Watan Ilford in Redbridge

Very professional staff and amazing food

Waiter woman was very arrogant and unprofessional,lamb nihari and reshami kebab meat was soo hard .Very bad quality food ,tried after again 2years very frustrated and disappointed.Never go there .Poor quality hard meat .Don't recommend.

Food quality - average Portion sizes - good for some dishes not so for others Cost - certain dishes overpriced - £14 for 8 pieces of malai chicken tikka is overpriced especially when compared to 4 pieces of lamb seekh kebab costs £10 which is reasonable - 1kg of lamb karahi at £42 is reasonable but not when the dish has a split of 70% bone and 30% meat. - Masala fish overcooked, hard on the outside and too firm on the inside. - Drinks overpriced, £7 for a mocktail is excessive.

Wanted to do a phone order for take away of a kebab Roll they said minimum 4 kebabs which I think is a bit silly just to make extra money.

We were pleasantly surprised by our recent lunch experience despite some negative reviews. Every dish was bursting with flavour, from the delicious sauces to the variety of curries and mixed grill platter. The service was top-notch - we were seated promptly, and the staff were courteous and attentive, ensuring we had a wonderful time. We're glad we gave it a try!

We just had dinner .It was amazing everything from food,Atmosphere and very friendly and welcoming staff .We felt we were in Pakistan. Thank you for making us feel like home.

I used to like this place when they offered good ethical alternatives for drinks. But they clearly don't have a backbone and continue to sell unethical drinks at their restaurant instead of taking a stand.

Good was very nice thank you to Iman khan for suggesting what to get

Really good experience espacially loved the BBQ chicken and Seekh kababs amazing and juicy

I've been before and it's very nice but Seems like it was just an unlucky day The saalan wasn't amazing it didn't have any masala or flavour in it just seemed to be boiled and served to us. But the mixed grill and their sauces were amazing.

It was my first lunch at watan Restaurant in ilford. The food was amazing

I ordered a full Peshawri Chicken Karahi from Watan Restaurant Ilford via Ubereats and paid £40. When the food arrived, I was very surprised at how small the portion was – it was nowhere near what one would reasonably expect for the price. I contacted the restaurant directly to raise the issue, but was met with a dismissive response: “this is all we get.” No apology, no explanation, and no attempt to make things right. For a restaurant of this standing, I expected far better in terms of both portion size and customer service. Unfortunately, the experience left me feeling undervalued and disappointed.

Consistent food, never been let down

I don't know what I can say about the taste of the food, except that it was incredibly delicious 😋 I haven't eaten something so delicious in a long time. Please open a restaurant in Germany. The service is super friendly and accommodating. Also a thank you to the chefs.

Ordered chicken karahi with kbabs. Good taste. Good ambience.

The food here was excellent and cooked to a high quality, the Afghan Mixed Grill Platter is a delicious, stand out dish and the servers here are friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend to all.

Great food, great service!! Shah was brilliant in accommodating our large group. Was super busy so make sure you are prepared to wait but it is worth it.

Very bad experience I order mixx Afghani grill but it's uncooked and charsi karahi so not fresh just a waste of money when I tried first time it's good but now it's so bad quality and taste and uncooked

I went with my family for a dinner, lamb karahi had nasty smell and all dishes were not properly cooked. Very disappointed. I would strongly recommend everyone to try something else and only go to this restaurant if you are on sick pay .

Very nice restaurant catering to the local Bangladeshi and Afghan community I go to often. I’d suggest the lamb chops, the tikka chicken biriyani and one of the breads which is a big meal for 2-3 people. Service and decor are very good

The food was very dry special kabuli palow had no meat and the rice wasn’t steamed I cook better than them 😂 not worth the price

Amazing experience. Ask for Imran Khan very nice man and very good service. Good food.

We were a party if 16 on a very busy Friday evening. Excellent service, excellent food beautifully presented. We were well looked after

1.very very long waiting 2.lamb chops were not properly cooked 3.food was cold when served 4.too much expensive more than royal nawab I will prefer to go to other places. Also platter is small as compare to price. 5.Paid water bottles is included without ordering 6.Mango lassi was too bit sour 7.sitting space is too small you can not bring guests to this places in future .1st you have to wait outside 30 minutes then 1hours for food. 8.service is not at high standard.

Ilford Is Like A Food Street Where I Eat And Drink But WATAN Restaurant Is My Choice For Pakistani & Afghani Taste. Lavish & Gobsmacking food. More Authentic Specialist Of Karahi

I visited this restaurant and decided to try their lamb biryani for the first time — unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointing experience. The biryani lacked the rich, aromatic flavors one would expect, and the lamb had an unpleasant, gamey smell that was quite off-putting. To make matters worse, the meat was full of bones, making it difficult and frustrating to eat. The atmosphere didn’t help either — the place was extremely noisy, making it hard to have a decent conversation or enjoy the meal. Overall, it was not the kind of dining experience I was hoping for. I wouldn’t recommend this place if you’re looking for good biryani or a relaxing environment.

Stuff is really rude specially the guy who’s standing in the front door, we didn’t finished our food they came with the bill 7/8 times. They keep asking you guys want to pay..!! They wanted us to leave without finishing our food…!!! Some staffs are really rude.

Excellent service👍 ayesha noor agha zahid and kiran were very cooperative. Highly recommended

Food was amazing! The people were so kind, especially Arman and his friend Sheer Agha. I visited last night, and even though they were about to close late night and looked tired, they still gave their 100%. Their effort and hard work were impressive. The food was delicious, and I would definitely rate it high. You should go and try it out; the workers are amazing, and the food is super tasty! Manager is lucky to have staff like them .. we ordered peshwari Karhi and afghani platter .. price was decent for food we had.

We were there for iftar placed at the front was a bit awkward because people who were waiting kept staring at us. Food seemed a bit pricey but the staff was very accommodating of our preferences. The staff were really good and patient considering how hectic service was. Food is 4/5 pakoras were banging.

The bald guy is rude and doesn’t know how to speak, walks away when he know customers are right

We had a reservation for today which was done by my friend on Saturday, when we turned up just before iftar time we was told no booking as we don't even do the booking we showed them prof of call and where told rudely just leave not even a apology so rude neven ever coming back to this restaurant

No nice food anymore and no same quality

When we arrived it was jam packed and busy. We waited for 30 minutes and then we got a table. This was a sign that the food was going to be fantastic. The service was quick and the food came fresh, and very tasty. Definitely one of my favourite Pakistani Restaurants.

It has been a lovely time with my friend there but the only discouragement was the manager(baldman)who manage the tables for the customer he has no etiquettes to deal customer. He used harsh lanaguage and no hospitality towards customer. He should mend his language while talk to female customer.BTW the pushtoon brothers were very nice and did their duties very well.

Honestly one of the best in Ilford. The food is delicious. Me and my family love this place. The Afghan mix platter is a must try!

Food is good but why is it three times the prices on just eat and uber eats 18.75 for masala fish are you catching the fish yourself? Have some shame

No organisation when it comes to service, was waiting and people pushing in front of us in the queue and the staff didn’t care. Was waiting over an hour an a half

We went here 2 days before, the person who was taking order was very unprofessional, egoistic. Don't think I will visit here again.

Chicken charsi kadhai is to die for. The staff is polite and welcoming.

I had a dinner with friends and enjoyed the food.The food was delicious and the atmosphere was wonderful.

Excellent charsi lamb karahi and best chapli kebab in east london i read the review and came to check again its awesome taste as usual nothing change same spice nice tender soft meat ....

I was totally disappointed with this Watan Restaurant, we ordered chops, wings and lamb charsi karahi, unfortunately their lamb meat was not fresh at all and had a weird smell and texture. After complaining the person in charge kept telling me that nobody has complained about lamb today and that its all normal. He clearly noticed that we have returned the entire lamb karahi back to him but he did not even bother to refund or issue a partial refund. Clearly for them its all about money now. They have lost at least 3 families as regular customer and I will make sure the messaged is passed on to other locals too. I have been a regular customer over the past 2 years but I will not be going there anymore as this is not the first time that we felt their meat quality is not up to standard and the food quality has been going downhill. Time to support the newly opened Khyber down ilford lane.

One of the best cuisines I have experienced. The manager was extremely welcoming and made sure we had a good experience. Food was 10/10. A big queue but worth the wait.

When It comes to Pak/Afghan food, this place is amazing. Best place to go, in my opinion. The portions are perfect, and prices are o.k. Space is limited, but the staff know how to accommodate you. Just wish the restaurant was bigger. Been going over 3 years, and I always leave with a smile on my face. 👍

This is a regular place for me and my family. I went again today as it is a safe bet but today the food was truly amazing. The kebabs, Chapli kebab, Karahi Ghosht all were amazing.

We had a lovely lunch there. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was nice and inviting. However, the service was a bit slow due to the restaurant being very busy during that time

We had dinner here last week, the customer service great and the food was amazing. All the food was freshly cooked, it was a tad spicy for me but it was great for my husband. It's always busy here and luckily we only had to wait for 10 minutes. I think the service can improve if they offer reservations. The 2 negative things about this place is, there's a table right infront of the doorway, where everyones waiting to be seated but also watching you eat while they wait and there's only 1 toilet for both male & female to use.

Too expensive for mediocre food

A very okayish halal pakistani restaurant. I had the chapli kebab, chicken achari and afghani naan. The only thing that was very good was afghani naan. That was worth every penny. The chapli kebab was not good. The achari handi was an average handi. The seating was comfy. The parking is a big problem in that area.

The food was not piping hot and took forever to come but when it came, it came, it was amazing!!! My wife only eats chicken and we asked the server what he would recommend and we were recommended a special karahi in chicken, for which we paid £34ish. We thought that the food was not worth that much money. Another recommendation received from the server was to get the lime drink. This was less of a recommendation and more of an imposition. Them drinks also set us back about £12. All in all, for two of us we paid about £80 for food that we did not think was worth that much. The food was nice, but we thought it was overpriced.

Customer service needs to be seriously improvement

Absolutely joke of a place. My brother visited during the day and left his airpods there. That was the only place he visited. I called to enquire about them and the man on the phone literally started screaming down the phone as soon as he answered saying no airpod. I then asked can you ask the waiters, he carried on screaming no waiters but he didn't even ask. Keep them, enjoy the earwax too!

I recently visited this restaurant and ordered the grilled prawns, but unfortunately, the experience was quite disappointing. Unlike any other Pakistani restaurant I’ve been to, the prawns were served with the shell on, which was neither mentioned on the menu nor communicated by the staff. This was unexpected, and because of the shells, the presentation looked quite disgusting to me. When I asked the waiter about it, instead of addressing my concern politely, he insisted that grilling prawns with the shell is the standard practice to prevent them from burning. While this may be a common method in some cuisines, I have never encountered it in other Pakistani restaurants. The menu should have clearly stated that the prawns would be served with the shell, allowing customers to make an informed choice. Beyond the issue of the shell, the prawns themselves were undercooked and lacked flavor. They did not taste fresh, and the seasoning was bland, making them quite unappealing. Given the price and expectation of a well-prepared seafood dish, this was highly disappointing. Overall, the dish was poorly presented, not enjoyable, and lacked the quality I expected. I strongly recommend the restaurant improve its menu descriptions, clarify how dishes are served, and focus on proper seasoning and cooking techniques to enhance the overall experience.

Excellent food! Excellent service!

Watan is a wonderful place to visit. Amazing food. Lovely atmosphere. Staff, especially the bald guy and the guy that looks like Shaheen Afridi are superb. I can't wait to go back. Definitely recommend.

10 Star or more . Absolutely Fantabulous. All foodies who love food can never complain. It is fresh, same taste. Perfect customer service . Well mannered staff and manager. All great. Food price is fine . For quality of food it is perfect pricing. But I believe if you get busy and this popular they should reduce the price to make it absolutely greater. The most popular for me is CHAPLI KABAB PLATTER (3 CHAPLI Kabab with large Afghan bread) ssssssooooo Yummmy. I can eat it 7 days a week, breakfast, lunch and dinner. All menu as great as well. Say if the price is reduced to £10 for perhaps this dish imagine the sale will 10 fold eventually WATAN will make more turnover and also will attract more satisfied customers. Infact will take over everyone in the whole of LONDON. Well it is for the management to decide. Despite the price I will always visit. No matter what. Just a suggestion . Everyone must visit any branch of WATAN, the taste is just the same and always amazing .. PEACE

We went last Sunday to eat there. The Man With a bald head was so rude and disrespectful towards my old in laws. We sat on a cold area and repeatedly asked him to change our seats and he was reluctant to help. Also they were rushing us to leave when we finished our food. We have a baby and they didn’t even give us space to sort ourself. We had to rush to leave. (never going again)

Have to wait for almost an hour before getting a seat.

Great food, sometimes there’s a long queue outside, at peak times. Food can take a while to come but that’s fine. Good customer service

Excellent food, service and ambiance! Great friendly staff too! We’ll be back!!

Amazing afternoon at Watan in Ilford! We were celebrating a number of birthdays and the food was delicious!

What a place should be visited quality of food delivered and the taste is too good ...totally recommended .....must visite

I have visited this place for the first time n meeting whole staff especially Miss Kiran’s hostpatality and food served by her was super amazing and fantastic must go

The food was average, and I'm surprise why this restaurant receives such high praise. The customer service was lacking; we felt rushed to leave once we finished eating. It was my first and last visit; I won't be returning. Thank you

Food was absolutely lovely ordered the following: Malai Tikka - 5* Chapli Kebab - 5* Charsi Karahi - 5* Afghani Pilau - 5* Fresh Naan from the Tandoor - 5* Food, service and atmosphere was absolutely amazing

Service was too horrible and one of the staff I don’t know his name sorry to say he was with no hair was too advanced and to Rude the most important thing the washroom service was not available. Because there were water blockage. They said me directly to go to beside restaurant in chai wala Service 👎🏻

Excellent atmosphere, unique very tasty food. Would definitely visit again.

This is the go to place to take friends to eat, with those you really care about. The food is delicious 😋.

Great food and the atmosphere was good.

Stunning Afghan food, very authentic and incredibly tasty. My favourite is the Kubali pulao, which comes with lamb shank and fluffy rice. Chapli Kebab is also lovely and their salads are really nice. By far the best afghan/pak restaurant in all of East London, given how busy the place gets its no surprise why it has such a good reputation. Best time to come is early around 12-1pm for lunch when its quieter.

Beautiful place and very delicious food. This place is amazing to easy at. I loved everything they served and staff are very welcoming and friendly.

Over rated but busy and service was poor.

The service is fast and without fuss. It is very busy so avoid if you want a quiet night out. The food is tasty, with good portion sizes.

Amazing place with great hospitality. Food is very tasty and fresh.

Kirran zahid very amazing. Helped us out a lot and with serving were very polite. Couldn’t ask for anything better 10/10 experience

Walked in for dinner. The suggestion is to get there before 19:30 to waiting time. The food was tasty and No complaints with the quantity for the price. Chapli kebab was a show stealer. The only concern was the service, felt they treated us with some rush. There weren't many asks before going for billing where we had to tell them that we are still not done with the food.

I did take away yesterday, lamb karahi (it was goat meat so hard to chew and smelly) champli kebab(tasteless) and lamb chops(they were ok).Overall very low quality for food .Meat eaters please avoid them.

Excellent place lovely to eat friendly staff and you can see the food being prepared definitely recommend

Noor agha love u bro the taste of food is delicious and services are also great The kabaabs are superb and karai is fantastic

i had come here with my family and my friend as well as her kids. i had got exceptional service from kiran and shah. would definitely come here again

Highly recommend. There's a short queue but it's worth the wait. ♥️

Really disappointed to see the sharp spike in price on food delivery platforms. items have increased by almost 50% In a time when people are struggling with the cost of living, a wild money grab from Watan. Sadly, for them, it’ll be the last time I’ll be ordered from you.

Very expensive and food is full with oil

Went in for a birthday meal. The food was all very nice and flavourable. Thoroughly enjoyed the Afghan grill platter. For the price the quantity of food and quality is very good. Customer service was also great. Mango lassi was very nice. Overall would give this place 9/10. Only thing I would say is it can be tight especially for big groups as the restuarant itself isn’t that big.

It was very disappointing to say the least. We ordered Afghan mix grill. The chops and lamb tikka was not cooked and found it very tough to eat and unchewable. The menu was pricey and most items were overpriced.

Nice place for family best Charlie chicken and Charsi lamb in town plus Salam cola available not "coca cola "

Despite being a Muslim restaurant serving halal food, coke and other Zionism supporting drinks are served

Lovely restaurant where you find good quality food and much more the services are good atmosphere nice and enjoying delicious foods

First time eating there. The restaurant was extremely busy and we waited an approximately 15 minutes before getting a table. We went as a family of 5 and ordered a variety of food to eat in. The food was extremely hot to our liking and the portions were extremely large, and staff were extremely kind. A waiter named Aisha kindly offered to pack our food for us to take away. Will definitely be visiting again.

Very clean place. Atmosphere is bright and lively. This place has a variety of food items. The daal was soft and the Afghan grilled mix platter which included 2 types of rice,lamb chops,tikkas and a big piece of naan was nice.Very delicious food.

Very good restaurant and one of the best traditional food

We got the Charsi Lamb Karahi, which we would recommend; it was delicious. Also, Arman was so polite, accommodating and helpful, going above and beyond to make us feel welcome. Thanks, Arman, for the excellent service you gave us. We will always be repeat customers! ☺️

It's our 2nd time, The food was delicious nd staff is also very cooperative.

The Mixed Grill platter is excellent

I feel the atmosphere and the cooking portion in front of all customers that was amazing

Absolutely delicious food, served by friendly, polite staff. Great value. Will definitely go again

The lamb chops were a standout dish, packed with bold flavors, a hint of chili, and perfectly juicy meat. While the Malai Boti was enjoyable, it was overshadowed by the intense flavor of the lamb chops. The Paya was excellent, and both the daal and naan were equally impressive in taste. The salad, however, deserves special praise—5/5. Unlike the typical poor quality salads at many Pakistani restaurants, this one was exceptionally fresh, beautifully cut. The staff were very polite and attentive, contributing to an overall delightful dining experience.

Great food, best kebabs. We tried only chicken kebabs. Very nice and soft and succulent

Very very disappointed with all the food I bought really bad taste and money you pay just is really unfair I bought long time ago really happy with the food yesterday what I bought just so horrible