Hoa Sen Restaurant in Camden

Great spot on edge of Covent Garden. Atmosphere matches really excellent food. Staff were very good too. Will definately be going again.

The customer service is shocking, they do not make you feel welcome. They gave me weird stares… almost as if they were judging me for what I have ordered. The egg fried rice was not freshly made. Not to mention the next morning if received food poisoning from them. I was in the toilet for hours puking amongst other things. I do not recommend them to any of my friends.

When ordering my girlfriend clarifier she wanted the classic pho, and when repeating back the order clarified this. The waitress then brings over seafood and when my girlfriend says this isn’t what I ordered the waitress gave her a stern look as if it was her fault. I had seen the same waiter bringing things to the wrong tables etc, she seemed in a confused mess. The food itself was edible but very bland, and gave my gf stomach pains. Didn’t taste so fresh, was like reheated leftovers.

Difficult to rate this place because the food, the staff and the ambience were really great. However, I noticed afterwards there was no hygiene rating sticker on the front window and their last rating was 1 out of 5 and in need of major improvements. I hope they do this and then I’ll update this review as I would like to go back some day.

Awful cramped restaurant. Food was bland and service unbelievably rushed, I was looking forward to an authentic pho and it was one of the worst I have eaten, completely lacking in depth and flavour. I will certainly not be returning

We visited this restaurant last night as 2 adults and 1 child. The service on arrival was efficient and friendly and spring rolls and chicken wings arrived quickly for our 9 year old whilst we looked at the menu. We had summer rolls and crispy crab parcels which were delicious then the most amazing duck with tamarind and baked sea bass. The meat and fish was melt un the mouth with amazing flavours. The restaurant was full to the brim which we saw as a good sign and we will definitely visit again for more delicious food.

We were at the Hoa Sen for a bite to eat before a matinee performance at the Gillian Lynn theatre. Atmosphere was great, service prompt and very helpful, food excellent. We ate prawns tossed in lemon grass and chilli, crispy golden chicken with rice, and veggie crispy spring rolls followed by coffee.

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, and what better way to indulge than with a special meal out? That's what we thought when we booked a table at Hoa Sen Vietnamese Street Food in London. However, what was supposed to be a delightful Christmas dining experience turned out to be quite the opposite. Upon arriving, our excitement quickly turned to shock. Without prior notice, the restaurant had hiked its prices to an astonishing 200%! Yes, you read that right. Having booked online and even visiting in person the day before to confirm, we were given no indication of this price surge. A special Christmas menu with a premium is understandable, but this felt like nothing less than highway robbery. Seeking an explanation, we turned to the staff, hoping there was some kind of mistake. Their response? A nonchalant shrug and a statement that it was the "manager's decision." Their justification was that limited dining options on Christmas Day gave them the leverage. Well, leverage to disappoint customers, maybe. It's a fundamental rule in any business: treat your customers with respect. Surprises like these, especially during the holiday season, leave a bitter taste – and not the kind you want from a dining experience. Our Christmas spirits dampened; we decided not to stay. Instead, we sought out an establishment where customer consideration isn't an afterthought. For anyone considering a visit to Hoa Sen in the future, maybe think twice. If they can change their prices without notice during the holidays, what other surprises might be in store? For us, one visit was more than enough.

Great little Vietnamese place! We stumbled upon this walking around the streets and it did not disappoint. We got two mains and some rice which was plenty of food for two, the food was amazing and came out very quickly. The ingredients tasted really fresh and there was lots of condiments to try on the tables! Would totally recommend for a nice bite to eat of something a little different in London!

Read a review in a listing of ’overlooked gems’ and decided to try this restaurant in spite of mixed reviews on Trip Advisor as I was going to the British Museum which is close by. I made a reservation for 6pm and when I arrived I was very rudely told that I could only have the table for 75 minutes because there were other reservations! If they didn’t want to give me enough time to enjoy my dinner, why give me a reservation? Why does my reservation count less than someone else’s?! I decided not to have an appetizer so that i could finish in time — just dumplings and fish. The sea bass with green mango was excellent, but for 17.50£ it could have included some rice! Just one piece of fish and about 8 sticks of green mango. And a 12.5% service charge on the Bill in spite of the rude service that several have mentioned. Oh, and there were empty tables when i left and no one waiting so why demand that i finish in 75 min!!

A good friend found this restaurant by chance when we were going to the Gillian Lynne Theatre to watch 'Crazy for you' musical. Nice atmosphere, great service and amazing food! 10 out of 10. We ordered Prawn Summer Rolls, Hanoi Style pork Rice Rolls, Classic Pho and Hanoi Street BBQ pork. To drink we had Ice Coffee and Pink Lady Mocktail. We paid £67 with 12.5% service charge. I will definitely go back with the family.

On 29th June, 2023, around 7:30pm, we asked for the bill with a company discount. The self-claimed manager had no idea what discount it gives to companies and claimed there is always no such type of discount. Rudely refusing to communicate with any other staff, she questioned us to show evidence to proof such discount exists which was ridiculously wrong. Without secured wifi, we had to use a hotspot on a mobile to show the email from my company with a laptop. She then point and touch the screen of my computer to look at the email, with clear statements in the email she still claimed there is no such discount, which we all got in the very same restaurant just weeks before. After some other staff tell her that this is a legit offer, she changed her argument and suggested we need to show her proof of a staff from that company, as if getting access to the company email is still not enough. I showed my staff card and she changed her argument again that everyone on the table have to show all of their cards to proof everyone is from the company. My guest at that time was already very embarrassed and we all felt humiliated. I then suggested I will pay for everything as a company dinner and the manager stormed away and come back throw the bill on the table. We get the 10% discount and paid the 12.5% service fee after all the hassle that costed each of us 30 minutes plus from the moment we asked for a bill. To me, food quality do not matter anymore in this occasion and unfortunately I cannot recommend this restaurant to anyone I know, purely due to the utterly poor professionalism of this unbelievable manager who manage the restaurant. I hope the restaurant owner will not tolerate this kind of behaviour, not even a single time, as this will seriously impact the reputation of the restaurant. At least for now and in the near future, you already lost everyone from my company, which may contradict to your original intention for giving our company the discount.

Came here for lunch. Best pho I’ve had in London. Delicious food and friendly service. Highly recommended.

This spot in central London is a great base point before a night out, a trip to the comedy club just across the street, or to the West End. The spring rolls are amazing!

I am a big fan of viet food. This place was a total disaster! Starters arrived simultaneously, before I ate my soup the fish was cold. I asked to take it away and bring my main course when I finished starter and it arrived- re-heated, full of oil with cold rice. The quality of the food overall was terrible, service not attentive. Simply POOR! Never again.

We really enjoyed the food. Monkfish red curry was fantastic, Duck dish really good. Prawns with chilli and lemongrass really good. Starters really tasty. Would be a 5 star. Only a three star, however, due to the service. Staff were fine but left you in...

Visited on Saturday evening before visiting the Gillian Lynne theatre. We hadn't booked and the restaurant was busy, but we were allocated a table and told we had it for an hour. The menu included all our favourite Vietnamese choices, with lots of vegetarian and...

This is a good value restaurant with a fine selection of dishes. Being right in the London theatre district, it is a perfect place for a pre-show meal. We had a lovely dinner here before crossing the road to the Gillian Lynne Theatre opposite. It...

My daughter chose this restaurant during a recent theatre trip to London. She has visited Vietnam and has described the food as her favourite ever. I wasn’t too familiar but was absolutely delighted at how wonderful the food was. Starters of crispy crab and chicken...

Best Salt & Pepper Squid ever! The squid was succulent and not overdone as it often is elsewhere, I thought this is the best I have ever had. The Pho soups are also wonderful. And the value was great, prices very cheap for a quality...

We had duck that was a dissapointment, and nudles with shrimps that were ”overcooked” and tasteless… The staff were unattentive and stressed. Paying £79 for this dinner was way too expensive! Would not recommend this restaurant.

A big menu with plenty options. Bit tight on space, very popular. Book a table or could wait in a long queue.

Served by the most sour man - everything seemed like a huge effort. Starters (Summer Rolls) arrived AFTER the main and were so incredibly bland they were basically lettuce with one prawn. Such an incredibly disappointing experience. Get yourself down to Kingsland Road, Hackney. Wonderful...

Got the fish with mango slices and it felt like I was eating something from the night before just microwaved. Wasn't piping hot and service was bad. Cost me just under £20 for the tiniest portion

Came in the last minute. Staff were friendly and helpful. The place has a very casual atmosphere. We had summer spring rolls with prawns and fried spring roll for starters, both were wonderful. For main we had the stir fry duck with green onions and...

We went to this place to try something new. It was well worth it. The food was lovely - excellent flavours - and the portions were generous. Service was very quick so it’s a good place to go if you want a quick bite before...

Will not go to this store again! Large intestine lovers, that is, this Vietnamese restaurant is the only way to eat this large intestine. Before, the clerk told me that if you like to eat large intestines, you can order the large intestine platter, and...

We had lunch in this restaurant. The food was very tasty and the portions really big. The only negative from our experience was the noise, restaurant was noisy.

First impressions were that service was a bit brusque, all speed, no charm. The menu is a horror, tiny print on some awful laminated sheet with all sorts of options. Frankly a mess, almost unintelligible. Once navigated and ordered the service was very fast. The...

Really good authentic Vietnamese food, the monkfish curry has really generous chunks of fish, all served up by a friendly team in an informal dining room where a solo diner doesn't feel out of place

Had the crab parcels and monkfish curry with egg & garlic fried rice. All really tasty, quick service and large Vietnamese clientele. Definitely worth a visit.

The food was nice but the vegetarian food isn’t actually vegetarian, it contains oyster sauce. The chef made the food without it but the waitress was a bit difficult. Wouldn’t visit again as they didn’t understand that oyster sauce isn’t vegetarian.

One of the best Asian restaurants I’ve ever eaten at. So good we went for another meal the next evening. Very friendly and family run. It was full on both occasions, which is always a sign you’re going to get a good meal. Would recommend...

Lovely food, fresh and tasty. Friendly and helpfull staff. A truly authentic gem you must go see if you’re in Covent Garden . I love this place!

Visited this Restaurant on a Tuesday night And it was very busy which is always a good sign. The waitress was very helpful and pointed out some recommendations for the dishes. The food came fairly quickly and was well prepared and incredibly tasty. I will...

I have been here twice so far and the food has always been great.Quick service, really flavoursome food, and perfect portion sizes. The only downside is I wish the restaurant was bigger. They are always busy at weekends so make sure you go there early.

Very enjoyable lunch here but probably need to book as gets very busy (which is a good thing!). Really good flavours and generous portions make this good value.

The restaurant was quite empty when we arrived. We had spring roll and crab cakes as starter which were fine if slightly bland. My main arrived on its own without the rice side, and when my wife's main had not arrived after a good four...

Waitress very aggressively demanded full 12.5% tip after being unfriendly and rude during the evening and a starter coming after the main meal (with no reason or apology provided).

Honestly the worst restaurant I’ve ever been to. The food was inedible (there wasn’t any chicken on the bone, and it was questionably pink), we had to queue to get in despite having a reservation (not the end of the world of course, but a...

I came here on a Wednesday night and ordered the tofu rice rolls. Even though it says gluten free on menu I verbally confirmed with staff they were gluten free and they confirmed that they were. When they arrived they came with a sauce, I...

Loved the food! We ordered summer rolls to start and pho & bbq pork for mains. Everything arrived quickly and all of it was delicious. A hidden gem!

Lovely authentic restaurant that we found by accident when heading to Covent Garden. Friendly staff, nice menu and AMAZING fresh and authentic Vietnamese food! It was a tad expensive, but otherwise perfect in every way! I’d definitely recommend!!!

The authentic Vietnamese street food was very tasty, especially the salt n' pepper soft shell crab, the classic beef pho and chicken pho. The service was good and quick the only downside the restaurantwas small and table wete a bit tight. Although glad we got...

Fantastic little find after the theatre. Nice and relaxed, quick service & very tasty food. Excellent for kids & veggie wife as loads of choice.

Was in here a week back with some mates by chance last Friday and booked to come again the following week as it was so good. My wife and I had a reservation, good job as it was packed at 7 already. The food was...

Warm welcome into a bustling restaurant, fantastic service and food was exceptional . The pho was incredible but all the other dishes were exceptional. Lucky to have found this hidden gem. Well done to you all. Hope we can come back soon

Food arrived in less than 5 mins from ordering. They obviously want people up and out as quickly as possibly. Disgracefully, my chicken had blood pouring out. And they still added a service charge!!!

Busy (in a good way), full of happy customers. The broth was delicious, the summer rolls fresh, the beers super cold. No wonder it is so popular, perfect Christmas shop stop

Very disappointed, raw chicken for starters , half of main was late out . Was given 10% discount for raw chicken, only to loose it when I asked to have 12.5% service charge removed

Food - great. Service - the worst I’ve experienced. Main courses all served at different times, with 45minutes between 2 different Phos. No spoon supplied. No apology from staff. When asked what the delay was, no response. A member of staff walked away from us...

The food was good but this was rendered completely null and void by the terrible service. We got our starters fine but everything spiraled down massively from there. One of our party of six got their main course 45 minutes before anyone else and the...

No idea, how my wife came to suggest this hidden gem, but it definitively exceeded all of our expectations by far. Having made a reservation, we arrived too early. As the restaurant was heavily crowded, we had to wait, but not more than 10 minutes:...

Ok, quite tasty but nothing special . Good spring rolls. Nice attentive service and friendly and cosy. Had 3 beers, spring rolls (very good) and a pork noodle soup thing. £38. (Including 12.5% service) £5.50 for a 330ml beer. Too much. In Berlin I'd be...

Our evening started well with a really delicious starter and we were really looking forward to the rest of our meal. On arrival of the mains, it all looked great however when we went to eat I noticed the chicken was completely raw! I complained...

It was all going so well until we had eaten our entrees and one of the main dishes arrived when, literally mid forkful, we we bluntly asked by a waiter to move to another table to accommodate a larger party. My partner and I were...

It is fantastic to experience authentic vietnamese food in this lovely little restaurant. Really reminded us of our trip to Vietnam pre covid. We both had bun cha, with a side portion of tofu. Plus an excellent vietnamese iced coffee. Food was super tasty and...

A great bowl of Bun bo Hue! I must come back if I’m ever in the area. I was very satisfied and highly suggest for others to try!

Such a shame because this is a sweet little spot with amazing reviews, but we didn't have a good experience here at all. We were put on a table cramped between two other tables with barely enough space to squeeze in - the waiter had...

I visited this Hoa Sen with two colleagues for lunch after reading reviews here. We tried several dishes and all were excellent. The group left full and very pleased we had visited.

Great Vietnamese restaurant away from the busyness of Covent Garden. We started with the crab, had wild boar stir fry and duck stir fry. The duck stir fry is one of the best, succulent and perfectly spiced - a must.

What a great meal! Food was delicious and service super quick. Loved the betel leave wraps and the crab croquettes. Summer rolls with beef were so much better then the usual prawn ones

Excellent welcome and service from staff. The food was reasonably priced and excellent and tasty. The beef curry I had was exceptional with lovely thin slices of beef in a curry sauce that was spicy with an extra kick. My wife’s spicy chicken came with...

Just all so good. Staff were great and the food was really excellent. Would recommend this place for sure.

Fantastic time at Hoa Sen. Warm friendly staff, impeccable service. Delicious mouth watering food. Brilliant evening. Thank you.

Some day you'll be able to go to the theatre again, hopefully without restrictions. If you happen to be in or near Drury Lane (not unlikely), and you like Vietnamese food, then Hoa Sen is a great choice. Simple, unpretentious and small, it offers however...

Lovely place.Excellent experience at the restaurant. Food was absolutely delicious. Service is excellent. Very kind and attentive staff .Best vietnamese restaurant in London .

Great Banh Mi . Odered Grilled chicken Banh Mi this time . Next time : grilled pork or maybe grilled duck .

Simply the worst! Ordered their supposedly special bun hue. Bun hue is known to be over the top flavourful and spicy. Their version is just hot and that’s IT. Otherwise, rather bland. The meat were carelessly hacked. The chicken were chunky and had raw chicken...

Love the location and fairly understated ambience. All the signature dishes were superbly charged with authentic freshness and flavours. Went back twice this week. Absolute gem of a place

Great chicken pho and fresh prawn rolls. Only issue I found was that the noodles were a bit stuck together when the delivery arrived.

Chose this place because I was looking for a restaurant with vegan options near Covent Garden and I was not disappointed. It has a range of vegan dishes for every kind of food they offer with affordable prices. It was so hard to make a...

Only in London for four days. So good that we ate here twice. The Green papaya salad was my favourite

This was our first visit to Hoa Sen - the food was amazing and the service was excellent - the waitress was friendly, helpful and very efficient. . The restaurant is nicely decorated and unassuming. Loved the whole experience - we will be back.

Friendly service and authentic food meant my wife and I had a wonderful meal. The sizzling beef was delicious and the spring rolls fresh and crispy. We had wonderful Vietnamese coffee and a wonderful Sài Gòn special beer. Delicious food, a very welcoming atmosphere and...

Lovely atmosphere, amazing food and great service. What more can I say...I highly recommend this restaurant. It’s a great place to eat if you’re around Covent Garden

Amazing food - banh cuon was perfect and the hanoi pho had really great quality beef and tasted fantastic. Tidy, clean, attractive restaurant with highly attentive staff. Highly recommended.

The best banh cuon in London❤ Amzing restaurant, delicious food and excellent service. Definitely recommeded.

I've tried many Vietnamese dishes and I've been to many Vietnamese restaurants in London and New York...But Hoa Sen totally surprised me. This restaurant is different than all places that I've been to - unusual, family and cosy. It is not like a big chain,...

How do you forget the correct order of the only customer in the restaurant and forget to bring the water they requested? It’s not hard to look after a single customer. The veg roll starter was excellent, the spring rolls were uninspiring, the roast chicken...

Met great Chef BINH and SIMON PEGG (great actor, writer and comedian) last time in Hoa Sen . Perfect day !!! ;-)

We visited Covent Garden. On the January 10th, and stumbled across this gem of a restaurant, both myself and my girlfriend didn’t know what to expect......but wow, fantastic food, lovely staff that were so attentive, and went all out to check the ingredients for my...

Never had Vietnamese before. This was fusion food of a quality and excellence that has to be tried. Went here just before lockdown. Met the wonderful chef who was fab. We were so well looked after. We are a bog standard couple of people and...

This is really nice place to try vietnamese cuisine. The Owner is Vietnamese Guy, he have indulge in Vietnamese food. The chef is also vietnamese with many years experiences in cooking vietnamese foods. I have been vietnam , and when I eat here I feel...

We took a chance on the view through the window and the menu. So glad we did. Great service and delicious food. We highly recommend. 👍

Very delicious food, moderately priced for its taste and quality! THe wine card could be better though. Great service!

So pleased that me and my partner popped in for lunch! The food was amazing and the service was great! Definitely going back and would recommend highly!

I had a really great dinner with amazing view and stunning food. My family is looking forward to coming back next time

It is very hard to find any Vietnamese restaurants that their food has the Vietnamese original taste but Hoa Sen. If you want to enjoy Vietnamese's flavour, there would be no better option than this restaurant.

Thank you, Lotus Restaurant for a wonderful night!. Cozy rooms, fresh and delicious Vietnamese cuisine

This is a great Vietnamese restaurant. The food is really tasty (we had the summer rolls and the pho) and the service is super friendly and professional. I would definitely recommend!

After visiting Hoa Sen with a friend a few weeks back, it was a real treat to revisit the restaurant for a second time with my work mates. The service was top notch and friendly. The 3 courses served were delectable and generous. Real authentic...

What a joy this place is, we went to The secret comedy opposite and had 40 mins to have dinner and this place delivered. Really good Pho, medium rare beef With mint, bean shoots and coriander in the side and great bbq pork with rice...

The best pho I have ever had. Nice place with cozy atmosphere. I chose the pho with peanut, coriander, mango + more (can’t remember the name of the dish) - but it was brilliant. The owner is very nice, and the restaurant offers great service....

So pleased to have spotted this little place whilst walking around. Absolutely delicious food, great service with a smile. I had mine to take away as I was on my own but will definitely be back!

We live around the corner and were excited to see what new restaurant would appear in this space. Much to our surprise it was Vietnamese which is not a type of food currently represented in the area. I have yo say this is some of...

It is not very often when restaurants get it right. But this time I was impressed. This place is family run and you can feel from the first moment you enter the warmth from all staff. It is a casual spot title says it all....

Nothing else to Say. A great New restaurant in London with cosy Space, good vietnamese food at a fair Price!