Hare & Tortoise in Camden

I used to come to this place a very long time ago when I lived in London. It seems almost as popular as it ever was. I’m not surprised as as Hare & Tortoise offers good value and consistent quality. It’s wonderful to know that after all these years I can still get a curry laksa or Singapore rice noodles dish just as delicious as I remember.

Very good attention. And good prices. Nice place and nice atmosphere!

One of the oldest restaurants in the area I believe - quality of food and portion sizes were fantastic

Great Spot for Comforting Asian Flavours in London - I visited Hare & Tortoise in Bloomsbury twice, and it truly satisfied my craving for Asian food. During my first visit, I tried the Pad Thai, curry laksa, and salad. The Pad Thai was excellent, with a delightful wok hei and generous portions of prawns and condiments. The salad was simply for some fibre, so not much to say about it. Unfortunately, the laksa did not meet my expectations as it tasted more like curry than the laksa back home. On my second visit, I had the vegetable ramen and fried kway teow. The ramen broth was flavourful, and the tofu was delicious. The highlight for me, however, was the fried kway teow. While it differed from the Singaporean version by lacking some essential ingredients like cockles and pork lard, the dish still stood out with its wok hei and added ingredients like onions, which helped make up for the difference. Overall, I highly recommend this place, especially for those missing the taste of home or craving good Asian food while overseas. Definitely worth a visit!

had delicious tempura ramen noodle soup here! a little on the pricy side but lovely service and delicious food! would recommend booking a table ahead since it was quite busy :)

Extremely bad service, especially the male waiter. It’s a shame that the restaurant provides delicious food, but the service is really unsatisfactory.

Annie is the best👌 Annie went extra miles and rearrange 2nd drlivary because they missed the actual gravy on the duck and rice because they were extremely busy. What a great understanding and co-operation. The food Is always fresh and the best. Me and my kids always go there. Thank you so much Annie I appreciate everything you done what a great customer service!

Annie is the best👌 Annie went extra miles and rearrange 2nd drlivary because they missed the actual gravy on the duck and rice because they were extremely busy. What a great understanding and co-operation. The food Is always fresh and the best. Me and my kids always go there. Thank you so much Annie I appreciate everything you done what a great customer service!

Mini Laksa and Tantanmein were nice and big portion. But Tantanmein wasn't what I expected, I was hoping less soup base and more Peanut. Soft drinks and iced Oloong tea, store bought, quite expensive. Staff were blunt and lack service skills and lack of warmth. A hot day and air con was off. Lunch for 3 in Central London under £60, is acceptable.

Mini Laksa and Tantanmein were nice and big portion. But Tantanmein wasn't what I expected, I was hoping less soup base and more Peanut. Soft drinks and iced Oloong tea, store bought, quite expensive. Staff were blunt and lack service skills and lack of warmth. A hot day and air con was off. Lunch for 3 in Central London under £60, is acceptable.

Lovely pan asian food. Quick service and clean

Long-standing Pan Asian restaurant serving Malaysian, Japanese, Thai (pad Thai, Panang curry etc) cuisine. The star of the show are the Malaysian and Japanese dishes, especially the sushi and Singapore laksa and char kway teow (one of the few in London that serve it with Chinese sausage). Conveniently located in the heart of Bloomsbury. Snappy service. No reservations possible. Sometimes there are occasional Japanese specials like cream seafood stew or sushi tacos.

First time ordering on delivero came packed well food was probs the best I had on delivery will definitely visit soon

Great chow mein but expect very rushed service

Delicious ice cream but deafening aircon

Great food. Prompt service. Very well well priced and perfect for a quick delicious meal after watching a film at the Curzon cinema opposite.

very rude waitress exposed my credit card details, she has gold hair upto her ears, she grabbed my credit card suddenly without asking my permission and turn all the private information side up so my pin was exposed, and She silently left once she took the payment. terrible experience today from I ordered food to pay for the bill, she did not say a word, only took the order silently with no facial expression and no respect, won't go there again

Great food BUT terrible staff. Extremely rude.

The waiters are super rude and know no boundaries when it comes to talking back. Our waiter told us to go eat at home simply because we asked to remove the service charge being students 😒 I don’t know why they are so arrogant. Foods ok but wouldn’t go back because of the service.

Very good!!! Very fast and welcoming service. Negative point: very noisy atmosphere. Desserts = pastries from Wa...so good...but unfortunately too expensive for me

Used to go to this place all the time when I lived in London, but hadn't been for several years. Went back with friends and the food was every bit as good as I remembered it! Great quality ingredients, served piping hot and lots of it! The curry Laksa is just amazing, as were all of our sides. Very reasonably priced and the table service was excellent. Cannot recommend highly enough if you're passing through.

Very good food, fast friendly service and very good price

Food came very quickly. Staff was polite.

Very authentic Singaporean style Laksa, Char Kway Teow and Singapore noodles. Matcha ice cream is awesome too. Quantity pretty good for the price. Came here multiple times during our visit. Service is quick and efficient. Clean restrooms. Only issue was too much sun beating down through the glass in the evenings, but we changed tables, which fixed that. AC could be amped up a bit on hot days to make it less stuffy.

Very bad, there was hair on my curry

Aggressively mediocre. We ordered sake and it came hot without us asking. Hot sake feels cheap and also it was a hot day outside. My boyfriend ordered a hand roll, and as soon as he finished it, despite us having other food at the table a server came by just to collect our soy sauce. Like, could that really not wait? I ordered chicken Katsu curry and it came without Katsu sauce which isn't a dealbreaker but the panko seemed cheap and the curry was all carrots and no potatoes. Again, everything tasted fine, but only so. The bathrooms reeked of seafood runoff. This felt like a pan Asian cafeteria. Not great, not terrible.

The food was really tasty, the waiters were so fast and kind. And the price for the quality was totally worth it. I end up willing to come back.

The quality of matcha ice cream is amazing. I was impressed that this can be eaten on a street corner in London.

I would've preferred the peppers cooked into the Singapore noodles, but that's just me being picky. Overall, the food was good, and the time between ordering and food in mouth was maybe 5 minutes.

We visit often for the lovely Asian and Japanese food but had to complain about the ridiculously noisy air-con which replicates the sound of an aircraft such that we have to shout to talk to one another. Please fix this or we will not return!

I can not state enough how much I wish that I could give this restaurant less than 1 star. I had this Hare & Tortoise rated 5 star but I went back recently, and it was straight up horrendous. Almost sent a report in to the Public Protection Team of the City of London, due to the terrible 90dB+ continuous noise emanating from the air vent (tested via decibel application), and from food poisoning since leaving the restaurant. Need I say more. Will not be coming back, but thought to warn any prospective customers of what to expect as a moral obligation.

Awful Food poisoning and super loud air-con sound! Such a shame, we used to love this place. But the last visit today was appalling!! The aircon was so loud we had such an unpleasant time, felt like we had a migraine by the end. Worst of all, one of us got awful food poisoning from the sushi, and had serious vomiting the whole night! We will not be returning at all, absolutely appalled. The service was horrendous too, if you even put your chopstick down, the waiter would immediately take it away! How are we supposed to eat…? Would not recommend at all now, sadly.

The menu is good if you do not have any dietary requirements, but if like me you are gluten free then avoid this chain. There were about 3-4 options on the menu, a salad, steamed edamame beans and for the mains there was fried rice with a veggie option, meat option or a prawn option. The veggie option had absolutely no flavour, £11 for something I can make at home. The veg selection was basic, no tofu just fried rice, egg and veg. For a big chain they could have been more adventurous there are so many gluten free soy sauces or teriyaki sauces out there to add flavour. The meal was a massive disappointment and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who requires gluten free options unless you like bland flavourless food.

One of the best pad Thai in the whole London! Great job. Oh, good portions also! Enough to be full with one dish!

They add a 10% service charge if you eat in. We had a 10% off on our Blue Light Card so that in effect cancelled the service charge. The prawn katsu curry was 3 king sized prawns in batter, some potatoes and the rest was rice covered in curry sauce. The duck and rice was delicious. Plenty of duck. The portion sizes are big!

We ordered salmon teriyaki and Ebi Katsu prawns starter which came as 3 pieces. The prawns inside were almost non existent and all tasteless for £9.. teriyaki sauce was a pre prepared v sweet sauce poured on top. The restaurant was so stuffy with all the smoke coming out from the cooking and doors kept closed. No fresh air coming in ..

The restaurant is noisy, the service is mediocre, the soft shell crab dipping sauce is not tasty, the rice is too hard

Great food. Very friendly and helpful staff.

It’s very nice place with very good food. Very good staff and service. Very good value for money. Definitely coming here multiple times.

Food was delicious and very reasonably priced - service was excellent too...

Place worth mentioning! We ordered sushi, ravioli and a delicious rice bowl, all excellent! Friendly service, recommended!

Delicious lunch and wonderful, fast service. Clean, neat, vibrant atmosphere. Good menu choices. I had the Singapore Rice Noodles and a green drink that was light and refreshing.

Very quick service and food delivery to get you in and out - Still quality food from my first visits in 2005 to today 2024

First time to visit, lovely food and very quick service. I had the Panang Curry, Seasoned chicken thigh and potato in a rich Thai curry, garnished with fresh chilli and kaffir lime leaves, served with steamed rice. Delicious 😋

Love the Hare and Tortoise!! Definitely recommend this place. Reasonable prices and good fresh food. Always busy. Is one of my regular spots. Update - Last went on Sunday. Still a good spot for dinner.

I first went there back in 2019. I never do reviews but am writing because it is my special place (and definitely deserves full 5 stars) ! Before COVID-19, I used to go a few times a week, not even exaggerating. As an asian student around, with terrible accommodation food, they became my comfort place to go in between lectures and for dinners. I knew this place from my family member who moved and settled in the UK 2 decades ago, and she recommended initially. After that, on my first day at university, my professor recommended. Since then I moved out, I live nearby (funnily enough, partly because I want to be near this place) - I hope this give you enough background of how meaningful this restaurant is at the heart of Bloomsbury :) As you can see this may come across as pan-asian however, I assure you that it is not like that. Regardless of what you order, you will be satisfied (as I tried every single one of the menus). It is perfect for quick lunch but also long enough dinners with your families and friends. I have recommended this restaurant to so many of my friends and now they go with their families and friends. Friendly atmosphere, perfect warm & quick service, and food that never disappoints you (with big portions) with overall very affordable (considering it's central London !) price for such good quality asian food. Well, I take out rather than eat in these days because of work, and the quality does not compromise at all ! and not to forget my all time favorite is probably duck & rice (w egg fried rice) but I usually rotate anyway. Laksa is very good too but sushi qualities are very good too. I struggle every time deciding on the menu. Good luck !

It's been years since I visited a branch of Hare & Tortoise. The food is now just on the lower end of okay. Dishes are still beautifully presented and appetising, but the menu is now expanded to include non-Japanese dishes and in tandem the authenticity and taste have left the premises. My tori katsu curry was verging on tasteless, even though it looked so satisfyingly vibrant. While the service is efficient and almost perfect, the restaurant itself is noisy and smelly with a cold draft. You get the feeling that everything around you is in a flux, so it doesn't feel particularly welcoming to stay around. Now I feel like my 3 stars are even too much.

ordered delivery from here. the food is absolutely stunning and the attention to details is definitely commendable! the delivery comes in a temperature bag that keeps all the food nice and piping hot! thank you very much for providing such good food option and service!

Come here occasionally to treat the family and it never disappoints. If only I could afford to eat here every night.

I have been a costumer of you for around 20 years so I perfectly know the foods. Unfortunately apart from your prices going up the quality and portions of the food are an absolute disgrace. My curry laksa had 2 prawns, 2 microscopic pieces of chicken and 1 piece of tofu. Basically you are serving 1/3 of what you used to serve. I am very dissatisfied and won’t come back ever again.

Sushis and noodles are recommended. Price/performance wise, it’s really successful choice. There is queue sometimes which takes 5-15 minutes waiting. When restaurant is crowded, inside the restaurant is airless and hot.

Clean, quick service, nice food, not sure I ordered the right thing (Ramen, Tempura Udon) as many of the dishes that went past me looked really good, will have to go back and try other dishes on the menu - was introduced to this restaurant, always wanted to try Ramen and now I have but I have my eye on several other dishes

Good place to go for a wide variety of Asian food. Portions are massive, probably double what you normally find elsewhere. Been here multiple times and my go-to is definitely the roast duck and rice, highly recommend. The duck and chicken is halal, and they also offer student discount.

food was good but staff were abrupt and rude. no nice service at all which is a shame. won’t be going back due to this.

Excellent food. Great sushi and noodle dishes

Pan-Asian restaurant with lots of seating and serving big portions. Don't expect the best most authentic food, but you will get tasty food at a decent value for the Bloomsbury area.

Food: the roast duck was lovely however recently the portion has shrunk, there are far fewer green pak choi and less rice too. Overall the quantity and thickness of the duck has reduced whilst the price has gone up. Service: is inattentive but fast, they add a compulsory service charge, I do not agree with this. Atmosphere: when I went in it was busy, messy, cramped and quite cold, we were seated near the front door which was constantly open due to outgoing deliveries. I’ll come back for the duck if I’m in the area but this place is not what it used to be.

Food was ok but prices are way too high for the quality you get. Big portions though. Very messy and stinky inside

Very tasty dishes with big portions at good value! Service is quick and efficient

Came here for a work lunch. The food was bland and overpriced. Then, a man tried to steal my bag in this shop. The staff had zero response. They did not come to ask if I was okay or see what had happened. Truly awful experience at this restaurant. Dine at your own risk.

Food was so delicious and with quick service.

The food has hardly anything to do with Japanese cuisine at all. I have ordered seafood udon, everything was over-boiled, noodles were soggy. Prawns were swollen. Sushi with some kind of deep-fried crab had enormous amount of rice. The portions were big though. Also, it was very cold, especially in the toilet. Positive side: they do a lot of cleaning.

Nice place to go with friends & family to try for Chinese, Malaysian or fresh sushi too. Nice & tasty foods. Friendly staffs...

Amazing roast duck, thoroughly enjoyed it and it's not something you see often. Great variety on the menu super quick service.

Very quick service. Good food Edit; I’m pouring over all my reviews and downgrading any 5 star I can’t remember to 4. This place fell victim to that. I’m sure it’s good. But it’s not 5 stars.

On the cheaper, targeted to students, tier of dining out. Food is good value, service is quick.

Amazing food but apparently when you order off Deliveroo you can’t adjust orders even though you can when you’re in the restaurant? I called straight after placing my order and was told they charge extra for a change but nothing like that was ever said to me in the restaurant when I always adjust my order and there’s not even an option to make changes on the app so why say it? Find it pretty ridiculous considering removing items from the order is a ‘can do’ but not adjusting noodle types.

Amazing food and really good portions!

Stumbled upon this restaurant after visiting British Museum. Serves mostly asian dishes. Had the curry laksa and panang curry which was scrumptious! Full of coconut flavour with a tad spiciness to heat up the flavour. Portion was big and worth the price! They do offer student discounts too.

Food was delicious. Chicken katsu sushi was the best! The sweet chilly chicken and black bean noodles was also very tasty. Service was great. Atmosphere is nice but the smell from the kitchen is very strong and hits you as you walk in. Definitely going again!

The sushi with delivery were good. The rolls with pumpkin were surprisingly good but overall not the best sushi I have tried in London

Although a franchise, the mix of pan-asian cuisines is overall good enough for repeated visits and price quality ratio not bad given its convenient locations. The pad Thai and roast duck with rice are quite good, the laksa is alright too.

A solid 4.4-star. It’s the trusted comfort food. Not the best, but good enough for me to return time and again when I know what I want and when I don’t. Wakame is huge. It sounds pricy but I didn’t expect it to come on a bed of salad leaves— the green color makes me happy after an all-red pasta lunch. Chirashi don has nice fresh slices of sashimi, though I hope the selection is somewhat better than the cheaper sashimi salad. 🤔️ Rice has a little dried out but still better than mushy. The choice of grain is not bad. Maybe next time I will try to the sashimi salad with additional nigiri, as I don’t eat that much rice anyways… The place it’s packed and busy. The service is fast, but not rushed. I remember coming here with my friends five or six years ago. The laksa was on the milder and sweeter side (as expected in the Japanese-British style) but still tastes nice and not too heavy.

We were taken here by some London Friends who are regulars at this place. Busy place, quick to be seated an the food was quality. The mains menu took us away from the usual Sushi an Sashimi we'd normally order but the Duck with sticky rice an Prawn Katsu curry dishes were too tempting when we saw them. The Eel handroll was quality an we had some Sashimi on the side too as, well gotta be done ah. Defo worth a visit.

Food was lovely and service was good,close to work and convenient,met friends for dinner after work would recommend

I worked around the corner from the Hare & Tortoise about in about 2010. It was always a regular haunt but I hadn’t been back for a while. Pleased to say it is still very good. Informal and reasonably priced. Whilst it wouldn’t make a venue for a romantic dinner it’s a great choice for some good quality South East Asian nosh.

Food quick, service very chill and straight to the point. Alright prices for London, large portions and the food is devine, I would definitely recommend.

Make sure you came here before dining hour, or you will have to stand on waiting list outside. They serve delicious asian food. Laksha is my favorite.

Update Nov 2023: Disappointing visit has shown a complete deterioration of what used to be a great restaurant. The service is now completely non-existent. They will prioritise takeaway orders and make sit-ins wait longer, they are unattentive and impolite unlike before. The food is still pretty good but only if you want to be waiting 40 minutes for it and I personally don't think it's worth it. Sad to see what this place has become. Old 5 star review: Great food, even better service and very reasonable prices. They have a very diverse menu and very authentic flavours. We ordered three plates of sushi and two noodle soups. After having found an artifact in my noodle soup, the team was mortified and immediately replaced my dish and took it off the bill. A sign that the customer is their number one priority. I am very impressed and will likely be frequenting. Highly recommended. Thank you staff!

I absolutely love this place. The food is amazing and never falters. The only thing that could be improved is the speed at which you are severed. The last visit was 10 minutes for our initial order. I believe this is down to them being so busy, so I was happy to wait for the amazing food.

Very cheap and delicious place, served with pretty much double or at least more than the normal portion you would get from other Asian restaurants! But because its cheap, if you expect low quality, you are WRONG!! It's actually above average in terms of the taste as well so it's a must-go!!

We got Deliveroo and the food was vile, I had the crab salad where the crab was on the turn, there were just a few small pieces and then lettuce for £12. There are SO many great places to eat in the area this one won't last

Great food and great service. I have visited multiple times over many years and the good never disappoints

Used to go to a fantastic one in Blackfriars, which unfortunately has been closed since COVID. This one in Bloomsbury was very good but without the ambience of the other one. Food was v good, as was the service.

Points positifs : la nourriture est vraiment super bonne, c’est un sans faute vrmt que ce soit ramen, maki, le riz ou le saumon. Ils sont aussi très rapides pour servir. Points négatifs : c’est beaucoup trop bruyant!!! cela sent beaucoup la nourriture avec la fumée dans tout le restaurant … les plats sont très gros il faut avoir un bon appétit …

The food was quick and very good. Fresh and tasty, very busy but all good, I cant complain. I would recommend and go again

Despite it being a busy, wet and cold Saturday night, we were seated rather quickly. The food was good and quickly served. However, since there was a queue developing outside, the waiter decided to take my unfinished plate and kept hovering over us, gesturing that we ought to finish our food, so others could be seated. This surprised as I didn't expect this at all. I don't think I'll be going back to this establishment again

Always good food and a good experience at H&T

Rice and roast Duck is always a hit! Love it

Chicken and Duck is halal and great!

FYI to Muslim: Their Teriyaki sauce and Sushi soya sauce has alcohol. They do not inform this to the customers nor put it on their menu.

Not much Vegan selection. They're unable to adapt a dish to accomodate and make it suitable for what you desire. What I did have was a good portion size and average flavour. Service could do with improvement.

The food is delicious! Comes very quick but also very fresh. Service is great too. Highly recommend!

Ordered a phad-thai. Half the listed ingredients were missing and there were pieces of sausage with the prawns. Greasy and disgusting.

We went on a Sunday during summer and it was around 3pm, and got seated right away. Been here before and to other branches. There can be a long queue during peak dining hours. We ordered some sushi to share, char kway teow, prawn katsu curry and yaki udon. They all tasted really good but there seems to be less meat with the noodle dishes and the portion sizes are getting smaller like everywhere in London. It was still filling for 3 people. Would continue to consider this a reliable staple for sushi and Malaysian food at an affordable price in central. Would love to be back and wish I can book online.

One of our favorite places to eat in London! The prawn Mee soup is my personal favorite!

Great restaurant for Asian food. The quality of the food is amazing and the portions are big. The servers are always friendly and fast. Definitely my go-to spot for sushi.

It's been around for decades and has never failed to satisfy.

Cheapest ingredients and unhygienic atmosphere despite best efforts to show a clean surrounding. The food is less than average for the price you pay. Check out the floor where the toilets are, you may throw up!

I would have given zero Star as it is not in option , me and my husband went for lunch my husband had chicken ramen and I had tofu vegetarian ramen and veggie gyoza also we order chilli sauce, when I was about to finish my vegetarian ramen I found a piece of fried beef and when I asked about it to one of the waiter over there she told me it is Shrimp , she lied me telling that chilly sauce contains shrimps which was clear lies , as when we got sauce there was no pieces of anything, to be honest I am vegetarian , at least the waiter should have informed about the ingredients used in chilly sauce as I told her I am vegetarian, person with seafood allergy would have developed severe allergic and condition could be fatal , and consequences could be very bad , owner this company needs to provide training to kitchen staff including waiters about food and safety, I strongly don’t recommend this restaurant for anyone, Food and hygiene officer needs to investigate this restaurant