Galvin Cafe a Vin in Tower Hamlets

An excellent well crafted meal with professional service. Everyone in my party enjoyed the choice of food and drinks, along with the lively ambience of the restaurant.

We went to the Bistro which is next to the main restaurant. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. Between us we had 2 starters, 2 mains plus 1 side and 2 desserts. To drink we had water, one pint of beer, bottle of wine and 4 bourbons. The total came to £213 which included a 14.5% service charge (a little higher than the 10=12% norm). A great bistro, the only (minor) downside is that the tables are very close together giving a slightly cramped feel (in summer I would use the exterior tables).

Our goto restaurant when we venture into London. The set menus are a great way to have a wonderful eating experience without totally destroying the bank balance. We drag it out all afternoon before settling into a cinema or theatre

An overly small table compensated for by the big, warm welcome on New Year's Eve from attentive and charming staff. A good menu (for a pescatarian like me). I believe a refit of the interior decor is happening in next couple of weeks. Will definitely visit again.

Delicious food, delicate portions, good service, clean room, reasonable prices, music could be more tasteful 👌

Excellent food and service - not my first time and certainly won't be the last!

Lovely French Bistrot with a nice terrace. Delicious wine and great service. Food was ok, not the best steak I’ve had but not horrible either. However, the fries were great.

Wir hatten mit neun Personen reserviert. Tisch war bereit, als wir ankamen. Wurden freundlich empfangen. Fanden wunderschöne Dinge in der Speise und Weinkarte. Hatten einen total guten Abend. Das Essen ist auf einem tollen Niveau. Wer mehr möchte, kann nebenan ins Sterne Restaurant. Die French Fries zum Châteaubriand waren wunderbar. Die Buttermischungen hausgemacht. Alles in allem ein wundervoller Abend.

We had a lovely evening, food and wine superb! Lovely and charming staff made us feel very welcome and looked after us well. Cancellation/no show policy is a little scary but I can understand why restaurants have to resort to it.

My 'go to' when around Liverpool street or showing visitors an off the tourist trail a treat. Good seasonal proper British-with-a-twist variety menus, large portions without compromising on delicate layers of flavours, superb seafood, great wine list, fantastic service. Fun fact: Weekly delivery to the unique Pilsner Urquell copper tank includes testing the quality of the lager. Can get a little loud when busy.

Incredible mushroom Veloute/soup for starter. 3 course set menus was absolutely delicious. Maybe offer one more choice for starters mains and dessert. Great ambiance and decor. Wonderful service by Gwen. Thanks for making my partner’s birthday special with a glass of champagne.

Excellent service, very good food. Well worth a visit

Arrived for 18:30 booking. Ordered at 18:45. No Chateaubriand, nor Cote de Boeuf left. Was very sad, but Grant, our waiter, was amazing. He pulled me out of my sulk. Great guy.

This will be my third or fourth review of Galvin's. They started off full of praise but went seriously down hill for a while. I also had a bad experience with some poor customer relations. But I am pleased to say that that is all in the past. It has now reverted to its splendid best. An authentic Bistro in Spitalfields, good outside space, great for people watching whilst eating, and an atmospheric inside. They are now doing Plat du Jour and today's was moules frites. These were beautifully plump and very tasty mussels. Once again I am pease to highly recommend it. The best semi-formal and relaxed dining in and around Spitalfields.

Fantastic service and food. The Galvin brothers are so genuine and warm hearted and do so much for others and we’ve always had great experiences at their restaurants. We have been to a few of their places in the past and have always had a great time but we recently came along for a tarte tatin competition and were treated like royalty and our daughter won a complimentary lunch as a prize and recently went along for that lunch. It was wonderful and the staff are just amazing and made our daughter feel so special, the chef even came out for a chat. We will definitely be back here soon and hope to go to the Russell Square establishment too. A big thank you to Abbey and Gwen for being so accommodating and friendly and overall just lovely. We hope the Galvin brothers continue to prosper as they offer great value experiences for a variety of occasions and have recently given our family some wonderful memories. Thank you!

Service attentive. Tables for two far too small especially if you were having a sharing steak.

We were here last week for the game tasting menu, 5 courses. We had a fabulous evening, with excellent food and paired wines, with the excellent somellier keeping us entertained with his in depth knowledge and friendly demeanor. The food was particularly good, the mushroom veloute was out of this world, a favourite with everyone, as was the partridge. The terrine was beautifully presented and the roast venison was perfectly cooked and so tender. The meal was finished off with a fabulous gooseberry fool, my personal favourite. A great night had by all .

A warm welcome from Marie the manager and her staff. An a la Carte lunch including the signature steak-frites was excellent with super service. Highly recommended.

Very good choice of dishes, delicious to eat, interesting combinations, very carefully considered menu. A selection of specials sounded great as well. We had a fairly light lunch since had a busy evening ahead but our experience here was a perfect start to our day out. The staff were all very good, attentive, observant and willing to chat and help. We like to visit Le Gavroche for lunch when we are in London so we’re a little disappointed that it is to close in January. We were surprised and delighted to see that Michel Roux Jr. is going to attend a special event there shortly. Sadly we won’t be able to attend. We really were very impressed with our visit and will endeavour to persuade ourselves to return to London again in the near future to attend an event but also to eat here again. We have also eaten at Galvin La Chapelle in the past and had a home delivery of lobster ravioli during lockdown. All incredible ! The restaurant has inside seating and an outside space with glass screens to keep the wind out so a good place to people watch. The restaurant is perhaps a ten minute gentle stroll to Liverpool St. Station so very appropriate for catching a train home. We enjoyed our visit so much that we returned for an even lighter early lunch the following day. I cannot think of any negatives

Another month and another dinner and this time did not disappoint. The staff were so accommodating and friendly, the food arrived just when we needed it - no long gaps yet not forced either. The venue is calm yet with lots of tables of groups there was a lot of energy. The set menu was a great deal, perfect to have just the two options and they were so much better than expected. Delicious food. It's also really easy to find, just around the back of Bishopsgate, near Liverpool Street station.

Nice, friendly service. The rib eye steak was cooked to perfection.

Enjoyed the food. Good table by window. Service was fine but watch the 14.5% Service charge!!!

We were exploring the area for Art Galleries to show painting by two fine Ukrainian Artists. We then needed a break and something good to eat. My friend spotted this Bistro and she chose well. It was fabulous. Impeccable service from Ruben and great food from the chef. We both had a Lamb Fritters, mine with French fries and my friend's with potatoes. Seeing the delicious looking potatoes made me wish I had ordered the same! The fritters were sublime with red onions on a bed of pesto. If there has to be any criticism, neither of us drink alcohol and in common with most places there was no availability of non-alcoholic wine (I have never liked beers). However tonic water and water was fine for us. A superb place and one I would recommend

Food is incredible, people working there outstanding.

Excellent experience. Superb summer menu light and interesting and the perfect proportions. Pleasant, efficient friendly staff.

Good place to have a drink after work. Place is nice for a lunch and greet. or an after-work glass of wine with some pretty good food. Situated fairly close to everything in Shoreditch too. So you can pop in and pop out easily.

Loved the menu. Excellent value for money, great ambiance and service

Food was okay, but the experience was ruined by one of the waiters tripping and spilling a full pint of beer over me, ruining the clothes I was wearing and therefore making for an expensive lunch. I've never had anything like that happen at a restaurant before and would have expected better from this establishment. Can't therefore recommend the place.

Went for the Bastille Day special menu. Salmo Tartare was OK, Steak and Frites better, and Tarte Tatin the best course. Wine was awful, no bread served (unusual for a French bistro), but the Singer kept the French atmosphere alive.

A lovely experience for Bastille day. The food was delicious, the staff was friendly and the atmosphere will make you feel like in Paris 🇫🇷

Not French aside from the ambience. Very small portions which don't even taste that good. Very expensive.

The more casual option to the next door to Michelin star French restaurant. Has a small menu is carefully crafted dishes that features dinners with the best seasonal produce. Menus vary, apparently, by season. We had an excellent dinner with great wine for half the price of the next door option.

This is the more casual option to the connected Michelin rated French restaurant. Has a one-page menu that consists of well-prepared dishes that feature meals with the best seasonal produce. Menus change, it seems, by season. We had a memorable dinner with exquisite wine for much lower price than the connected restaurant..

Pretty underwhelming and not good advertisement for your Michelin starred place is next door. Went for the 3 course lunch special and was very disappointed. Not good value and nothing to rave about neither. So would I go and risk next door, probably not. Service was not much seen neither.

Pretty underwhelming and not good advertisement for your Michelin starred place is next door. Went for the 3 course lunch special and was very disappointed. Not good value and nothing to rave about neither. So would I go and risk next door, probably not. Service was not much seen neither.

Best Pilsner in town! We tried a few places prior to the Galvin Bistrot and we must say the Pilsner here has no comparison. Ruben is always very welcoming and attentive, he has a great knowledge of the beer and is experienced in how to serve it correctly. This place has a lively atmosphere and we are always happy to come back. Thank you!

Had a lovely lunch for two. Staff were polite and attentive but not overpowering, and the atmosphere was very relaxed. Food was excellent, couldn’t fault anything. Not cheap, but worth the money in my view. Highly recommended.

Really attentive staff made this experience absolutely perfect. Wonderful food and excellent wine list. Top of their game.

This is one the City's best kept secrets. The Bistro Garden restaurant is a superb space to drink and eat. The staff are superb and look after you attentively. The food is absolutely superb. You're basically eating Michelin Star kitchen food! (La Chapelle is part of the complex). I have visited this place for years, and will for years to come.

Ordered from the set menu: Heritage Golden Beetroot, Goats’ Cheese, Walnut - wonderful. Maple Cured Pork Rib Eye, Tomato & Samphire Salad - WAY too salty; I couldn't eat. Brie with Carrs’ water biscuit, Apple & Shallot Chutney - perfect. My friend ordered the Truffle Salami, Roasted Red Peppers, Capers, same entree, and Buttermilk Pannacotta, Oakland Farm strawberries, Pistachio. All were perfect except the pork ribeye. Came with a glass of wine for each set for 24£. Can't beat the deal.

Service was great, although the food missed the mark with the Imam Bayildi being a little under cooked and being a bit bland, but the beetroot and goats curd salad was delicious.

Awful attitude from the restaurant staff - very rude, unwelcoming. Reluctantly served us the set menu we booked for. The food was very bland - no strong flavours, quite cold throughout, couldn’t wait to leave to be honest and will not be rushing back.

Perfect food and good service. Recommended. No issues.

we went for teh Coronation lunch - a set menu at a very reasonable price The web site suggested adding wine at a reduced price which I did When we arrived at teh restaurant we were informed that teh booking was incorrect - the wine iupgrade did not apply, despite teh email confirmation stating otherwise The waitress then used her initiative and agreed to go ahead with teh booking with teh wine She was excellent throughout the meal, chatty and slick Her suggestions for teh wine were excellent - we ended up having extra glasses The food, 3 courses, were beautifully cookes and presented, asparagus, beef cheek and a pudding This was a really good food experience supported by exceptional service

My friend and I had a wonderful evening. This was my first time at the bistro and I was pleasantly surprised. It definitely gives that French bistro vibe. The food was great and the wine was amazing. I am already looking forward to my next evening there.

Exceptional food, service and Espresso Martini... Please clean the bar, it's eye level and very dusty x

Four of us went for the five course wine pairing diner. Dry unusual French wines. The sommelier was very good and he explained in detail how the wines are made, and about the different grapes. Found this very interesting indeed. The food was traditional French Bistrot, generally very good. The duck was excellent, although I found the lentil sauce very sultry, almost inedible - but again I use very little salt in my cooking. At £95 a head, including 6 wines, coffee and tip, an excellent value.

Great service, good wine and decent food!

Been a while since we visited the Galvin Bistrot & bar, so my wife and I decided to go for her birthday . A few different faces, but the same Galvin welcome, warm and friendly. Joe, and his team in the kitchen, did them selves proud with outstanding looking and tasting dishes. So glad we returned and can't wait to go again

La Chapelle and the Galvin Bistrot and Bar are both superb - the food is always amazing, the atmosphere is priceless and the staff are so warm and knowledgeable it all adds up to a fantastic experience - thank you!!

Staff and food was very good. The only thing that would have made it better is if the lights in the front room could have been dimmed. Felt a bit bright, especially if you are in the nook. Otherwise thrilled to have found this place.

Great food and service. Menu is a little limited, but the dishes served were very good.

The atmosphere is really nice and romantic. Loved the wine and the service was impeccable. Food was of good quality however the steak was a bit on the small and fatty side, which made the price value not great. Overall a bit more expensive than it should be, however due to the ambience still a good choice.

Food is okay, nothing to write home about. Service was slow and below average, and they somehow think they're worth a default 14% "optional" service charge.

Good food, good ambiance, good value

Nice food and lovely wine. The seabream was cooked well in a tasty sauce. The service charge however was one of the highest I have paid for a restaurant (14%) in London. Even Michlin star restaurants don't charge that much so it needs a review.

Incredible French kitchen, absolutely a gem of professionally and taste. A must go

Three of us booked for lunch at 2pm but were delayed. I telephoned and it was explained to us that we must be with you be 2.30pm. We just arrived in time and brought two extra people. Despite this we were all warmly welcomed and enjyed a delicious lunch with no sense of being unwelcome or overstaying. Thank you all. We will be back.

Could have been delightful but let down by service and being ignored for time until we had to call for attention. Ordered an expensive vintage wine and instead of decanting poured straight into glasses, sediment too! Poor show and only decanted when I told him to.

Our waiter was very nice and helpful. The food was delicious and beautifully served. Such a pleasant experience!

Traditional cosy brasserie with excellent fine wines that can be bought by the glass. Friendly service with passion for the wine list.

Excellent food and good service - highly recommended

Celebrating my nieces birthday- we had the excellent set menu. A salad starter - she had the excellent vegetarian main course - aubergine based which she said was full of flavour. I had salmon as a main course - beautifully cooked and flavoured - we shared sides of perfect frites and glossy, squeaky green beans. Too full for desert! I had a well priced glass of fizz and finished off with coffee and fresh mint tea. Well priced and very nicely served.

Great staff, excellent steak perfectly cooked. Will definitely return.

This is a cute little spot for drinks while you're around Spitalfields. We came here in the afternoon on Saturday and it was a quiet, calm little spot that was perfect for people watching outside. Shame that they didn't have any snacks or anything at the time we were there, but that was a very minor setback!

We had a table for four at a special 5 course dinner which was one of their wine pairing dinners and the food was delicious. Especially loved the cassoulet maison paired with the fabulously fruity léonides rouge and the billi bi soup paired with the minerally Limoux Chardonnay. All from Languedoc and the pairing was spot on. The sommelier Ruben was enthusiastic, appeared with each course and a new wine and was full of great stories and the place was not surprisingly packed. Can’t wait for the next wine pairing dinner. All included for £95 a head and worth it, including 6 wines.

We had an excellent lunch here. Good food, service and setting and the prices are reasonable given the quality.

Excellent black pudding and the wine list is tremendous with a very good cote du Rhone selection

Lunch with friends had the set menu which is good value for money but very limited choice. Everything was tasty, but if you choose the cheese option disappointing amount of cheese - tiny! Galvin please think about this, as it spoiled an otherwise good experience

Lunch here was excellent as usual. Astonishingly good black pudding to start with and perfect steak for mains. Wine list reasonably priced and although not extensive - broad. Mix of folk there - we were on business but with no suits the norm in the city now, who could tell. Will be back.

Great restaurant with a Michelin star. Very good value. I got the 3 course meal with a glass of French sparkling wine all for £28. It was very good and surpassed my expectations. They also offer good vegetarian options. Rubin's service was excellent and friendly, and the ambiance nice, without being overly crowded. The inside temperature was pleasant as well. I strongly enjoyed everything on the menu. The portion sizes were good and I actually got full, which some other Michelin restaurants at a high The Panna Cotta was especially good. Overall, I highly recommend this restaurant.

A nice place, quick service, good drinks. The food was really good and fast. The staff is really friendly. The owner was so nice to us! Best place so far!

Delighted afternoon spent here. The food is incredible. A must visit

The Bistro is in a good location by Spitalfields Market. Decor is nice and simple and service was generally good. I thought the food was fine but the portions were quite small and the wine list was expensive. We couldn't have the set menu deal we booked as they were unable to swap a meat course for either a veggie or fish option.

Food was great especially the steak. But our unfinished entrée and aperitif were taken away without asking when the main were served. The staff were friendly. But it’s expensive. We could find same quality of food & drinks elsewhere with lower price. Don’t think we will go back again.

Wonderful French Bistro Gourmet, food, wine and service are excellent.

An excellent tasting menu, ideal for a business lunch or meeting with friends

Unmistakenly French look and feel. The large bi-folding doors seamlessly connecting the indoors with the outdoor terrace. Beautiful in the hot summer evening I went. The food is really good and the service excellent. More a 4.5*. I loved it! I also loved the ceiling fans on the dark ceiling. Very Français. As it darken, it had a beautiful atmosphere, all the most with the lighted trees just outside the terraced area in the square. Magical. They serve Pilsner beer from the Czeck Republic, that comes directly from there in a beer tanker. One of the very few places in London where you can find it. The beer is kept in the 3 copper tanks over the bar. Amazing just to look at it. The food was really good. I went for their Michelin menu with caraffe of wine. My starter of braised calves' tongue, beetrot & celeriac and main of free range chicken breast, peas, broad beans, alsacs bacon, baby gem were wonderfully cooked and beautifully presented. My dessert of buttermilk pannacota, strawberries, pistachio was truly delicious. The buttermilk pannacota was one of the best i've ever had, sooo smooth, and the crunchy bits of pistachio adding the texture. Divine. In brief, a beautiful bistrot, with great food and excellent service. The staff are superb! Very highly recommended. PS: while there, have a look around the square at the sculptures of the Herd of Hope. Truly magnificent. At night it's got a magical feel!

Mid-week supper with family on a lovely summer evening and, while we couldn't get into La Chappelle at short notice, we found a table at the next door Bistro. We all chose the summer set menu (notional 5 courses plus coffee and a glass of fizz) which was well priced at £32 per head. After being seated at an outside table - the weather was too good to sit inside - we had a bit of a wait to order but after that the courses came at a nicely relaxed (but not slow) pace. However, there was also a long wait at the end of the evening, after we asked for the bill, when staff seemed pre-occupied with closing up. Our server was very friendly & helpful and also dealt beautifully with a slight issue, when a guy on the next table lit a cigarette and smoke began wafting over - without us saying anything the waiter spoke quietly and offered the chap an 'outside' table if he wanted to continue smoking (he didn't and put out his ciggie). The food and wine was all excellent and, given the informal occasion, I don't feel we really missed out not dining in Galvins' sister Michelin * restaurant next door. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable evening and, while long 'pauses' at each end of the meal mean I can't quite give it 5 stars, we will definitely return.

Food was fantastic and great value. Service was perfect and the lovely maître d’ knew my name before I introduced myself. The wine carafe was expensive but I guess they have to make money back somewhere after Covid. Would definitely return.

Good cocktails. The slowest service..

Food was delicious, decor was lovely and staff struck the perfect balance of professional and friendly. Great ambiance.

Came here for a work event and it was great. The food was excellent and the drinks were good, too. Service was good and we enjoyed drinking in the private party patio.

Great food all around, and one of our favorite restaurants after visiting Paris! Highly recommend the cod fish and chips. The service was also fast and we were able to get everything really fast too!

Was recommended by our hotel as a good place to meet local friends. We had a lovely dinner on the patio on a fine almost cool evening in July. The wines were nice, The food was generally excellent. Great street and people watching. There was a little confusion over a dish or two... something was cooked with peppers when asked not to... but generally a very nice experience and nice (if talkative staff). Will go back and do want to try the sister restaurant next door.

Que tried the dinner menu for £28 and it was absolutely delicious!

Really poor service, the attitude from the staff, especially the person who was meant to welcome and seat you was truly awful. Everything we asked was too much effort.

I have visited this place through various name changes, but believe that the Galvin Brothers have been behind each change. Last couple of visits, it was Galvin Hop. Now it is Galvin Bistrot and Bar. It was a fairly warm June day when I visited with two friends. We were sitting outside but one of my friends had hay fever which became worse. The restaurant manageress was fine with us asking to be sat inside, and even less fazed when a fourth friend turned up. They could not have been more accommodating. This could be to do with the amount of alcohol being consumed by the four of us - we got through several bottles of the house rose. We arrived at about 12.30 and finally left at 4 - we were the only table seated inside during our visit, so there was no pressure on tables. The service was excellent. I just had the starter of Bayonne ham terrine as I wanted the Tarte Tatin which is a favourite dessert. I knew I would not have room if I also had a main course. My friends had the rib-eye steak and the skate wing. Both were well presented and all our food, including the Tarte Tatin, tasted very good. This is not the cheapest place to eat in Spitalfields, but for ambience and service, it can not be beaten. I will definitely come back.

As a regular here it is always good to see the menu change and the variety that brings with it Pork loin steak outstanding. Reasonably priced wines. We ate inside but outside choices too for these summer days. Service efficient and friendly.

Fast and friendly service. Delicious vegetarian options, great margaritas and the 2x course offer is great. We tried the goat cheese salad and the aubergine both delicious

Having been away for a while we were looking forward to another visit to Glavins on what is the hottest day so far. We turned up and it saw that it was set out so lovely, with the dappled shade of the trees, Just what...

Fantastic selection of entrees, really loved it. The steak was great but a bit ‘rare’ for a medium rare but still enjoyed it nevertheless. Will definitely be returning.

As a regular of one of their other restaurants, I was made to feel like royalty on my first visit here. Chris & Jeff Galvin and their team are achieving the highest standards of food and service, whilst remaining approachable, incredibly welcoming and wonderful. I had the dorset crab on toast, which was so good it was almost emotional, and then the special Iberico pork with cream/mustard sauce. Both were exceptional. Don’t hesitate if you’re in the area or visiting London .

First visit to this particular outlet. Good food and atmosphere. Host initially was a bit unwelcoming but as the lunch progressed she did ‘warm up’. Would happily go along again. 2 diners, 2 1/2 courses, coffee. No alcohol £105.

The table we were seated at had been pushed into corner with a huge lampshade that wobbled around us. It felt cramped and messy. The food was very good but pricey. Service was fairly slow and staff not very attentive.

Interesting menu with some items towards healthy food. We were here for a dinner with couple of colleagues. Definitely quality food, with wide choice of drinks and Czech beer served from the tank. The service was slow, but really slow and the place wasn’t even fully occupied. And it is noisy, mainly it is coming from the visitors, so the Bistrot doesn’t have it under control fully, but the acoustics it’s something to be improved.

We attended a SW France wine dinner. The wines were excellent and it was good to focus on some of the lesser known regions. The supplier of the wines, who was serving and presenting the wines, was knowledgeable and informative. The food was good, as...

The food and wines were delicious and we really enjoyed chatting to your Sommelier. We thought the portions were of a good size and the lamb especially just melted in the mouth, We have been coming to Galvin's to celebrate our anniversary for over 30 years and have never been disappointed.

We dined at this Bistro for my wife's Birthday & we really cannot fault it. The atmosphere, food & service was outstanding. Nothing was too much trouble to make your dining experience so memorable. Definitely would recommend for a great dining experience

Great menu and wine , was a very enjoyable afternoon. I will def revisit.