Bistrotheque in Tower Hamlets

One of my favourite spots in the city. Food’s on point, staff are kind and attentive, and the space itself is beautifully designed. I should also add that, in my opinion, this must be one of the best restaurants in London in terms of value for money. Nicely done.

A very very tasteful place. Such a beautifully elevated brunch menu. Had the celeriac schnitzel which was good but a bit on the lighter side. Other dishes were great as was the wine menu.

I’ve been coming to Bistroteque for over a decade, and it never disappoints. Had a fantastic lunch there on Saturday—everything from the atmosphere to the service was spot on. The pianist adds such a great touch, making the whole experience feel effortlessly special. Food-wise, you really can’t go wrong. The Bistroteque Full English is always a winner, but the burger I had this time was absolutely to die for. Perfectly cooked, full of flavour—easily one of the best in London. A true East London institution that just gets it right every time. Already looking forward to my next visit!

Bistrotheque has been my happy place for many years now. The food, made from fresh, top quality ingredients, is delicious and the cocktails are to die for. But more than anything - the staff. They are just wonderful - warm, friendly kind and efficient doesn't cover it. I just love it here x

Bistrotheque ha sido mi lugar feliz durante muchos años. La comida hecha a partir de ingredientes frescos y de primera calidad es deliciosa y los cócteles son para morirse. Pero sobre todo - el personal. Son simplemente maravillosos - cálido, amable y eficiente no lo cubre. Simplemente me encanta aquí x

Incredible food & service. The Peruvian chicken was a real highlight - but be warned it’s a massive portion! Small Dog friendly too!❤️

Food was really good. Had the vegetarian plates- leek, celeriac and squtternut. Side salad was very good and good value.

Impeccable. Exquisite. 10/10. Muah x

I’ve been for both dinner and brunch and had a great experience both times! The staff are lovely and accommodating, particularly in light of the hangovers me and my party were nursing during the brunch service. Make sure to go early for a more peaceful atmosphere at the weekend, as it’s a popular spot and can get a little overwhelming.

We had ours 1st date in bistroteque 9 years ago so we come back every year for valentine’s because we a special memories there’s but every time the service is amazing and the food delicious. Thanks bistrothque to make your venue a special place to our hearts

Great place with tasty food and amazing service. The only thing I would change is the lack of music that makes the ambiance a bit awkward when the place is not full. But great experience regardless and would definitely go back!

Another great night at Bistrotheque. Food was great, ambience had a real buzz to it, and staff super friendly. What’s not to love about the place. Great cocktails too. A must East London dining experience.

Amazing food and the staff & service was exceptional!

Loved everything! Always a great time !!

Terrific restaurant - quite hard to find, but totally worth it. Great food, great service (excellent martinis). Probably a "special occasion" place, but one I definitely want to go back to.

I loved the set up feel very fancy casual the duck pibil was 💯 and the desserts r just perfect not too sugary , bone marrow burger with chips my new date spot

A new discovery for us just around the corner from our new place, fantastic service with nice main courses and desserts missing starters or sharing platters.

It was such a special and memorable meal!! Everything was truly “wow.” Unpretentious and incredibly well done. Even the simple green salad was incredibly inspiring with its melange of flavors. A space we’d love to revisit. Wonderful for groups as it’s very airy and spacious. As an out of towner, extremely happy to add this to a repertoire of must-go places in London.

We held a wedding reception in Bistrotheque in November 2024 and it was brilliant. With both the downstairs cabaret bar and the upstairs dining room, it’s the perfect place to move between spaces for drinks reception, dinner and the evening party. The quality of the food is indescribable and everything was executed with slick professionalism. We had multiple guests compliment the cocktails and how great all the food tasted. The events manager was a dream to work with throughout planning, really in the detail to make sure the day goes smoothly and did everything possible to meet the specific needs of the event. 100% would recommend. Thanks to the entire Team at Bistrotheque for an excellent day. Pictures by @dan.mccourt.

Great place will definitely be back and would recommend

We come here every so often for dinner and always have a wonderful experience. Service is attentive (but not overly so) and the food is always memorable. Some items are a little too pricey for what they are (for example, the lager we ordered) but overall it’s very good value for money. Highly recommended

Very nicely and comfortably made

The Bistrotheque is somewhat hidden in a side street. The restaurant offers excellent, French-inspired cuisine, a relatively small but interesting menu and a good selection of wines. Be sure to reserve!

They allowed our dogs. That gets them an extra star. Menu - a bit “Bhart!” But it was edible offerings - just not so much in the the actual eating. The braised cow had so much salt I could feel the granules in my mouth. All the food was salty. An old trick to make you buy drinks or just bad cookery. Who knows - but I had to leave some and I was ravenous when I arrived. I won’t lie - I liked the place and I enjoyed it. Good vibe. Food so-so.

Porciones pequeñas y sobrepreciosas - más estilo que sustancia ¡No recomiendo! Ni siquiera pude encontrar el lugar - no hay señalización para las personas que no son locales

A very nice place for a beautiful brunch experience. Really excellent staff, very attentive to a customer's needs, I was impressed by a very good gesture towards me. thanks again. Highly recommended.

They were already out of chicken schnitzel and pancakes when we arrived at 12pm. I got the farinata instead, which was tasty but I was still hungry afterwards - I had to order some extra sides. Food was good but pricey and felt like a miss.

Overall excellent! Could use signage downstairs but otherwise great!

I eat red meat once in a blue moon and when I do, I’d like to dig into a burger, and Bistroreque is the place for it. It’s a great place for whatever you like, the menu is just perfect and cocktails are the best. Have been here for many birthdays, few New Years celebrations and a Christmas or two. Just love the Bistroteque.

Great service and a lovely open dining space. The food that we had was good but not great for the price point. The steak tartare, notably, was a disappointment: all a matter of preference of course and many have clearly enjoyed it judging from existing reviews, but I found it too herby for a tartare (the parsley dominated other flavours). Sea bass was enjoyable and the miso-buttered leeks offer a great balance to the plate. The chanterelle, shallot and masala cream vol au vent was puff-pastry heavy - even though the pastry was fresh and well-baked, having relatively too much of it on a plate restricts the dish. Still a very pleasant evening all round and thank you to the team for welcoming us.

The second visit this month and another underwhelming meal . The breakfast was lacklustre and expensive for what it was. What has happened to this place ?

Great food great ambience. Perfect for a couple or a party.

Came for brunch at 12:30 pm on a Saturday (pretty standard brunch time). They did not have pancakes, steak tartare or chicken schnitzel available which was 1/3 of the mains on the menu eliminated - very disappointing. It wasn’t at all crowded either so unsure why so many dishes on the standard menu weren’t available at this time. The burger came without any side salad even though it says on the menu it is served with a salad. Crab Benedict was drowning in Hollandaise and could barely taste the crab (and the muffin was soggy). Pretty disappointing experience as I was entertaining friends visiting from Paris. I’ve dined here a few times in the past but standards must have slipped. I will not be returning any time soon.

Went here for a wedding and the food (and cocktails), and atmosphere were absolutely sensational. Can’t wait to go again for another reason! Staff lovely too!

We have amazing time.. The food was absolutely delicious (Peruvian chicken was life changing).. the chips were amazing.. everyone was passionate.. a great choice!!!

Nuestra visita de 1 calle al restaurante... ¡fue simplemente increíble! El servicio fue atento y divertido desde la llegada, gran personal experto. La comida era épica. Todo delicioso, está en nuestra lista de regresos, la próxima vez en Londres. ¡Muchas gracias! 👍

One of the best places we’ve been to this year. Would highly recommend the seabass and miso buttered leeks dish. Outrageously good value, too

The staff were very accommodating with helping me get my booking of 8 set up. We had a table in a good spot, and were well taken care of. It’s a bit difficult to be sure you have found the right place, as there is no sign. But once you venture in and go upstairs, you’re in a very vibrant space, with good service and great food.

Really nice space and great service. The food is really good but fairly limited options and no home runs. But good enough to keep going back though.

Fui a Bistroteque con mi pareja como un almuerzo sorpresa. Bueno, encontré un hermoso restaurante, ambiente y servicio. No estoy convencido con la comida. Las ostras eran tan frescas y deliciosas, gran champán. Panisse con terragón vegano mayo agradable entrante delicioso. El cangrejo de Portland rarebit Benedict había demasiados sabores mezclados para mi gusto y la salsa holandesa francesa estaba cubriendo la mayoría de ellos y demasiado, haciéndolo. Tenemos la jícama a la parrilla, salsa amarilla de aji, rábano, maíz y ensalada de cítricos, mejor pero aún así toda esa salsa cremosa para e era demasiado. Demasiadas cremas en esos platos. Entiendo que es un estilo de cocina francesa / británica moderna, pero como era la 1 calle tiempo para mí y me tomó por sorpresa por alguna otra persona a este lugar, mi veredicto no es mi tipo de cocina, demasiado rica que encontré y cremas. El postre de Saint Emilion estaba delicioso. Pero el espresso solo servido en una taza de capuchino... ¡incluso no! Para mí como italiano, no me vendieron la comida. Pero veo a mucha gente aquí jurar por este lugar y su comida y respeto que si les encanta la cocina francesa / estilo británico moderno. Pero por lo demás el restaurante es totalmente impresionante, me encanta el estilo, relajado, ambiente chic y el servicio es de primera.

Super lovely atmosphere. Excellent attentive service. Brilliant food. Bloody Mary one of the best I’ve had.

Amazing!! Everything was excellent- food, staff, drinks, the place itself. Vasilis is extremely professional, he made our brunch even more special.

Amazing food, atmosphere and staff. Thank you Vasilis for having us !

Great food with fantastic service. Our server was genuinely passionate about the food, which was very refreshing!

This company no respect polite the staff work for them .they don't give staff food.

I don't have enough superlatives for this place. We go here for special dinners, for brunches, we even had our wedding celebration here. The staff are exceptional - so friendly and competent, nothing too much trouble. And the food is perfect - robust flavours, lots of inventive vegan stuff, alongside the more traditional meat and fish dishes. It's been an insanely cool place for 20 years and still going strong, but thank god isn't too cool to be friendly and welcoming. Bistrotheque is just the best!!

Interesting place with good food. Chicken will taste boring in the future ;)

An absolutely delightful experience from start to finish. Vassilis, the ever-charming host, went above and beyond with his suggestions, each one spot on. The food was exquisite. We're planning our next visit.

This place is a little gem. Cool and cozy atmosphere, nice people and pretty delicious food (the grilled jicama was outstanding!)

Best place In London to dine in

Perfect score. Lovely, attentive staff, great food and wonderful cocktails as well as wine. The bread comes with a delicious spread, so don’t miss out on that. I had the Steak Tartare with a side of chips. Fab. For dessert I had the a cheeky Affogato which was half cocktail, half dessert. My kind of party. Lovely place for a birthday or special event.

Great place for brunch! Dont miss it

Pancakes are delicious. Great setting. Well done 💯

We were celebrating Father’s Day there and the food was fantastic! We had a very cute table next to the pianist that my daughter loved very much . 10/10 in food and drinks, and the service was on point as well. Bistroteque never disappoints!

The food here is very good, I recommend this restaurant also for brunch. Everything was excellent, the French toast was truly delicious 😋 The atmosphere and the live piano music were also very nice.

Another fabulous meal at Bistroteque. Beautiful food, excellent service. However the wonderful Piano we have at Sunday Brunch was sorely missed from the Dinner service.

Gran ambiente y un menú realmente interesante: compartir los principales que son grandes sabores y generosos. Carta de vinos corta y útil Excelente personal, en particular Carlos y Vassilli

Love this place so much. Wonderful atmosphere, staff and food!

Amazing as usual in every sense! Food is always incredible and Linda took great care of us. Thank you and see you again soon!

We had entirely vegan/vegetarian dishes and they were all amazing. Staff were pleasant and helpful, and the manager Julio made our evening. Thanks!

This has been the loveliest and best restaurant I’ve visited in 2024 so far. Nestled on a small street in Bethnal Green, you'll find this beautifully converted warehouse with excellent lighting and an open kitchen. The interior is simple yet chic. The menu is incredible, featuring dishes I've never encountered before that were absolutely delicious and surprising in taste. We enjoyed the asparagus on muhammara and the cheese biscuits with mint and pea smash. For the main course, we had the amazing chicken, and the fries were to die for 🤩. The drinks were fantastic, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Our waiter, Carlos, was exceptionally friendly and really made our evening special.

This was a lovely place to celebrate my birthday. Food was good and atmosphere relaxed and easy. I'd definitely return.

We visited on 06 June after a few years since our last visit (no other reason than being spoiled for choices in London) Everything was even better. The super attentive front house and the most delicious food we've had in a while. From the moment you step in, you quickly realize that you are in good hands due to the perfect operation and icustomer nteraction from the team. A big thank you to Vasilis and Carlos. Can't wait to be back. Great design, menus, service, cocktails, food... Amazing!

Great food and excellent friendly and attentive service

I went for brunch with friends and the food & experience was great! We all really enjoyed our dishes. I got the Farinata and added an egg, which was really tasty but not very filling at all :/ lovely setting, vibe, and staff though.

Excellent food & experience and great advice by Carlos! Thank you!

Was ok. Expected a lot more to be honest. Venue is very cool & a good vibe but the food was a bit of a let down. Brunch menu is quite basic & for the price (£25 English breakfast) you’d expect more. We paid £85 for two with 2 bloody Mary’s. Overall slightly disappointed as I had high expectations.

Wonderful meal for two at Bistrotheque this evening. Food was excellent. Restaurant decor and atmosphere is very cool, but not pretentious. Staff are the nicest and make the experience very special. It was my first time at Bistrotheque for dinner, been before for breakfast which is brilliant too. My new favourite restaurant in the area. Thank you so much to Carlos, our cool as hell server. We will be back!

Excellent servie, food and old school, modern charm.

Lovely atmosphere, great food! Will be back :)

The Breakfast is perfect . Definitely one of the best in London (could be my favourite) . Well done to the chefs . Everything about this place is done well. The manager Vasillis is a pleasure and I would highly recommend.

This brunch spot offers a fun and delicious menu with live music in a great atmosphere. Be prepared for a slightly higher price point, but it's definitely worth it! Amazing cocktails, too!

Love it here, so classy. Amazing food and drinks

Wedding reception here yesterday. Must mention Charlotte who was a star with canapes! Beautiful table setting and delicious food.

The new veggie menu is amazing. Service here (Carlos) is just perfect.

Best brunch in London, coolest restaurant vibes, classy but still edgy. Coffee is actually amazing too! If one opened closer to my house I’d be here every weekend! 11/10

On my first visit to London from Scotland I visited the Bistroteque for brunch. My niece and I received a warm welcome from Julio who gave us a lovely table next to the piano where we enjoyed listening to the music played by your talented pianist. All the staff were very friendly, efficient and helpful. I had the french toast with cinnamon which I thoroughly enjoyed. The menu provided us with some excellent choices. The restaurant was lovely, it is very bright and has a nice atmosphere. I will visit again the next time that I am in London.

Julio is the best London Ambassador ever! Long Life Bistro! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Place and overall environment are so cool!! Staff is incredibly friendly and make you fell comfortable from the very beginning! They are simply amazing! Only note they should highlight/communicate on the menu if a plate is spicy / very spicy etc....but otherwise quality of food is excellent! We then went downstairs to enjoy a show...so much fun! I strongly recommended this place!

We went for brunch on a saturday and the staff was very nice the decor is great the live piano performance is adding this je ne sais quoi to the overall ambiance! We chose the fresh mint tea and the vegan chickpea pancake with a delicious dressing that has a kick to it we had to order bread as the meal was perhaps too light I think a second pancake on that plate would be great. My friend chose the English breakfast which was very generous in terms of portions! Recommend to go and try this restaurant ASAP!

I used to love this place... back in the day (circa 2017) when it was vibrant and great value. But the prices now are just silly!! Yes, the food is good, the service welcoming, but its really now just pandering to the over-bearing waspy wallets who have moved into Hackney and gentrified the area, killing the original charm! So sad!

Friends and I try and do brunch once a month and we hadn’t been here for ages. Amazing service and perfectly cooked French toast. So so good.

Bistrotheque has excellent food and ambiance, and their customer service management is the best. I had an issue with the booking platform, which overcharged me unfairly, and the restaurant had a prompt and effective response. So yes, I’ll always recommend this place for the way they treat their customers, on top of amazing food.

I recently visited Bistroteque to celebrate my partner's birthday, a place we've frequented often. I've always perceived it as a private spot with a serious approach to customer service, hence my hesitation to write a review until now. However, I feel compelled to share my experience. I was quite disappointed to find that the burger, our main reason for visiting, has been removed from the menu. The alternatives, like the chicken with mayo gravy, didn't quite hit the mark for me. This is still a charming place, but the changes, particularly the shift from their signature chunky, crispy fries to what seemed like regular frozen ones, and the absence of the delicious aioli sauce, were letdowns. The staff mentioned that many customers have requested the return of the burger, and I echo that sentiment. An additional point of letdown in my experience at Bistroteque is related to the value for money. The burger, which was not only delicious but also reasonably priced, offered a much better deal compared to other menu items like half a chicken for £25. The burger's removal significantly impacts the overall dining satisfaction, as the remaining options seem overpriced for what they deliver. This factor, combined with the change in side dishes, further diminishes the appeal of the restaurant's current offerings. While Bistroteque remains a lovely place, I am inclined to revisit only if they bring back the beloved burger!

Good food, great friendly service by Carlos, perfect atmosphere at Thursday night

Never disappoints! One of my fav places in London

Just got back from an excellent dinner; had the beef short rib which literally fell off the bone, pop corn Parmesan chicken and all THREE of the desserts. Everything was delicious. Service was great (we had Carlos!) and I loved the decor. Will be back soon.

A special location, it took some searching, because we kept walking past it, the food was good. We were in a hurry and that was taken into account. Nice service

Me and my partner had a brunch here today and both food and service were amazing! Light piano music, huge portions (don’t over order!) and incredible service from Carlos!!! A real hidden gem!!!

It's unfair of me to comment on the main restaurant because we were downstairs watching an incredible performance from David Hoyle, but the food and wine were delicious (I had a caramel chicken that was incredibly moist) and the staff were super helpful and attentive, even though they had all upstairs to deal with as well. Loved it, definitely would come back.

Everything at this restaurant fits, the ambience, the menu, the place, the style. The food we had, was delicious and the service was really outstanding, very helpful recommending and with details. Thank you very much for the experience 😃

I went with my boyfriend on Christmas day for lunch. Our lunch was delicious and the atmosphere was great.

We’ve been coming to Bistrotheque for years and a festive/birthday brunch has become a tradition. Excellent food, and impeccable service in a great atmosphere. More veggie and vegan options are appearing which gets a big thumbs up from me. A huge thanks and shout out to Julio for making it so special! xx

Really great service and wonderful food

Great atmosphere, food and service

Fried chicken parm - 5/5 Oysters - 5/5 Roast chicken - 5/5 Leek pie - 5/5 Side salad - 5/5 Cocktail - 5/5 Wine - 5/5 Overall - 5/5 Value for money - 5/5 Note the portions are massive and somewhat awkward to share. Ambiance is lovely.

We had our work Christmas party here and WOW, seamless from start to finish. A massive thanks to Camille and Julio for making our evening one to remember!!!!

I had been a few times years ago. Four of us went again last night. The venue is in an old warehouse. The ambience usually is pretty cool but is somehow ruined by tacky plastic Xmas trees, flashing blue lights and shiny plastic curtains at the moment. The food is lovely. Unfortunately, a lot was missing from the menu. We were warned about one dish missing when we sat at the table, but it turned out that two dishes we chose were also not available. Eventually, a fourth dish that two of us had ordered was also off the menu. The waiter apologised and kindly offered to replace it with something else on the house. We had booked at 9:15 pm, and they take reservations until 10pm. Perhaps we were just unlucky on that day, but maybe book an early table to be on the safe side. And I would definitely avoid the Christmas period (and probably Halloween) the next time I want to show off trendy bits of London to my visitors.

Mole was perfect, the artichokes was unique & the ambience was ideal for all occasions.

Wonderful! From the service to the building to the food, just fantastic. £9 for a can of beer is kind of wild… draught beer would be good, that’s my only criticism😊