Red Onion Cafe in Hillingdon

Loved it! Fresh cooked food ( lovely varied menu too ) All the staff were fantastic on the ball & EXCELLENT customer service. It’s decorated so well. Edgy & cute. Perfect sunday brunch

Beautiful presentation of food. Nice bitesize menu so easier to pick food of choice not overkill on choices. My wife's a kiwi from NZ and she hates the greasy spoon cafes in the UK. This cafe was the first she felt it bought the best of UK cafes out with amazing food choice and presentation that she's so used too in NewZealand. I cannot fault thinking either. Healthy and delicious.

So this place looks really quaint. I love the decor; it also has a covered outside place out the back. Staff were really friendly. I had the Hinglish Breakfast, it sounded amazing on paper, although it was pretty average in reality. It wasn't seasoned at all and the sourdough toast wasn't even buttered. The coffee was Luke warm. My wife has the vegan breakfast, was was little better than mine. All in all, if you want to be in a place that is rather chic not too worried about the food, knock yourself out.

Best breakfast I had in a while and highly recommended it.

What a place - breakfast was fantastic and the service amazing. A lady working there on 30.10.23 lunch time was incredibly polite and welcoming !!!!

Lovely dog friendly cafe. Lovely breakfasts, all the food really great quality and friendly staff!

Love the atmosphere,. The food is delicious

Visited Red Onion for brunch. Welcoming greeting from everyone Staff and customers included. Delicious food especially the Hinglish breakfast. Dietary request also met. Bonus was being able to take our dog as well. Can’t wait to eat here again… very soon! Thank you all!

Gem of a place. Lovely staff and great coffee

One of the best cafe's in the local area. Warm and cosy to sit in, great service and the food is always on point (as well as the coffee). Highly recommended

A slight wait but the food is well worth it. Best Place to eat in the area.

Dec '23: dropped in for a coffee & a chat with an acquaintance. Attentive service and lunch business looked to be busy. March '22. A pleasure to return for a double espresso before setting off for a bike ride. July '21; back to a full service, staff permitting. February '21; they're back, at least at weekends, with a selection of choice fresh vegetables in addition to their normal selection of cakes to accompany their quality coffee. Why not support a local independent coffee shop rather than the bland generic chains? Wide range of tasty dishes on the menu including classic breakfasts. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free cakes available for the sweet-toothed. Prmpt, friendly service, and once Spring returns there is a garden zone through the back, past the wc.

Always fantastic food and good service

Love the atmosphere and friendly staff. Yummy food and fast service. We will be back for sure. Thank you 😊👍

Extremely friendly and kind girls today . when they found it was my friends birthday they produced a lit candle for his cake . made his day.

Enjoyed you very nice and healthy late lunch with friends yesterday, Veggie burger with gluten free bun, loved the french fries - thank you !

This is a rare cafe, within an area of the country classified as ‘london’ but has the atmosphere and quality of food you can expect somewhere in the countryside. The inside was fully booked, indicating its popularity and given it was a cold day, we almost declined sitting outside. However, it has a roof and they provide blankets like you have when you want to sit outside in cold european cities. The menu is concise, predominantly offering burgers and sandwiches, but the quality of the food, including the childrens menu options was fresh and tasty. The burger meat tasted like it was made by the restaurant and the children had a sandwich made of fresh sourdough. Children were pleased to be visited by a red robin, so should change the name of the cafe could suitably be renamed from red onion. We will return!

A very bizarre first experience at Red Onion Café this afternoon. We went there after seeing positive reviews on Google and were looking forward to discovering a café local to us. We ordered two juices, one chicken burger, one bountiful salad and two sides of fries. According to the menu, the bountiful salad was meant to consist of tomatoes, dressed leaves, grains, hummus, roasted veg and pomegranate. I ordered this salad with a side of falafel. I was blown away that not only did the salad came out with the wrong side of halloumi, the salad was served essentially consisting of leaves, less than one spoonful of couscous and a very restrained spread of hummus. All this for £9. There were no roasted vegetables or pomegranate in sight. I asked the waitress why this dish did not come out as described in the menu. She stated that the chef was new and that they would make a fresh salad. She reassured me at this stage that we would not be charged for the salad and that it would be taken off the bill. I accepted the offer of a new salad on this basis. After all this, we were flabbergasted that when we went to the counter to pay the bill, we were being asked to pay for the salad, when the waitress had specifically stated that we would not be charged for it. If the waitress had been referring to the salad that we had returned, it would have been a given that we would not have been paying for salad leaves and a spoon of couscous and houmous, plus the cost of the wrong side order. I therefore had taken her assurances to be in reference to removing the second salad from the bill entirely. The entire interaction at the counter was very strange – we were confronted by a group of young waitresses and their comments made us feel that we were trying to get away with not paying for the salad, when the only reason we thought we weren’t paying for the salad is because we were assured that we wouldn’t have to. The waitress who had made the assurance was there, and said “I was talking about the first salad”. I mentioned that it was a given that we would not have been paying for the first salad. The café seems to be run by a group of young and inexperienced waitresses who have very little experience of how to speak to customers and how to handle issues. Their approach at the counter can only be described as being spoken to by a gaggle of geese, each trying to have their say. To end this dialogue and not to create further embarrassment, my partner said he would just pay for the two salads, including the returned one, to bring an end to the discussion. Only at this stage did the waitress who had said she’d remove the salad from the bill say “okay we won’t charge you for it” and looked very begrudged, as though she wasn’t getting her way in a petty argument with her friends. We walked out of the café, scratching our heads and wondering if what we had experienced was real, as we have never come across such bizarre customer service anywhere we have eaten, whether for lunch, breakfast or dinner. Furthermore, I noted from observing their interactions with other customers (before there was even an issue with our order) that there were repetitive mistakes being made with customer orders. There was also no organisation or communication amongst the staff members. Sadly, we won’t be returning after this experience, as much as we would have liked to support a local independent.

A friendly service. Lovely coffee and cakes. Feels like a personal service not just being served a coffee. Friendly staff that take the time of day with you means a lot to regular customers. Nice to support an independent place (rather than a chain) The Red Onion has got bags of charm and character and it’s the fabulous staff that really make it a huge success.

Lovely place 😊 Our favourite cafe in Ruislip! It's the place I suggest to all my friends who come to visit or for a cheeky mid-week lunch with my OH. The menu is great, lots of variety and it's updated frequently. The food is tasty and healthy!

I went there today with my son as it was my birthday treat from him. We both had a vegan one breakfast and both had oat latte coffee. The breakfast consisted of sauté potatoes, sourdough bread, tomatoes, sweetcorn, fritters, baked beans, spinach, and smashed avocados. I must add that this is only the second time I have been here, but both times it blows me away. Whether you are a meat eater, vegetarian, or vegan this Caffe far exceeds anywhere else I have been and is my favourite place to visit. The staff are very friendly and also plenty of staff, the food was well presented and I loved it. I cannot wait to return again.

Great morning tea , would have loved to stay for lunch but we were a bit early.We are not vegetarian but if you are this is the place to be .

First off let me say it's a real nice setting and has a garden area to enjoy your food. Staff were really friendly and food presented well. I got a breakfast on my visit ," the meaty one". I asked for extra egg and sausage which brought my total to 13.50 for the breakfast. A bit expensive I think. The breakfast itself was not what I was expecting for a breakfast , maybe a lunch or dinner flavours. Saute potatoes had rosemary, sausage were Herby flavour and tomatos were not cooked enough , I like some colour and sear on my tomato. For me , if your looking for a traditional straight up working man's breakfast it's not the place. While it may suit other tastes , sadly for me it didn't but I'm certain from the packed cafe early on a Sunday it is.

Really cute garden with lots of tables inside and out. Read all the rave reviews but unfortunately didn’t live up to expectations. Coffee was very milky and bland. Corn fritters too dense. Mushroom Benedict was the best thing we had that day. Will give it another go and try something else.

Lovely place for breakfast or lunch. Food is very tasty and cakes are amazing .

Consistently great food, and the best coffee I’ve ever had.

A lovely cafe with artisan style decor inside. The beef burgers were delicious and the ability to purchase beer on draught on a sunny day made it extra delightful!

Lovely atmosphere, love the old fashioned tea cups and plates, and even more the delicious food ( lemon and blueberry cake was yummy) Friendly staff , great seating inside and out , well worth a visit- thank you 🌸🌸

Have been interested to visit this place for a while. Unfortunately I have never been able to. So this review is based on the fact that it seems to be impossible to eat there. The food might be fine, it might not, as have never had the chance to find out. For a number of years - not just during lockdown - the place seems to have been closed nearly every time I passed by. Tried visiting a month ago, but it was closed due to covid. Tried visiting today (@2pm, three hours before closing time) to be told the chef was refusing to cook any more food as the kitchen was too hot. It has been rather hot recently, but today it is 23 centigrade in Ruislip. If you can’t stand the heat, get out the kitchen. (Edit) Thank you Red Onion Cafe Owner for your swift response. May I humbly suggest that if the temperature is 50 degrees in your kitchen on day when it is 23 degrees outdoors, then it is you rather than I that has a flagrant disregard for your staffs’ well-being. Kind regards, Jack. (Edit 2023) After years of trying to eat at the Red Onion Cafe, but failing for various reasons - see above - have finally managed to eat here. I like the food so have rerated from the previous 1 star to 4.

We had a brilliant experience! Delicious vegan and meat breakfasts, very tasty coffee as well. Beautiful and cosy place, friendly staff. Highly recommended.

Brilliant place! The staff (both servers and the kitchen) are just amazing: very understanding, accommodating, and professional! I was genuinely impressed by how well they handled a customised order and the food was top knotch! The dirty fries are great, hot dogs looked good, and the pesto prestige transformed into a salad purely brilliant! Also pet friendly ❤️

My first time visiting this cafe after I had heard many good things about it. I can honestly say I did not leave disappointed! The staff were great, very friendly & really helpful with everything. The cafe itself was well presented with a great garden. Food was great ! My breakfast was amazing. Good quality product & well presented. They also have a great selection of handmade cakes which looked delicious & my banana loaf was magnificent, I couldn’t recommend more highly. Easily the one of the best spots on the high street if not number one! Will definitely be returning

I am so confused as to how this place remains open, the latte tasted like either they used milk that had been left outside or they re frothed milk. The coffee itself had little caffeine so either old beans or poor extraction. Either way it lacked any quality despite asking them to remake it, it still didn’t taste nice. Considering the investment in a La Marzocco coffee machine. The coffee waitress was nice and was trying to help make it a nice a meal but more was to come with the food. The scrabbled eggs had more whites than yolk so came out a white/grey colour and tasteless. The smashed Avo was still hard in parts and flavourless. I left unsatisfied and £16 poorer. A shame as I really wanted to like this place.

Went for breakfast. Coffee is really really good . Friendly staff. Nice food

It's one in a million places to have amazing staff like Thalia to make you feel like home, delicious food to remind you of childhood and creative design to make your brain thickly. I found my perfect brunch house. Thank you and see you again soon.

It’s just always beautiful tasty food!!! Love the sweet corn fritters.. avo on toast only bad thing is I can never decide as food is always soooo tasty and you can tell the quality is so good. Bloody Mary was very good! See you again soon…

Lovely garden at the back of the cafe was a great surprise. Food was tasty but the bacon and bread were really crispy which made the dish hard to eat as a whole and not just in separate parts. Pieces of halloumi were massive and juicy.

Lovely cafe where my dog was welcome in their garden. Vegan breakfast delicious.

This is one of the friendliest places in Ruislip. They have some “huts” out the back. The hot drinks are generous. Service is always top notch.

Amazing burgers and coffee, super happy with it and I’m very picky!

This was the first restaurant I went to when I moved to England. Fantastic local place and has a great breakfast offering. The sauteed potatoes are incredible. Great people and the back garden area is lovely when the weather is nice.

I came here with my wife for breakfast as we had seen the very positive reviews on Tripadvisor. Rarely have I been so disappointed. Even considering it was busy, we waited nearly 45 minutes for two breakfast rolls. My wife had the halloumi and chilli bap, which barely tasted of anything. I had the bacon, egg and cheese which, as soon as I picked it up, literally poured with oil. A rough estimate would be at least a dessert spoon full of oil in on the plate, without factoring in what the brioche bun had already absorbed. The bacon was also incredibly fatty. The only positive was that the coffee was good.

The most amazing place in Ruislip to have breakfast/ brunch. Their cakes are delicious too. Couldn’t recommend it enough! ❤️

Rude staff, clearly thought they work in Karen's Diner. Food also expensive for an average meal and the plate was dirty. The toilet could also do with a deep clean. Disappointing.

All the food is amazing, I highly recommend the burger and the masala toastie! Make sure you get some cake as well, the coffee walnut and raspberry Nutella cake were both divine! Can’t recommend this place enough.

I visited red onion cafe today that a friend suggested. The service wasn’t great No enough staff available to serve customers And the food was okay I ordered food and drink asked for extra hot latte but the latte wasn’t enough hot. I asked for tab water and no one brought it.

Creative food, really enjoyed it.

Lovely café I've been meaning to visit for a while. The staff is super friendly and the coffee is amazing. The garden at the back is adorable, such a pleasant atmosphere. I had a mushroom toast with pea shoots which was really tasty and shared some sweet potato fries which were pretty good! My partner had a hot dog and an amazing strawberry milkshake. Really like the vibe of the place. Update! Came back today, love the garden just as much. Had the avocado halloumi and sweet chilli jam toast and it's just delicious! Masala fries to share and a garlic mushroom hot dog which I hear is pretty nice. Recommended!

No food after 2.30pm Even something as simple as mushrooms on toast. Basically turns into a coffee/cake shop there after Also went in good Friday at 1.30pm to order Mushrooms on toast...to be told they gad ran out even though i was staring at 2 big beautiful bowls of fresh mushrooms/portobello mushrooms. Seriously, after a little discussion i asked the girl to ask for me...she came back and said they could do a very small portion. Great, something is better than nothing, after a bit another girl came to take order, i said i thought that girl had done my food order, she came back no she sorry she hasn't, ok thank im going to have to leave it as have appointment at vision Express at 2.20pm and left. Grabbed a lovely cup of coffee at Nero. I believe the cafe has been taken over by new people and have made significant changes...im just disappointed in no being able to get even a simple dish in a cafe at 1.30pm when the issue wasnt lack of mushrooms...i found it quite frustrating. I work long hours and do shift work and just fancied a little treat in a genuinely lovely cafe but unable to keep up with the growing demands unless you just want coffee and cake!!

Went into RO on Thursday at around 3pm Really wanted the mushrooms on toast. Unfortunately i was told, kitchen closes at 2.30pm everday. there after i was told just coffee and cake or cold drinks. We had coffee . Went in yesterday Good Friday at 1.30pm ordered mushrooms on toast again, only to be told there isn't any left, even though in the display cabinet/chilled cabinet opposite where i was sitting, there was to 1 big bowels of mushrooms and 1 of portobello mushrooms , i explained my annoyance to the girl, who came back and said they could offer a very small portion of mushrooms on toast.(i was happy with this, better than nothing) After a bit another girl came to take my order, i said hadn't that girl taken my order, she checked came back and said no she hadn't. At this point i said my thank yous! and left as i had ran out of time as had eyes test across road at 2.20pm... had a lovely coffee in Nero instead.

I went here with a friend the other day after not been for a while and was greeted by a young lady with no smile and the bacon roll I ordered was a small bun with very little bacon and on the side salad it's not what I wanted and it was very disappointing

Lovely friendly service, and food was decent enough and served relatively quickly. My latte could have been a bit stronger and more flavoursome. There was a lot of foam on top but just a small quibble.

Wish I'd caught breakfast. The lunch was ok but not great. We ordered chicken katsu fries - soggy and too sweet. the sour dough halloumi dish was very nice and the seed salad was a lovely touch.

Eaten here twice now and thoroughly recommend the Red Onion cafe - great service, great choice and thoroughly great food. We will be returning many times.

Wow! Fabulous breakfast. Great vibe, classic tunes, killer coffee! What’s not to love???

Had to meet a relation who was flying from LHR & had travelled from Stockport. Discovered this gem on Tripadvisor. Great choice from full english to waffles to coffee and home made cakes. Lots of young, enthusiastic and smiley staff. Would definitely return if it wasn't 40 minutes way.

I just LOVE this friendly, independently run cafe. Always busy which is good (booking is best) and the food is fresh and delicious.

This place was highly recommended, and really didn’t disappoint! My friend and I visited yesterday for lunch and nothing was too much trouble. After ordering a vegetarian dish, I was asked if I wanted the Parmesan cheese on it. I asked if it was vegetarian, and the lovely waitress went off to check for me. She came back saying that it wasn’t labelled as vegetarian, and offered me spinach as an alternative, which I was very happy about. My friend ordered a meat dish, and was asked to confirm whether or not she wanted meat, or a vegetarian alternative. Such excellent attention to detail and 5 star customer service. The food was fresh and delicious and the portions were huge! Coffee was lovely. Staff were fantastic. We will definitely return to try the orange drizzle cake!

5⭐️ Dining experience This place was highly recommended, and really didn’t disappoint! My friend and I visited yesterday for lunch and nothing was too much trouble. After ordering a vegetarian dish, I was asked if I wanted the Parmesan cheese on it. I asked if it was vegetarian, and the lovely waitress went off to check for me. She came back saying that it wasn’t labelled as vegetarian, and offered me spinach as an alternative, which I was very happy about. My friend ordered a meat dish, and was asked to confirm whether or not she wanted meat, or a vegetarian alternative. Such excellent attention to detail and 5 star customer service. The food was fresh and delicious and the portions were huge! Coffee was lovely. Staff were fantastic. We will definitely return to try the orange drizzle cake!

I would say the food and drink here is 5*. Service - hit and miss. Most of the servers are nice, however some aren’t particularly welcoming and almost make you feel like you are inconveniencing them. Also can be slow. Place in the winter is ice cold, and if you go outside, there are no heaters. However the main criticism is how unreliable this lovely cafe has become. I’ve driven out on two occasions recently to the cafe (and have checked their opening/closing times) only to be turned away as they ‘are closed’. Despite the fact that other customers are seated. We have also been turned away due to the cafe being ‘full’, yet there were empty tables, and you cannot make reservations…. You also can’t order food some days after 2pm - very early!!!! It’s a shame, as I am a regular customer. However, seems that Red Onion doesn’t value this at all. I won’t be coming again.

I love this place . So cosy but most importantly the food is great . Cooked to perfection . And staff friendly .

Great little café food was really tasty

Just moved to the area and tried this place for breakfast. They absolutely nailed it. Very highly recommended. *edit - nearly a year later and these guys are still smashing it out the park. 👌 Absolutely delighted they are open on Mondays now too 🤩

Outstanding breakfast! Cooked with kindness and helping of goodness. Hidden gem in Ruislip 😝

Great burger & dirty fries, pleasant staff, a delight as always.

Been here twice now and it's amazing. Lovely staff and brilliant food. Loved the vegan brunch and vegan Biscoff cake. Would love a tofu scramble in that vegan brunch. But just a suggestion. I would recommend

Popped in yesterday for lunch. As always, amazing, flavourful fresh food. Great service by Raquel . Always 100% on food and service!

Frequently visit this little treasure on the Ruislip High Street - Food is always Fresh and the Staff are amazing - We were waited on by Raquel who is a Superstar! Great Music as well!

Was recommended this cafe as one of the best in the area. We booked for a Saturday at 10.30. Luckily we did as it was packed , vacant tables were soon filled up and it was like this all the time. Had the cooked breakfast and it was incredible. Beautifully presented and delicious. The coffee was exceptional and the service first class. The decor was lovely to. Reasonably priced and worth every penny.

Beware they don’t do brunch on Sundays drove 20 minutes to come only to be informed by abit of cardboard in the window

Becky, Raquelle Deeja and Julie were fantastic! The food was amazing and it’s just a shame we couldn’t tip- as we didn’t have cash.

Friendly staff and delicious food. An oasis in the middle of Ruislip!

We've visited here for lunch and breakfast and it's been absolutely delicious both times. So impressed with the quality of food and the coffee was very good. It's something a bit different at a very reasonable price.

Delicious brunch. Very busy but attentive and friendly staff. Highly recommended

Five out of five for me that's unusual but the place is definitely worth it brilliant atmosphere, food, service is all top notch. We will return.

I had a vegan breakfast and it was scrumptious!

Red Onion what a delightful cafe, fabulous decor and a variety of food done with a twist. Loved 🥰 it, friendly staff with a glittering smile and very helpful. Had heard a lot about this place in Ruislip have to say it lives up to its reputation. Definitely recommend and worth the visit makes you feel like home……!!🙌🏼

10.8.22 another super visit. The cafe is, I believe, the best in Ruislip. Original dishes for all tastes, a relaxed atmosphere with a team who are consistently helpful and friendly. The Berry cake that was served today was one of the nicest slices of cake I HAVE EVER HAD and was made by the assistant manager. If you've never tried this place, why not? Go as soon as you can.

Best place to eat lunch in Ruislip. Fantastic service 👏

IF YOU WANT A PORTION RARE COOKED RACISM THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE. The owner who is also the chef is racist. Can she explain what she means by your kind is not welcomed to my restaurant after I said I don't eat pork.

Attended with my partner and was really disappointed with the quality of food. Serving staff were polite and courteous but food was dry (BURGER) and very bland. We left feeling that the restaurant was overrated. Yes the place pretty and but if the food quality is poor this spoils the whole experience.

I can’t thank Rhianna enough for the amazing meal she cooked for us and our friends in our home on Saturday evening. We had a reunion of 10 school friends, some of whom are living in Australia and Thailand and hadn’t seen each other for 10-30 years! This was a unique event and I wanted to enjoy it. Rhianna did everything. Brought the food and cooked and served and cleared it all away. The food was delicious and she catered for various allergies. We all agreed that it was the most relaxing evening as we weren’t stuck in the kitchen at all and didn’t have to leave the house to have a fabulous evening. I would really recommend using Rhianna’s catering skills to host your own party at home.

The cafe is beautiful family run place. Deco very nice and clean. Service with a smile. Had the full English fry up was very nice. Would definitely return.

Excellent service Lovely little cafe. Great breakfast.

Me and my partner came here for lunch. The food and vibes were exactly what we wanted, and the café itself was cosy. We would definitely return.

Fabulous flavours and friendly service. They warned me of the slightly longer wait than average, 25 mins. But it was worth it!

Great food and friendly service as always

I had such a lovely morning today with my friend.

I had the best Italian toasted cheese sandwich ever! Fantastic choice here, cooked to order. Highly recommended

A friendly cosy place to have a coffee or tea in Ruislip High Street. Let temptation get the better of you and include a slice of cake too. Why not! And it is dog friendly too, with my dog loving all the attention that he got from the dog friendly staff.

Our first time eating out after several years and what a joy. The team took care of every detail and were the ideal balance of attentive and not over-powering. The food and cake was on-point and the atmosphere beautiful. We even spotted the resident robin....

spent ages driving to this place, only to b told to come back in half an hour... because apparently they had 'too many orders in the kitchen' even though i could see a few empty tables.... very disappointing...

The best toasted Italian cheese sandwich ever!

Simply one word. Best Veggie breakfast i ever had. Amazing combination of Potatoes, beans , avocado, toastie, roasted tomotoez and salad. Coffee was superb as well. My wife had ordered a wFfle which was very tasty . Great service as well.

Lovely dog friendly place, with indoor and outdoor seating in the back. The staff were really friendly. The menu had great veggie options, everything was really tasty. Loved the ice coffee.

We found a little gem in this quaint, quirky and beautiful restaurant. All the waitresses were super polite, helpful and friendly. The food was unique and great tasting. Overall had a great experience and will definitely be returning as a regular.

Great breakfast - super fresh - great service!! Lovely staff 💜

Thank you, Red Onion Café, for another delicious lunch! Red Onion is one of my favourite places to eat in Ruislip. Their food is fresh, delicious & reasonably priced. The staff are welcoming & friendly. Their homemade cakes are absolutely to-die-for, so many scrumptious treats to choose from! They have a range of meat, vegetarian & vegan options, burgers, including the mouthwatering Roc Burger, the enticing Katsu Curry, sandwiches, salads to name a few. They have an excellent Merlot, as well as white & rosé wine, draught beer, cocktails, soft drinks, tea & coffee. I would wholeheartedly recommend it, bon appétit! 😋😋😋

This place is amazing. We went here for breakfast and the food was amazing. I had a kiwi, apple and cucumber pressed juice which was freshly squeezed and the banana, blueberry and raspberry coulis stacked waffles. The food was amazing and so fresh and nice. Will definitely be coming again

Beautiful venue Beautiful food Beautiful people! Thank you for a lovely afternoon and well done for surviving the heat ☺️ PS amazing place if you have lots of allergies/intolerances