Exceline Restaurant and Catering in Waltham Forest

(I have just corrected a typo, so my review is not brand new.) Noticed this place a while ago, next door to our famous Leytonestone gas station with Alfred Hitchcock's blue plaque. Saw it going from a mix-and-match basic setup to what is now a very nice looking restaurant, especially considering the local standard. Today we dropped by with my partner, realizing they had a lunch buffet, and it was very much worth it. The people were friendly and the food excellent. Never had Ugandan food before, but it ticked all the boxes for me. Yummy. The place has a quiet and relaxing atmosphere, with the right kind of background music. We will certainly return.

Please check the legalities surrounding service charge.’It’s my restaurant and it’s my rules’ does not quite cut it .Provide the service that warrants a service charge.If not don’t expect it especially if you don’t know how to communicate it.Even though I can say a lot about the service that I received which led me to decide not to pay the service charge I doubt it will be worth my time as you where not prepared to listen to it when I was in front of you.

I went there with other 10 people on a graduation for my nephew.The food was amazing and good service.I will keep going back again and again.

Excellent, hot, delicious food! Got goat muchomo (nyama choma), plantain, beans and some chapati.

Beautiful service, good fresh home food. I will always be back. Mura kozee chanee. Thank you to Fatuma and the young man.

I decided to take a walk here to see the Sir Alfred Hitchcock tribute mural. I’d just watched The Birds the night before and felt inspired to check this out. The neighbouring petrol station is the site on which the famed film director was born in 1899. The mural itself is very cool and there are also bird silhouettes on the pavement outside. The restaurant itself looks great. I have had a look at the menu and the reviews, and have decided that I’ll be back to eat here. Updates to follow.

Amazing food! service is lovely

I’ve loved this place for the longest but for the first time I’m actually disappointed. The takeaway container was filled half way for the food and then I ordered 6 chapatis but only received 3! Wow

Delicious beef stew. Huge portion. Great rich taste.

Ugandan food at its best 👌 Thanks for the great service

So incredibly happy to find this place. My Dad was Ugandan, and these are some of my favorite foods. We had the buffet and some Tusker beers. First of all, the chapati is absolutely perfect. We also enjoyed the matooke, posho, rice, chicken and various stews. Everything was absolutely delicious, and we were so full by the time we left. The service was great and everything was reasonably priced. I can’t wait to come back and try more dishes on the regular menu and to bring visiting family members here. The main menu has whole fried tilapia, samosas and more grilled meats.

Amazing driver plus delivery was good. Patiently waited for me even though it was my fault delaying. Wonderful driver.

SUMMARY: The food was amazing but the service was questionable. Make sure to come here on a day the restaurant are not hosting an event or is too busy, otherwise you end up bumping into people when getting food at the buffet due to lack of space. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars! The first time I came to this restaurant, they had overbooked the amount of people- AKA the restaurant will lie to get as many customers as possible. They seemed to have an event going on in one of the rooms and this caused an extreme delay in service. It took 2 hours for our party of 6 to finally get a seat despite having booked the restaurant a week in advance. We initially wanted to order off the menu but unfortunately, the restaurant was so busy so we couldn't. They only allowed us to use the buffet. The host of the restaurant apologised for the delay in waiting time and said that hopefully, the food would make up for the long wait- which it did not. Yes, the food was amazing, but the service was horrible and the inefficiencies bought the rating of this restaurant down. We did not receive any compensation for the extremely long wait. I guess that's what you get with family run restaurants 🤷‍♀️ We came here a second time recently with only a party of 4 this time and there was no event in the next room which meant that we were seated right as we came in. The food again was the same standard- great! However the service was still incompetent and clueless. We had the buffet which was lovely but it took a long time to be topped up by the uninterested looking chefs. Lastly, we ordered vegetable samosas off the menu, which were fresh and delicious.

Food is very nice! It’s a nice place to chill out with friends and family. Have been here for a few times now and thier staff are always welcoming. Food is always cooked fresh. They do East African buffet.

Lovely delicious authentic food. Great value for money

Tasty Jolef rice and stew peas. Definitely will order again 👍

The food was nice and the service was good. Drinks are served a little later which makes it a little frustrating.

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for yesterday. The birthday celebration was more than expected. All the guests enjoyed the food, music and ambiance of the restaurant was amazing. The service was top-notch 👌all the staff were so professional and helpful, Please, Thank them for us. We will definitely be visiting exceline often. Seen you soon !! 😊

Really good food, service and atmosphere. It is a must go. Great Vale for money.

Hmmmm, such a tasty authentic East African food. Best Hot buffet in east london. Definitely a go to play for healthy meal. Great value for money, beautiful people working at the restaurant. Truly relaxing atmosphere. Hot Chai tea soooo delightful, it takes intelligence to serve it in a flask to ensure the drink stays hot for a long time. You can also come just for tea and samosas So perfect spot for a hot chai and snack too. Kids friendly

Proper Ugandan/Kenyan, East African food. So happy with my food!!!

The sweet potato was overcooked, it’s very soggy. Beans are not fresh.

The customer service was not good, the main woman there was rude and didn’t make me and my friends welcome. The food was good but there wasn’t any salad which would have been nice. I would have given more stars for food, but for me food can be good but when the customer service is bad it leaves a bad taste in your mouth!

Best goat curry and chapos. Well worth it.

Authentic Ugandan food! I will always support a reliable black business, the food is consistent and reliable and prices are affordable. The buffet works out to around £20 a person, I cannot complain. Book ahead if possible or plan your walk-in dinner at off peak. The atmosphere is welcoming-a piece of home away from home!

Food was absolutely lovely as always but the katogo was packed poorly and half spilled in the bag. Maybe try using cling film in future as something like this has happened before.

All dishes were very delicious, we were able to collect our order after 30mins. Thank you and we will definitely be back!

I love this place, every time I go there, I feel like I’m home🥺

It's the best Ugandan food Restaurant in London

I absolutely love this restaurant. They serve the best dishes, the servers are all lovely and welcoming.

Went here recently for a family gathering and the food was absolutely amazing! It was a Sunday and we had the buffet of matooke, pilau rice, jollof rice, beef stew, chicken, spinach and peanut butter, offal sauce and many more! The staff were so polite and attentive and the overall experience was just lovely! I don't leave many reviews but really felt I should leave this one. Keep up the good work Exceline!

The best Sadza(in Shona) Nshima (in Zambia) you will get in the Uk. Goes really well with the beef stew. I should have added some veg for my stew to make it perfect.

Following a recent trip to Kenya, I really wanted to show my husband some of the delicious food I had eaten. Exceline did not disappoint! Every dish from the buffet was outstanding, the drinks are great value for money and the atmosphere at the restaurant is very warm - it's clearly a well loved place full of regulars. Can't wait to come back!

Such a nice restaurant. The food is amazingly delicious.

Muchomo was dry and hard,as if a day or two old

Went to Exceline for my first ever taste of East African cuisine. The food was delicious,the atmosphere very welcoming and staff friendly and understanding of my inexperience, explained everything very well to me. Will definitely come back :)

Always love to go there and see those amazing people

This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and the food is excellent. I went to Uganda 11 years ago and this fully lived up to expectations. Would come back in a heartbeat. The buffet is great as you can try lots of different dishes

I definitely recommend! The food was absolutely delicious! Everything had good flavour. It’s a bonus that it’s a buffet as you can go back to get more and more! Lovely atmosphere and lovely staff. I will definitely be returning!

Excellent Food And Delivery As Always

Authentic Ugandan food in London. It made me feel at home

I ordered sweet potato and they gave me regular potatoes. I don't get why I wasn't contacted to be told they don't have it in stock.... Disappointed.. everything else tasted good.

The spinach dish is simply divine 😍

Great food, East African food at its best. The chapati is to die for, and the buffet has good choice.

Low key probably the best east african restaurant in the city Food is just next level , highly recommend the catering aswell top notch

Our table was served by friendly and attentive staff and the food was excellent!

Really enjoyed that will be ordering again thank you

Food was delicious. No alcohol currently available.

Good service and friendly staff , easy to interact with.

Unbelievably delicious and soulful food and it's obviously cooked with love. Could not have been happier (or fuller).

There is something wrong with the food.We ate small portion but were full up I think they put something in the food. We both had diarrhoea after eating

Lovely meal...I forgot how good the spinach tastes

I'm a regular customer so you know I looove the food but my meal today definitely didn't taste like it usually does..the goat tasted like it was just microwaved and sent out.. it was lacking flavour & there were loads of boney pieces, which was annoying to eat around. The plantain was nice and portion was good. Overall not their best.

One of the best African Restaurant in London. Great food and very tasty 😋

Very tasty satisfying meal and friendly helpful service.

I love this restaurant I have been attending for years! The food is fantastic authentically Ugandan including all the main Ugandan dishes From Matoke to chapati, Pilau, beans, beef stew list goes on. The customer service is excellent and the venue us clean and modern.

The food was abit salty and was very disappointed was suppose to be buffet we were given half chapati and when we ask for more we were told there is no more so disappointed wount be coming back again

Authentic hearty Ugandan food. The best Ugandan restaurant outside UG.

Both the staff and the food was lovely. Me and my partner are vegetarian and we had a delicious dinner sharing a selection of veggie mains and sides. Would definitely go again!

driven passed here a few times and decided to pop in today - they had a buffet on. really great food and lovely service! would definitely go back - worth the visit!

Best place to get a taste of East Africa

You have to pay £5 if you don’t finish your plate of food, bare in mind you are paying £18 for the full buffet. This is not productive as many customers may not have tried the food and are being charged simply because of their personal experience.

Listen! The food was amazing. I wanted to buy everything on the menu but you know…self control. Also the portions are very generous. My order will last at least two days. Thank you Exceline. I’ll be back.

My side order of spinach in peanut sauce was missing! I have been advised by the restaurant to raise a complaint

Think the portion are way to small.

Authentic, delicious and freshly prepared delicious food. They excel in dining and service. Nothing to improve on that front. The chai tea takes ages, although when raised, swift action taken. Highly recommended, I am passionate about family & food, and the music is cool. Our children love the chapatis and chicken. There is a fully stocked bar although I only take tea 💕

Tasty food, amazing vibe.. A home away from home!!❤️....🇺🇬#Ugandanpride🇺🇬

Amazing food, quick service and very welcoming! Completely underrated, can’t believe such a beautiful restaurant is on my doorstep!

First time trying food from here and this type of cuisine and overall I'm 50/50. The jallof rice and goat curry was nice, however the curry was on the small side, only had 5 pieces of small meat. The sweet potato was absolutely dry and then the side dish was too salty. Worth trying once but quality of food will stop u from returning.

Very tasty food and good customer service. Will definitely visit again.

Amazing restaurant! Delicious food and i'm the short ugandan women with two mixed-race children boy and girl my children love your food! Keep up the great work I'll definitely be coming here again.

Best East African joint in London, Enough said... Their chapos are something else.

Super chaphatis especially as always!!

Amazing food and lovely customer service very pleased with the quality and will be coming back again soon with more family and friends.

As a Ugandan I can say this food is 10/10. The service is five stars. On arrival, the host explained how the restaurant works with the menu vs buffet. Food arrived within good timing, and the team checked on everyone in restaurant regularly to see if we were okay. I will be back again, (already craving the food)!!! If you want authentic, fresh Ugandan food and good service, come here! Super proud of my Ugandans!

Great Ugandan food! They have tooke, kinyebwa, kijanjalo (mashed green bananas, peanut sauce, rose bean sauce) and, best of all, real Ugandan 'chapati' or fried flat bread. Meat, posho, doodo and gonja are also served. (pounded maize, a type of greens and roasted plantain) I think they don't offer desserts or fruit. No kabalagala (fried banana bread) or mandazi (a firm pastry). This place is well worth a try for traditional Southern Ugandan cuisine.

Exceline was an excellent experience.Highly recommended

Food was tasty but service was horrendous. Staff was walking around doing nothing, ignoring customers, we've been waiting for everything for ages. It has really ruined the atmosphere.

Easily one of the best restaurants in Leytonstone

All the vegetarian/vegan options were delicious! Particularly enjoyed the posho with the beans and loved the peanut spinach. Great food

I was so badly prepared for Christmas dinner, but I was able to get our Christmas meal for 8, from the restaurant. I was so grateful that they squeezed me in so last minute. The portion sizes were so generous and the food is really good. My only gripe is the waiting time, but it was Christmas and what felt like half the neighbourhood ordered from there. I would totally go back again, their food just reminds me, I am a Ugandan girl from a small village and it tastes like home, exactly what I needed

Worth every penny. Real good cooking and great flavours

The food was good as usual. However, some of the foods run out and topping up took time. I requested for a cup of black tea but it took forever.

Best place to be. I enjoyed the variety 😊 foods served

My friend and I went to Exceline today for lunch. The lady at the reception asked us if we had made reservations. We answered, no because we didn't know that we had to. She didn't even say hello. We didn't feel welcome at all, and she sounded angry in her voice. She told us that we have been sending away people since yesterday, those that didn't make reservations because we are very busy, but you can take that sit for just one hour. It was by the door and we asked if we could sit somewhere else because there were free sits. She said that, that is the sit no one whats. You can take it or leave it. We chose to take it because we were coming from far away. The sit was very cold especially when the door was opened. The food is okay but it's exactly the same menu and test since we last came to this restaurant over years ago. So, it's just food and I didn't find it special. I don't think I will come back here lam afraid. I am sure that there are many restaurants out there that can make us feel welcome and treat people with respect. For matooke, kawuunga, chapati, rice, beans, beef.... I will cook and eat from home. My friend and I want to support Ugandan businesses but its not worth I am afraid 😨 😔 😞

We had a buffet lunch. It was nice! Friendly staff and all the cooks appears to be of African origin. We understood that it was authentic Ugandan food. At some point of time, there was a huge Indian community living in uganda. Therefore, some mild form of Indian cooking influence can be seen in dishes produced at this restaurant too.

Great ambience and the best Ugandan cuisine London has to offer. On Sundays, there is a buffet, which is good value for money. The quality of wine too is descent, but by all means, try out the Uganfan gin, it's better than Bombay Sapphire

5* ! The whole team went above and beyond for our order. Thank you x

Exceline never disappoints- the food is delicious and the customer service is excellent

The food is ok nothing special,the customer service needs alot of improvement the lady manager can be rude and headteacher ish

Everything was perfect…except one of the orders spilled into the bag.

Excellent East African cuisine; always love love it

The food was delicious and filling and I enjoyed it very much.

Had a luncheon at the Exceline the service was nice and the staff was hands on when serving. The food was really good 👍😋 loved 😍every mouth 👄full hum hum.

I love this place. Tasty food, welcoming with great customer service and nice decore. First visit was in August. Loved it so much I visited again the following week. Trust I will be back again and again.

Love love love this cuisine! I've finally found an African restaurant that serves authentic and delicious food I grew up on! Would highly recommend to anyone who wants to try African food at its best!

Excellent customer service. Very nice food, very clean environment, very welcoming

The food is AMAZING! Soooo good.

Just wonderful food. I loved every dish. Its a lovely cosy place too. Cool atmosphere with friendly staff. Just excellent

A true authentic Uganda taste, food was delicious and the service was top class... Best Ugandan restaurant in London.