JRC Global Buffet - Croydon in Croydon

I’ve been coming here for about 10 years and I’ve never taken the chance to review it. Food + service was awesome. Honey naan has become my new favourite from the Indian section. The sushi/onigiri I find too soft and it falls apart, and the pizza could be better however. Great value for money (£25 if you go Monday - Thursday). All the other cuisines and desserts are tasty and there are so many options to cater to anyone’s preferences it’s almost impossible to try them all in one dinner. Glad to see that most of the choices are now halal. Also really enjoyed the crème brûlée from the dessert section.

Foods better than the Watford one but the tapanyaki here isn't all that even though they have two separate hot plates, one for meat and one for seafood! They keep some of the food under a lid on the hot plate, instead of cooking it straight from fresh, so everything comes over cooked and over seasoned but apart from that all good! Parking right outside!

The idea of offering a wide array of culinary options is undoubtedly appealing and caters well to diverse preferences. Pricing is reasonable, and while the quality of food is generally average, it aligns with expectations for this category of dining. However, there are notable limitations. Beverages are not included in the meal price—though modestly priced, this should be considered in the overall value assessment. More significantly, the strict 120-minute time restriction undermines the social aspect of the experience. There is little room for meaningful conversation or relaxation, creating an atmosphere that, at times, feels rushed and transactional—hardly conducive to a communal meal. One might argue it borders on efficiency over enjoyment, evoking, metaphorically, the image of people feeding rather than dining.

My daughter brought her young sister and me here for my birthday meal. It appears enticing on the website offering a mix of cuisine's from French to Chinese, Italian to Greek and many more. Very disappointing. The staff are apathetic. Apart from the Chinese, which was passable, the food was all bland, under-cooked, cold and unappetising. As it was getting too late and it was meant to be my treat I force some food down and my young daughter ate a small amount. However, my older daughter was picked at the items on her plate but could not bring herself to each anything. She was extremely upset as this was meant to be a treat but turned into torture. We complained and were told the food was all perfectly OK. When we showed that the bread was as hard as the table and proved the food was cold we were told "that is your opinion." I called for the manager, Sanj, who refused to see us until we insisted was very dismissive. Again we showed how cold and stale everything was and my daughter's plate was completely full with nothing touched. Even though I had eaten only part of my food i offered that we would pay in full for mine and the child portion but would like a refund for the untouched plate, Sanj, this time told us it was just our opinion. £25 for a plate provably stale, cold food is disgusting. They have you over a barrel because you pay in advance. The food was appalling and the service worse. AVOID! AVOID! AVOID! I am worried that the food being left out in tepid temperatures could pose a serious food poisoning risk and will be asking Croydon Food standards to carrying out unannounced inspections.

Food was surprisingly decent. The prawns were a let down but overall we had a good time

Still as good as it has always been ... not fond of the plastic tumblers used for refillable cold drinks. Other than that it's a great sit down family friendly buffet resturant.

Prices have gone up and up and up bu the qaulity is the same poor, nasty, salty, cheap and just aweful all over. They should have at least some free drinks - even if its Squash or Soft Drinks.

I was not happy with the service I felt rushed to eat and spent moat of my birthday night negotiating about time.

First time trying this restaurant. Food is delicious. Many varieties. The Cantonese roast duck was amazing! The Dim Sum is also very nice.

I stopped going to JRC when they started charging me £20 for my special need child who doesn't even eat those kind of foods just for being there. I am not gonna leave my child behind just because she doesn't eat. I feed her and go out to enjoy. In the past she used to come in for free, but since last Yr all my family and friends don't go there as we found it offensive, it was as if we are telling them she won't eat and feed her later on. It is a shame because we used to love the food and the atmosphere!

Cost is just under £30 per person. They let you have a look at the food before you pay. There are a lot of options. Since it’s a buffet, there is always the risk of unhygienic people ruining the fun and unfortunately it was the kids. We observed a child eat sushi with the communal thongs. They were with an adult that allowed it to happen. There was another child that stuck their hand in the chocolate fountain. Since these environments are busy and the staff cannot watch everything, it is unfortunate that these things happen. The plates are quite big, so they allow you to try a bit of everything. However, I do feel like this encourages people to add on more than they can eat, thus creating unnecessary waste. I believe an additional charge should be placed on people that do this to encourage more mindful eating. With my group, we like to get small portions to gauge how full we are and go back for more if needed. The food is always topped up, so it’s not like it’s running out any time soon. Overall it’s a great place to go. Just not when all the kids are around and running wild.

A few years ago this place was incredible. Probably been 5 years since I visited, and my god has it fallen. Food is not great, but the main issue is the environment. The place is so run down they're not caring about renovation clearly

Over priced especially for children, a good selection of food. Staff polite and quite accommodating!

Food is good and lots of choice. Staff is unsocial and unhelpful. Was dining with my family for a birthday and they told us we have 20 mins left to eat which I didn't appreciate. Soft drinks should be included in price. Toilet needs refurbishing.

The food was average, nothing special. Lack of labels with allergens and no staff to ask. You completely serve yourself so there is no service. Hardly ate anything. Only good thing is you get a free meal if it’s your birthday. The atmosphere is not great as there are too many large tables which are very loud.

Still reasonably priced for all you can eat.

Lift broken so disabled could not reach food ok 4 pound on top for a cup to get drinks dont be late as your time slot is ticking 1 and half hours total to eat no table clearence until you left but did find a place to leave plates enjoyed the food lots of choice

Really bad experience. Went the for my daughters birthday and a Rude person at the door didn't want to let me in because they overbooked the tables, if it wasn't for security(the only one with commun sence). things would have escalated really quickly. Was told that each cup was 4£, but when kids were leaving, still with drinking on it, one of the waiters came and said that they couldn't. I've argued with them, and was informed that the 4£ was for the right to refill and since I needed a cup to to so, they had provided it, but asked if I could bring my owen cup from home and refill it at the drinking stations, they said no. Creating a need so the can charge more. Couldn't even sing happy birthday to my daughter there because my reservation only gives me 1 hour and 45 minutes to stay. Conclusion: i don't recommend it. There's better options around, with better service and cheaper, overall its 1 star because there's not a lower rate. Adults-27£ per person ,kids 3 to 14 years old-14£ per person. It's a lot just to sit + 4£ per cup of no alcoholic drinks (with refill). There's alcoholic drinks too, I've paid 28£ for a bottle of wine.

Food was okay. Many dishes to choose from. Very crowded at times so best to go earlier on weekends. I was issued a voucher for a VIP dish. That was 5 prawns shell on. However the cheeky part was that they was self service along with the half shell mussels. The food quality is not too bad and the hygiene standards have improved. Drinks however remain expensive for non alcoholic beverages. X3 adults on a Saturday cost nearly £90 then after a hour was told our time was up. In a way I felt rushed with my family especially for nearly £90 to dine with my daughter and partner. Overall it's not a regular thing as its really expensive. When your include unlimited soft drinks that's taking the total too £100 for family of 3. Thanks for reading...

So down hill . The guy holding piece of paper outside was so rude and ignored questions from multiple people. After booking at 8 we finally got threw the door to another que git seated at 820. Then they tried putting us on a stinky two seats by steps tgere was rubbish trolleys people back forth and smelt of urine and like a baby nappy. The guy seating us was rude infant there wasn't one nice person. What an absolute sxit hole. Never ever will I step foot in that place again. Talk about down hill. We got a refund and walked out and went to the italin few doors down which is 10/10 .

I came there today and the attitude I got from staff was appalling, the food overall was cold. The service was slow and I didn’t like the table I sat on it was dirty

Their buffet is unbeatable, Over 300 dishes to choose from and meals well cooked . Celebrated my mum’s birthday here and she loved it💃🎉🎂Dessert and fruit was fresh too!

Managed was very rude and unprofessional had to wait outside for an hours . Food was like hospital food. Awful

Wonderful quality buffet, with food choices for everyone. I could have eaten ten different meal types easy!

The place is really good. However had limited options for indian food. Great options for pan asian food though 👍🏻

Good food at a reasonable price

They are so mean and rude. I went there with my 4 year old special needs who is a fussy eater(that means he was not going to try anything that was there) he was still charged. The ladies at the reception including the manager were soo rude. Today is my first and last time going there! Never again!!

Over hyped buffet food. No taste like school dinners

Staff very very rude! Food was ready bad,nothing fresh!!! 0 stars + plus report to food hygiene.Dont go there !!!!

Very bad experience. The food is not very fresh, and some of the fries I tried were just awful. I would never want to try a piece of fruit from JRC Croydon. Some people had worse experiences here, I get it and mine wasn't the best. I could come to JRC in Croydon again to see if anything has improved

The Ambience is very Lovely,it is also a place for family gatherings,children friendly The Chocolate Fountain,was the icing on the Cake.

Over crowded, overbooked, rude staff. Definitely will NOT to return here. Far too too many people disappointed in the service and food. How is this place still open??!

We went to this restaurant last night, unfortunately, the place they gave us was very cold, we used to come to this restaurant a lot and in the past, there was a lot of variety of food and desserts and fruits which was completely reduced last night, the glass of soda was really expensive and interestingly we had already booked and our time was not up yet the staff told us that we had 15 minutes to leave the restaurant, while a large family entered the restaurant ahead of us and while they were still eating the staff did not give them any notice to leave the restaurant. I only recommend going there once a year.👌

Fantastic place highly recommended 👌 xbob

Good buffet in affordable price. Don't miss birth dates.

The food excellent, but they charged an extra £4 per person for soft drinks.

JRC is a hit and miss. I've been here a couple of times. I found going during the week to be best as less people and the staff are less stressed I guess. The food doesn't taste like salt and is made at a better quality. We went on a Saturday once and it was packed. The food was horrendous and it was as if they poured the whole salt container in that one dish. The rice the broccoli the veg and some other dishes were inedible. So go on less busy days id say. Staff were lovely and not much happening in the restaurant pass that music wise ect.

As a group of 20 people celebrating a birthday, the food was nice , still very busy. Out of 20 of us there is 12 people who have food poisoning from Saturday evening. It has ruined the birthday weekend to be honest

Had a free birthday meal here. A fantastic variety of food. Even my youngest child who is very fussy found lots to eat. I would recommend eating here for a family special occasion.

It's a decent place to share a meal with family and close friends. The food is very tasty, but it's a mass catering establishment which isn't ideal (in my opinion) for any occasion intended to have an air of intimacy or elegance. But if you're looking to satisfy your hunger with a good variety of familiar foods, then this is the place to go. I also love that the food you enjoyed last time tastes the same every time, so doesn't disappoint! The chefs do a great job flavoring the food carefully and authentically. It's not cheap but probably still good value for money for a fun loving food lovers like me😋 😍

Never go there! Very bad service! They cheat you and overcharge you. I received an email about free child entry. Just to make sure about the offer, I rang them up before I go. They told me on the phone I only need to book a table and show the email when I come and I don’t need to pay for the child. I booked a table for 7 adults and just 1 child on Monday at 5:30. But when we turned up, I was told the free entry is only for next time visit! I need to pay for everyone! Such a joke! They lie to the customers and they are so rude.

JRC is best if you go as a group of people especially for any party like birthday or get together because it’s a lot of variety of food they provide . The desserts are good and for the drinks you have to pay for the cup I remember around 4 pound (only for the cup) and then u can have drinks unlimited with that cup. They have live section for the four varieties of seafood. My favourite is coconut jelly deserts which was really good. They charge 25 pounds per person and u have to book online for the slot before going.

Honestly think this place was better years ago before the rebrand but some things in here are lovely and it's always clean. Be warned some sections can get a little cold at times and it is pretty dark in there. Find it difficult to focus with the lighting too. I go quite often with my son. Firstlly I think the Japanese section / the ticketed or limitied sections and the Indian side are the best. Basically everything around the side and not in the central parts seems to be the best bet. I've had scallops, prawns, crayfish, sushi, Tandoori chicken, paella, pizza, mac n cheese, fruit, veg, wings, curry, roasts, salad, gyoza, roast pork etc and have enjoyed them when here as well as other dishes which often rotate. Never really enjoy the Chinese style stuff right in the middle as it's a bit bland, dry and boring. However some of the stuff is OK when brought out fresh. Also desserts can be hit and miss. Just OK in my opinion if you have space. Find the fruit to be nice most of the time. Drinks cost extra which is fine. Self serve pretty standard syrup soda style. The menu drinks from the bar are much better. Toilets have been fine everytime we've been. Plates and cutlery always seem clean without spots too. I think it could be better realistically but for the price it's not bad. You've just gotta look around to find the best things on the day. Again I'd recommend going anywhere but the dead centre. I've been to better buffets and I do find the options lack real variety like some but it's still somewhere we will continue to visit. We've never left hungry even if we've had to experiment a bit.

Pretty well priced for what it is. Plenty of choice food wise. Clean and tidy. If you like to eat a variety of cuisines, it has plenty for you.

Great atmosphere, good food and pleasant environment

An absolute nightmare of a place...no access for disabled people or those with pushchairs or prams...a shamble of a waiting scheme for entrance to this place...the people was humiliated by a person at the door for being 10 minutes late...I managed to bypass the jobsworth at the door to wait in a lounge area with seats that was damaged and beraggled... I noticed signs on the wall about abuse to staff...I can see why....the hosting was awful...our host had no idea of a booking and questioned me...I said check your computer all information is on there...we was eventually led to a dilapidated area with peeling wallpaper and broken fitments and put in a overcrowded area which scared me as I thought if there was a fire there would be disastrous affects and loss of lives... The food was adequate...a semi decent take away grade...not good but not bad. I will not recommend this place at all and there are much better eateries in the area that would be better to cope with hungry guests.. I give this place one star for the mediocre food... Avoid at all costs Steve Allen

Terrible. Freezing everyone's sitting with coats on. No atmosphere. Would never return, waste of space should be turned into something else as everywhere else has improved and is nice.

Food not suitable for South Asian and Arabic.

I am at JRC buffet now it’s freezing so hard to enjoy the food we served and came to the table the food is cold they take so much money must think about the people s health as well I am her with my 89 year old uncle eating with the Jackson can’t enjoy the meal at all really disappointed

I haven't been here in years, this place has upgraded. So many choices! I will be back for sure !

Massive variety of food, nice on general

If you are a larger gentleman this

Food all tasted the same.....Bland. you do get a variety of options but it was pointless as everything tasted the same. Not much choice for vegetarians either. Best section was the fruit.

Very very good Chinese food, Indian food left a lot to be desired!

If I could put zero star, I would. It is absolutely terrible, the food for me, was tasteless. My family did like the lamb sauce dish. The tikka masala wasn't good enough. Their service is so bad.... Great for families though.

Nice place wanted a steak only had one person cooking for a line of 13 people, around 3-5 minute wait per person = a long wait for a steak

If there is a heaven when we die, my version of that would probably be unlimited table time in this place and being able to eat everything I want without gaining weight. Blows Jimmy Spices out of the water, that's for sure. Unlimited poke bowls, sushi, takoyaki, onigiri, chicken tenders, fried rice, char siu pork, ice cream etc? Yes please!

Very nice service wirh a wide food range not too expensive nice for a good meal out

Not recommended, cold food and not the best

Expensive. £30 to start, all drinks are extra on top of that.

Amazing place great value for money all different types of food pizza roast dinner Chinese Indian Sushi etc very good for vegetarians and meat eaters too staff very friendly and polite such good desserts ice cream Eton mess lots of cakes fresh fruit profiteroles and lots more Can’t fault this place I enjoyed eating a bit of everything

Terrible customer service at the front desk. On top of that we arrived at 20:31 and was told that the last entry was at 20:30 even though Google states other. Even though I must of eaten at this restaurant 30 odd times and stayed loyal even though I had received bad food a few times i will not be going back. That was the last straw Team Eubank

Great value for money, amazing ambience.

Croydon JRC The food is stale and the attitude is bad

The best buffet I've had The staff are very nice and polite Food are fresh and amazing Highly recommend 👌

Overall good experience but good can be better for the price we pay

It was such an amazing time. Being able to spend my mother's final birthday was absolutely amazing😍😍😍😍

Lots of variety of English and Asian food. There was plenty of space to move around. We were gently prodded to leave after an hour and a half, which was plenty to time to fill up.

Best food and lovely mangmet food delicious

Well a had a good time, the food is ok and there are plenty of options.

Absolutely shocking service for my grandsons birthday,he was 12yrs,the woman on the desk I believe she is polish was asking for his birth certificate for proof.He was 3 inches below the height sign. This place is a disgrace it's like getting into airport security. Atmosphere zero. Trying to contact head office low and behold there is not one. Typical. The women on the desk is in the wrong job I'm afraid she's miserable and did not understand what we where trying to ask. Please spend your money elsewhere lots of wonderfull freshly served buffets around.

Very amazing loved every bit of it and food lovely service incredible atmosphere was awesomely awesome lobe to go again

The experience was a bit of a vast all you can eat atmosphere, bit like marmite you like or ?

I've been coming here for years, JRC is the kind of restaurant that caters to all, from dietary requirements to fussy eaters. You have set time, which is plenty as you don't need to wait for your food as it's an open buffet although I'd make sure your ready to eat as it can work out quite pricey just for one plate, I believe it's £25/28 depending on which day you go. I definitely recommend. It was a great experience with an incredible selection of food

Very dirty, rats in the kitchen

Lovely buffet. I enjoyed the meal but at that price, two hours should be given as some people are not focused on eating but also catching up with family and friends. People talk and eat and before you know it, you are reminded you only have 20 mins left for you to go. Mean while you are just about to go for the second filling. All the same I did enjoy myself and the ambiance is great.

If you wanna eat from dirty plates , unlimited dirty plates then come here. You walk over food, people walk around like they have never seen food before in here lol Never again

Have visited again after 9 years. Grilled section chef served what he wanted not what I wanted. Not enough seafood collection before like crab although it was the season

The worst place, I booked for 7 people but 3 people arrived and they didn't let us in because we weren't all of us even though we wanted to pay for all the other 4 couldn't make it. I find it very stupid and very disrespectful to the customers, we will definitely not be coming back here

Amazing place love it ❤️ Excellent food big choice

Awful place do not eat here. Had to stand in a queue until after reservation time outside the resturant. Atmosphere was awful with children running everywhere screaming. Service was awful / non existent. The barman was rude and that's before you get to the cold awful food. Chinese was full of grease and tasteless. Sushi had crab sticks in the middle of it. Most of the dishes were cold and the puddings were like the rest of the food inedible. The fish grill was filthy so you can imagine the actual kitchen is the same. All food smothered in cheap oil. Mens toilets filthy, smelly and covered in urine. Wish I had read the reviews before I went.

Left disappointed sadly- came in last week and enjoyed the beef chops so much came back. Two of my children had them and one did not as we were told you had run out!! Waited over 20 mins for desert and it was still frozen

Great place to celebrate a birthday! The birthday person eats for free!

Fantastic place dream for foodies

dirty place. cutlery was dirty. plastic cups smelt awful and the fizzy drinks tasted weird. Definitely not worth £27 per person. feel ill

How can a worker walk past a child dipping fingers in the food for God know were that child fingers has been but it was so unhygienic . DEFINITELY DESSPOINTED

This place has gone seriously downhill. Staff are allergic to proving any kind of service (except the guy who was at the grill station). When we came out of the lifts found huge amount of ice cream or may be mayonnaise on the floor. Staff did nothing even after bringing it to their attention. Food was served until 9.30 pm. They stopped refilling after 8.15 pm. Considering they were charging £25 per adult most of the stations were running low and some completely empty. Food quality was average. Steaks were cut thinner than bacon. Staff looked like they were held hostage.

Lovely selection of food, good quality, clean serving areas, big plates Will be going back on my birthday

Really enjoyed the food and the variety of choice, however drinks are not included in meal price. Overall it was good, would return again.

You will end up massively stuffed. Not the place to sit down and have a meal with conversation. You are too busy trying the huge range of foods here, especially the Eastern cuisine. Go on your birthday and produce your passport to get your meal free with accompanying guests.

For those who live for food adventures, @jrc_global_buffet is your ticket to culinary heaven! 🍴✨ Imagine indulging in a smorgasbord of global delicacies, from the spicy richness of Indian dishes to the artistic presentation of Japanese Teppanyaki. This buffet offers something for every palate. Crave Italian? Enjoy the freshest pizzas. Fancy a British classic? Their roast is top-notch. With 300 dishes from 12 different countries and 10 live cooking stations, each visit feels like an international journey. Prices are unbeatable for the all-you-can-eat extravaganza, ranging from £25 to £28, with children up to 13 enjoying half-price and some locations offering unlimited drink refills for just £4. Celebrating a birthday? You can enjoy a FREE meal! The staff's hospitality makes every visit memorable, with their friendly and professional service. Must-Try Dishes: • British Roast: A classic with juicy meat, Yorkshire pudding, and delicious mac and cheese. • Teppanyaki Station: Watch the magic unfold as chefs prepare scallops, calamari, and more. • Japanese Heaven: Sushi, sashimi, tempura... a true umami feast! • Chinese Station: Savor the crispy roast duck and mouthwatering dim sum. • Indian Cuisine: Dive into tandoori naan, kebabs, and rich curries. • Thai Station: Enjoy aromatic soups and stir-fries bursting with flavor. • Noodle & Rice Station: Your go-to for a quick, satisfying meal. • Fried Delights: Crispy treats like onion rings and chicken nuggets. • Dessert Heaven: Mini desserts that promise a sweet ending. • Chocolate Fountain: Perfect for dipping marshmallows and fruits. • Refreshing Drinks: From juices to coffees, there's something for everyone. Gather your loved ones and dive into this buffet wonderland. It's a dining experience you won't want to miss! 🎉🍽️

100% HARAM restaurant!!! Before I booked for my anniversary dinner I asked reception is it halal she said 100% halal but they do pork but it’s separate kitchen and provided separately but unfortunately when I went there I saw pork and halal food like soap, roll, pork ribs, pork curry everything they serving from same place. I was totally shocked! I paid already and very carefully I took some food and finish our dinner. It was totally disgusting and dishonesty with Muslim customer. HIGHLY RECOMMEND PLEASE DO NOT GO ANY MUSLIM TO JRC CROYDON.

Well, what can I say? To me, it's just a place with an average food buffet style. We attended the Croydon branch. I think they need to give more time to eat maybe 2hrs. Too many food wastage as they dont allow to take home left overs, but that is the fault of customers. Small portions each time should be taken at a time. A child will be charged full price regardless if they are under 11 and over 150cm, I don't think that is fair just because a child is tall for their age they are charged adult price. Most children will not be able to eat as much for the adult price you pay. That was a big let down, I think they need to just keep it as under 11s half price, and if the child looks older, ID should be shown. On the plus side you get a free birthday meal if booked in advance.

I have been here twice and have always had a fantastic time. The huge selection of foods are amazing and taste great. If you go on your birthday, you can eat for free!

Very expensive and drunks nor included anymore so disappointed. Deserts are not very nice.

The concept of offering diverse culinary options is appealing. However, it is important to note that beverages are not included in the meal price and are relatively inexpensive. Additionally, the dining time is limited to 120 minutes, which may not be sufficient for socializing. While the food quality is average, the pricing is reasonable.

It so cozy atmosphere and there are a lot of food choices..

Food was good, quite an array to choose from. Reasonably priced for eat all you want.

Food was of very good quality and tasted great 👍🏻 lots of different food and desserts to choose from.

Food is not tasty at all and all the food is cold poor buffet