Hot Flame in West Lothian

The worst buffet I’ve ever been to. They call it a world buffet but had FISH FINGERS as one of the dishes. The rice wasn’t fresh and to top it all off the staff shouted to each other in front of me and the person I was with “would you eat any of this?” To which the other replied “nah wouldn’t touch it”

The food is good but I don’t think it’s worth the money, unless you can eat like a pig, it’s a bit to expensive especially for lunch time

Food not great. Pizza was the best out of the dishes. Service was terrible. Went to the buffet and came back and our drinks had been removed from table then my friend had her plate removed before she had finished eating. The waiter didn't ask if she was finished, just lifted it away. Very rude!

Delayed birthday ‘treat’ for our daughter while shopping. Wish I’d searched it up first to be honest. £73 later for 2 adults and 2 kids (no alcohol). Waiting for ages to be shown a table even though it had just opened. I gave up after a small plate as there really wasn’t much option. Wanted to go for the carvery option but there was never anyone at the station. Kids barely ate anything, I felt a bit meh after getting a couple chicken wings so that was me put off. Absolutely awful options for deserts, got some stuff, tried it and that’s as far as it goes. Best smile we had was paying the bill and even then it was a forced grimace. Never again

I been on 6/8/24 at 6pm i had worst experience ever in my life 100% avoid this restaurant 2 point I just mention you 1) if your baby leave food they will come and tell you don’t take food if you need to leave two chicken pakora 2) you only allowed to have 1 chop stick per person in my case between me, my mrs and 3 sons had only allowed one chop stick And after all this when I decided to leave they asked me to pay otherwise they will call police My friend who was my guest from England he doesn’t want any hassle he negotiated n then pay half when all of us couldn’t even finish our starter We didn’t have main course & deserts and we paid half price which is really unfair It’s very poor service rude and food was ok not great but you won’t find smile on any staff faces AVOID AVOID AVOID 100%

Shopping in Livingston and decided to go into Hot Flame as people waiting to be seated so thought must be good. We were so wrong there was people waiting the whole time we were in but loads of tables empty all to make the place look desirable and busy. People being seated at the window seats. Worst food I have ever eaten dried out food, tasteless, cold and re heated. We paid £75 for the 3 of us for the privilege. Avoid Avoid

Went on Sunday there and nearly died, twice! Once because the heat, no air con and twice at the price - £22! The prices have gotten ridiculous and the food isn’t worth the money, granted the food looks good but what disappointment when you get back to your table, nothing tastes like what it’s meant too, I swear the the curry tasted like tomato and the lamb, passed on that, it just looked like a sare belly situation. Desert selection is poor and have to walk a mile to a juice machine. The guys at the live cook bit are nice but don’t find the rest of the staff friendly or over engaging, they only smile when they’re taking your money - no wonder, probably laughing at us mugs paying all that money for the junk they serve!! Will stick to Bejing Banquet.

Love the food but so expensive now I used to go with my daughter but prices have went up now which is a shame I could go to pub and get good food and much cheaper price.

Took the family for dinner after shopping in the area, big mistake! Food was terrible, all dishes were bland, greasy and oily, the smell of burning oil was overwhelming, floors had food all over them all surfaces greasy and unclean, very poor quality ingredients, soggy veg, potatoes and the seafood was simply awful, couldn't eat any of it, don't know how they are getting away with it, had to pay full price for a ten year old, won't return.

Popped in on spec and were seated promptly. A wee robot brought our glasses to our table which I knew nothing about and was surprised to watch it Negotiate the restaurant to the different tables with out too much trouble. Pity it was not my birthday as advert on tables says it will sing happy birthday to you and carry your cake to your table if you have brought 1 with you. Food was plentiful and hot, in fact there is too much to choose from its hard to decide where to start eating, there is something for everyone here there really is. Juice machine serves proper juice, not the heavy water down that some restaurants serve. £20 each to stuff our faces and drink as many soft drinks as you like is a bargain in my eyes. Staff friendly and clearing dirty dishes away off tables quickly and sufficiently. Pity this place a wee bit too far for me to be a regular, however next time I'm in Livingston I'll be back in again. Keep up the good work.

Saw it was really busy but we went in anyway.couldnt fault it,plenty choice,the food all seemed fresh,wish we had tried one of the fresh cooking items,will definitely try next time.the only thing i would change is the kids price.

£17.99 for my 10 year old and £17.99 for my 11 year old. To busy. Alot of the dishes where empty. Chef and staff weren't keeping up with demands but charging the life out of me. Lesson learnt. Wont be bak. Rip off. Need to change the charging price for kids.

Was out shopping with my wife for the day and popped in here as it looked nice and i like Indian and Chinese food . 2X £19.99 and 2x £3.75 for drinks Indian food well had some Chicken tikka which tasted severely bland couldn't even tell it was tikka Veg Pakora was rock hard and Garlic Naan looked as though it had died earlier that day Left most of it so decided surely the chinese food must be better Sweet and sour chicken absolutely tasteless but at least the fried rice was edible Tried some Chinese curry sauce which tasted like it was taken from a cheap mix My wife tasted Chicken Korma which she said was vile and ate a sweet which again was tasteless £47.48 was the bill which i have to say was potentially the worst food ive ever eaten . For that money i could have went to an authentic Indian restaurant AVOID this place like the plague

Could feel i Had a stomach pain whilst still eating and subsequently filled the toilet nearby within an hour of finishing, not good at all, selection of food not the best for the price, looked and tastes like it had sat there for hours

This is an all you can eat buffet which is OK. I would recommend going to the teppanyaki counter for the sea bass freshly cooked

The most horrible food av ever ate cold soup like water all the sauces bland very poor choice of Chinese food the chips are at least 2 days old rock hard just disgusting never would i eat here again poor poor service for the price

Was absolutely shocked by the standard of the food - incredible! I had a pre-determined opinion of buffet restaurants, going on past experiences. Hot Flame is far superior in it's standard of buffet. Eash dish was fresh and flavoursome, each food station and dining area is spotlessly clean. The variety was endless: indian, sushi, pizza, pasta, carvery and salad bar, not to mention the grill and live pasta stations where the chefs will cook to order. Vegetarians were also well catered for. Good selection of desserts and the drinks menu was very reasonably priced, offering wines, spirits, soft drinks, cocktails and mocktails, there is also the option of unlimited refills on certain soft drinks. The staff were welcoming and extremely helpful; your used empty plates were cleared away almost immediately without fuss. Would definitely recommend this venue. Finally, I was very entertained by the robot waiter, who brought the unlimited refill glasses to our table, it can also sing happy birthday amongst other things - the younger diners were not the only ones to be entertained by this novel addition to the Hot Flame Team.

Absolutely appalling! Family of 6 went today and most of the food (apart from the gravy and cook fresh) dishes/sides were like warm. We returned several plates as couldn’t eat and raised with a member of staff. We were approached by a manager who took our complaint on board. He returned to say the hot plates and food weren’t at the right temperature and said he would cook us fresh just for our table. By this time we weren’t in the mood, and four of the five decided just to get a sweet. They didn’t want to try any more cold food. We left having two people fed, no drinks refilled and half only drunk(one being a water) to receive an over £90 bill with discount! Please think twice about going here.. they say you get what you pay for but definitely not in this instance! One sick on the way home and another in bed with upset stomach. Not the family day out we had planned.. Needs health and safety visits randomly.

Came here for my husband's birthday with the family as not been for ages. The kids age limit has gone down to under 9s for half price which does make it pricey for families with older kids despite some not being able to eat a full adults portion. As always the food was delicious. My favourite parts are the chinese area and then onto the Sushi. We always visit my favourite chef on the Teriyaki Bar where he gave us his fantastic show spinning his knives and catching things in his hat not to mention the fire display!! A great highlight in my visit. Where is the White Zinfandel Rose wine - taken off the menu - missed it as the other wine is just not as good!!! Its a great way to try out all the different dishes you wouldn't normally try and the desserts are small enough portions to allow you to have lots of different nibbles at the extensive choice, if you have the room. A lovely chocolate fountain too. Great allergy information (my son has a peanut allergy) and the signage on every dish tells him what is safe for him to eat. We always enjoy our visits.

Myself & 2 kids visited here for lunch & we were NOT disappointed. Reading reviews I was a little apprehensive about going here but I really enjoyed it. There was a large queue outside meaning it must be alright. We were seated (made reservation but not needed) within a minute. Staff were super attentive. Utensils and surfaces were cleaned. Food was checked throughout the duration of our visit. Something there for everyone!

lots of variety and tasty enough food. Kids under 10 are reduced price. My kid 10years old was charged full price as not under 10 which feels a bit of a scam and £80 for 2xadults, 10year old and 4 year old. Not impressed.

Was blinking Looking forward to my lunch a Group of us went and done some shopping stopped in bite to eat next thing all of us being sick in the toilet premises so can only apologise to rest Would think Long and hard if you need to eat here especially if your Spending later throwing up

After a very disappointing visit many years ago we gave this restaurant a wide berth however in the hope things had improved we decided to give it another chance and went for a birthday meal. However, this was most definitely a mistake and we remain as disappointed if not more if that is even possible. As many have commented on the food was luke warm at best the chicken was far too chewy and despite what the restaurant counter feedback says it is fairly evident dishes have been sitting a long time as they look as dry as they taste! So much so that we cut our stay short and made a promise to give this place no more chances. The fact that, at the time of writing 112 rate it the lowest/terrible, 77 rate it poor and 164 rate it average speaks volume. So please do not waste your hard earned money, if you want a top class excellent buffet go to Cosmos and give this a miss! Trust me you will thank me later.

Visited here as we couldn't decide what to have for lunch while visiting the outlets. And as weve been to plenty of world buffets before that have been good. This 1 couldnt be further from the truth. Food was dry, congealed and look warm surprising...

If your looking for a variaty of food, this is the place to go. The live cooking stations are amazing, so too are the selection of asian dishes. All the different foods we tried were very good, full of flavour. Service was also very good,...

Me and family come here for a meal was the best experience ever food was amazing excellent customer service well done guys

I booked this for a treat for my younger sisters birthday. She stays in Bo'ness, and we're in Edinburgh. So had my son and daughter, and her daughter, and she was over the moon. So surprised, and she hadn't been in it before. I had...

Stopped here for lunch. Great selection of foods - caters for everyone ! Very tasty too. Will defo be back ! thank you

We went at 4:15pm for them re-opening for dinner. All the food had just came out fresh. Everything I tried was top class. I started off with the roast beef and pork freshly cut in front of you accompanied with your usual suspects Yorkies, veg...

had a lovely dinner before going to the cinema in here tonight. a great selection of food and atmosphere was good too. the staff were great a as well.

Having not visited since prior to covid, I was astonished to find how down hill the place has gone. The food is very dry, and the music…. If I could save a recording I would. Blasting Abba and Diana Ross, nothing against these, they’d normally...

Visited here today. Poor selection of food and deserts. Chicken dishes were dry. Onion rings, scampi etc were soggy. Squid was inedible, potatoes hard. Chips cold and soggy. We hardly ate anything. Chicken Korma tasted nothing like chicken korma. On paying, we politely complained that...

Vistited this “restaurant” today, selection of food is poor, the food looked like it has been lying out all day and not refreshed, the chicken was extremely dry, and the chips were hard and the onion rings were soggy. When we gave up and tried...

Have passed by the restaurant several times and had always intended to try it, yesterday we did and were very impressed. Staff very polite, restaurant nice and clean, food plentiful and, in our opinion, good quality. We are no strangers to buffet type restaurants but...

Sorry to see the Chinese buffet that used to be here was gone with a world cuisine buffet instead. Decided to give it a go. Never again! Despite several types of food I struggled to eat anything. The chicken in the Chinese dishes was dry...

After a full-on shopping spree with friends, we needed some good food! We opted for Hot Flame and we were not disappointed. The food was delicious. The only fault was that we often had to wait for food to be replenished, even something as basic/popular...

Having been out for the day we opted to stop by the shopping centre to grab some food on the way back to our hotel. Having been to the centre the day before we seen that there was quite the queue for Hot Flame so...

I visited here on bank holiday Monday, I shop in Livingston very often and this place is always busy so wanted to give it a try. Avoid like the plague food is terrible very bland and is overpriced staff, need hygiene refresher training as I’m...

I came here with my friends for a good meal and it was a bad idea. We had chicken curry and almost all the chicken was pink, so was the pakora. We lifted one of the “clean” plates and it was covered in food and...

First time visiting there with my friend. It has great veggie selection of world food, veggie sushi, pasta, pizza and go on. Delicious food and no any issues. Friendly staff and great atmosphere. We will be back.

Great welcome and the full buffet system was explained food was hot and plenty of it the puddings were great overall a great experience .

Food was great and thought we had found a keeper, the food was let down by a grumpy non responsive chef at the carvery and then to top it off the wee fella that took our money seemed unable or unwilling to use polite conversation...

This is the most superb restaurant ever because its a worldwide restaurant. The chocolate fountain was delicious and the service was fantastic it is worth 4.5 stars at the lowest.

My kids love it here. So much to choose from and a big excitement! For me, it’s a hassle….constantly up and down to get my food and the their food. It felt like the 4 of us were never sat down at the one time....

Enjoyed the place at least once a month sometimes times more , food has always been very good with a good selection. Yesterday was a completely different attitude . Food was bland and been lying from start to finish , never saw anything being filled...

Went for lunch for the first time in ages and what a disappointment. Sweet and sour chicken was terrible chicken was over cooked and extremely dry. Spare ribs looked great however sauce lacked any real taste. And the fizzy drinks were so watered down it...

First post COVID visit. Prices up, food choice down (recession I guess). But still enjoy being able to pick at bits & pieces, and the choice of a buffet. Slow service in getting a glass - as we ordered the refillable drinks - took 15...

Good place to visit to try food you may not have before or just don't know what you want to eat. food replenished at times. Live cooking stations were well staffed with friendly chefs. Great range of food and desserts are a little more limited...

Went there yesterday with my partner, and while enjoying the majority of the food we found ourselves having a second round of mouldy wraps, which we didn't notice at first. My partner went to speak to the staff, which we would assume was the head...

A great choice of foods for main meals and desserts. Very popular with visitors which shows with the queues that sometimes appear. The staff are excellent and keep the place and queues moving. Well worth the visit

Have not been here for a good few years. Plenty of choice at the buffet. There was sushi,curries,pizza,chicken,Plenty of other stuff you also have a dessert station good selection of cakes,also you get icecream. We had soft drinks think they were over £3 each but...

Self service all’interno dell’area commerciale . Svariate etnie di cucine abbastanza curate. Servizio e accoglienza impeccabile. Bene l’angolo grill dove...

When we arrived at hot flame we stand out side for 5 min and getting agnord then had no go in in side to ask for a table it was not busy the at door said 5 min OK waited then when got to our...

First visit. Didn't know opening times and it turns out we were 10 minutes early. Waiting at the "wait here to be seated" sign we could see the doors were open and staff were inside moving about. However, no-one made any attempt to tell us...

Visited for the 1st time today with the Family of 7, Plenty of choice for all from Pasta to Pizza,Chinese,Indian, Susi, carvery, Live cooking and sooo much great variety of desert’s Service was 2nd to none fast & helpful, quick of clearing the plates which...

Took a family of 12 with all different taste, the options were excellent and food cooked fresh such as lamb chops and wings at the grill. Great choice of drinks too as not often you get draught beer at places like this. Kids enjoyed the...

The chicken is dry in the curries and the sauce looks nuclear...All of them are bland. The teppanaki scallops were disgusting yet flavourless. Didn't realise this was possible. The Dim Sum Station didn't appear to exist despite the sign for it. The layout is pretty...

I take my kids to hot flame as we can all get the things we like to eat. It’s a classic buffet of world foods that is on a pretty decent level. I always kick off with the sushi and then onto a steak with...

I am wary of buffets as some don’t always keep the food hot enough. No worries here though. The food is varied and delicious, as is range. A choice of Indian, Chinese, Pizza and pasta. We had wanted a Nan bread as there was none...

Everything was lovely - 5*! (As usual) my only complaint would be that it’s not very well sign posted where bookings should stand. You walk up and stand to the right of the door and you always get dirty looks from the piles of people...

Avoid with all costs! This place is disgusting serving Luke warm food, pre cooked/frozen food. Over priced for what you get, no value. Sitting on top of other customers, it’s like they have squeezed as many tables as they can into a small space.

The food is very good keeping in mind that it is a buffet and the food is not being cooked freshly just for you, We had five teenage girls and they enjoyed getting several plates of food from different parts of the world. My only...

Had not been here for a few years as the food was very mediocre, but through lack of choice we decided to give it a try. Waited in line for 5 minutes then told I had to wear a mask, told them I was medically...

I had a great experience and food was fantastic. The chefs at the Live cooking, Rahul and Sumit were fantastic .. helpful...and professional... the halal options were great . We will be back !!

Reasonably priced buffet with good selection. Bottomless drinks a bonus. Staff are helpful. Food is not poor quality and not executed well. Nice visit but would not recommend or return.

Tried hot flame a couple of times over the years. It’s ok nothing to write about just ok. With other banquet buffets opening up all over they had steep competition. Daughter went with friend a couple of weeks ago and said how good it was...

Arrived to a massive queue but waited as our daughters birthday. We were told we had to wear a mask (although all medically exempt). We were told we could only sit outside and we would get table service.. seemingly this is the new rules.. we...

I just finished my meal and the staff came running up and you done with that atrocious man needs changing

i don’t even know where to start, food was disgusting and stone cold !! workers were rude and were so unhelpful. STRONGLY ADVISE DO NOT GO !! to top it off i had such an upset stomach and was on the toilet all night after,...

Really good. Friendly service. Would recommend. Clean and welcoming good range of fresh cooked foods. Staff were attentive but not overly so.

The food is too dry. Especially the meat and chicken in curry dishes are extremely dry like rubber. Because they boil them too long and this dries it up. Pork and other meat are cooked in the same grill. There are a lot of muslim...

Found this place by chance when visiting Livingston and it looked like a quick and cheap meal so we headed in. We didn’t expect much as it was an all you can eat buffet that sells a bit of everything, but it was great!! All...

We visited for the 2nd time recently at lunchtime. Unfortunately all of the food I tried was either lukewarm or cold. There's nothing worse than eating cold food which is meant to be hot. We also felt some of the meat was rubbery. Will give...

Visited for buffet today and was overwhelmed by the attention to detail and restrictions in place for Covid . Absolutely well done to all the staff. Very well managed. Gloves were provided and hand gel and staff were meticulous about social distancing.Food was outstanding.

Came here for my birthday with the family as there is something for everyone. My favourite parts are the chinese area and then onto the Teriyaki Bar where there is always a fantastic show from the chef (with fire!!) Great way to try out all...

This was a real let down service was really poor we had to ask twice for our glasses to get our drinks Food was very bland and they were way to slow at refilling finished dishes. The choice in desserts are very very poor the...

Went here after shopping after 6 hoping it was going to be really good well I was wrong the food was dried out the chicken was like rubber I had to stir the food as I put it on my plate mini hash browns I...

Only had a few snacks ,was cold for the restaurant just being open food was dried up and some of the dishes were empty ,menu said bottle water ,I got a glass of water filled with ice ,tap water I asked the waiter could I...

Came here for lunch was nice but just not a buffet person feel you over indulge the food was ok wasn't the best I have had but eatable , don't think I would rush back. Liked the idea of refilable drinks that was a good...

The restaurant was well set up with hand sanitizer station which also included disposable gloves for you to wear every time you went to the food stations.On the down side we saw people with no masks on at the food stations when it clearly stated...

Came here for the first time in over a year as we always loved it. We were a bit wary of a buffet in Covid times but most of the food was covered. You are meant to wear masks and gloves which most people did...

Food always pretty good, decent choice and always hot, the staff are okay and the service is efficient. My main complaint is that the COVID safety signs clearly state that gloves and masks must be worn by all customers when at the buffet, no exceptions....

Just been to this restaurant food nothing to write home about the guy who showed us to our table was nice enough explained almost everything failed to tell us our refillable soft drinks were not part of the price of £10-99 and as I just...

With a basic range of each cuisine, very busy and cramped seating and close to no service qualities this restaurant hardly seems worth the money. 3 of us arrived with a booking but they didn’t seem to care about that. We were shown seats and...

Food wasn't good at all, chips like rubber, best part was pudding and juice also felt that foods weren't oranganised great, definitely tried in won't be bck

Went here for my sister’s 24th, expecting a good time. Food ended being dry or extremely sweet. Drinks were flat and lacked in taste.

Went for a meal on Saturday evening just as they opened at 5pm. There was a large que however this was dealt with quickly. I’m a vegetarian, and found plenty of choice and the Indian dishes were especially tasty. I asked for a particular pasta...

Food was fantastic plenty of choices to pick from love the live cooking section the staff service was on point will definitely be visiting again

Went to Hot Flame where I found they were a little busy and it was uncomfortable moving around to get your food although the food was good. The staff had to be asked on several occasions to clear the plates of our table as they...

I was eating the food, the food is alright. I had to go to the toilet and go in. Go to cubical and see a Huge mess of SICK. In the toilet. I nearly threw up

Food wasn’t up to standard. Was looking forward to this meal out with the family as a birthday celebration but was very disappointed. Won’t be going back in a hurry. Food was quite tough or cold at times and quite tasteless. Maybe we just picked...

Went to hot flames last night with our family of 6. So disappointed, food was either tasteless or too hot. Ribs all fat no meat. Chicken Tikka was chicken chunks in tomato soup no spices. Chicken curry was boiled chicken and something that resembled a...

Good choice of food and drink. Most food good quality but 1 or 2 things were tough and chewy. The biggest thing for us is that they tell us to wear masks whilst walking about, yet are quite happy to sit tens of people with...

We had a great family meal here today. Lots of great food choices including vegetarian. Masks are compulsory when away from table and plastic gloves are a must when picking your food. The only issue we found was that the water dispenser was either broken...

We used to go regular and really enjoyed it, went on Sunday with Grandson, he loved the roast beef, when he got it at the table, honestly you could have used to sole someone's boots with it, talk about hard to cut never mind chew,...

Great selection and good Covid protocols in place. Food was warm and tasty stunned at some of the negative reviews. Well worth a visit.

went here on saturday with my wife food was excellent as always biggest problem was in my time there five people all at buffet opening food dishes with no masks on. they say this is not allowed but no one challenged them will not return...

Usually buffets are low quality food but plenty of it, the food was lovely, really tasty and so many choices, loved that it has apple crumble and custard for dessert, not seen that in any buffets, would definitely come back 👍

Totally overrated save ur money and go somewhere else mediocre typical buffet food which tasted like farm foods quality . Charged for refillable cokes but weren’t told about that or we would of filled up .

Was in yesterday (10/05/2021) and it was fantastic all food that we tried was on point and from the young man on the front door (think is name was Connor) the the young lady zusana in the area that we was seated in the made...