Beluga Cafe

I like many others who have left reviews about Beluga Cafe have always been more than satisfied both with the food and waiting staff who are quite simply the friendliest and effecient in the whole of Canary Wharf. True I am a regular and have been for some years and as I live locally as well I frequent the place both weekdays and at wekends. On a hot sunny day at the weekend the bar can be full to bursting all day long and it must be a tribute to the owner, management and staff that the bar always works with the maximum of effeciency. At such busy times it is only natural that some minor delays occur but the staff have always informed me that such a delay may be inevitable purely because of the volume of food orders being processed. for my opinion i think that beluga is still the best bar&restaurant on the wharf.
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david
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Sunday, July 27, 2008

I went to Beluga Cafe on 22nd July at 17.45 with my wife and three small children. Our waiter was taking the order at our outside table, the one furthest from the bar, when our youngest child woke from an afternoon snooze and started crying. At this point a Mr Ati, who claimed to be the manager, came over to us and told us that unless our baby stopped crying we would have to leave.

We calmly left the bar, but never have we experienced this kind of disgraceful service or treatment of us as a family despite experiencing far worse behaviour from our, and other children in other establishments.

I would strongly urge families not to visit this establishment, or anyone, who like me, thinks that this intolerance of children has no place in a civilised society.
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Benjamin Holder
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

beluga cafe is such a nice place. i was there on sunday 13.07.08, brilliant food, service even though they were the most busiest restaurant in the area. by reading the other reviews, it's quite a shame about what people said. it's completely untrue about drinks or food taking a while to come out, we got our cocktails within 5 min, and the food arrived roughly 10 min later. what i noticed is that it is also the only place around there who does happy hour all day on weekends. well done to beluga and their staff. keep up the good work!!
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natasha Lung
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Jacqui, your not alone in adoring this wonderful place. I have eaten here alone and with friends many times and the food is brill. Nothing I found was ever too much trouble for the staff and the nonsense about the 'poor old chef working in the wet' made us all chuckle as whenever we visit we often say hi and he looks as happy as Larry in his 'empire'!!!

Victoria, I suggest you go to a place more to obviously what you have been accustomed to (whatever that is!). as anything edgy and slightly off the wall is too much for you. Not your fault, not everyone wants to be cutting edge. For your information, I dont work for Beluga. Just dont like cyberbullies over people making not just an honest living but a damn good meal.
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Danny Ganilampram
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, June 19, 2008

Jacqui- Do you work for this restaurant or are friends with the staff? You must be to defend this place so much!. I did not go poking around behind the BBQ, I was sitting right in front of it and had the pleasure of hearing the staff behind it cursing at the waiting staff and also I saw the bags of shopping full of pre-packed salad and the empty packs from the overflowing bin. For what I paid for the dish I expect the salad to be high quality from somewhere like the Borough Market, not Tesco. And as this is a website to review experiences in restaurants, I am not "still complaining", I am simply warning others to spend their hard earned cash in better places. The manager and chef were very good to take the curry off the bill but from their reaction I got the impression this was becoming a regular occurance. So please don't insult me by telling me to get a life. I am entitled to my opinion and my opinion is based on my experience. Maybe you think it's a great place because you are a regular and you get special treatment - ie food that is actually cooked?
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Victoria
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Great bar and wonderful food - especially the Stonegrill which you can't get anywhere else in London. I am a regular so I should know! I read with interest David P and Victoria's comments and told the owner he should reply - he says he won't enter into arguments on websites he has more than enough regular customers who love Beluga. How odd Victoria goes poking about behind the BBQ... I believe when the menu says market fresh they are talking about their meat, fish etc. which is market fresh every day. She should be pleased they buy Tesco salad and potatoes at least they don't buy from a cheap outlet ! If you knew the bar trade then you would understand there are often new staff to train and management were obviously sorry about your service and took the curry off your bill completely and still you are complaining -get a life!

David also complains because the chef chose to continue to cook on the BBQ so that he would get the food he wanted... having spoken to the chef about your review he tells me he runs the food side of the business and takes the decision whether to close down the BBQ or not and I am sure he would be offended to be referred to as a slave. In fact my understanding is that he is one of the highest paid of the staff and that is probably because he goes that extra mile. If you did not want him to stand in the rain cooking for you why chose something from the BBQ? Anyone who knows this small bar knows there is no inside kitchen as such so they cannot BBQ inside - that would be a health and safety issue. It seems a shame that such hard working people who are trying to do their best have to put up with comments from people who do not understand the leisure industry and how hard the work is. My understanding is that the staff at Beluga are paid more than any other bar on West India Quay because the owner does recognise how hard they work trying to please customers such as us.
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Jacqui
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

AVOID!! My fiancé and I wasted time and money in this atrocious place. We were deceived by the menu and the smell from the BBQ and the all day happy hour. We took our seats just in front of the BBQ and were asked 3 times within 5 mins if we were ready to order drinks or food. We ordered water and Pimms. 15mins later came the water and as we were drinking it another waiter who clearly didn't know what the hell he was doing asked us if the water he had was ours! When we were ready to order there were no burgers and no fish and chips so we settled for Tuna Nicoise from the BBQ and Thai green curry with prawns from the stone grill. After being asked 3 times if it was prawns or chicken we had ordered it eventually came out as I was half way through my tuna. We have never been here before so had no idea that the curry would come out raw and you had to cook the prawns and veg yourself on a semi hot slab of stone. Ridiculous.The coconut rice came out 10mins later and was sweet chilli, not coconut, no pak choi or sugar snap peas as stated in menu. I was appalled to see behind the BBQ bags and bags of Tesco salad and new potatoes, so much for "Market fresh"! For £13.00 it was a rip off. We complained to the waitress about the lack of information regarding how the curry would be served and they took only £2.00 off the bill so we complained to the manager and chef and they took the curry off the bill completely, they seemed frustrated with the incompetent staff and apologised saying the staff were all new. We have eaten out in a lot of nice places and we expected more from somewhere in Canary wharf. The waitress's could barely speak english and we also had to endure the staff behind the BBQ cursing and shouting at the waiting staff. It was an embarrassing and really awful to listen to. The scallops in the curry were also very gritty and tasteless. I could go on and on but I have wasted enough time on this "seafood bar"
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Victoria
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, June 09, 2008

I have just walked out of this joint. I was there on the Sunday of the London Marathon and we went for lunch, around 2pm. It wasn't that busy but the service was still appaulling. It had just begun to rain heavily and we were seated in the outdoor area, where half of the heaters were not working so it was freezing cold. We had ordered from the BBQ menu, however what I didn't expect was for the chef to be forced to cook outside in the pouring rain, with no cover. Yes we orderd off the BBQ menu but I would have expected for them to say, sorry its raining so you meal will be cooked in the normal conventional way, indoors in the kitchen, is that ok. NO, the chef had about 10 diners that he was cooking for in the freezing cold rain on his own. The remainder of the staff stood inside iin the warm and dry and did not attempt to assist him in any manner. Not only was it disgusting to see this poor member of staff being made to work in these conditions, surely this is against health and safety regulations, being made to work on a wet and slippery floor over a hot griddle. The management of this establishment should be ashamed themselves and the chefs colleagues should be too for standing and watching. The days of slavery are well over in the UK but obviously Beluga Cafe have not been informed of this. This place should be boycotted until the working conditions are improved, otherwise you are as bad as the management team in supporting a joint that has no respect for members of their staff.
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David P
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, April 13, 2008

I read with interest Matthew's comments about Beluga as I too was there the same evening, but one would think we were in a different bar/restaurant. Thursday evenings are always particularly busy at Beluga because it is such a popular venue. I was in a party of people and we all found the service to be exceptional for such a busy evening and the food absolutely amazing - the Stonegrill is to die for and it has open air cooking which is unusual for Canary Wharf - that's why we like it. We didn't have a problem with menus and perhaps he did because they were all being used - what restaurant only has two menus...

He says the staff were rude - perhaps he was rude and they reacted? I am not defending rudeness because it is unnecessary in any circumstances, but surely as customers in a busy bar we have to expect delays and staff being slightly frazzled?? We have also never had a problem with cold champagne maybe that evening his champagne was warm because we had drunk them dry of their chilled bottles.

Grow up Matthew and be a bit more understanding - you are not the only customer when you frequent a bar so if you want the special treatment don't go to a popular venue on a busy evening - you are not going to get it.

Keep up the good work Beluga - some of us think you are a great bar with fantastic food.
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Jacqui - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, July 11, 2007

I have been to the restaurant and bar on a number of occasions (its local and convenient). I have always found it to be pretty average and acceptable but pricey for what it is.

My experience last night was AWFUL. Before I recount the experience, firstly, it was unclean.

When I arrived I asked for a wine menu at the bar. I was told that they were out on the tables. After traipsing around the bar looking for the wine menu – there were only 2! – I politely told the staff that only 2 were out. I was briskly informed that that was all they had – I wonder if they think they should get some more? Then, I was sold a bottle of warm champagne (£55) by staff who quite clearly didn't want to be there. When I informed them the champagne was warm, I was told that their fridges don't keep things chilled (some use they are). So, deciding to work with them, I asked for ice to put into the glasses of warm champagne (I know, it wasn't very pleasant). Imagine my surprise when we then ordered a bottle of wine (no point in having 2 bottles of warm champagne) it was perfectly chilled. I pointed out to the staff that I had been told that their fridges are unable to keep things properly chilled and yet this bottle of wine was very cold. The waitress was suitably surly and said "so what do you want me to do about it".

It is by far the rudest and worst experience I have ever had in a bar in London. The price for this experience was over £70. There are lots of other bars in the vicinity. I won't waste my time or my money in this one again, and I strongly recommend that you don’t either.
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Matthew
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Friday, June 08, 2007