number DID NOT WORK. IN FACT, I called Deliveroo and asked them to call the restaurant (assuming they have an alternative, working line to the restaurant). Deliveroo customer service also told me that NOBODY is picking up and that the number is basically, DEFUNCT. Fear not, I asked Deliveroo customer service to report this all to management of course Ridiculous. So, I tried calling the parent company JKS, the purported, "award-winning, London restaurant group". Absolute nonsense of course. The number has an automatic answering system, which tells me that I am calling after business hours, so my call WON'T BE TAKEN! So, the phone number to the restaurant DOES NOT WORK, and the only number to reach even the management, DOES NOT WORK IN ACTUAL DINNER HOURS - I.E. WHEN RESTAURANTS GENERALLY SERVE FOOD. Disgusting, I will never eat here again. In fact, I will tell my family, my friends, and anyone else that will listen to me: do not go to HOPPERS or any other restaurant in the JKS group. Why am I disparaging all restaurants, *generally*, in the JKS group? Because there is only one *general* number that can be used to lodge complaints, albeit the fact it only works during business hours. When food is good, I go out of my way to write a good review. I also love spreading the word. But when EVERYTHING is bad, I will make sure my criticism spreads like wildfire. For the final time, I am disgusted by JKS, Hoppers, and all of it. This site won't allow 0 stars, so I will be content with 1. But fear not, I will spread this review on other rating sites; hopefully, I will get lucky, and it'll have a rating system that allows less than 1 star. Anyone reading, for Sri Lankan food, Kolamba is the best I have eaten in London. For other South Asian food in general, go to Dishoom. Kricket ain't too bad either. read more

A local friend took us here during our trip to London.. I still dream about the bone marrow varuval we ate at hoppers on that one cold, rainy London night... the kottu roti was another hit!!! You most likely have to wait for a good bit before you get seated but definitely worth it :) read more

I never considered myself a big fan of Eastern and Far Eastern Cuisines. Fortunately living in London encourages to taste the New and challenge the Known - and following this philosophy I ended up in Hoppers. I was lucky to have queued for only a couple of minutes and when I ordered the food was with me very promptly. Bone Marrow Varuval - velvety bone marrow is packed with flavour and covered in spicy sauce. Definitely fascinating for palate accustomed to western food. Accompanied with Roti, a basic Sri Lankan flatbread (beautifully textured and delicious in its simplicity) which can be dipped in the sauce to compliment the smoothness of the bone marrow. Goat Roti - I must have been unclear with my ordering because this arrived as a surprise. After taking a bite I could not complain - delicious goat mince played really well against the Roti. This dish also featured a sauce which added even more character. Hopper with Sambols and Coriander Chutney - a bowl-shaped flatbread based on a fermented batter of rice flour and coconut milk. Again - interesting on its own but coming with three dips completely different in character. Great Stuff. Overall I was really glad I gave Sri Lanka a shot. It really confirms that if you dislike any particular cuisine it might be that you just have to try a quality representation. read more

Hoppers - Epically silky bone marrow - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

I had the chance to visit Hoppers while I'm London on a business trip. A large group of us ventured out to this location for dinner. Once we arrived, we were escorted downstairs to a large table. I tried two different cocktails on their menu and would highly recommend these as they were the perfect combination along with the food. I started with a vegetarian appetizer which was wonderful and not too spicy! For the main entree I shared the vegetarian paneer chukka which was amazing I loved the blend of spices and the level of spice it had as well. I ordered a egg hopper which was a sight to see (see the photo attached) I loved it and have never had anything like it before! I want to try to recreate this on my own but I have no idea where to begin. I also tried the side breads as well. I highly recommend visiting Hoppers while in London! read more

Hoppers - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

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I have been to hoppers twice in one month after finally making my first visit. There is no place like it in London. The good: -Incredibly delicious Sri Lankan food. Couple of must haves include the Short Rib Biryani and bone marrow appetizer, but really you can't order wrong. The only thing I would avoid is the chutneys, which are small sides that take away from the flavor and are overpriced -Helpful servers that will be honest when you have ordered too much and what you should try. -authentic drinks with Sri Lankan beers and cocktails The bad: -No reservations. I have been on a Tuesdays and each time the wait can be over 2 hours!! The way it works is that you need to show up in person to give your name, then you are put into a virtual queue. Why not just allow people to make reservations online?! It's a headache to come put your name in then wait around 2 hours to eat -Tight space. Although the ambiance is modern and clean feeling, they really cram you in here and spots on the bar can feel like you are constantly in way Bottom line: the food here outweighs any and all negatives about the ridiculous wait and tight space. Hoppers is one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in London read more

Hoppers - Egg dosa - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

OMG!! AMAZING!! Please don't bother reading reviews. Just go to this place and experience the wonders that is Hoppers. No review will do it justice so here are just a few tips for you. Tip: - you cant book a table, it's first come first serve and you have to wait until all your fellow dinners are there before they seat you. I went with a couple of friends earlier this week and they had a nerve racking experience waiting for me as the tables slowly filled up. Tip2: - don't worry if you don't know what to order/have never been there because:- A) everything is amazing B) there is a glossary under the drinks menu letting you know what each of the common food phrases mean. C) the staff are amazing at giving you helpful advice (including why you may not like something) Tip3:- Be prepared to share. It is a fingers using kinda meal. There is cutlery but in the end you leave them to the side and are delving in with both hands. That's it - go and discover it yourself read more

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Egg dreams are made of this Who am I to disagree? I travel the Northern Line and the Jubilee Everybody's looking for Hoppers Yelp I love you but I don't care that you will only let me give 5 stars. This one is getting 10 shinny gold stars from me! I would come here every day if I could but trust me I'm working towards it! Dreamy. read more

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My spouse and I found this place on Lonely Planet during our honeymoon and it may have been one of the best meals I've ever had. I got a drink with ginger and orange and tumeric and it healed aches and pains I didn't even realize I had. Then I got the fish curry with a hopper. I don't know what else to say. It was just so yummy. Extremely high on the yummy scale. On a scale of one to yummy, it was extremely yummy. I may fly back to London just to eat here again. read more

Now occupying the site of much-beloved Japanese udon restaurant Koya, Hoppers had big shoes to fill. They were brave to introduce Sri Lankan food into an area of London which has no connection with food from that part of the world The bravery continues on the menu with bone marrow, duck heart and durian ice cream all making an appearance Everything I ate was delicious. Bone marrow varuval. Egg hopper with black pork kari. Complex spicing with good kick of heat Highly recommended read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed Hoppers. I've been to quite a few Sri Lankan establishments before and I'd heard a lot about this one so was intrigued and excited to try it! I had done my research beforehand on Yelp and saw that a lot of people had said to get there for when it opens as you have to queue. So my partner and I got to the restaurant for around 17:25 and we were able to be seated straightaway! We ordered Devilled Shrimp and Mutton Rolls to start. Having had these dishes before, I was excited about trying them. They were both nice, however I've had better mutton rolls as these were not as spicy or as crispy. For mains we ordered the Black Pork Kari, Dosa and a Hopper. The Dosa was probably one of the BEST dosa's I've ever tasted! I genuinely loved it! The hopper was good as well, different to what I expected but good. They both came with a selection of sauces, one was a coconut chutney, the other a type of Sambal and then some coriander/green chutney. The pork was fantastic - it was extremely tender and not fatty and was spiced very well. I also ordered a beetroot, mango and grapefruit juice with my meal, whilst my partner ordered a Sri Lankan coffee. They forgot to give us the coffee though and we had to remind the waitress who gave it to us at the end. Which in a way was better as it was quite sweet and a nice way to end the meal. The only reason this place doesn't get 5 stars is because I have issues with unisex toilets. Very pedantic of me, I know but hey, my issue I suppose! If you want to come for a reasonably priced meal (all of the above came to around £30), a tasty meal and something a bit different,then definitely try it! Its literally a few doors down from Ronnie Scott's on Frith Street, off of Old Compton Street so its easy to find! One of Soho's gems methinks! :-) read more

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I love the growth of London, the demand for more 'authentic' cuisines, beyond the dishes altered for the Western palate like sweet and sour but more for new exciting and exotic flavours. This is how Hoppers became to be so successful, introducing Sri Lankan food you won't be able to find in your local curry house. The restaurant itself has been transformed to bring out the Sri Lankan theme with its reds and dim lighting, patterned wall tiles and carpet. It's a very casual place, shared bench seating and busy atmosphere. With its new, on the door booking system you now don't have to worry about queuing up. Just show up, leave your details at the door and come back when they notify you that your table is ready. Being very excited and eager we ordered the following: Bone marrow varuval, roti Delicious thick fatty goodness of bone marrow in a mild thick masala curry. The sauce was generous and creamy with complex savoury flavours. It went down so well we tried to mopped it up using the accompanied roti which itself was amazingly light, buttery and doughy. Chicken heart chukka. Similar to calamari it had a lovely bounce to its texture, cooked with a more dry curry paste. It definitely had a lot more punch to it that leaves your tongue numbing in its spice. But truly delicious. Duck roti. Not as great as everyone shouts it out to be being quite dense and dry for my liking. The roti was baked till crisp and duck dry fried with complex flavours. It was quite spicy and exaggerated more so when dipped into the nutty spicier curry that it came with. String hopper Kind of forgettable if you ask me as it was literally just a plate of rice noodles. Unless you had a lot of sauce left in your dish to use to mop it up with, it took a lot of flavours away. We may have ordered more sides than karis itself so maybe that was the problem. It was served with spiced desiccated coconut and a milky spicy coconut based dip that were delicious within itself but wasn't enough to make enough impact on the noodles. Podi dosa Unlike the plain dosa, this one comes with a dry spicy powder mix surrounding the inside. It's made of fermented lentils and rice. Kind of wish I ordered a plain one as my mouth was on fire at this point. But still I enjoyed tearing it apart , crackling as I did and somewhat flexible enough for me to turn it into a scoop to eat the karis with it. Egg hopper The infamous hopper itself made of fermented rice batter and coconut milk, somewhat like a thin crispy pancake made into a bowl shape. It had a hint of sourness to it but with a runny fried egg placed on top of it, the rich yolk overtook the flavour. It was a great perfect way to scoop some karis into it and let it soak it before eating it. Guinea fowl kari The Guinea fowl was practically falling of the bone as soon as we dug in. You can imagine how tender the meat must have been. The curry itself was creamy, mildly spiced with a nice sweetness to it to counteract the heat. Black pork Kari A drier curry of chunky pieces of pork belly cooked in a sticky spicy sauce. The heat was more intense in this dish but it didn't stop me from eating it all up and enjoying the intensity of the juicy tender pork pieces in the lovely spicy flavours. Lamb Kothu The dish I would come back over and over again for. Marinated tender pieces of lamb, thrown in with spices, a lovely ray of vegetables, eggs and small pieces of roti soaking up all the lovely flavours. The combination of textures and flavours were amazing especially with the addition of the egg binding bits and pieces of everything together. Watallapan A spiced coconut custard based pudding, firm at first and then from squidgy to a thick paste as it melts in your mouth. You can taste the notes of cardamom and cloves against the sweetness and of course the nuttiness from the topping of crushed nuts. I wasn't too sure if the texture was satisfying enough for me. It wasn't exactly creamy or smooth but somewhere in between. Still I'm very glad I got to try something new. Durian ice cream They ran out of the milk hopper with treacle, jaggery but was kind enough to just charge us for the durian ice cream it usually comes with. Now Ren who usually runs away at the sight of durian enjoyed this as the coldness of it managed to hide the so called 'horrible smell' (which I personally think smells delicious). This allows you to explore the unusual sweetness of the fruit. Durian is essentially a creamy fruit so being made into icecream really exaggerates this further making it somewhat more acceptable for first time eaters. Even in such a busy kitchen, food came quick. It comes when it's ready and in no particular order so be prepared for that. Service was great throughout, helping us suggest and explain dishes. We were so comfortable we wished we were able to sit longer but we saw people waiting outside and felt bad and asked for the bill. Hopefully they will open another branch soon! read more

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Ooh can the Sethi siblings do no wrong?! They're already behind the likes of Trishna, Gymkhana, Bubbledogs and Bao in London - and now Hoppers, an ode to the eponymous Sri Lankan dish. They don't pull any punches on the flavours here and the whole experience was essentially a rave up for my tastebuds. The sambal, dosa and karis took me straight back to Sri Lanka (as did all the traditional decor touches), with a host of other new flavours too. There's plenty of veg choice but I'm afraid the best flavours are to be found among the meat dishes; the bone marrow varuval with delightfully flaky roti is not to be missed. I was also pleasantly surprised by the chicken heart dish, whilst the whole Ceylonese spit chicken arrives with a flourish and is covered in a spicy, finger-lickingly moreish coating. It's the kind of meal you need you get stuck in with your fingers, and it's an adventurous menu with plenty of unfamiliar dishes - both important reasons to choose your dining companions carefully! I think a group of 4 is optimal - enough to order a load of dishes to share (and you'll want to try plenty) but not enough to wait an age to get seated. If you can get there for 5.30pm opening so much the better but otherwise there'll be queues (though they use qudini so you can easily pop for a drink nearby). We were such keen beans we were actually first in! Thanks to Karan and his team for taking such good care of us - the staff are all up to speed on the more esoteric ingredients. Your adventurous eating will be rewarded by good value for money too - I was surprised when the amount of food we ate came to less than £20 a head. I think my eyes were bigger then my stomach though, resulting in me waddling home and still feeling full the next morning! read more

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OMG! Such a pleasure to find amazing complex layered flavours in masalas. I'm completely in love with Hoppers and can see myself trudging over quite often, inspite of having had to wait an hour to get our table. Hoppers has been on my wishlist for ages and I was determined to eat there this weekend. Inspite of Murphy's Law acting out in full force, I dragged myself out of the house and headed there. Only to be told at 9:30, that there would be at least an hours wait for a table AND the kitchen closed at 10:45pm Anyway, we asked her to put our names down on the list. We were given the link to a really neat app, which would let us know when it was our turn (however, mobile signal is terrible on Frith street) and we headed to Bar Italia for a coffee. Sadly, the desserts there were too tempting and by the time we returned we had only half our appetite left and not enough time. We did however get to try their signature bone marrow curry with the Ceylon paratha (layered and flaky). The egg appam with pork kari and the gun powder dosa with some SriLankan sambols. Everything was absolutely delish! Finally, I have found a place that can make thin crispy dosas in London, close to home (I can make the thicker versions myself, but you need an industrial style kitchen to get them thin and crispy) I'd love to go back with more people (its a tiny place, so table of 4 is the best bet) and try EVERY SINGLE THING on the menu. They have a full bar, serving a few brands that are only available in India / Sri Lanka - like the Amrut, I didnt see Old Monk though. They did have frothy milk coffee, but when I checked it was being served from a thermos, so I decided against it. This is a place I will visit often, until I taste everything on the menu and start over again. read more

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Definitely a highlight of my trip to London. My partner and I waited for about 45 minutes (checked-in at around 7:30 pm on a Monday evening), and the food was well worth the wait. We ordered the beef varuval/bone marrow to start along with an egg hopper + chicken kari on the side. The flavor of the bone marrow was incredibly rich and deep--definitely recommended! We loved it so much that we had to stop our kind waiters from clearing our dish multiple times (haha we wanted to make sure we got every last drop of the sauce). The egg hopper was also delightful with our kari and bone marrow. You can taste the rice + coconut in the batter, and the fluffy texture as you get closer to the boiled egg center was wonderful. The kari itself was also delicious; tender chicken, earthy and flavorful with a slight heat. The dishes looked to be on the smaller side when they first arrived at our table, but the amount of food ended up being perfect for us. In addition to the food, I appreciated the attentive service and lively atmosphere. The restaurant itself is quite small, but it makes for a cozy and lively space that isn't overwhelmingly loud. Overall a memorable experience that I would love to repeat the next time I visit London! read more

Hoppers is a nice discovery! The food is very unique. They sometimes have a queue when opening, don't worry, it still goes fast and is worth it! Try the curry leave buttermilk as a starter or to accompany your spicy dishes! The idli was funny and spicy, Dosas or Hoppers are a must have. They come with many chutneys and get a Kari! Can recommend the red pumpkin. Still all these dishes are kind of small and feed on the light side... But you will get truly funky tastes and occasionally cry of spicyness:) Prepare to spend above or just about 20,- at least. read more

Hoppers - Review & menu advise in time out - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

This is a very popular place and I totally understand why. The wait can be up to hours on any given night, be prepared and get your name in early. The place is small in addition to it being popular. The (Canadian) gal at the front door was FABULOUS! She was super nice and helpful to us Americans. Lots of options for gluten free. Food was amazing! So much flavor. A hopper is a MUST! I also got the chicken Kari which was so flavorful. This place is a must stop if you are in London! read more

As a girl who eats a lot and eats out a lot, this was a new experience for me. I love Indian food and was confident I would like this place but wasn't truly sure what exactly Sri Lankan cuisine was like. It was amazing. The flavors were robust but not overpowering. Luckily I went with someone knowledgeable in the showing and could just sit back and enjoy. We ordered chicken Kari (great flavor), hopper (duh), bone marrow (my first experience. An interesting one, liked the sauce more than the marrow), and multiple dosas. It's a hip little place in a hip little area. A definite find in London. read more

I came here for an early dinner on a Saturday. We had to queue for ~20 minutes when we arrived at 5pm, so I would keep this in mind when you plan to come here. Fortunately they jot down your name and number and so you're free to mosey around Soho while you wait. We ordered the Hot Buttered Devilled Shrimp, Egg Hopper and Black Pork Kari. Everything was really tasty, but I particularly enjoyed the shrimp dish. It was packed with flavor and had the perfect amount of heat. To drink, I had the Pineapple and Black Pepper Punch which was surprisingly good. It wasn't too sweet, and the addition of the black pepper provided a nice little kick. This was my first time having Sri Lankan food, but definitely won't be my last. The flavors have the essence of Indian, Thai and Vietnamese dishes combined. Overall, Hoppers was a delicious! read more

Hoppers - Deviled shrimp - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

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We had a very good meal here. The highlight for me was the veggie kothu. Loads of veg, quite filling with the roti. Everything else was also very tasty and I can't fault the cooking. My only critique was that the heat was seriously dumbed down. If you're looking for chilli fuelled spiciness, you won't be getting it here. Otherwise, a very good meal! read more

Amazing! We came here for lunch and were not disappointed. The restaurant is rather small and I was concerned we'd have trouble getting a table around prime dinner time, so we opted for lunch instead. We ordered half the entire menu, I swear. I've never had a hopper before and we said yes to getting it with an egg, and it was probably one of the best and most favorite dishes I've had in London to date. I have no idea how they do it, but everything about it works - the flavors, the textures, the sheer beauty of an egg fused perfectly into the bottom of the rounded-out hopper. It was definitely not a cheap lunch, so I probably frequent this place, but I left feeling both very full and satisfied. I'd recommend getting a bunch of small plates that you can split with your table so you can try as much as humanly possible. I would literally come back just for the egg/hopper. read more

This is excellent Sri Lankan food at reasonable prices. Everything is designed to share and food will arrive as its ready. There are plenty of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The egg hopper was particularly great with all the chutneys (especially the coconut one). Don't be intimidated- your waiter will make excellent recommendations if you need help. They don't take reservations and there is always a queue but as others have mentioned, you can leave your number and go have a drink nearby. read more

Hoppers - Bone marrow, mutton rolls, and spicy prawns - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

Recently I went to the new bloggers & critics acclaimed restaurant: Hoppers. Hoppers is a Sri Lankan restaurant owned by Karam, Jyotin and Sunna Sethi, the team behind Trishna and Gymkhana, and based on Frith street. When I heard it was related to Gymkhana, I must say that turned me off a little bit as I had an awful experience there due to bad service. I've tried to go to Hoppers before Christmas but I did not really want to wait and have lunch at 4pm. This was before they introduced their app queuing system. I went to Hoppers last weekend and heard a lot of good things about their app queuing system, unfortunately (or kind of) I didn't get the chance to experiment  with it as I managed to get a table straight away.  My sister and I were not familiar at all with Sri Lankan cuisine and dishes. As soon as we were seated, a very nice waiter explained to us the concept and the menu. He recommended that we order a dosa or a hopper which is a bowl-shaped thin pancake made with fermented rice and coconut milk batter, with a karis (equivalent of a curry). We asked for the mildest curry, and were recommend the red pumpkin kari and the lamb kari. We started our meal with two starters which are called 'short eats', we had the mutton rolls and the duck roti.  The mutton rolls were nicely crispy on the outside and had mild spiced rich mutton inside, and were served alongside a spicy tomato relish. The duck roti was a minced and spiced duck meat roti pastry and it was served with a nutty spicy sauce. Both starters were delicious, however we had a preference for the mutton rolls but we ate them with the duck roti sauce.  My sister and I like spicy food but only when it is not too hot. We made the mistake of drinking all our water with our starters and our mouths started to burn soon after! A nice waiter seeing our distress, asked us if we wanted some yoghurt to calm the heat. We accepted without hesitation and ordered a second bowl to compliment our mains too.  It was really nice to have such attentive waiters.  For mains, we had one hopper each with a soft-yolked egg baked into it, with all the sauces: Poi Samboi, Seeni Samboi and a coriander chutney. We shared the lamb kari and the red pumpkin kari.  The lamb kari was very tender and melt in the mouth, but it was indeed spicy. The pumpkin was probably the most mildest dish of our meal. It went very well with the lamb.  We didn't have any dessert as we were too full, but during my next visit I might try one. Overall, despite our mouths being on fire for the whole lunch, we had a very good experience at Hoppers.  The team was really nice and attentive, the food was superb, spicy and full of flavours. I will definitely come back to Hoppers if I don't have to queue for hours. In my opinion, the only improvement this restaurant could do in the future will be to offer each dish with different level of spices so everyone can have more options. read more

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Hoppers is a rare new gem in town. The Sri Lanka restaurant opened just last October and already managed to become a place were you will have to wait for at least two hours before getting a table. The dishes are not quite genuinely Sri Lankan but they are a delicious alternation. The restaurant offers a few cocktails made from Arack, Sri Lanka' s national alcoholic drink. If you can take alcohol, it might be good to try Arack straight. The drinks were good but fairly pricey given that they are in a small glass. The food was superb. Make sure to try the bone marrow which is in a curry sauce and is delicious. read more

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Excellent veg food, although the selection is far more limited if you're adverse to spice like me. As for the legendary queues, we got there Saturday around 4:30pm and waited for maybe 10 minutes before we were called in. As for the food: I got the string hoppers with the accompanying sauces, the proper hopper with the coriander, coconut and tomato chutneys and the pol roti (grilled coconut roti) with gourd and cashew kari. The second hopper in particular is quite large and satisfying, with the coconut flavour quite mild, and the coriander chutney is the perfect accompaniment. The kari is a small portion with the cashew flavour really standing out. The roti though was a a bit bland. I'm dinging a star just bc the service was OK; our waiter forgot about our waters and we had to flag down another waitress. Ditto with the check. read more

Frankly I don't understand the hype. The curries I ordered were... mediocre at best. But the real disappointment is with the hoppers themselves; thin, bland and much too overpriced. Also got food poisoning day after dining here. Couldn'y be anything else since it was the only thing I ate all day. read more