Chicken Shop has been one of those rare experiences where my low expectations were disconfirmed. I…read morehave to say that I'm always wary of popular hangouts, such as Bone Daddies, Tasty Burger and Tram Shed. The latter, for example, did in my opinion not live up to the hype that they'd generated. (Good PR, but no substance really.) Chicken Shop was another place where I'd heard so much about and so I finally had to give it a try. It was a Thursday evening and we were quite early and so ended up getting a seat right away. (20 minutes later, there had already formed a substantial queue.) It was just the two of us and we chose to be seated at the bar. In fact, this is what I'd recommend to everyone, as you can watch how the chicken get grilled, chopped up and sent off to their respective "owners". What really convinced me of this place is the chicken, which was perfectly marinated, juicy, charred to perfection...and the sides and condiments that came along with it, were complementing it nicely. I have to say, it's not cheap, as you order the chicken and the sides separately, but then again the taste is worth it. I also really liked the decor and I felt super comfortable. Somebody had really thought about how to turn a dark basement into a livable and exciting space. (It's definitely part of the hipster family, but that's alright ;-) On top of that, I thought our waitress was just too sweet and so my overall experience was very positive. I can, however, see that this might not be the perfect place to hang out with a large group. It gets really crowded and so the staff might be quite keen to get you in and out of the establishment as soon as possible. My recommendation: go to the Southampton Arms about 300 yards away. It's a very cozy pub. Tip: If you live nearby, order the chicken to take-away and enjoy it from the comfort of your sofa! Beware to not drip the juices on the fabric though ;-)

Those of you eagle eyed readers of my reviews will note that my Yelp secret is that I like KFC…read more I've even made a special trip to Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant in Napa Valley specially for fried chicken night in my quest to find the best chicken ever Hence, my excitement at the recent plethora of chicken places opening up in London to offer choice amongst Nando's and cheap KFC wannabe fried chicken shops At Yelp Ramen Club 6.0, Andrew M, Rob H and I concocted an excuse to visit Chicken Shop in Kentish Town - the fact that we like eating chicken! Andrew M kindly set up the UYE and yesterday, a group of 12 hungry Yelpers and friends descended (literally) on the Chicken Shop for lunch As noted in previous reviews, it's the most obvious signposted restaurant, an irritating trend I've noticed with new London restaurants. Anyway, there's a discreet sign on a flowerpot and yesterday, they had a Chicken Shop bag tied to the door handle. In case, you're still struggling, they're located under Pizza East or you can just follow the smell of roasting chicken like Andrew did yesterday! You then descend into the basement where you'll find a roomful of patrons tucking into spit roasted chicken. The simple menu is available on the menus on the walls to peruse and salivate over if you're waiting for a table The open plan kitchen allows you to see the whole chickens being spit roasted though the smell wasn't as strong as I expected in the restaurant - perhaps they're pumping it outside to attract more customers! Seating is available at the kitchen counter or tables Ordering is easy - you decide whether you want a quarter, a half or a whole chicken. 4 sides are available - chips, corn on the cob, coleslaw and salad of buttered lettuce and avocado. Hot sauce and smokey sauce are available on the table Eating in a group enabled us to order everything - yay! The chicken arrived commendably quickly but when you serve 400 covers in not the largest space, turnover is important. The spit roasted chicken comes in a tin plate with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over it. So, where does it fit in the pantheon of great chicken? The chicken is definitely juicy but the marinade flavour doesn't really penetrate that far from the skin into the meat My favourite side was the corn on the cob. My least favourite were the chips which weren't that interesting. The coleslaw wasn't drowned in maynnaise which was good My favourite part of the meal was in fact dessert. Once again, we were able to share the 3 desserts on offer. There was a very deep filled apple pie, which was served out of the pie dish at the table with the waitress. The lemon cheesecake was lovely and light but zingy. The chocolate brownie was velvety and chocolatey. They all came with ice cream and cream - when you're offered ice cream, cream or both as an accompaniment, there can only be one answer! This was a great way to spend a Sunday lunchtime - with Yelp friends sharing good food. However, as this place is called the Chicken Shop and I can only give the chicken 4 stars out of 5, it has to be an overall 4 star rating

Great experience here. Lovely food and warm service.authentic indo Chinese flavors. Loved the…read morelollipops and Hakka noodles. Smaller portions but tasty. The place is tightly packed and v lively and has a good happy hour kinda vibe to it. Highly recommended.

One of our favorite meals in London! We were recommended 2-3 dishes per person, as the food is more…read moretapas portions. Our favorites were the Crackling Spinach and unexpectedly, the flavorful kid goat momos. The mango lassi was also refreshingly sweet but got full from the thickness of the drink.

Why did I wait until this evening to try the truffle burger??? What have I been doing with my life…read moreup until now?! I swear I didn't speak a word while eating that thing. It's just perfection. It was so good in fact that I changed my answer on my profile for 'Last Meal on Earth' - go on, have a look! It was my mother's home made lasagne, but this burger tops even that! (sorry Mum!)

Just popped in for breakfast and it was great. Nice surroundings, fantastic coffee and good eggs…read morebenedict. You can even watch the chefs preparing your meal so you know it's all fresh. I want to try this place out for dinner now.

Opened just a few weeks ago, this little Vietnamese take-away place enriches the Charlotte-Street…read morearea in Fitzrovia with yet another culinary adventure. I actually discovered by accident that the "famous" Banh Mi Bay" from Holborn had set up shop in this area as well. To be more precise, I'd come to the area to try out the new Okonomyaki place just around the corner (called Yaki). Anyway, I'd made my typical mental bookmark and I came back the following week to grab some lunch from here. I walked in and I was greeted super-friendly by the staff behind the counter. They invited me to a small conversation about Vietnamese food and I admitted that I'd lived in San Francisco for a long time and that my expectation would be quite high ;-) Undeterred by my food-snobbishnes, the nice guy behind the counter went ahead and recommended some special items from the menu. I ended up choosing their special Vietnames sandwich special and although I was tempted to go for the healthy option by choosing brown bread, I went for their home-made Vietnamese baguette, which is made from rice flour. The sandwich was good, although I would've personally liked to have it a little spicier. At the other Vietnamese sandwich places in the city (Cà Phê, for example), they usually ask to add extra sauce or peppers...I missed this here. (Although I assume that if I had asked for it, they would've been very accommodating.) What I really liked best here was the vibe - all the staff was super-friendly and when I asked a random question about Vietnamese cuisine, one of the cooks overheard my question and came to the front and answered it. (I wanted to know, what a typical Vietnamese breakfast consists of and he told me - to my surprise - that people would eat Pho for breakfast! Who would've thought...)

A lovely place right by St Pauls. Great Lunch Deal, especially if you are vegetarian…read more The decor is nothing special- not very Vietnamese. The price was a great value, especially considering the location. The food was delicious! I ordered the Lunch special rice box that came with braised tofu and vegetables, along with carrots, cucumbers and radish salad and rice. The tofu was well cooked and flavorful and went beautiful with the rice. Overall a fulfilling meal.

We had a big family lunch at Dishoom when we were in London last month, and it was everything I…read morehoped for, an Indian restaurant unlike any I've encountered at home. I feel like all my friends who've been to London have come back talking about this place, and I'm happy to join their ranks. Dishoom was also one of a handful of dining options recommended by my hotel concierge for a party of 11, including kids. Booking was easy, via SevenRooms, no phone calls or emails necessary. It's a large restaurant, and part of a popular chain--I guess they have things figured out. The space was great, open and casual, exposed ceilings and eclectic decor. Lots of fans, which my three-year-old appreciated. Service was friendly and attentive. I started my lunch with a drink, a refreshing green India Gimlet, gin and Rose's lime with celery bitters and fresh dill. I also tried and liked a sip of the New Permit Room Old-Fashioned, a slightly sweet cocktail with coconut-washed bourbon, Pedo Ximénez sherry, and Medjool date liqueur. There was only one menu available for a party of our size, a pre-set family-style group feast for eight adults, to which we added a pre-ordered platter of lamb chops. I loved the variety of dishes that came with this meal, and every one of them was ridiculously delicious. (There was less available for the three small American children, but they loaded up on hotel breakfast and snacked on naan and colorful puffed crackers.) The first round brought trays loaded with keema pau, okra fries, and bhel, along with lime, cilantro, and sauces for serving. The keema pau was incredible, probably my favorite dish of our lunch, if in part because it was 100% new to me. It was a spicy, aromatic blend of minced lamb and peas with dill and lindi pepper, served with toasted, buttered buns to make little sliders. So much flavor, it almost explained, by itself, why the British could never leave India alone. The okra fries were warm and crispy, and I loved the bhel, a crunchy snack of puffed rice, peanuts, and Bombay Mix tossed with pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime, tamarind, and mint. The main course was another giant spread: chicken ruby, house black daal, awadhi jackfruit biryani, and chilled broccoli salad, plus our charred lamb chops, with sides of roti, naan, and raita. The chicken ruby was the highlight here, a fragrant, comforting curry with tender chicken in a buttery makhani sauce. The house black daal is a Dishoom signature, and it was lovely, cooked for over 24 hours. The biryani was fluffy and nice, studded with jackfruit, barberries, and sultanas. The broccoli salad was a fresh hit of green, enhanced with pistachio, mint, red chillies, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dates, and lime. The lamb chops made for a hearty entrée with a lot of flavor, the lamb marinated, grilled, and finished with Kashmiri chilli sauce. The thin, griddled roomali roti and the fresh-baked naan were both great accompaniments, as was the minty, cucumbery raita. For dessert, we had a choice of kulfi, creamy ice pops available in mango, pistachio, or malai, the original flavor touched with caramel. All three were superb, so cold and milk, easy to throw down the hatch. This was, it turned out, an enormous feast, but everything was so delicious and well balanced that I didn't notice how much I was eating until I got up. I was still full several hours later, when we went to dinner. If you want to eat Indian food in London, you should definitely find your nearest Dishoom. It's a wonderful restaurant, with top-notch food and no hassle. I certainly intend to go again.

I was finally able to try Dishoom on my last trip to London and we came by with a large group so…read morewere lucky to try a variety of dishes. First, I started with the mango lassi which was so fresh and naturally sweet. I loved the fennel seeds on top for added flavor. Such a great start to the meal. My favorites of the night were the chicken ruby (a must order and crowd pleaser), lamb biryani, and black daal. The chilli chicken was also a super flavorful app to share and the garlic naan was great as well. Everything is nicely flavored and I appreciate how patient and understanding the staff were with the food allergies and restrictions our group had. Definitely a must in London!

Been coming to this Yak & Yeti for a few years now and the service and food has always been to a…read morehigh standard. This time was a Monday evening and it was surprisingly busy. The staff are all friendly and make an effort to be polite and informative about the food. The food is not just Indian but also Nepalese so you do not have to just have the usual curry. They have offering from a clay oven also if you would rather have something not to saucey, as in the traditional tikka masalas (which they do have on offer). It location is just the wrong side of the Crystal Palace triangle but it has been there for many years now so this has not affected it to badly. It is a nice restaurant as you can always have a conversation and actually hear the other person without shouting which I always find useful. If you want to line your stomach before hitting the bars in the Crystal Palace triangle you could do a lot worse than here. The food is reasonably priced and the portions are of a good size so you should not leave there hungry. As like most restaurants of this type puddings are not their strong point but the starters and main meals make up for this in my opinion. All in all a good restaurant which I will continue to use.

I had to drag my Mrs in here. She was put off by the colourful sinage for some reason, but I just…read morehad to know. Thank goodness - Yak and Yeti has finally restored my faith in there being a half decent indian/nepalese restaurant anywhere near the Palace. We popped in on Monday early evening and were the only ones in. The service was slow and clumsy - at one point we asked the reccomendation from the waiter of which to have and if the Goan Curry was any good. The waiter scrunched up his nose and pointed to a completeley different meal and said that was better, the Goan Curry is not soo good. - You have to laugh. Despite there not being the best service in the world, the food was great. Sometimes, you can order three different things off the menu, and they all sort of taste the same, but not here. We ended up ordering the Goan Curry (plenty of fish, but a little too anaseed for my taste- not unplesant) Sagg Allo (creamy spinach and well seasoned) and a veggie curry. The veggies were not overcooked and each sauce was lovely. Especially lovely onion bajis and nann. Not oliy and sloppy but crisp and full of flavour. They even threw in a few poppadoms while we were musing over the menu (you would be surprised how many places now charge for poppadoms - it's so frustrating). Fingers crossed the take-away is as good as the sit down otherwise *shakes fists*. Yak & Yeti also seems to be sponsering local events such as the Crystal Palace Film Festival - which is also good to know it's committed to the community.

We were visiting Colorado from Indianapolis and tried Yampa Sandwich Shop for lunch, there were 7…read moreadults and 2 kids. We found 2 tables outside and pushed them together. The staff were very friendly and helpful with our orders. The meals were made fresh and brought to the table quickly. We all enjoyed our sandwiches and salads and even brought some home to enjoy later. I would highly recommend this place!

Excellent little sandwich shop. Was on a work trip and took the tube specifically to try this…read moreplace. No dining area to eat there but the gentleman behind the counter working was super friendly and very quick to multitask and get people in and out. Had the chicken and cheese sandwich toasted which he recommended along with something else , but the other looked too big for my appetite.

The best meal I've ever had in my entire life. Michelin level dining with exceptional service. The…read morefood was incredibly soulful, spiced, and speaks to not only the history of Indian cuisine, but what the future looks like. Everything from the cocktails, to the staff, to the meal itself were flawless.

Good food. Good / fast service…read more Great ambiance and atmosphere. I think it passed my value/price ratio. Not cheap but worth it.