Lena Restaurant in Hackney

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Great offers, amazing staff, great cocktails, even better pizza's! Super reasonable prices, especially during happy hour! Just GO!

Great food, great service. If I had read some of the previous reviews I would have been put off, so go visit for yourself. :-)

Fuimos aquí para el almuerzo en un libro una oferta de mesa. Después de ver el menú que decidimos pedir la carta. A pesar del hecho de que éramos la única tabla de allí para la totalidad de nuestra comida las dos camareros no podía haber sido menos educado, menos atento o menos interesado. La comida era lento y extremadamente promedio, tibia, sin sabor y en algunos casos un poco quemado. Lo único que redime eran los postres que eran muy sabroso y un precio bastante razonable.

muy elegante restaurante en Shoreditch. La comida era excelente ... excelente relación calidad-precio, ya que nos aprovechamos de sus ofertas especiales. el camarero era encantador ... fuimos italiano con amigos que son difíciles de complacer los sibaritas ... su veredicto?.. cuando podemos volver?!!! Sin duda recomendaría este restaurante. Disfrutamos de una velada encantadora!

Yo estaba en el camino a otro restaurante cuando éste atrajo mi atención y el menú parecía bueno. Uno dentro del interior muy decente sin embargo, los escasos clientes en una animada parte de Londres debería haber sonó algunas campanas de alerta temprana. Mi colega y ofrecieron algo de pan y aceitunas ambos eran decepcionantes, me refiero a rancio. Pedimos, esperamos y finalmente grasoso servido con un plato de pasta, una salsa muy normal y tres gambas pequeñas en armaduras. Además, los platos estaban fríos y pronto se redujo la pasta de la helada variedad. No es bueno. Enormemente caro y te dejan sentir como si hubiera sido asaltaron.

- the quality and quantity of food was good - the service was OK for us - but it was very noisy, we couldn't talk in a decent manner - and somewhat too expensive

Tuve una excelente verduras a la brasa" o las aquí, pero quedó esperando una hora, porque la mía era incorrecta sirve a otra mesa. Los errores ocurren por supuesto, pero este problema estaba mal con la que tratamos de los camareros que me dijo varias veces que estaba viniendo - incluyendo cuando sirven otros miembros de mi mesa, uno de los cuales había acabado de comer antes de mi comida finalmente llegamos. Si tenían explicó el error temprano y me ofreció una alternativa que podría haber sido preparado más rápidamente no me hubiera importado tanto. El servicio fue bueno, y no recibir una explicación completa al final, y estuvieron de acuerdo en no cobrarme mi plato cuando me quejé. Pero su fracaso para tratar el problema adecuadamente arruinó la noche para todos nosotros.

Wast week i went with friends in Lena.One of my friends told me that the restuarant is realy good,so i decided to try it.When we went there the hosting was absoletely welcoming.The atmosphere was nice and relaxing.For starter i had buffalo mozzarella,wild rocket,oregano roasted tomatoes.I loved it.For main i chose braised lamb shoulder,crisp polenta,roadt potatoes and red cabbage.I can say that the lamb was perfectely cooked,the polenta aswell,nice and crispy.The potatoes absolutely tasty.This meal waamazing.Everything perfectely cooked.And for desert i had chocolate bomba with cherries.Just heavenly good.I had an amazing delicious experience.You need to try it.Best italian cuisin.

Took my sister there for her Birthday a few weeks ago after going there a year ago for her last Birthday. We went last time on a Friday and had a wonderful evening in the restaurant and the cocktail lounge downstairs.This year we went on a Monday so expected a quiet evening but still had high expectations for the food/drink. We arrived for our half 7 booking and there was no one around so we had to wait to be seated, it seemed like there was only one waiter on that evening so after we sat down we had to wait a further 5 minutes for the menus and had to then ask him for the wine list. Upon choosing our wine, he returned to say they didn't have that particular one which was a shame. Nevertheless we ordered our food and unfortunately my main wasn't available, again slightly disappointing as I'd expect to be told this when we're given the menus but the steak I opted for was excellent and my sister had the chestnut fettuccine which she said was greatOverall our food was brilliant but the service left a lot to be desired especially given how quiet it was. Such a shame to have to give this three stars given the great experience we had last time

We went lunch today in this lovely restaurant, the service was excellent and food really well presented and well cooked, we will defineatly go back there, Enjoyed it!!! Thx to all staff

A few people from work went for lunch here because we had been given a flyer....never again. The food took an hour and a half to come out, even though we had booked ahead and there was only one other group in the restaurant. When the food finally arrived, we were all shocked at how small the portions were, I would describe them as starter size rather than a main and so was still hungry after my lunch. To make it worse, the prices are quite high (£12 for 8 pieces of pasta) and when we refused to pay the service charge the waiter turned rude and abusive. Overall, there is nothing good about this place and I advise everyone to avoid at all costs

Went with a group of colleages - although the food tasted good the service was incredibly slow (1 and a half hours) and the portion sizes very small (8 pieces of pasta for £9, which was classed as a main!). Everyone was still hungry at the end and the waiter wasn't happy when we didn't want to pay the service charge. Don't go if you are short on time and are hungry.

One of my favourite restaurants in London! Ihavebeen at least ten times: Excellent food, excellent service, stylish and moderndecor, great cocktails and live music in the bar downstairs. Only downside to this place is what I can oly imagine is a lack of marketing as it is often a bit quiet and can lack atmosphere. The owners need to work on 'the buzz'! But otherwise one to go back to ime and time again.

We had our office party here last Friday night. This was brilliantly organised by Christian and the team at Lena. Staff were friendly and accomodating and the food and drink was brilliant. They designed a special cocktail for us. We hired the private room function downstairs.Food was fantastic and we will return! thanks to Christian and the team!!

I met up with a friend and her new fiancé one night after work in Shoreditch so looked for somewhere close by. As my friend is a big fan of Italian so I plumped for Lena and I'm glad I did. The location is good as its in Hoxton so we had plenty of places to choose from beforehand for a pre dinner drink. The decor is really impressive with white Victorian tiles and a lovely bar as a focal point. The waiter gave us a really warm welcome but that's probably because we were the only customers which was one of the negatives. Only one more table arrived so the atmosphere could have been better, although it was just after new year so to be expected. The food was authentic Italian rather than just your usual pizza and pasta. In fact there are no pizzas. We had antipasti to start and whilst good on the whole, the focaccia could have been better. It was a bit dry. I had seabass as a main which was a really generous portion, accompanied by a crab compote, fondant potato which were delicious and all perfectly cooked. My friend had pasta with a tomato based sauce. As a vegetarian she was limited in choice. Again it was a generous portion. My friend's fiancé had meatballs and rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes which he confirmed was thoroughly enjoyable. I would definitely recommend and will be going again.

We visited this restaurant on New Years Eve. Although the restaurant was extremely busy, with every table taken and a party in the bar downstairs the service was exceptional. Our waiter was friendly and chatty without becoming part of our night. All staff we spoke to were very attentive and the manager even came over to ask how we were enjoying our food.The food itself was very good, Italian food with fine dinning flare the main courses in particular we're very well cooked and just the right sized portion.We would certainly visit again.

Lena isn't your typical run of the mill Italian. In culinary terms imagine The White Company meets L'Occitane en Provence. Soft lighting and a chilled easy going vibe as begits the area. Stylish yet intimate. Food is divine, the pasta dishes are superb. the meats are tender and juicy. champagne and wines were quite good. Service was a little patchy, but in mitigation it was a busy night. Word to the wise, go for the a la carte menu. Enjoy!

I had the pleasure of being taken to Lena for my 30th birthday lunch by my company. Unfortunately we missed out on their 50% off menu due to our party being over 5 (small print in ladies loos) however it was still a lovely lunch. Don't come here expecting a reasonably fair priced meal. 7 of us ate mains only plus 2 bottles of wine and water, came to about £30 per head. Would probably come back although it would have to be a special occasion. Some may also be interested to know that the guys that run The Chapel Bar in Angel are affiliated with Lena.

Went there due to a special offer and me & my partner were in the area. Looked great from outside. Was worried we were dressed down as it was a summer's day and we had been out the while day but the staff were very welcoming and friendly. Absolutely faultless.When the food came, I couldn't believe how good it was. Even down to the olives, it was so full of flavour and the dishes were definitely cooked by a chef of the highest standard.For such high quality, we have to say even without the discount, it was very good value but a steal if you can get a special offer here.Highly recommend the sautéed mushroom starter but there was nothing that wasn't even slightly below par. Only thing I would say if I was highly critical would be the choice of desserts are standard but even still, very delicious and look forward to going back and taking others.

I ate at this restaurant with a friend courtesy of a Living Social deal (3 courses+champagne for 2). The manager was very accommodating and extended the expiry date for me by another week, which he wasn't obliged to do. The restaurant decor is lovely, fresh white with accent colours and modern furnishings. It's a fair walk down from Spitalfields (more towards the bars of Shoreditch) but is very elegant. Having read previous customer's comments I think the team at Lina have taken onboard feedback; we found the portion sizes to be massive. So much so that we left feeling full to the point of being uncomfortable!! The food was good, well presented and creative. I had mushroom starter, crisped skin salmon and ice cream with espresso, my friend had calamari, chicken wrapped in bacon and hazelnut torte. We had no complaints on the quality or portion size. Service was attentive, polite and as expected of a London standard.Our only surprise was that service charge (at 12.5%) was added to the total value of the meal, including the FULL RRP of the discounted Living Social offer!! We paid this but felt it was well and truly cheeky at £11.75 on extras of £33. I think restaurant should review the service charges.

My friends and family organised me a surprise baby shower, the venue was amazing, the staff even more amazing and the food was to die for. They could not have done more for us and made my day the most amazing day ever.

I enjoyed my experience at Lena....and cannot understand how people left hungry! I was stuffed after some lovely fresh asparagus and soft poached egg, followed by Veal chop, which you don't see much in London, and is a welcome change from heavy steak. It was served with jersey royals and very tasty, as well as humungous, my boyfriend was happy to have what I couldn't manage. The decor is lovely and it provided us with a haven from the horrid rain outside in the typical London 'summer'. I recommend this place if you are looking for something a bit nicer in the Shoreditch area as so much of it is a bit grimy....

Having read some mixed reviews- my husband and I are pleased we tried this italian restaurant! It is absolutely beautiful inside. The staff were very pleasant but the highlight was the pasta feast! Definitely not to be missed

I had lunch at Lena. I have been there a few times before and I must say that I always leave happy and stuffed. I had the veal ragu, which was amazing and my partner had the chicken wrapped in spek ( which is a kind of bacon) and a side of zucchini fitti, very nice! We had a bottle of house red, I must compliment them for such a nice house wine for such a decent price. The service is friendly and quite efficient. We paid about £35 each, It was excellent!

I went to Lena on a Friday evening with a friend of mine just arrived from Italy. I couldn’t choose a better place to show off my new life in the east end!The décor at Lena is simply stunning and the food is a mix of delicious Italian's best dishes. We had a lovely meal and the manager is seriously charming! The bar downstairs is the perfect place to continue the evening, good cocktails and good music. Will visit again soon with my family.

Lena came up trumps for us. My friend and I went there last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The fresh black pasta with seafood, made at Lena's was very tasty, the dessert to die for! Service in general was attentive but unobtrusive. Will definitely return and recommend it to my friends and family.

On a Friday evening I expected the resturant to have more diners. By the end of the meal, I knew why. The starters were very average and small in portions, the mains were just passable, one of my side dishes was bearly warm and had to be sent back. The service, for which you are charged 12.5%, began OK, however, when more tables began to fill (but by no means full) the service declined rapidly. Clearly they need more staff. Sorry, but 6/10 from me.

We had some fantastic Italian food at Lena's, particularly the fish and pasta. The service was spot on and helped with a toptable offer, it was very good value too. We went down stairs to listen to the free music and it was very pleasant jazz but wasn't quite what we expected. All in all I would recomend this and we shall return at some stage.

i have just come back from Lena restaurant feeling VERYYY HUNGRY! i went with my family just for a nice meal out and i had suggested this place as i had walked past a few times and decor looks lovely! we felt looking at the menu it was a little pricey for just a simple family meal out but we thought why not! the waitor got ours drinks order wrong twice and left us waitinga round for quiet a while. also 2 people came to ask for our oder after already placing one ! we ordered anti pasti to share which was nice then i had the chefs sepcial crab and spinich ravioli, there was approx. 8 small pieces of ravioli ! costing £15 ! i was very disapointed when it arrived as i was soo hungry and very much looking forward to a meal ! my brother who is only young and doesnt eat a lot just had a plain piece of steak and fair enough that is all that we had asked for but for a small piece it had cost £18 ! i beleive this is an average price for a meal but i dont expect to be left hungry ! and wanting to get out asap to get to the shop to buy some snacks ! we asked for the bill and the service charge was the price of another meal !.. i myself have been a waitress in the past and i know it is some times a stressful job but you get paid to do a job you do not stick an extra £15 on the top for a man who didnt even get the order right !! we did not pay the service charge and he came back to say we had not paid enough ! so we walked out as soon as possible ! every seemed unfriendly and rude !!i truly urge people to eat before they have a meal there and if they are a fan of over priced measly portions and rude staff then its the perfect place :| i will NOT !! be going there agian EVERRR

Reading the reviews of Lena it sounded like people enjoyed the food but found the service lacking, but I have to say we had no problems with either. The decor is fun, and the menu varied and good value for what you get.We shared an antipasti to start with some beautifully marinated artichokes and huge pugliani olives. For main I had pasta with clams and caviar, and my partner had rabbit pasta - both great and huge portions. The desert (panna cotta with rhubarb sorbet) was equally good, spoilt ever so slightly by a naff meringue decoration! Staff were friendly and the service was prompt. The meal including a bottle of good wine came to £80 for two.

i recently took my colleagues to Lena restaurant and was apprehensive as it was my recommendation! I was so pleased i did - pleasant service, delicious and authentic italian food all made even more wonderful by the music and chatting and of course the sumptuous decor! we really did have a delightful time- it did not let me down, therefore, i will be back! (especially for more of that pasta!!!!!)

Das Restaurant Lena, befindet sich im hippen Stadtteil Shoreditch in der City of London. Die Einrichtung ist in weiß gehalten und wirkt sehr edel im mediterranischen Style. Die Weinauswahl ist sehr groß und die Preise sind moderat. Die Hauptspeisen waren sehr gut: Entenbrust, Fischsuppe und Pasta. Auch hier sind die Preise für Londoner Verhältnisse angemessen. Guten Appetit!

I really wanted to score Lena higher than 3 but with the service levels we experienced last night I just couldn't. Staff here do not communicate with each other and don't know what they're doing. We had to ask for things so many times - we felt very much like we had to ask to order, ask where things were because our food was taking so long - and when we asked someone, we were told, "oh I will just get your waitress" but nothing seemed to happen - nobody came over! We had to ask for some things multiple times (eg "can we please order"). One waiter did not know which kinds of icecream were available which you would think would be a basic thing to know about the menu. The staff were not rude - they were friendly and sweet, but they just couldn't seem to get their act together. It created a stressful experience for my friend and I because we couldn't relax and we constantly felt like we had been forgotten. All of that said, I just want to say that the food and decor at this place are both excellent. The pasta dishes and salads we had were brilliant and there were interesting ice cream flavors available (including basil and cinnamon). Lena could be 5 stars very easily if the service was sorted out. Lena has been open long enough now that these sorts of problems should not exist.

My husband got the seafood risotto (mussels and crawfish) and I got the chicken milanese - both were wonderful, waiter and staff were all very friendly - they charge for bread w/ olive oil (1 pound) and the menu said 1 pound "cover charge" for each person, but we didn't notice it on the bill, although we were there for lunch. Would recommend - lunch menu is cheaper and wonderful.

Overall, a very nice experience. Since the food is prepared when ordered, our large group of 14 tripped them up a bit, but the apologies were genuine and the resulting meals were delicious...and worth the wait.

Il rumore è la pecca di questo ristorante, bar, live music. Musica alta, non altissima, ma che basta a far alzare la voce agli ospiti e rendere tutto un bel po' fastidioso. Il locale è posto su due piani, ma solo il piano sopra (a livello strada) è destinato al ristorante, sotto alla zona musica. Comunque, dato che si trovava vicino l'hotel, a Shoreditch, ci siamo stati due volte, anche per far mangiare la pasta alla nostra bimba. L'ambiente è confortevole, i piatti buoni, il servizio attento. Lo stile è quello londinese di fascia media e cioè di non utilizzare stuoie o tovaglie da tavola sotto i piatti. Sarebbe meglio prenotare perché il locale non è grandissimo; noi non l'abbiamo fatto, ma non abbiamo avuto alcun problema. La cucina chiude alle 22,30. Prezzo circa 50 sterline (57 euro), comprese le mance, per tre portate, due contorni, vino, tre dessert. Consigliabile.

I don't normally write reviews of restaurants but our dinner at Lena's was really, really bad.The staff left us waiting for a long time after taking our order before serving our food. The food was ok in my opinion but all 3 other guests in my group disagreed and were not happy at all.What really annoys me the most was the male waiter wearing pink nailpolish. Very rude and he had no manners whatsoever. Other staff in the restaurant were exactly the same.We had a deal through Groupon and nowhere was it mentioned that on top of the ridiculously expensive prices we still had to pay a service charge which was ridiculous. When we asked them to take it off the bill the waiter got even more rude. In the end we gave him the money (not me since I would not have given anything but would have instead walked out!) He still had the cheek to say he didn't care if you come back or not since he didn't care.I could go on and on but to put it simply absolutely awful place avoid at all costs. They will be bankrupt soon with this kind of behaviour for sure!

I don't know how we missed this place during our various stays at the nearby Hoxton Hotel, but was delighted we checked it out on a busy Friday night. We had been looking for a light dinner (having been gorging ourselves for the past few days) and were drawn to the "Jazz" sign we spotted near the door as we headed for some familiar spots nearby. From th street it appeared Lena's was split into a light and airy upstairs (decorated with lots of white and large, comfy couches) and the lower level which appeared much darker but more intimate. We decided to try our luck although we had no reservations and the place looked busy. Luck was with us and we were promptly seated at the rear of the upper level at what appeared to have once been a large, refinished kitchen table. Three of us fit comfortably at a table that could have seated a half dozen wit ease...no problem with feeling crowded. The menu was heavily Italian and because we had splurged at lunch, we elected to just order a pasta course with a nice, reasonably priced Italian Red (2009 Moltepicano/Abruzzzo) (my spelling is best guess). My veal fettuccine was superb and done to perfection. My wife's asparagus risotto was equally delightful and our son's paparadelle pasta was delicious. The only downsides to this otherwise nifty spot were the noise levels and the slowish service. Both could be attributed to the activity level. We did not check out the jazz options of the lower level, but did enjoy popular jazz background music (when we could hear it during breaks in the conversation). No bargains, but a nice spot to relax and dine.

It all looks great from the outside.Fabulous white decor and leather chesterfields.Lazy, snooty, disinterested maitre d' made us feel completely unwelcome.He stood in front of us at the door till we spoke.He was cold as an ice and aloof.(How do these inapropriate people get these jobs?)We felt as if he was doing us a big favour by honouring us with his presence.I later noticed him doing some kind of design work on thecomputer, rather than seeing to the clients.He never bothered to see how we were doingthroughout the meal.He never bothered to look up when we left.Teriffic friendly waitress couldn't do enough to answer queries and be helpful.So thumbs up to that sweet girl.I suggest sticking to the pork and steak roasts/grills as they were palatable.There is a puzzling lack of herbs and seasoning going on here, mostnoticeable in the pasta and vegetarian dishes that we sampled.I am being polite here.....'bland'.We will never visit this place again.

Female diners beware! I came here for a friend's birthday and was so disappointed by the whole experience that I would not come back to Lena's even if you paid me.Before we get onto the food, the service (restaurant's manager, Alex in particular) treated us in such an appalling manner which left us reeling from the experience. Upon leaving the restaurant, having spent more than 2.5 hours waiting for our mediocre and overpriced food, I was told by the snobby maître d to get our coats ourselves from the cloak room. When I complained to the manager about the poor customer care, he hurled so much abuse at me that I became both shaken and outraged at the same time. Shouting 'get the **** out or I will push you down the stairs myself', paralyzed me as I had never been threatened in this sort of manner. Having called the police unfortunately they are not able to take any steps against this man at this point, but if you have had this sort of experience I would urge you to call and report him as they will be able to act with more evidence. If you can avoid this restaurant, do at all costs. There are too many other, better restaurants in London that serve good food and know a thing or two about customer care.

For the money that you pay this is not good value. The food was distinctly average and came in fairly small portions. Ambience wasn't great either, although it was a Sunday night.

Terrible service. One of the worst I have ever experienced. We patiently waited for our orders to be taken, but no one would show up. We got the maitre's attention and our orders were finally taken, after a total 25 min wait. Bear in mind that there were several tables empty. Food was mediocre. Seabass actually tasted bad. The only good thing was the garlic focaccia served before starters. However, we hadn't requested any focaccia. We were surprised to find a charge of 8,00 pounds for focaccia we hadn't ordered.Another example of poor service: a friend of mine grabbed the bottle of wine to pour on her glass. The waiter took it off her hand very abruptly and said "if you had waited a bit longer I would have done it for you". I was in shock. I have never seen anything like it.We left before dessert. Dinner there: never again.

The staff welcomes you the moment you walk in the door, and the attentive service never slips for a moment. Decor is cozy modern. Food was delish. The homemade pastas and breads were wonderful. Really liked the gnocci, though the sea bass while not overcooked was very anorexic. Dessert should not be missed for the semi-freddo was creamy as well as crunchy, and the cannoli were almost as good as being back in Italy.

I found Lena while staying at the Hoxton Hotel just up the road (there's not a whole lot of choice, frankly). The restaurance was reasonable enough, though nothing to get excited aboutThe food itself was fine, with a decent choice of pasta. The staff were fairly friendly and the prices were pretty standard for London. There was nothing about the restaurant to lift it out of the ordinary, apart from the slightly funky decor, and even that didn't really work for me.

Went to Lena this week with friends who eat there quite often, and am so glad for the introduction! The location is fantastic, on a Shoreditch corner with huge windows that let light flood the space. The decor is comfortable and really lovely, with sofas at many of the dining tables and a white decor splashed with bright greens and metals. The Italian food was perfect - we started with signature cocktails made with care and expertise by their mixologist - then moved on to a sampler plate of appetisers paired with a Gavi di Gavi. For a main I had the sliced sirloin steak topped with dressed arugula and shaved parmesan. Friends had beautiful gnocchi with truffles that I tasted and risotto... all divine.We made a leisurely night of it and had our table from 7pm until well after midnight, and the staff were as relaxed about it as we were.I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting, living or working on the east side of London!

We decided to treat ourselves to a 'posh meal' and weren't disappointed with Lena. The staff could not have been more welcoming and friendly on our arrival. We perused the menu over our G & T's and decided on the sharing platter to start with which was divine. I've been to Italy a few times and the meats were as good as I have tasted there. Both seafood lovers, we chose pasta dishes with clams and scallops. Delicious. The atmosphere is fantastic, jazz music relaxes you but is not too loud that you can't talk. It's very romantic and the decor is just lovely. Would recommend.

A local recommended Lena so we Started w/ the Moscato , followed by the Cannelli bean soup for a starter. I had the pork belly ,cabbage & wine poached pear- the menu description is better than my description. My wife had the Sea Bass raviolis which was heavenly. We went in for a light afternoon lunch & we had afternoon culinary adventure. The young Southern Italian Chef confided to me so technique which embellished this experience. The staff is friendly & comfortable! A Must.