Bull in a China Shop - Bar & Restaurant in Hackney - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Wow absolutely f×××ING amazing. Some of the best light and tasty Calamari I've ever eaten. And the fish with Japanese noodles is genius. Soooooo Good. And a really good price. Please go , the world needs independent places like this. Feeling full and happy. BRAVO

Bao buns: pork belly for me - got to have that dose of selenium 😜, mock duck 🦆 and char siu 🍖. Lo mein - quite spicy without warning 🌶️. Espresso martini with cognac and less sugar - perfect! 👌☕️🍸 Pear & cardamom highball 🍹- this was strong. 🫨 China shop vibes ✅, courteous service ✅, good food ✅

Do not recommend. We went using a voucher for 50% off and honestly paying 50% off was to much. Meats were fine but nothing special for how much they charge but no sides are included and we had to wait ages for the sides to come out after the meats which meant nothing was hot eating together. The veg trio which is £9 at full price consisted of 3 pieces of broccoli head (like at least use tenderstem at that price!), 5 green beans and about 20 beansprouts probably cost the kitchen less than 10p. The side of noodles were worse than packet noodles you can make at home in 3 mins, the kitchen mustn’t have stirred them either as they were all stuck together in lumps. The drinks were fine I guess but the overall experience was pretty awful and the prices they charge are so unreasonable for what you get.

Amazing fresh food packed with flavour. Especially loved the Fishcakes and the absolute crunch of the pork crackling. Excellent service as well. Ordered the following: Vietnamese Noodle Salad Mackerel and Wasabi Fishcakes Hainan Chicken Rice Bowl Crispy Siu Yuk Pork Belly

Great staff, the whisky tasting was pleasant. I went with my boyfriend as he is the whisky lover, and we both really enjoyed it. Food is tasty and well spiced. Worth the money and will come back for sure.😁

We had a groupon voucher for whisky tasting, and we absolutely loved the experience. The staff was super friendly, funny and professional. It was so fun, will definitely be back!

A nice bar close to Shoreditch High Street station. Really nice decorations and big selection of whisky. The cocktails were all whisky based and all very unique with reasonable price.

The place is quite small and felt crammed. Hygiene levels were not the best. Ordered a few plates and the whisky flight. We didn't learn much about each whisky or what to expect in terms of flavour. Had to ask two or three times to get the names of the whiskies so to Google them later to find out more. The quantity of whisky in each glass was inconsistent. It felt less than 25 ml. I was hoping to have a better experience given the overall rating and variety of whiskies available at this place.

Nice spot for good cocktails. The outside area needs a little love as the Summer months kick in. Reel on instagram sammijoknows

Really lovely cocktails. The old fashioned is a standout. They also have a back patio area that is really well decorated and a great time!

Very cool place ! The atmosphere is amazing Good food and cocktails Just a bit expensive

Interesting Japanese Whisky bar and restaurant.

The Asian dishes were very good but the service was really slow. About 30 minutes per order.

The food was delicious! The pork belly is out of this world. Great atmosphere and good service.

Brilliant whiskey tasting experience. I definitely would recommend, and great food to go with it.

Very nice service, great selection of whiskeys and nice food

Great food and service !! Kimchi pancake is a winner if you are a vegan and the Kyoto Collins cocktail which was also vegan … thanks to our server , will be back !

Whisky tasting was nice and the guy hosting it was very knowledgeable and entertaining. However we waited one hour after the tasting for some appetizers. Staff was very rude when asked how much longer on the food. Wasn’t anything special either.

Waited 30 minutes for a drink to arrive. Got told that we can’t order food because it’s too busy. Only one person behind the bar making drinks. It’s all a bit of shambles to be honest. Such a shame as there is so much potential for this place to be amazing.

I tried to blame this place for taking my phone after they treated me amazing and provided me amazing food. Thank you to the owner and the staff for being kind and understanding to an American idiot.

Had a fun whiskey tasting here despite the person teaching us being off sick so the waitress gave us some info instead. I think her name was Valeria and she was very nice and friendly and brought the bottles out for me to take photos. Had 4 whiskies and 3 food plates each. Seating was a bit tight as we were sat on high stools facing the wall and with a very small table/ledge. Other than that, was a great experience! (I ate the veg gyoza, chilli squid and tempeh rice bowl and would recommend all 3.)

We had our Christmas dinner there and it was fantastic! Great atmosphere, delicious and abundant food, good whiskey and wine, and all the staff was very welcoming. Highly recommended!

Very kind staff and great cocktails! Food was not authentic but if you want to tray varieties of Asian food at the same time, can be a good option! Their dessert is super moist and top!

Get the nikka whisky, best in the house! We had the 3 sides for £15 - corn stick, sweet potato fries and duck gyoza all were nice

Bull in a china shop is a great restaurant which specialises in all over the world whiskeys and the rotisserie chicken is to die for! 10/10

Great service, friendly cosy atmosphere, and best old fashioned in town.

This is an interesting whisky bar/restaurant that offers some light bites and Chinese foods. T Went there with friends on Tuesday. Used a Groupon voucher that covered a Japanese/Scottish whisky flight and a few light bites.

Stunning selection of high end whiskies food is good too!!

Amazing staff and delicious food especially the bao buns highly recommend will return soon

Great whiskey, smells a bit funny in there though 🤣

Best Chinese meat I've ever eaten by MILES. Fantastic.

I came on a Sunday to this restaurant. It was a quiet evening and we got seated and served quickly. The food was very nice but the real (and unexpected!) star of the show were the amazing cakes! We had a delicious coconut and strawberry cake which we loved - so much so that we went for another slice - this time we got the chocolate and coconut which was even better! We were told by the staff that they were made by the security guard who works at the restaurant which is sooo cool. Can’t wait to return and eat some more cake!

Lovely unique bar and restaurant with vegan options available. Staff were very attentive and professional The whole place has a great atmosphere Staff did their best to find me a accommodating table despite them being extremely busy Cocktails were very nice and not watered down with ice, as a lot of other places do Because of this and staffs professionalism I would definitely recommend and 100% will be returning

unreal food, best crispy pork belly i’ve ever had. It’s just a shame they don’t serve mains with rice etc so you’re forced to spend an extra fiver on it.

The food was delicious but the staff were REALLY KEEN to upsell us on food and try to sell us more drinks, to the point that my friend had to say three or four times that she didn't want a cocktail. The food also took a long time to get to us, and the place wasn't that busy. I enjoyed the meal but I won't be back purely because of how awkward it was.

We had an amaaaaazing dinner. Delicious food, nice atmosphere and the waitress was incredible. I'll definetly come back again! See you soon :)

My favourite Shoreditch spot for cocktails and delicious Japanese small plates. An unassuming bar from the outside but inside the vibe is always brilliant, the team are awesome and the cocktails (and extensive whisky menu) are to die for. I love the various small plates, which can satisfy a quick craving or be put together for a full meal.

Small little restaurant/bar. Quite a small menu for food. But by far some of the best food Iv ever had in London. Absolutely amazing. Had the buns. The 3 meats and a few other things every dish a banger. Truely well done guys one of the best meals Iv had for a long time !

You'll leave smelling like a deep fat fryer.

Probably the best place I’ve ever been to have a drink, the atmosphere is perfect and one of the bartenders looked stunning, I think his name started with a J - can’t remember. And the chicken is tasty!

I got recommended to go here from a few mates, so I brought the mrs along for a Friday night date. I must say it exceeded all expectations, with a range of excellent cocktail options and a delicacy of beautiful Asian style cuisine. The staff were very welcoming and very efficient, as there was practically no wait times even though it was busy. The bar is beautifully designed and has a very cosy atmosphere (perfect for a cheeky date night). Credit to the hilarious bouncer and jack the cocktail connoisseur. 10/10 I highly recommend

Such an exquisite little spot! After every sip of a drink I get here, I feel absolutely rejuvenated! When I come into this bar, I’m a cracked plate but once I leave, I am whole again 👸

Beautiful garden space and really cosy inside, the staff are always lovely too :) perfect place for some delicious classic Japanese dishes! Large variety in the drinks menu and they are all 10/10 shoutout to bartender Jack🐂xo

Amazing staff service with beautiful cocktails and vibrant atmosphere in a original Japanese whisky bar . Perfect for any night of the week .

Great bao buns and vegan selection and the staff were lovely

The whiskey is amazing and the service was exceptional. Highly recommend stopping by

Christmas present voucher: Whisky testing + BBQ platter, with no testing and no platter, left with nothing! My partner and I are still shocked thinking about the poor experience we had at this place. My boyfriend purchased a Whisky testing voucher for me as Christmas present. This was valid only for Tuesdays Eve in January 2023. It included a selection of whisky with an explanation plus a plate of bbq meat. I was very excited when arrived at the location and when I introduced myself the person working there immediately asked if I received the phone call as the testing was now cancelled because the host was stuck on the train. We checked our phones, but no calls were made. Another couple came after us, and they didn't receive any calls either. At that point we have been given 2 options: - staying without the host, drink the whisky and have the food, - or come back another time. No apologies or a better option that actually would have made the situation slight more acceptable. I have explained that both options were no good for us, and they let us on the door, trying to make a decision for 20/30 mins. At the end, considering was impossible to come back in Shoreditch any time soon, we decided to stay. We sat down, a food menu was given to us, but I immediately pointed out that the voucher included the meat platter. Once we were seated we found out that other 2/3 couples were there for the same reason, none received a phone call, and THEY informed us that actually there wasn't a BBQ platter, but a selection of snacks instead. To sum up, we paid for a Wishes testing + bbq platter. But there was no testing and no bbq platter.... our evening was thoroughly ruined, my Christmas present one of the worst I never received, and the worst thing is the none at the restaurant was capable to give us an answer for such a terrible service. We would accept the fact that the host wasn't there, but when even the food offer was different we felt that was a joke and definitely no what we paid for, so we decided to leave. I understand trains are no always reliable, and unfortunately that night was the case. If the train was stuck we were happy to start the testing a bit late, but the testing was actually cancelled and none got in touch with us or with any of the other couple, with enough notice. Offering different meal from the one specified isn't excusable, the chef explained it was since Covid that the voucher menu changed but none bothered to actually specify that on the Voucher. We ended up spending more given we had to find a last minute restaurant were to have dinner on that awful night. I was genuinely looking forward to that night and they managed to turn it in to a nightmare.

Although I can appreciate that we were a big group, the food took extremely long and some members of my party did not receive any food. Every 45 minutes the waiter would tell us that the kitchen is lacking something and eventually told us that the kitchen is closed when my friend wanted to order an item that should have been included in the order in the first place. I did not appreciate the waiter pressuring my partner to purchase an alcoholic drink when he specifically asked for a soft drink. Other than that, the food was okay and the staff friendly and attentive as they tried to accommodate a rather weird request of mine.

We left. No food at 9:00 pm (because it was too busy) & terrible service.

What an excellent afternoon we spent in Bull in a China Shop! Four of us went to sample the range of whisky's on offer and were treated with an extremely tasty and very pleasant "flight" of four world whisky's supported with interesting information about each one by a knowledgeable proprietor. We were so impressed by our first "flight" that we decided to sample another but this time, from four different countries. Again, the owner duly obliged and treated us to four more whisky's which were also excellent. To accompany our tasting, we were also provided with some excellent tasting dishes designed specifically to support the whisky we were sampling. This was an excellent afternoon spent in a warm, comfortable and very pleasant environment. We shall definitely be going back again and fully recommend Bull in a China Shop to anyone interested in Whisky.

Food was good for what it was, we just shared a few starters and has some drinks and that was enough to keep us happy

Lovely atmosphere and good choices of music. Great food and friendly staff. Will return soon.

We had our work Christmas meal here. Food was delicious and so much of it! We had the Christmas menu which included the excellent bao buns. Staff were very friendly especially the lady serving us. The choice of Whiskeys was endless and on recommendation I tried the Charcoal Old Fashioned with Japanese Whiskey. Great ambiance too. Would definitely recommend it and I will definitely be back!

The best thing here apart from the food and drinks are the staff always friendly and happy to help

What a lovely hidden gem of a venue.... Such amazingly friendly staff.... Funktion One sound system 😮😮😮.. We had a fantastic night for a private party... Thanks to ALL staff for a wonderful evening.... 🙏🙏🙏🎊🎊🎊🎈🎈🎈♣️♣️♣️🎧🎧🎧

Food was pretty good and the chefs are awesome. Unfortunately this place should be renamed Sloth in a China Shop as service was slow (and we were one of two tables in an otherwise empty restaurant); service also quite atrocious in terms of attentiveness.

Wowww Such a lovely place to have food and drinks ! The food is 10/10 and the staff are great:) All round great venue and super cosy, would recommend to everyone

It is ok, too small i would say

Wonderful food and friendly service! We found this place late at night when we were losing hope that we’d find anywhere to sit down for a meal at all. The chef had just closed the kitchen but offered us a range of dishes he could still prepare. We tried one of everything he was willing to cook for us! All delicious! There were even a few show-stopping vegan options. We tried almost every kind of bao, karaage chicken and fish balls + a few more side dishes. Everything was flavourful and prepared to perfection. The cocktails were lovely too. Get the matcha sour and the charcoal / chamomile old fashioned.

Lovely service, food, and drinks. And, the the kitchen is open a bit later than the other places on the high street. I would recommend all the vegetarian dishes, especially the mock duck bao. The cocktails are well-made.

A perfect curation of classic and updated pan-Asian dishes and small plates. BIG Bao buns, Cantonese-style roast meats and vegetarian options with a large cocktail and whiskey selection and very friendly staff. Reasonable prices. Simple and tasty food. Intimate locale. Within five minutes of leaving we were making plans to return.

Easy 5. That food was made with pure love. Every little thing <3 I'll be craving this very often.

Great cocktails and attentive service! There is a particular focus on Japanese whiskeys here, but plenty of other options too if whiskey’s not your thing. We visited at around 5:30pm and were informed we had to order food alongside our drinks owing to the type of alcohol licence the venue holds - not a problem, but something to bear in mind. Food was better than expected - we enjoyed corn ribs, sweet potato fries & mackerel fritters. Didn’t try the bao but would definitely return! The “outside” area is actually a lovely marquee/tent-style area full of comfy sofas, blankets, and plants, so don’t be put off if here is only outdoor seating available!

Great service, nice food, fun whiskey menu.

Amazing food and drinks wow love it

Really good authentic food, but more of a bar than a restaurant. Still great

Great staff, phenomenal drinks and affordable food

Delicious food and cocktails. Friendly service

Great food and amazing service! We came in near midnight, the kitchen already closed down, but the chef-owner was willing to cook up whatever he had left to serve us; those leftovers were very very very good. The good food coupled by a vibrant server really made our night! 10/10 would recommend the chicken & Hainanese rice!

Great bar, came here for cocktails on a Saturday afternoon. Kai, my bartender was great at offering up advice about cocktail selection and also gave great advice on areas to checkout around the city. I came at an earlier time but bet the service is great no matter what! I highly recommend to anyone visiting London or just walking by!

cocktails were okay not amazing but good. The food was lovely. Staff were nice. But they really need to sort out their booking system. On their website says or email or call a number to book. Called the number as prefer to speak in person. Was told yes we have plenty of space but this wasn't the work phone and that I needed to email. I immediately sent and email to book. This was 3 days before my booking and I never got a respond. Tried called restaurant number multiple times (which is not the number it says to call to book) and never got a response. We went to the restaurant to see and they managed to squeeze use in. But would have been better to know if we had the table. Why put a number on the website if it can't be used?

Had a 60th birthday party their for my friend at the weekend and it was really great. The staff are really friendly and absolutely know their stuff. One of the barman I spoke to couldn't do enough for us and mad e us a twist on the expresso Martini by swapping the vodka for Congac. Excellent range of drinks and food.

Food was great, service was lacking. Waitress lacked a smile towards the end of the meal, didn't seem well informed about aspects of the food and for the service charge not worth it. If you charge service at an already expensive restaurant, you expect the service to reflect this.

Amazing food and banging service, would highly recommend. Andrea and Valeria were very helpful and welcoming. 💚💚💚

Kai and Andrea are skilled mixologists and truly know whisky. Highly recommend their charcoal, chamomile old fashioned.

Truly amazing time tasting whiskeys and cocktails with Kai and Andrea. 💯 recommended.

Food always great, as are the staff and the whole vibe of the place.

If you’re happy to wait for 2 hours for one drink and the waitress asking you 6 times what your order was then this is your place. It wasn’t even busy.

Nice whisky flight. Shame about the doorman, said that they were full, bookings only and no walk ins. I went online and there was loads of availability so I booked a table and they sat us down immediately on one of the plenty free tables! A bit silly really...

I was in for like 3 mins. We just barged in and stalf was kind to get us 9 a shot. It was hell of an evening!.

Great staff. Lovely ambience. Went for cocktails so haven't tried food yet but will definitely be going back for dinner

The amazing staff in Bull in a China Shop squeezed us in last minute even though we didn’t have a reservation. We had the lite bites and chicken bao buns which were absolutely delicious. Thank you to Ava for the wonderful service. Would highly recommend and will definitely be back again the next time I’m in London!

An amazing and unusual restaurant, great food and even better cocktails 🍸

Came across this by accident, looked pretty laid back so walked in for a bite to eat. It’s a cocktail and whiskey bar (they have absolutely loads of ‘em). The food was great, service was also really good, two very kind ladies and the vibes and music were chill. A hidden gem this one!

Local in the area and a former fan of this place. Deteriorating quality over the years was enough to make me not want to come back. Will not share specifics, as this establishment should think of a quality review if they care about their reputation. Many other great places in the area with similar niche, so would not waste time/money here.

Such a sweet intimate little restaurant. Attentive staff, incredible cocktails and great food. Will defo be back with whiskey lovers

The food was delicious, the cocktails were great and the staff were so, so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Other reviews have mentioned the booking issue, which we too encountered but was easily corrected by double checking the booking with the venue directly via email before arriving, and staff explained that the booking system had been encountering issues previously and were immediately helpful and courteous in correcting this. The venue is decorated well and the vibe is definitely cosy and comfortable, rather than excessively formal which was appreciated by myself and my party. I would definitely recommend for nights out with friends or cosy, casual dates. Really lovely, already discussing our second visit!