Very interesting but complicated menu. Even with the glossary I feel as first timers we should have been guided on the correct path especially when it came to the correct way of eating our dishes. Was tasty and exciting, so will definitely attempt again. read more

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

Let's start there, Hoppers is a very good restaurant. The place is very pretty, service is perfect and the food is delicious. So why only 3 stars? Mainly because the menu was incomprehensible. One side of the menu is actually a description of all the menu words. So it can take a long time to decide what to order. I'm not a fussy person so decided to go with the most bizarre worded dish I could find in the menu. And I have no clue what I ate, which I found quite funny but not everyone will like it. Definitvely not a place to go with fussy eaters. Coffee is amazing (careful it has a lot of sugar) read more

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Extremely flavorful and tasty dishes. We stopped in on a Friday evening and were told that there was probably no more availability for the night, but we were able to order take out. We ordered the beef short rib biryani, the stir fry roti, and a bone marrow dish. The biryani and the stir fry roti were extremely delicious and very flavorful, and they kept very well on our walk back home. It's among the best Southeast Asian places I've eaten at, and I'd definitely come back for a sit down meal. read more

Amazing. The cauliflower dish was so tasty! They also bring your food out really fast. Bone marrow is great also. If in London please try to go read more

First time having Sri Lancan meal and I enjoyed it! The curry is spicier than other curry I've had in Indian restaurants read more

Hoppers - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

Amazing Sri Lankan/Tamil cuisine in the heart of London. Never knew this place before!Food was served quickly in just few minutes and they were so good. Their cocktails are so good as well, something new and refreshing. We ordered bone marrow varuval, chicken lollipop chukka, hopper (appam) and podi dosa, they were all finger licking good. The podi dosa was quite spicy though for me. The place is always crowded and in demand, so do pop by before 9pm to have a place for you to enjoy this delicious South Indian cuisine! read more

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A bit like Bar Termini, I'm loathe to raise the profile of such a deserving place, because it'll make it even harder to get a table. Hoppers is without doubt my new favourite place in London. Since Hawksmoor opened over 10 years ago I haven't found a place that I'm so enamoured with. Food is Sri Lankan/South Indian. It is very aggressively spiced, and resultantly both full of flavour and often wonderfully hot. Try to order widely, because it's all good. Menu seems to change frequently, but I've really enjoyed both the bone marrow and duck hearts recently. Atmosphere is very buzzy (it's ALWAYS full), but nicely so - you can hear yourself speak. Beautifully decorated without being contrived. Very cosy and comfortable. Staff are consistently lovely and competent. read more

One of the best restaurants in London Soho that you must try especially if you are up for trendy food and never try Sri Lankan cuisine before! Definitely would go again! Hoppers has only a few dishes on its menu, but we were still spoilt for choice! There's also a helpful glossary at the back of the menu to explain what each dish is. Here's how we got on: Chicken Heart Chukka (£4.50) - one of THE best ways we've eaten chicken hearts. Don't be put off by the sound of this dish - if you've never had chicken hearts before, now is the time to try! The chicken hearts were really tender and the coupled with the South Indian spices, it really was a good way to start our meal. Bonemarrow Varuval, Roti (£4.50) - sweet, melt-in-your mouth bonemarrow, cooked in a delicious curry. The curry itself was really creamy from the coconut milk and it wasn't too spicy either. The only down side to this dish is that there wasn't enough of it! The accompanying roti was also good, crispy and fluffy and paired so well with the curry. Hopper (£3.00) with Guinea Fowl Kari (£5.50), accompanied by Pol Sambol, Seeni Sambol and Coriander Chutney (£1.00) - the famous hopper is made with fermented batter and coconut milk. It's got a soft fluffy centre like a pancake, with the top half crispy like a crepe. The guinea fowl was so tender it was falling off the bone! Dosa (£3.00) with Fish Kari (£5.50), accompanied by Coriander, Tomato and Coconut Chutney (£1.00) and Yogurt (£1.25) - the dosa is like a super crispy crepe, but made with lentils. The fish was super moist and the spices in the curry didn't overpower the subtle flavour of it. Buffalo Buriyani, Duck Egg Kari, Yogurt and Brinjal Moju (£16.00) - this dish is one of only three mains on the menu. Another faultless dish. Watallapam (£4.00) - a steamed coconut pudding with a strong cardamom flavour. This is a dessert that just melts in your mouth. It's also a pretty small portion. Love cake with Yogurt Kulfi (£4.00) - similar to a sticky toffee pudding, but with the extra flavour of cardomom (although not as strong as the Watallapam). On top you have a scoop of yogurt kulfi. We were really impressed with Hoppers and will definitely be back soon to try everything else on the menu. read more

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Get here early cause it does get filled up. The food is quite awesome. The staff are friendly. Can't get seated until your party is here. No reservations. Quick, good food. The Egg Hopper is a personal favorite along with the highly recommend Black Pork Curry. Wash it down with a Lion. read more

This is my most favourite restaurant in soho! We get a take away from here every Friday, if I could eat here everyday I would. The food is amazing and very well presented. The staff are very friendly and very helpful. The food is always cooked to perfection and it's always very prompt. I would strongly recommend this restaurant to anyone that like something on the slightly spicy side. read more

It's not often words fail me. Read my other reviews or ask my friends. The service and food was sooooooo bloody good. Bloody fantastic in fact that I can easily say it's the best dinner I've had in London for some time. I needn't bother going on here. Just go. And if you don't go it means one less in the queue for me. :) read more

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Very good and unique food, a little spicy but ask for yoghurt and you'll be fine. Be there in time because the place gets crowded really fast. Serving staff was really pleasant and nice. read more

This is one of the few restaurants that I have genuinely enjoyed dining at. While the seating is rather tight, the food is outstanding. Everything was well seasoned, balanced and executed expertly. read more

One star for service. There were three of us looking to have dinner at hoppers on Saturday. Yes, we know the restaurant is very busy and often has a queue. The lady at the door told us it would a THREE hour wait for tables of 3. We said we will put our names down and she was not happy. She was basically hinting we should go away because tables of 3s are not profitable, whereas tables of two or four may be easier to handle than odd numbers. She went to whisper to her coworker, her coworker said just tell them it will be after 10pm. Wait! But don't you close at 10pm!?? They took my phone number and said to follow link to see my place in position. We walked around, then after an hour, we checked the link to see we went from position 27 to position 8!!! We were very excited and surprised the queue went down so quickly. We went back and the same lady said checked her notes and said oh it will have to be after 10pm. I told her it does not take 2 hours to wait 8 position, she said there are still 6 tables of 3s before me. This just to show they are not seating odd number tables and does not respect first come first serve. I would prefer you telling me the truth than to led customers on to wait 3 hours when you don't plan to seat them. Been here before and enjoyed the food. But Just to say bad service, you lost me as your customer. read more

Hoppers - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

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Definitely get the Ceylonese Spit Chicken. It is AMAZING!!!! All of the food we had was phenomenal, but the chicken is other-worldly. The cocktails are fun and very nommy too. Will definitely return next time I'm in London! read more

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What a fantastic meal and very worth the one and a half hour wait. The staff were friendly and very helpful in explaining the menu. And not a bad dish - the dosa's, the mutton rolls, the chicken curry were superb. I wanted to try more dishes but the stomach said not today read more

This place should be 5 stars because the food is quite good. The problem is that their portions are ridiculously small and expensive for what you get. I have lived in Sri Lanka for many years and know what is normally expected. Curries should be served with rice; however, here you pay quite a bit extra for a little bit of basmati rice. Hoppers and string hoppers are usually inexpensive items and there should be copious amounts to sop up the sauces. Here you pay a super inflated supplement for very small portions of these things. The condiments are served in thimble sized containers and should be free; here you will pay quite a bit for these extras. Even the main courses ie: curries are served in small containers that would at most be enough for one mildly hungry person. And yet, the food is really quite good! If they served larger sizes, were more generous with their supplements and less rapacious it would be a terrific place. read more

This is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. In a city full of great places to eat this tiny restaurant boasts some of the most flavorful and interesting menu items I've ever tasted. Every bite is heaven. The restaurant is tiny so go for an early lunch during the week or expect to wait in line. I promise this is absolutely worth the wait! (Plus this side of town has lots of great bar options for pre- or post- dinner drinks.) read more

Hoppers - Egg hopper deliciousness - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

Best meal I had in London on my last trip. It was just hit after hit after hit and we literally ordered everything on the menu. Particular highlights: string hoppers, bone marrow (the curry on this was WOW), chicken wings, and the egg hopper. Go for lunch right at opening to avoid a long wait. Fantastic drinks (non alcoholic) ad well. I'm gonna dream about this place when I go home to NYC. read more

This was a restaurant me and my partner had bookmarked due to rave reviews on Yelp, funnily enough we attended the same time as other fellow yelpers who were orchestrating a famed Yelp takeover. First things first be prepared to queue, we got there just before it opened in the evening at 5.30pm and still had to wait 10 mins. Also be prepared to be intimate with all diners, it's cosy, cute and charming in a way I guess. The staff are very good here giving great advice about the menu and service was pretty good although there was a faux pax with my drink not arriving until after the meal but we got it on the house in the end and they were very apologetic over this. To be fair it was well worth the wait and as it was a coffee drink it went well at the end of the meal - a must I recommend! The food is Sri Lankan which I had not tried before, I was very impressed! We had the mutton roll to start with some devilled shrimp which was very hot. We then had a pork Kari with a dosa and egg hopper with a nice range of side sauces. This was amazing and my favourite part. Furthermore when the bill came I felt it was a bargain for the quality and quantity of food we had, coming in under £35 for two. This place has a cult following and you can imagine other branches opening soon but highly recommended! Will be going back again - soon hopefully. read more

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An amazing experience to London's top 10 restaurants. Small place but accommodates a good amount of people. Food quality was way above quality!! One of the best one's I've tried so far. The okra and plantain Kari was so rich and tasty, definitely worth trying. Would surely come back and highly recommended. read more

Egg hopper, dosa and roti were marvellous. Bone marrow was rich, fatty and so flavourful. Pork kari was not as good as people have been telling tho. read more

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I got off work early one day and took advantage of the opportunity to try and queue for an early dinner at one of London's hottest no reservation restaurants. I was deciding between Bao and Hoppers, and my friend opted for the latter so we showed up at 5:15 PM, 15 minutes before opening, and there was already a 10 person queue. The restaurant is a cozy little place, seating probably only about 30 people, and as we were a group of 2, we were seated at a sharing table in the middle of the restaurant. I thought it was actually a great way to keep table turning and make the most of the small space. If you arrive after all the seats have been filled... tough luck, although they seem to have a system where they can take your phone number and let you know when the table is ready. The good thing is that the menu is relatively simple and you receive your food very quickly (pretty sure almost everything is pre prepared). We were guided by a cheery and efficient waitress who suggested that we get a few of the "short eats," two karis (curries), and a hopper and a dosa. She did, however, fail to warn us that the bone marrow and hot butter devilled shrimp we ordered were dangerously spicy, to the extent that it definitely hampered my enjoyment of the food. The curries went much better, and we liked that the black pork kari and the fish kari are very different in character (there are no descriptions on the menu). The hopper was more spongy, whereas the dosa was crisp and flaky, so we thought the hopper went better with the sauce in the fish kari, whereas the dosa was better for the spiced but not sauce based black pork kari. Both were delicious. As for drinks, they are well known for their cocktails and my friend got the Kung Fu Pandan in a short old fashioned glass, before moving onto one of their lagers, which don't come cheap at £4.50. They only have wine in a glass or half bottle size, so I got one of the red wines, which only did a moderate job of washing away the extreme spiciness I encountered. Overall I think Hoppers is a unique concept and that is probably why is has done so well in the London restaurant scene. That said, it's not a cuisine I crave all that often so it might be a while before I come again! read more

I should probably start by saying this place was recommended to me by a Sri Lankan.... So my review is based solely on my impression of the place. We arrived 20 mins before opening and were greeted by a significant line of people already queuing. Luckily we were in the number for first sitting. The place is reasonably sized (approx 30ish) and its not too cramped with seating, decor is as you'd expect... Sri Lankan!! With matching music playing in the background. There's a selection of food, with small bites, Sri Lankan delicacies (Dosa / hoppers) and mains to he drinks menu was also pretty impressive . We had a selection from the menu... Roti, Bone marrow, devilled prawns, fish curry dosa and buffalo biryanis. None of it was bad, in fact the sauces for everything were pretty tasty. Compared to your standard curry house I'd say this place stands out, however compared to higher end "sub continent " (Indian, Bangladesh, Pakistani) restaurants it doesn't shine. The end bill which included a few lion beers ( which I actually quite liked!) came to £25 between 3, and that was reasonable. A good place to try, maybe after the hype has died down but not unique enough a cuisine for me to make it a regular place. read more

THE BEST SRI LANKAN FOOD EVER! I used to go here as my office was right next to it. I had ordered a Podi Dosa and a side of Sambar. Loved it

So we arrive and are told it's a 2-hour wait. Yikes! But it's not a big deal because they text you when your table is ready so we wandered off for pre-dinner drinks which were easy to find. It took a bit of time to navigate the menu and I had to assist the non south asians at the table. We all ended up with Karis and Hoppers or dosas and chutneys on the side. The plats are just beautiful and the food was really flavourful and delicious. The chutneys were fresh and each was very different. The restaurant itself is small and cosy with really charming decor. The music they played throughout the night was fun and we felt transported into a wonderful space. My big complain with the food was just how spicy it all was. We were all suffering a bit the next day but we agreed it was worth it. Not sure if we'll be back soon (our stomachs need rest) but I would recommend the place! read more

The food is incredible. Service is prompt but I never felt rushed. I will definitely be back. I went on my own so I was seated right away at the bar. I ordered way too much, but everything was delicious. I will definitely be back, but just order fewer dishes. My favorites from this round were the bone marrow starter (incredible, and unique), and the egg hopper with pol sambal and seeni sambol (very authentically Sri Lankan, pretty light, but still substantial). If you want a little more food, the black pork kari is really interesting - a dry spiced meat dish, it was flavorful without much heat, and rich without being too heavy. The drinks are also really good, so try a cocktail! I had the Arrack cocktail which went great with the food, and then had the chocolate coconut non-alcoholic drink for dessert. The dinner can add up if you order way too much like I did (2 starters, hopper, 2 sambols, kari, and 2 drinks), but you can also dine on a budget if you choose appropriately (next time I would get 1 starter, hopper, and 2 sambols, 1 drink, and it would add up to about 1/3 as much. If I were looking for a light meal, just the starter or just the hopper and sambols would be enough, and I'm pretty sure either of those options would be about 10 pounds). read more

Always a long line outside, Hoppers had intrigued me every time I visited Soho. Finally I had the opportunity to check it out on a surpisingly quiet Friday night. No reservations, so come early to avoid a wait! I ordered the durian soda, despite fearing my table neighbors would give me side-eye, and the soda smelled much less offensive that I thought it would. Also ordered the duck hearts, which came with a spicy onion sauce. Mmm iron! Also ordered the Egg Hopper (pancake made of coconut and rice flour) and a Spicy Dosa, with sides of chicken curry and pork curry and chutneys. Both curries were flavorful and delicious. I preferred the dosa over the hopper, but you really can't go wrong with either! read more

Probably my new favorite in London. The fluffy airy hoppers or appams we're dreamy and delicious. The prawn curry hot the spot and the sauces are to die for. We also got the goat curry that was spicy and came with a spicier dipping sauce. I thought I could handle spice until I ate that combo. So there, you have been warned. The coffee was a great ending to this meal. The only nit is I wishes they didn't nickle and dime for sauces and sauce refills. Like 1.5 bucks for a tiny sauce... Really? read more

We went to Hoppers at 12pm and as a result, didn't even have to wait! The atmosphere was cosy and comforting. We sat on the table that overlooked the street, a perfect little place to see Soho and it's vibrant people go about their day. First up was the idli, a delightful sponge rice cake of sorts. The egg hopper should be ordered for both novelty and taste purposes. It was an extremely interesting dish that paired very well with the vegetable root Kari. The pol roti to finish was perhaps not up to scratch when compared to the first two. Nonetheless, a great insight into interesting food read more

Hoppers - The egg hopper with root vegetable Kari - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

We had the tasting menu - the appetizers were just okay. Stay away from the crab curry, it's all shell and the only way you'll eat crab is to eat a bunch of scratchy shells with it. Everything tasted only of red pepper and not much else. They brought us the wrong drink at first, and all of the cocktails tasted like bitter water. We will not return. read more

It's good. It's not worth queuing two hours for. But then again, I don't think anything is. We started with the mutton rolls, which look like they came from the supermarket, but taste great (and spicy!). Our other starter was the goat roti, which was a little bland. The table next to us raved about their duck heart so maybe we'll try that next time. For mains we shared a black pork kari (curry) with a podi (spicy) dosa and an egg hopper. The kari dishes are small but dense. You could do one each if you're big eaters. The dosa and hopper are a bit duplicative, both pancakes. The trick is to mix the curry with an egg hopper (total winner) and not bother with the side sauces. Minus one star because nothing blew me away and the whole no reservations thing..but it is really good value. The above was £28 inc service. read more

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I had dinner there tonight, and it was fantastic. I've been in London for 8 days now for work, and this was the best meal I've had hands down. I've eaten at Barrafina, Nopi, etc. and this was by far the best. Food: You have to get the bone marrow dish. In addition, get extra roti - it was delicious! Everything else was yummy, but that is the one dish you cannot miss! Definitely get there early - I got there around 5:25 pm and just stood in line. Immediately got seated. read more

Absolutely delicious! We had an hour and a half wait for a table, but it was definitely worth it. I had the fried calamari, the idli (rice cakes), a hopper and the prawn and green mango khari (daily special). Sister had the lamb khari and a dosa. Was a little on the pricey side, but was 100% worth it. There was a great choice of non-alcoholics drinks too Would highly recommend. Be warned though, it's a very small place and fills up early. read more

Apart from the 2h waiting time, absolutely nothing I could complain about. We had a dosa, chicken byriani, pork & mutton rolls and everything was delicious. The restaurant is quite small and not noisy. Service was also perfect: the waitress advised us extremely carefully (knowing that my friend has allergies, this was important!) Would definitely go again :) read more

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A new reincarnation of several previous restaurants on this spot. Small and easily missed in Soho. Often the line-ups of an evening. Several friendly staff serve swiftly. The spicy shrimp as a starter are very hot. The curries are small portions and rich in taste. The Hoppers vary in thickness and "doneness". The whole spit chicken is a very juicy, wonderfully pungent tasting and comes with an irrelevant small salad and solid roti. Lots of new food terms to learn - Brinjal Moju, Chukka, Idli, Kothu, etc.. A bit different. read more

Having lived in Sri Lanka where we would eat hoppers regularly (for breakfast!) I was excited to try some here in London and was not disappointed! I arrived at midday on a Tuesday and there were already a few tables full. 15 minutes later and the whole place was full so I'd advise getting there early! The staff were really helpful in giving advice on the menu. I ended up going for a hopper, a dosa and a chicken kari. The kari was really good, fairly spicy and perfect to dip the hopper and dosa into. Probably both a hopper and dosa is too much for one but I wanted to try both! I will definitely be back as there's lots more I want to try! read more

Hoppers - Sri Lankan Near Me - Soho, XGL

I'm Sri Lankan, and Hoppers is an authentic fusion of Mom's home cooking and modern cuisine. I had a hopper with sambol and gourd & cashew kari. My friend had the egg hopper with chutneys and duck kari. The cashew kari was tasty and mild, and the duck kari was a little bit spicy. I was skeptical that a single hopper would fill me up - I never stop at just one at home - but by the end of the meal I was food-coma full (for under £10). I can't wait to come back and try the rest of their menu. The only con for me was that seating is sharing style, so you might end up with a stranger occasionally elbowing you while you eat. read more

Fantastic service and even better food. I had a problem with my take away order, but when I arrived at the location they were over the top accommodating. Went above and beyond when it was my fault and they didn't have to. Thanks! read more

Obsessed with the meal I had here 2 nights ago. I've never had Sri Lankan food before and was blown away by everything I ate. Specifically the curry bone marrow appetizer was the best thing I've eaten in a very long time. The curry flavor was so rich and well developed and was an explosion of flavor combined with the fatty marrow. Also got a dosa and hopper (both of which had great textures) along with a fish and black pork karee - I especially appreciated how all the curries I tried were all very different yet equally delicious. Also got this sautéed seafood and cut up roti dish that was super unique and special and of course delicious!!! We got there at 6:20pm, put our names down and went elsewhere to get a drink cause the wait was 1.5+ hrs. It wasn't too bad though because I could monitor our spot on the website. High recommend this spot!! read more