Cigala

A great restaurant on a lively street. Ate here with a few colleagues last week for a belated Christmas lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our food was fantastic, and the service was excellent (our waiter went out of his way to recommend the best vegetarian options to one of my colleagues). As I work around the corner I'll definitely be back! But this restaurant would also be worth a treck across London.
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Anna
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, January 07, 2007

We had an astonishingly bad evening at Cigala this week. The service was atrocious - slow and rude. We had waited about 45 minutes for our main course and when we had the temerity to ask about it, the manageress said "It's only been 35 minutes". The food when it arrived was cold, and when we asked for a reheat (again, outrage from the waitress, who said that it had come "straight from the oven"), it was returned to us cold. The attitude of the staff throughout was that it was ridiculous for us to expect better. We were not the only table to complain - at least one other table expressed their strongest possible disappointment (we overheard an expletive) at the food they'd been served (late). Embarrasingly, we had invited a friend for this appalling evening. We will never return.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 2
Sunday, December 10, 2006

Quite a feat for staff to be so rude that we left without ordering. At first glance the menu seemed over-priced - it may have proved worth it, but unless you are made to feel welcome pretty unlikely.
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PJH - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, September 14, 2006

This is to express my embarrassment for having recommended this restaurant to have dinner with a friend. It has been a while that I do not have such a bad restaurant experience in London. The food was average: both my gambas (prawns) and txangurro (crab) were overcooked. Bad for a restaurant that prides itself to try cook better Spanish food than in Spain.

The service was slow and inattentive, the bill expensive.
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J Garcia
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Thursday, July 06, 2006

Lovely restaurant - very trendy and buzzy. Food is fantastic - and not too pricey if you stick to tapas. Also had an exceptionally good bloody mary. Cheeses very lovely, and chorizo yumyum. Will be back. Service I found to be fine, friendly if a touch chaotic at times. Beautiful decor and food more than makes up for it.
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Douglas Hauser
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Monday, July 03, 2006

Disappointing first (and last) visit. The service was awful - I had to flag down the waitress to order drinks, ask twice for some bread (the table next to us received theirs right away though they arrived 15 minutes after us) and she didn't know what one of the items on the menu was (small menu too!!). When the meal came, she had forgotten one of our dishes, and all of the servings were very small for the price that you pay. For better food and better portions, go to Navarro's on Charlotte Street. Wouldn't go back here.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Sorry to be picky but, in TKS's review, didn't Nelson defeat the French rather than the Spanish? Were you thinking of Sir Frances Drake and the Spanish Armada?
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A Pedant
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, February 23, 2006

We came here for lunch, admittedly it was a quiet day, but we could not have spent a more pleasant couple of hours. The staff are extremely courteous & helpful, the food was fantastic. OK, so it's not the cheapest Spanish meal I've ever had, but I think it's great value for what you get. Highly recommended.
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nanga
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, January 04, 2006

I desperately wanted to like this restaurant. As an unapologetic Hispanophile I am really frustrated at the lack of restaurants and bars in London that genuinely represent the best (or even the moderately good) that you can find all over Spain.

I think that they have got a lot right - the dining room had the feel of a venta in Vejer, the food is pretty good, fino was as cold as I have ever had it in the UK & the Getariako Txakolina was delicious. The service was rushed and so a bit slow but in the main friendly.

The problem is that it is grossly overpriced. While accepting London rent & rates etc., our bill should have been no more than two-thirds of what it was - and that at a stretch. A real pity. The search continues.
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Chris
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Friday, December 09, 2005