Hare & Tortoise in Camden

The food is very delicious and the prices are reasonable

Este lugar siempre está muy ocupado cada vez que paso y puedo ver por qué!   Finalmente fui hoy por primera vez.   Entré a los 17: 45 un martes pensando que sería más tranquilo como era temprano, pero todavía estaba lleno.   Por suerte conseguí una mesa pero poco después se formó una fila.   Dicho esto, la rotación es rápida y la comida sale rápidamente, por lo que no tendrá que esperar mucho tiempo.   Come y vete.   Comí el Penang Prawn Mee que comprendía fideos mezclados en una sopa picante con gambas, huevo cocido, brotes de judías, bola de pescado, rodajas de pastel de pescado y verduras, adornados con cebolla frita.   ¡Dios mío, divino más allá de las palabras!   Estuve en Penang el año pasado y literalmente me sentí como si estuviera de vuelta en Malasia!   Tan sabroso y lleno de sabor.   Cada bocado era una delicia.   No me pareció picante, pero soy de origen indio.   ¡Muy bien!   Con gusto pulí el tazón grande.   ¡Una delicia!   Piping caliente, generoso con ingredientes y los sabores estaban en otro nivel.   El servicio fue eficiente.   El personal era atento y algunos eran agradables, pero otros podían ser más amables.   Razonablemente limpio.   Lo recomendaría seguro.  

This place is always super busy each time I walk past and I can see why! I finally went today for the first time. I walked in at 17:45 on a Tuesday thinking it would be quieter as it was early but it was still packed. I luckily managed to get a table but a line formed shortly after. Having said this, turnover is fast and food comes out quickly so you won't need to wait long. Eat and go. I had the Penang Prawn Mee which comprised mixed noodle in a spicy soup with prawns, boiled egg, beansprouts, fish ball, fish cake slices and vegetables, garnished with fried onion. My god, divine beyond words! I was in Penang last year and I literally felt like I was back in Malaysia! So tasty and bursting with flavour. Each mouthful was a delight. I didn't find it spicy, but I am of Indian origin. So good! I gladly polished off the big bowl. A delight! Piping hot, generous with ingredients and the flavours were on another level. Service was efficient. Staff were attentive and some were pleasant but others could be friendlier. Reasonably clean. Would recommend for sure.

newspaper eat! A very plum-flavored restaurant, top one, technetium roasted duck rice. The duck is the Kardashian among the ducks who loves fitness. The food is very enthusiastically presented. It feels like my mother cooked the rice in the kitchen and served it, and it feels like home.

Nice place to eat, ramen broth was great (didn't detect msg, don't ask me how I know). Family all ordered sushi which I sampled and it was a cut above most places I have been to. Would come again. Thanks.

Had a terrible experience here. When I asked to remove the automatic tip, the server refused with a bad attitude and an obvious scowl. After I repeated, she suddenly switched to speaking mandarin and then call the manager, which all made me very uncomfortable. Finally, the manager told me I had to take my order to go to remove the tip, it’s insane. They acted as if I were causing trouble for simply exercising my right as a customer. The attitude was downright unprofessional. And the food is ordinary and pricy.🙃

Extremely valuable for the food that was offered

The restaurant is just opposite Russell Square Tube Station and close to UCL. It offers Asian cuisines, from Japanese sushi to Malaysian fried rice. The food is a bit salty, but nice, and the prices are inexpensive.

It’s all about the Laksa. Rich coconut taste makes you feel warm and happy on the inside.

I came in for the ramen, and I had been Dissatisfied with the ramen. I ordered the chicken broth ramen, and the broth was very weak as well as lukewarm. The ramen contained About 4 slices of chicken accompanied with some, what I believe, very cheap noodles. A disappointing lunch. To over come the flavour and the small portion served, I ordered the pumpkin croquette. Being Again disappointed with the portion size.

Really enjoyed, reasonably inexpensive.

This is my first time to give a review about a restaurant. I am writing to express my deep disappointment with the service I received on my recent visit. As a loyal customer who has visited five times and spent over £100, I was extremely disheartened by the attitude and behavior of your staff. On my last visit, I was rudely informed by a staff member that I could not drink my own beverage. The staff member’s attitude was unprofessional, as she repeatedly told me not to drink without listening to me or addressing the situation politely. Furthermore, after I failed to clarify the situation and was shocked by her rude attitude and unkind expression, another staff member dismissively told me that if I wanted to drink my own beverage, I should simply order delivery instead. This response was unhelpful, dismissive, and did not reflect good customer service. I expect a certain level of courtesy and professionalism from staff, especially as a returning customer. The way I was treated made me feel unwelcome, and it has significantly impacted my impression of your restaurant. I would appreciate an explanation and reassurance that this kind of treatment will not happen to other customers in the future.

It had varieties of Asian food, tastes good and quick.

Great food lovely experience. The signature Penang Mee is a must try. Never really rated this restaurant 10 years ago but it’s really good now doing a mix of pan Asian cuisines including Japanese and Malaysian.

My family has been a customer for more than 10 years. The prices increased over time but the boos remained excellent.

I had an extremely disappointing experience in here. The service was poor, and to make matters worse, the staff forced us to pay a mandatory service charge, despite the fact that service charges in London are generally optional. When we questioned this policy and even showed them official guidelines stating that service charges should be discretionary, the staff refused to acknowledge it and insisted that we had no choice but to pay. Their attitude was dismissive and unprofessional, making the experience even more frustrating. To top it off, the service itself was far from deserving of any additional charge. The staff were inattentive, unfriendly, and seemed unwilling to assist with basic requests. Instead of providing good service, they were more focused on ensuring we paid the service fee. I strongly advise potential customers to double-check their bill before payingand be aware of the misleading information regarding service charges at this restaurant. There are plenty of better places in London that provide great food and service without forcing unfair charges on customers. Would not recommend, and I won’t be returning.

The first time I wrote a bad review for a restaurant. Not for dishes but for service attitude. Removal of service charge means no respect? What would you call a “service”? Sitting down and getting a tap water? Isn't that basic ? That's the service you would get at any restaurant on the Earth. This is not your culture, not Asian culture and not mine as well. How am I disrespectful? It was my favorite restaurant in my freshman year because the price was affordable and the food was delicious. Then in my junior year, I was told that the student discount was no longer available. The other restaurants I had visited either had no service fees or paid discounts using WeChat. Here you are, arguing with me for a long time. I won’t take it off. I said it was optional but I didn’t give it. In the past, when there was a student discount, I just gave it a discount and there was no service fee. Now you don’t respect my status as a student. You want me to respect you and serve you a dish and water. The identity of a waiter?

It's not an unpleasant place to go, it's just enormously overpriced for what it is. There are many, many better Asian restaurants in London, most of which are also cheaper.

Decepcionante - popular pan asiático . . Convento para el cine Curzon n xt puerta. Fideos - ¡soso, grasiento, poco inspirador! Solicité chile con mi salteado - extrañamente el (chef) colocó chile crudo en rodajas en la parte superior, . . Pequeñas porciones...

¡Wow! Muy bonito. La comida más increíble, el menú era fantástico, así que mucha elección. Precios geniales, comida fresca y totalmente deliciosa! Personal tan amable y servicial, ambiente y vibra fantásticos, sin duda regresando. ¡Gracias!

Este es un restaurante de cocina asiática muy bien valorado. La comida es auténtica y recién preparada por un equipo (visible) de chefs ocupados. Los sabores son excelentes y el tamaño de la porción es muy generoso. Tuve el pato crujiente con arroz. ¡Debe haber habido medio pato pequeño en mi plato! Es un espacio divertido, moderno e iluminado. El servicio es rápido y el personal feliz y enérgico. La red eléctrica tiene un precio de £ 13, lo que representa un valor fantástico dada la calidad de la comida. ¡Qué no te gusta!

Always provide consistently good service and food at a reasonable price. The servers are especially good in this location.

Good service, well-served dish and Thai restaurant with good flavor

Super delicious! The roast duck rice is really delicious! The tempura fried shrimp udon was also delicious. I finished the soup.

Very disappointed, my friend and I were greeted brusquely, then completely ignored for at least five minutes, we weren’t even offered tap water let alone drinks. I could even see the staff standing around and it wasn’t busy so we left and went to a different restaurant nearby. Can’t comment on the food as we didn’t have any of course.

Consistently good food and portions at consistently good prices. Always know I’ll eat well here. I recommend the chicken or salmon teriyaki

Asian food restaurant with very good value for money. The dishes are huge and the service very efficient. They indicate that they accept a student card but only if it is English…

Good fresh food at decent price. Only issue is service charge added without us noticing.

Bang average really. Bit pricey for what you get

the quality of food is very bad.

Food is good. But when you get the bill, remember to check carefully. The waiters will click the 20% of service fee instead of 12.5%. I think it is a way to get more for their payment The food is good, but be careful and the waiter will add the service charge to 20% for you. Look carefully when picking up the bill. I've been there several times and it's the same thing. It seems like this is a way for the waiters to get extra money.

Delicious curry laksa. Near to underground station Russel Square

Food was good but sadly mine arrived cold to the table Portion was bigger from what I was expecting from a duck breast and flavour was good, shame it was cold

La comida es deliciosa, sin duda recomendaría si te gusta la comida oriental y probar el Sake y realmente lo disfrutó. Bonita ubicación para una cita o para ir con la familia

You know you've come to a good Asian restaurant when 90% of the diners are East Asian. We were not disappointed! Delicious food. Efficient and friendly service. The curry laksa was amazing, as was the panang curry. The laksa shows three chilies on the menu, but we didn't find it too spicy at all. (The panang actually had more of a kick!) Chicken and duck is halal.

A favourite London spot for great Asian meals. My go to is roast duck and rice which also comes with bak choi but you're in for a treat with the chicken katsu curry. The curry is legendary 😋.

Service and atmosphere was great, at a good price. I wasn't a great fan of the Chicken Teriyaki with rice, not enough sauce to go with the rice. I should have gone for something else, great restaurant though, I recommend it.

Amazing Katsu curry and the ramen is really nice as well. Chicken is halal.

Big portions, reasonable prices, really tasty

Good food at still decent prices. Service can be brisk especially at lunch but if you know what to expect, not an issue

A fantastic spot for anyone craving authentic Asian cuisine. The menu is impressively diverse, offering everything from fresh Japanese sushi to rich Malaysian curries and flavorful Chinese stir-fries. Every dish bursts with flavor, showcasing a variety of Asian culinary traditions. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual, making it ideal for a laid-back lunch or dinner with family and friends. Although the restaurant can get quite busy during peak hours, and you may experience a bit of a wait, the quality of the food is well worth it. Overall, I highly recommend Hare and Tortoise for those looking to enjoy delicious Asian dishes in a welcoming and informal setting.

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.

Mi hija tenía Ramen y yo pad thai. Muy fresco. Muy sabroso. Servicio muy rápido y eficiente, incluso con sus mesas interiores llenas. El mejor VFM que he tenido en Londres hasta ahora. El buen tamaño sirve y no escatiman en el número de gambas también. Nuevo local para comidas frescas ahora.

Llegamos a las 5 pm y nos sentamos al instante sin reserva. El servicio era excelente, las bebidas llegaron inmediatamente y la comida no estaba lejos después. Los entrantes eran increíbles - recomendaría los langostinos panko honey king! La alimentación era increíble - cerdo y pollo eran increíblemente suave. En general una comida encantadora y rápida. ¡Estoy seguro de que volveremos! ¡Gracias!

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.

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.

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.

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!

El menú es bueno si no tienes ningún requisito dietético, pero si como yo estás libre de gluten entonces evita esta cadena. Había unas 3 - 4 opciones en el menú, una ensalada, frijoles edamame al vapor y para la red había arroz frito con una opción vegetal, opción de carne o una opción de gambas. La opción vegetariana no tenía absolutamente ningún sabor, £ 11 por algo que puedo hacer en casa. La selección de verduras era básica, sin tofu solo arroz frito, huevo y verduras. Para una cadena grande podrían haber sido más aventureros hay tantas salsas de soja sin gluten o salsas teriyaki por ahí para agregar sabor. La comida fue una decepción masiva y no lo recomendaría a nadie que requiera opciones sin gluten a menos que te guste la comida sosa sin sabor.

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.