Fast, friendly, and efficient with generous portions of fresh and tasty food. Although nothing like Vietnamese food in California, this is the closest thing to it I have found in London. The spring rolls were interesting as they did not have a traditional wrapper but were similar to like a rice cracker wrapper which gave it a really nice crunch. The bun bo hue was good but lacked the traditional bun bo hue veggies. Instead it came with the veggies they give you for pho. The broth was rich, flavorful, and spicy! All in all it was a good meal and we will be back. Pork and Mushroom Crispy Vietnamese Spring Rolls BBQ Pork Loin with Rice Vermicelli Bún Ch Hà ni grilled lemongrass marinated pork tenderloin & crispy pork spring rolls Bun Bo Hue Bún Bò Hu The spicy version of Pho from Hue, the old imperial city. Flavoured with lemongrass, whole chilies, served with Beef and Pork Hock read more

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Anyone that knows me know that I'm a SOUP ADDICT. Or you can call it SOUP ENTHUSIAST if you wanna be fancy. I've eaten in almost all Pho places where I live so I had to try Viet Grill while in London. It's fancier and nicer than typical Vietnamese restaurant. Pros: Great pho broth It was VERY abundant with the meats (rare stake, flank, and I ordered extra tendon) Good service Cute place Cons: Small bowl (not as big as the usual pho) Pricier than a regular Vietnamese place but justified by the service and decor I think this place should have better reviews/more stars read more

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Kingsland Road is the place for Vietnamese lovers what Bircklane is to curry fanatics. If you wander down Kingsland Road as a Vietnamese virgin, I recommend to go to the Viet Grill. This is how I started to explore the area. There I had my best beef soup ever and could not find it at any other Vietnamese place since. Vietnamese is well known for their noodle dishes which come with fresh vegetables and greens on the side. The scenery is a bit more grown up. The atmosphere is much more quiet, no drunken students but attentive staff. Unlike to the other Vietnamese restaurants where you can bring your own bottle of wine, they pride themselves with an extensive well-chosen wine list. You also pay a reasonable amount for it. Red wine goes very well with their food. At Viet Grill you will not be ushered out immediately after finishing your meal. The quality of service, staff and food is excellent. However, it will also reflect in the price, but it will not be over £30 per person - that is easily achieved in central London with less quality food. read more

Viet Grill - Viet Grill in the dark - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

My friends and I used to come here all the time, and so I thought it was worth a re-visit on my trip. I usually order the chicken royale, which has well-cooked, tender, and juicy chicken. This time though I went with the pork belly, and it was delicious. The meat tasted good, and the fat just melts in your mouth. Having a plate all to yourself can get a bit much, although two friends and I all managed a plate each in the end. I also got the choy greens dish, cooked with garlic, and it was crunchy and flavorful. read more

Viet Grill - pork belly - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

Overall I was a bit disappointed with Viet Grill. As others have said it's a great looking restaurant with plenty of room for groups. However, our group had dishes arrive at totally different times, and one had to be sent back because it was wrong meaning I had finished by the time she got here. Not impressive or nice when you're hungry and want to enjoy a meal together - always awkward as to whether to wait and let the food get hold, or be unsociable and eat separately. There was no real apology for this and nothing came off the bill. I ordered the monkfish noodle signature dish and made the fatal mistake of not squeezing the lemon over it. Once I did this, about 80% of the way through, the flavours all came together. Before that, it was pretty tasteless. The massive piggy aubergine side I got was also pretty bland. I would be interested to try some else of what is on offer here, as the menu is very appealing with a lot of interesting dishes (although I suspect if they narrowed it down they might improve in quality and service), but I won't rush back. read more

There at lots of Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road, and I am in no doubt (after having eaten in all of them several times) that the Viet Grill is the best. I mostly go there at lunch time and their special lunch menu is excellent value. I normally go for the two courses for £10 deal, and have sampled most of the combinations. Strangely, the one thing I don't totally rate Viet Grill for is the Pho. I sometimes find the meat has too much stringy fat and the stock is better in places like Song Que. My favourite dishes are probably the grilled piggy aubergine, the BBQ pork with vermicelli, the saigon stewed pork and the various curries (esp the soft shall crab). Services can be a little sketchy at times, but this is the same with many of the other restaurants in the area. Viet Grill is owned by The Vietnamese Kitchen, who also own Cay Tre on Old Street, which is almost as good but lacks some of the atmosphere, and Keu! on Old Street, which serves excellent Banh Mi. read more

Viet Grill - Bun sa with beef - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

I don't know why people complain when they have crabs. I like crabs. I wish I had crabs right now, deep fried in chili spice that is. I've found my food, and it's Vietnamese. You know this has happened when you can actually taste the difference between the same dish in different places. Here at Viet Grill they do lovely food, it's just not a patch on the others I have tried down the street. So as I was saying, I love the soft shell crab they serve up on a Vietnamese menu. It's what I look forward to, along with the frogs legs and the chicken bun noodles, but here at Viet Grill I was so disappointed. The crab tasted a little to fishy and apart from that the only flavour I could pick up was oil. Considering how popular these guys are, I was so disappointed. The other dishes were nice but again not up to the standard of the other places I have tried. The summer rolls were a little dry and the oyster sauce was quite salty. Saying that, I went on a Friday night, for dinner, and the place has queues out the door. They were really busy but I still didn't expect the quality to slip quite so much. Saying that, I do like this place. It's BYOB, with a small corkage charge, it has a brilliant atmosphere and is perfect for a date or party. They have loads of long tables which are great for seating large groups of people. It's also really good value for money. It's a real east London experience eating, it's just a little disappointing too. read more

Missing my local Vietnamese haunt back in Orlando, I decided to find a suitable replacement for my summer-roll-and-peanut-sauce habit. Having found Viet Grill on Yelp with 4.5 stars and compared it with its other Kingsland Road compatriots, I picked it for its more formal dining atmosphere. You see, as much as I can appreciate canteen-style dining, all I really want on a Sunday afternoon is a leisurely dining space. Viet Grill provided in terms of style, but it broke the cardinal rule of dining when it chose this over substance. What good is some shiny fleur-de-lis-inspired wallpaper and a fully stocked bar when the listless flavours in my noodle bowl had me wondering if I might find some sri racha to spice things up? There was nothing WRONG with the food. Contrarily, the chefs executed everything adequately, with appealing presentation and all. But the exceedingly bland flavours had me eating to live not living to eat. And if that's what I wanted to do I would have mixed myself some porridge oats and water at home. I kept waiting for some pungent lemongrass, some zingy basil and above all some vinegary, fish saucy sauce (I do love some fish saucy sauce). But, alas, none. Nothing about my food sung. The languid rice vermicelli sat nestled in what seemed like water peppered with . . . water, taunting me in all its 1000% cost markup glory. Husbatron munched along contentedly, usually satisfied with whatever is served to him, blaming my discerning palate on heightened American expectations (I won't settle for bland food!), despite admitting he had had much better Vietnamese food previously with me in Viet Town in Orlando. When the culinary feats of an unexceptional town not know for its cuisine surpasses that of a cultural centre like London, you know you have a problem. The fact that restaurants like Viet Grill can afford to persist in London boggles the mind. So, in the end, did I leave completely stuffed full having finished the towering bowl full of food desperately seeking the familiar flavours I convinced myself must be somewhere below? Yes. Did I leave feeling I had a particularly Vietnamese dining experience? No. Was I disappointed? Absolutely. I am tired of watered-down Asian food in this city. read more

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Viet Grill is a bit more upmarket than most of the other cafe-style Vietnamese places on Kingsland Road. All serve fantastic food, I've no doubt, but this one feels just a little more like a 'proper' restaurant (whatever that means). No rushed service, and you can't hear the screams from the kitchen. Anyway, I loved it. First of all I have a love - nay, addiction - of interactive food. Brought on by my trip to Japan, where they have at least 6 distinct different kinds of interactive food (grill it, boil it, mix it, waggle it in broth, set fire to it.... and so on, all at the comfort of your own table), if I see anything remotely DIY about something on a menu, I have to have it. We had the rice rolls to start, and out came a gas fired hotplate dome thing (that's the technical term), raw beef, and 6 different kinds of additional filling. Plus hot water for the rice sheets. Some might think it's a right kerfuffle but I love it. It helped that whatever you, even quite cack-handedly produce at the end tastes bloody brilliant. There's some pickled cabbagey stuff and chilli sauce which could probably make even cindered beef taste good. Then the main courses are great, because they tasted like nothing I'd ever tasted before. My boyfriend had a fish dish which was a completely new flavour experience, and I had pork which was seriously declicious, and we got proper crispy noodles. Anyway, the point is, this restaurant has so many good points: - interactive food - new foreign beer to try - new foreign food to try - GOOD food - good value - a fish tank in the basement - fancy chairs The last one is clutching at straws somewhat, but anyway - 5 stars. read more

"Rich" was the word of the day. We went here because this restaurant was supposed to be more authentic and more "street" (well, we *are* in East London after all). It's true that their menu diverges a bit from your regular pho mile offerings. The ambience was modern, casual and more than cosy (though roomier downstairs). My friend deemed it kitschy. Perhaps because it was a Friday night but service was negligent, painful for us starving gits. Never mind that our order was placed more than half an hour after arriving, though it appeared from the kitchen quickly enough. They didn't waste time on the bottle of wine that we requested, however! We ordered the square-shaped Crab Nem Royal rolls, which were pleasingly crispy but chewy on the outside and quite savoury on the inside - wood ear mushrooms, vermicelli noodles and crab. Of course, it was good- there was crab!! The more modest spring rolls were quite tasty as well. The first dish was the Seafood on Jasmine Rice. it was prepared well and they were not stingy with the seafood ...but it was too bland. My friend ordered the Sitting Duck Curry. The sauce was quite rich with a refreshing hint of lemongrass and made me green with envy. Another friend ordered the Coconut Red Sea Prawns, also rich but this time tangy as well. The prawns were large and many. Sense of injustice increased. For dessert we shared a tapioca and durian cake with coconut ice cream, sprinkled with peanut bits. The cake was pleasantly chewy and...errr, musty. But that's why one dines at Vietnamese restaurants, right? It would not have been complete without Vietnamese coffee. It was everything you've heard about Vietnamese coffee - RICH, creamy, even aromatic. It's served in a French press and on this occasion patience was well rewarded. Intense! Service was very good but handicapped that night because it was Friday. We had to ask for water at least 4 times. The pitcher finally arrived at the end with dessert. I will definitely return, especially to try the monkfish. Unfortunately, there is a minimum order of 2 and neither of my friends was as intrigued as I was. Anybody want to try the monkfish with me? read more

While the service leaves a lot to be desired the buns and pho are pretty good. The BBQ pork and the Spring Buns are particularly delicious. The pho is fresh, healthy and flavorful. But seriously, don't bother going in for lunch if you are short on time. read more

Being from Little Saigon in California can be a curse when trying out Vietnamese restaurants in London. Viet Grill looked too fancy to be good at first glance. They have tastefully dark wood decor, a bar on the ground level and another bar at the lower ground level. Everything looked too good and too neat to be authentic but I was so so wrong. First, their lotus stem salad is fantastic. The "nuoc mam" was perfectly flavoured and everything went well together. Second, their "imperial spring rolls" are possibly one of the best egg roll/spring roll I've eaten on both sides of the Atlantic. I've only tried their "bun" dishes and, frankly, their "nuoc mam" is good so just about every dish came out perfect. The prices are good also. A large bowl of pho for £5 if you get there before 5pm, and £7 anytime afterwards. I went back with a friend. This time we ordered the grilled lemongrass mackerel. A must try, it's fabulous! We also had the banh xeo (good but not spectacular) and the ca kho to (pretty close to Mom's home-made dish). If you're looking for good, quality Vietnamese food in London, this is the place to go. read more

Yes, 5 stars. I have tried several of the other Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road and they don't compare at all in terms of food and atmosphere. Order the set dinner menu, you get to try a few of the starters and the salads are fresh and lovely! We went on a non-rainy Thursday night and so the neighbourhood was bustling and so was the restaurant. We had a short wait which was absolutely fine since the service was attentive and speedy. In terms of atmosphere it was so much nicer than the other spartan slop and serve restaurants on the street so maybe for slightly more you actually have an amazing night out! read more

Quick glance: + value for money + big portion, good for sharing + good for groups + takes American Express (as of October 2010) - booking recommended I came here with a group of friends after a colleague's recommendation. I was surprised they took reservations, which turned out to be a good move because it was very popular and we saw a long queue of hungry diners as we tucked into our main course as the evening roll on. I was craving for a big bowl of pho but was tempted by a selection of other Vietnamese dishes instead. The five of us shared our starters and mains, which all came in generous portion sizes so, in retrospect, one dish between two is more than adequate. I recommend the Bò tùng xeo (Feudal Roasted Beef) to start -a large piece of marinated steak tenderly cooked. There is a large selection of starters, mains, and one-dish meal all with enticing descriptions which made choosing difficult, but consequently it is great for large group and have a few dishes for everyone to try. The tables are large so that it can accommodate a few dishes on the table and still leave enough space for you to have a bowl or plate before you to eat off of. Given the portion sizes and sharing concept, you get great value for money as each dish isn't eye-wateringly expensive. The nice surprise was that the venue accepts American Express as payment, which is unusual for most southeast Asian restaurants. The staff was pleasant - some had thicker accents than others but most were friendly enough. Overall, I recommend this place for good Vietnamese food to share with friends especially when you are looking for a filling and inexpensive meal. Booking is highly recommended. read more

I quite like Viet Grill... the food was pretty decent (at least better than some of the previous reviews seem to think) Here's my food ratings in order of how much I thought Mmmmmm: **** Cognac 'luc lac' beef (at least I think that's what it was called!!) was succulent and gorgeous **** The grilled beef was delish'. They cook it at your table (so you can choose how rare you'd like it) then you add daikon, noodles, salad herbs and kimchi before wrapping it in rice paper. **** Crab nem rolls were really nice too... mushroom crabby goodness. *** The catfish was okay...it was a little gelatinous at the edges, but yummy in the middle *** Goi con: The same as anywhere really... ** Pho: Not bad...but I've had better at Cafe East Sooo...It was good, but not amazing (once you count the fact that it can be hard to flag down a waitress.) read more

The food was ok and in a big quantity, so i guess it was ok for the money spent. The staff was nice too. We sorta fooled around with a friend of ours who had gone to the toilet, meanwhile we were exchanging tables, just for the heck of seeing her reaction when finding the previous empty table, and throughout all that mess the waiters smiled or looked puzzled, but let us do our thing without spoiling the game or telling us we were not supposed to do that in their restaurant... read more

I was quite keen to try Viet Grill as reading so many good reviews. It was disappointing. The food was overpriced for what it was. Yes nice decor but a case of style over substance. The service was haphazard and it was not even busy. The braised pork belly was good - tender and juicy. The stir-fried duck was a real letdown - greasy. Plenty other Vietnamese places in Hackney and Shoreditch to go for, Viet Grill ain't seeing me again. read more

Staff on the door were difficult even though I had rung fifteen minutes earlier. I had two starters, a crab roll, and a soft shell crab, both were let down by less than fresh oil in the fryer. Shame. Went for the spicier pho as main, and it was fine, fresh vegetables and herbs, the pho itself was a little insipid, relying on chilli oil for the heat, a little disappointing. Staff brought two wrong orders to my table, it might be very trendy, but it is a case of style over substance. read more

I was running some Sunday afternoon errands and, because I was a short walk from Kingsland Road, I decided pho was going to be dinner. My husband and I chose Viet Grill because it had more than one pho option and he felt like trying something slightly different. People have already commented on the space, so I'll leave you with their descriptions. We were flanked by a hipster couple to our left and two very bitter hipster girls to our right. One of the girls ordered her veg & tofu soup with no tofu and kept telling the waiter very slowly that she didn't like tofu. "Nnnnoooo ttoooofffuuuu." I'm surprised he didn't slap her. I definitely wanted to. Speaking of waiters, the service was amazing, but that probably had to do with the fact that we were having an early dinner on a Sunday which meant there were eight servers and only six customers. The menu looked interesting, but I have a one track mind when I'm somewhere that serves pho. Start me off with some summer rolls then give me the rare beef option and set me up with the required sauces and I'll remain quiet until all of the broth has been slurped. The summer rolls were some of the best I've had on the pho mile. There were at least three prawns crammed inside and each bite had the fresh minty taste I love so much. Like many others, I found the pho a bit bland and I always get a bit prickly when I'm served a lemon with my soup instead of a lime. I understand they are both citrus fruits, but come on. The husband had the Bun Bo Hue, which the menu described as "Pho of Hue, the imperial city. Lemongrass, whole chillies, round noodle served with either beef, chicken, king prawns or special crab cake." What they left out is, "and a whole lotta fish sauce" because that was the predominant flavour in the bowl. All in all, it wasn't a total letdown like Hanoi Cafe, but if I'm going to Kingsland Road for pho I'll probably stick with Song Que so the husband can enjoy some tripe. read more

Summary: +Great food +Nice and modern ambience +Best among other competitors in the area +Shrimp summer roll: Fresh +Beef pho: Yummy Overall: I paid a visit to one of my favourite establishments in East London. Viet Grill is an unassuming gem of Vietnamese restaurant on Hackney Street. Surrounded by five or so other Vietnamese restaurants on the same side of the street, Viet Grill stands out in both food and ambience. I went in at 11:30 for an early lunch before a meeting in that area of London to catch them just opening the restaurant. I was shown into a window seat in the well-lit roomy dining space that is decorated with modern wooden floor. From a quick glance, this place could be easily mistaken to a nice French café apart from the large paintings of bamboo in warm pastel colours that decorates the walls and lively discussions in what sounds like Vietnamese from the kitchen. The staffs were all amiable and helpful. Since it was my first Vietnamese meal in a long time, I decided to go with the classics. Beef pho for the main and prawn summer rolls as a side. The waitress pointed out that those dishes happen to be included in the lunch combo, so I could have them for only £10. Nice. The service was very quick. The summer rolls were served within five minutes. In another 5 minutes or so, I had my bowl of pho noodle. This suggests they had a stack of summer rolls ready before the busy lunchtime war. They clearly know what they are doing. I like that. Food: The summer roll was packed with fresh salad, rice vermicelli and thin slices of shrimps all wrapped tightly in a soft rice paper. As I bite into one of the rolls, the flavour of mint and coriander filled my mouth. I liked the way they sliced the shrimps into smaller pieces so they don't make big lumps inside the wrap. The peanut sauce on the side has a typical South East Asian mix of rich sweetness and spiciness. The beef pho was a true delight. The beef-based broth was rich and yet not too fatty. The sweetness from roasted onion and subtle flavour of coriander adds another dimension to the taste of broth. As in any Vietnamese restaurant, the pho was served with a set of herbs that enhances the taste of broth. There are variations to this flavour booster kit but it usually consists of thai basil, bean sprouts, a slice of lemon or lime and sometimes chopped red chilli peppers. I like to have first couple of sips without the boosters and appreciate the richness of naked broth. As usual, I threw in the herbs and lemon juice half way into the meal. The change in the broth is both pleasant and dramatic. The once sweet broth now has edgy sourness and bitterness to it. I always find the flat rice noodle hard to eat without making a mess. But I think it's more about my clumsy chopstick skills than the dish itself. read more

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Allow me to begin by saying I'm not a Vietnamese food expert. In fact, this was my very first time eating it to my knowledge, and I am now hopelessly hooked. Having grown up in Asia (China), I am a huge fan of noodle soups of all kinds. Pho was something I'd always wanted to try, but since I don't eat meat, I'd already been told it wasn't something I could try. But wait, Viet Grill has a vegetable-based broth! And a wonderful one it is. My Seafood Pho was absolutely delicious and there was plenty of it to be had. I also tried the food my companions were eating, one tofu dish and one with aubergines, and theirs was amazing as well. The service was fast and courteous. I ordered some tea, expecting it to be hot, but got a sweet, icy concoction. I tried it and it was very good, so I stuck with it. However, after a few sips, it turned out to be just too sweet for me. I asked a waitress if I could have a bit more water in it to dilute the sweetness, and they just went ahead and replaced the whole thing with a less sweet version (which was, this time, perfect!) Dessert was chocolate fudge with ice cream, not very Vietnamese I suppose, but still really good. The cocktails we had were also very tasty and well prepared. All in all, I was extremely impressed. I don't know if I'll have the same great experience I had the first time, but I can't wait to go back and find out. read more

We popped in here on a Friday evening around 6:45pm, just before it got rather busy. We were seated right away and had several different servers, all nice, but one of whom was particularly personable -- so that was nice. I ordered Saigon Saté Pho at £11 (hanger steak poached in a robust chilli broth, Thai basil & smashed nuts) and my girlfriend, the Saigon Pho at £10.5 with steak, brisket, fatty flank, and skirt flank in a beef broth. I was pretty excited about having some spicy pho (I'm not happy unless my nose is running), and the waiter warned me multiple times that "it's very spicy" and we joked about how I can take it and he seemed dubious. Look, it totally wasn't spicy. Not even remotely close to anything called spicy. I laugh in the face of their spicy. Also, it wasn't topped with smashed nuts, the broth itself seemed to be more of a peanut broth, which I wasn't really that into, so my girlfriend and I swapped pho. I liked mine alright, it just wasn't what I was after and she seemed more into it than I, so it all worked out. I also added a metric ton of Sriracha to her pho after the switch. It was around £40 once we added in the Banh Xeo starter (vietnamese pancake with prawn and chicken) and a couple fancy sodas. The atmosphere was nice and the service decent, so I'd go again, but I think there are better pho spots in town. read more

Well this was a case of hunger and an exciting vegan noodle soup won out over going up the road to the well reviewed Vietnamese restaurants I made a list of from Yelp. NEVER AGAIN. We didn't have staff problems like others (although they forgot our drinks and one side dish never even turned up). While grateful for a couple of interesting veggie options, everything was just kind of flavourless. The soup was barebones, no fresh herbs or veggies to mix in. Just noodles and tofu in a spicy broth that had no sort if umami flavour. Even our spring rolls were blah. How can fried food not be delicious? I don't know, my friends. Sorry Viet Grill. read more

Fantastic food, every single time! PandaPay ran a trial at Viet Grill last night & the entire table was very impressed, person's comment was: "this food is actually authentic Vietnamese food! I feel like I'm back at home.". Viet Grill is buzz, fun and energetic. The service was flawless and extremely friendly. I had the Classic Chicken Pho. The ingredient was fresh and full of flavour. Not so good for a serious business meeting though it is the perfect place for group of friends, dates and after work dinner. read more

This surely isn't the most authentic vietnamese restaurant in London. We first went there to try the Pho, this was quite a disappointment, it was small and the favors were just not there; My friends kept pushing and praising the Viet Grill so we decided to give it another try. This time we didn't go for the classic, but we went for some more "fusion" like dishes. And I have to say it was excellent. We had some monkfish and some barbecued pork and both dishes as well as the starters were very good. I only give it three stars for it's vietnamese cuisine, but for the fusion aspects it would rather deserve four... read more

Viet Grill - Vietnamese Near Me - London, XGL

Out of all the Vietnamese spots on Kingsland Road, Viet Grill is my number one (at the moment anyways). The broth in their beef pho is perfectly full flavoured, and their spicy crab curry always leaves me wanting more. And let me tell you about their summer rolls - best summer rolls I've ever had. And I've had a ton. The restaurant itself also has more of an ambiance than the others on this stretch, with a bit of mood lighting and leafy wallpaper. Viet Grill isn't BYO, however their punches to share definitely make up for it - especially the one listed on the menu as having "a lot of alcohol". And it's taste is certainly superior to that bottle of wine you would find at the offie down the road - am I right? read more

We all gave out a laugh when we saw a little square on the side of the menu that said 'Recession proof meal'. That was a 2 course for £10 and why not so we went ahead and ordered that. From the appetisers, you get a choice of either the Grand Imperial spring roll, chilli squid or lotus stem salad. With the mains, you get to pick one from their main dishes and we all went with the vermicelli salad. At this price, you get a decent and tasty fare that you can't complain about. read more

Another night of Vietnamese dinner, and I really liked it. Pho wasn't as authentic as Cafe East, but it was still neatly done. The summer rolls were more fresh, I felt, and better presented. We also ordered the beef with wraps and kimchi where you can grill your own meet (like Korean bbq) and make into summer rolls of sort. I thought this was a really creative and solidly executed idea -- I loved every bit of it. Ambience was semi-western bar and semi-Vietnamese. I quite enjoyed it as very few Vietnamese places I had been to had this type of posh ambience. Service was okay, though a bit disorganised. It got busy, so we had to remind them to top up our water a few times before it was done. Still, it could have been worse, and I'm not complaining. Try to come at a less busy time if you can. read more

As of March 2015 visit: Pros: Saw Robert Pattinson and FKA Twigs arrive under cloak and hat to get a table. Went about 9pm. No queue and good friendly service. Great ambience. Cons: The ultimate Pho. I didn't think much of the meat at all. Not very tender which was really disappointing. The broth was good which I'd expect but not fatty enough If I'm being super critical. Since the refurb I'm not sure if they've changed staff but based on this latest visit I'd come back only to have my usual starters and other mains. Shame as on previous visits I've loved it. Pho for me is a tough thing to get right on all accounts. read more

I am ashamed to say that I used to live in these neck of the woods and not once in the year or so, did i venture to the Vietnamese restaurants around Shoreditch. Boy did i miss out! I went last Thursday for a long overdue catchup with a dear foodie friend. Her original choice was Cay Tre and I had booked us a table but unfortunately we were late and they gave our table away. By the time we got there, there were queues outside of the door with a waiting time of at least 20 mins. Luckily a friend was just leaving who advised us to go to Viet Grill as it was run by the same people and had the same menu. (we were famished by this point!) So we walked down and found that seating was plentiful and got a table right away. (i would still advise booking though as they tend to get very busy) Viet Grill was definitely more spacious with a tasteful bar at one end and lovely vibrant green decor - giving it more of a restaurant feel than Cay Tre (which was more like a cafe). The staff were super attentive and made sure we had our drinks and a menu straight away. We ordered an immense amount of food as the aromas were mouthwatering when we walked in. We had the king prawn summer rolls, Crispy Hanoi dumplings and chilli salt & pepper squid to start - yes we were piggies! - and then each had a "Bun" (one bowl meal) to follow with a veggie side. The food arrived really quickly, which was suprising given they were so busy. I couldn't wait to tuck in. The dumplings were super crispy and amplesized. The prawn rolls were light with juicy prawns inside, complimented by lovely vietnamese herbs. The squid was cooked perfectly with a light crispy batter (I would have preferred a little more golden but I wasn't being picky that night!). By the time the Buns came, my friend and i were 90% stuffed already but we soldiered on... My Bun was like a spring roll special (i love Vietnamese spring rolls). Rice noodles, salad, spring rolls (prawn & imperial) and little meat parcels all topped off with herbs. Yummy!! I thought the noodles were a little on the soggy and watery side, but aside from that i couldn't complain. Again the portion size was really generous. I loved all the flavours of the herbs used in Vietnamese cooking and of course i am a chilli addict! So all in all, I would highly recommend this place for a casual dinner with friends or a quickie bite if you're in the area. It's great value for money, excellent food and friendly efficient staff. Definitely going back there soon with the boyfriend i think! read more

This seems to be a happening place in Shoreditch. The ambiance is young and modern, with an efficient friendly staff. If you are not expecting an authentic Vietnamese food experience, this might serve the purpose for a date or a simple dinner. Unfortunately I ordered Pho... and was disappointed that they gave me the wrong noodles! My friend ordered a rice noodle dish, but it was way too bland. Don't think I'll be back given the number of other restaurants in the area. read more

This has got to be the best Won Ton Noodle Soup in London! A tasty broth, is host to meaty savory dumplings, alongside slithers of roasted pork and sliced king prawns. I usually order that and some of the amazing water spinach and I am in heaven! The salt and pepper quid is cooked to perfection and the summer rolls are beautiful. I would definitely rate both of them. The other soups on the menu are lovely too, I would recommend popping there for soup if that is mostly what you are craving. I have had other things, which are lovely but I always finding myself wanting soup when there. Especially when most soup is under 8 quid for a massive bowl that will leave you full up until the next day. Restaurants like Viet Grill, restore faith that you can have an amazing feast, cheaply in the middle of the credit crunch. It's also got such a relaxed atmosphere that you can go with a date or with friends and still find you have a wonderful evening, in sleek surroundings. read more

So far this is my favourite Vietnamese in London and I have tried a few. Located in the Vietnamese restaurant ghetto that is Kingsland road Viet Grill is a bit classier than your average no frill Vietnamese restaurant. It also has a decent enough (although basic) wine list which is also a surprise. We loved the salt and pepper squid but next time I will order one of the beef meals that you cook at your table in your own little hot grill. read more

Had an awesome Friday night meal here, but the service could use a bit of a boost. -Feudal roast beef - Ridiculously tasty -Summer rolls - Light n fresh -Pillow Dumplings - Wrapped in seaweed and not very tasty -Saigon sate pho - Absolutely amazing. Perfect kick and nice n nutty -Bananas Flambe & Coconut ice cream - Very very yum! Only complaint would be that one of the people at our table has a peanut allergy so we specifically requested no peanuts for starters and his dish, yet everything still came with peanuts and we had to send things back. Also, getting the bill was a 20 minute mission. But overall lovely dining! read more

Delicious food, fast service, yummy cocktails, nice decor. We picked this place at total random for a pre-hen night meal. It was exactly what we were looking for. Really just all around delicious. It was really busy on the Saturday night that we were there, but the service was amazingly quick and competent. It was quite noisy, but that absolutely worked for us, since we were in a fairly rambunctious mood ourselves. I would definitely recommend the Viet Grill. read more

Vietnamese is by far my favourite Asian food, yet it is one of the Asian sub-types hardest to find in the capital. Viet Grill proves why their food is so good and makes it more accessible. The food is fresh, healthy and well-made. The flavours and combinations used are unusual but fun and blend well together. The service is unobtrusive (which is best!). The interior is nothing special, but very neutral and well-styled. It does mean the atmosphere is a little subdued, but for a quiet evening out, ideal. read more

For an authentic Vietnamese meal this probably isn't the best place to go i.e. there are slight western influences in the food which included for example rocket in the salad. Not a bad thing at all though but jsut wanted to point this out. The springrolls are quite nice but a bit overpriced, and the pork included in my rice dish was quite dry. Food arrived in dribs and drabs so a member of our group of eight got his dish after everyone else had finished. Overall if you're ok with rushed service for reasonably priced but average vietnamese food you should give it a go. read more

Viet Grill - Pics at The London Foodie (http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk ) Vietnam has one of the most sophisticated cuisines in the world and is one of the few countries I keep returning to particularly for its food. Closer to home, I have been heading to Kingsland Road for my fix of Vietnamese food and have become Song Que's indisputably Number 1 Fan in the last few years. I had resigned myself to its scary plastic lobsters and unfriendly service. If only I could taste its magnificent pho soup - all would be forgiven. It is all about the food, and although I do not believe Asian cooking should necessarily be cheap, I certainly do not want to pay a premium for the sake of trendier decor. I have thus viewed the recent smartening up of some of the restaurants on Kingsland Road with a little caution. It was with these thoughts in mind that Dr G and I went to the newly re-opened Viet Grill on Kingsland Road. Despite getting a complimentary meal offered by its PR machine, I feared I might dislike this restaurant. It was a Friday evening at 8pm when we arrived and the restaurant was buzzing. Despite the long queue of customers, we were soon shown to our table. First impressions were good front-of-house staff were friendly and polite, the restaurant had been painted with a beautiful design of banana leaves and decorated with some nice touches like wooden bird cages, a beautiful aquarium and some modern but discreet lighting. Tables were positioned very close together and we soon struck up a conversation with a delightful couple Olivia and Moosa who were sitting next to us. They were regulars at Viet Grill and were very positive about the food despite being a bit weary of the high density of diners the restaurant catered for at any one time. Our starters did not take long to come; these included Mango Salad (sun-dried squid, Viet mint, peanuts, mango) @ £7. I was delighted by this, and loved the flavour and unusual consistency of the sun-dried squid. It was a deliciously refreshing salad with some interesting flavours and started the evening on a good note. The Piggy Grilled Aubergine (spring onions, minced pork in tangy sweet and sour sauce) @ £5.50 was the next starter and, in my opinion, was one of the best dishes of the evening. I love aubergines, and the addition of spring onions and pork to a rather delicate and well-balanced sweet and sour sauce made for a very good dish. This was followed by the Feudal Roasted Beef @ £9, a Saigon speciality, this tasted as good and fresh as the ones I remember having in Ho Chi Min City. A Mixed House Platter @ £7 per person was served next containing Mango Salad, Imperial Spring Rolls, Fresh Soft Rolls or Goi Cuon, Beef Wrapped in Betel Leaves & Chilli Salt and Peppered Squid. I always order goi cuon and beef in betel leaves whenever eating at Vietnamese restaurants, and Viet Grill's did not disappoint. The Fresh Rolls had just the right amount of vermicelli, herbs and prawns, and were fresh and delicious. This is one of the simplest dishes on any decent Vietnamese menu, and can be prepared well in advance. If prepared too early and not stored, it can smell and taste of the refrigerator. This was not a problem at Viet Grill. Fresh Rolls are also great to be made at home and served as canapes if you can master the softening and wrapping of rice paper sheets. I would recommend practicing it thoroughly before your guests arrive! The first main dish was Viet Quail Curry (with aubergine, crunchy okra, coconut and spicy curry sauce) @ £8. This was unusually spicy for a Vietnamese dish but had some interesting flavours and textures coming through from the crunchy okra and quail meat. It was not an easy dish to share as the quail was served whole and on the bone. The other main dish was Slow Cooked Mekong Catfish (poached in caramelised fish sauce, simmered in a clay pot and finished with cracked pepper and fresh chilli) @ £7.50. Viet Grill's description which I quote above in brackets was very apt but it does not do justice to this fantastic dish the sauce was deliciously sweet and salty and gave the dish a richness I had not yet tasted, complementing the fish perfectly. By far the best main of the evening and one I will make sure to order again. I love having my food prejudices challenged in this way, and this time, I am pleased to admit that Viet Grill came up trumps. Most dishes on the menu were more sophisticated and authentically Vietnamese than other restaurants in the area with very friendly and helpful service. Verdict Delicious Vietnamese food served in beautiful surroundings by some very friendly staff. Viet Grill has certainly raised its game and I hope it will become a standard setter for other Vietnamese restaurants in the area. Highly recommended. read more

For pictures please refer to http://hungryinlondon.com/2010/08/viet-grill-shoreditch/ Sunday lunch time and I was craving Vietnamese food. Viet Grill seemed the right place to go to as it had received loads of raving reviews and I expected a meal full of culinary delight. But I was bitterly disappointed. Without doubt, Viet Grill is compared to the other Vietnamese restaurants in and around Kingsland Road incredibly upmarket regarding its decor while still being relatively cheap. It is managed by the same people who also do the substantially less stylish Cay Tre in Hoxton; I had however the much better food at Cay Tre. I resisted my urge to order the fresh summer rolls (I have some Pavlov reaction whenever I enter a Vietnamese restaurant to order the same things) and decided on the Pho cuon (5). The description was: 'Steamed 'Pho' paper roll filled with pickle and wafer thin tender beef served with sweet chilli sauce'. So maybe there is some communication problem between Vietnam and Austria here but I did not expect the beef to be minced (?). It was quite nice anyway but relatively heavy and it did not impress with the fresh flavours that I associate Vietnamese food with. I absolutely love Vietnamese salads so I was intrigued by the Mango Salad with dried squid (7) on their menu. It was ok, but again lacked depth of flavour. No competition at all to my favourite Vietnamese salad, the papaya salad at Song Que. Then one of my favourite dishes of all time, Bun Sa (7) a one bowl dish with rice vermicelli, chicken, lemongrass and bean sprouts. This was really quite good at Viet Grill and we happily finished it. I could however have done with some more fresh Vietnamese herbs which would have raised the dish to a higher level. They were in general a bit stingy with their herbs I have to say. Then we made the big mistake to order Muc Xao Lan Viet Grill Squid (7.50). I had the best squid dishes ever in Vietnam and have been searching up, down and around Kingsland Road for something similar ever since. Just to let you know, I have not been successful yet, but the Viet Grill version was the lowest point on my quest for the perfect Vietnamese squid. The squid was basically inedible. Chewy, though and bland. They promised us 'fresh vine tomatoes' but the tomatoes in the dish clearly resembled rather the Dutch greenhouse version, pale and tasteless and not even properly cleaned off the the middle green bit. Apart from the inferior ingredients the dish also did not impress tastewise the flavours did not work together very well and we hardly touched it. I mean me not finishing food! that's rare, believe me It might really be that I was just very unlucky, but I have had far better Vietnamese at Song Que, Cay Tre and Que Viet. Such a shame really, as Viet Grill has without doubt has the nicest atmosphere and you could imagine bringing e.g. a date there or your parents. read more

Yummy posh Vietnamese. My favourite on Kingsland Rd Bit more expensive than some of the others but the portions are massive and the food rocks (...so much so it often doesn't touch the sides on the way down). Some dishes can be a bit fatty (one plate comes with huge, actual slabs off the stuff) so avoid them if it's not your thing. Tons of choice and a big range of tasty specials that really are particular to the restaurant. read more