Il Bordello

Have to agree with all the good comments, been eating here for years. I take friends family and even clients from work here. It is a really pleasant atmosphere and the waiters are ALL friendly and provide an excellent service. The meals are huge and reasonably priced. If you want an expensive meal and an expensive Amarone this is also available as well as the 3 course special with coffee for under £20. Yes it can be slightly cramped, but it is so popular, I would rather sit slightly too close to someone else than have to miss out on the obviously fresh cooked meals, if you think otherwise you really don't know what finer food tastes like (especially if comparing to Ask and Pizza Express (both nice Pizza restaurants but neither of them have much more to offer than that).
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Eddie
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, November 05, 2007

We have eaten in II Bordello many times over the years and on every occassion

the food, from start to finish, ( the tomato garlic bread is really lovely, have driven here ordered the garlic bread as a take away and walked the dog around ) the waiters, the service have been absoultley fantastic. Was taken to this

lovely restaurant by friends and have taken family and friends ever since, maybe go or a walk after because the portion are huge! It does get very busy so book a table in adavance. Have never been in when it has not been busy, always busy when we have gone, Sunday lunch times gets very busy lots of families with children. I have never written a review before on any restaurants, but really cannot fault Bordello's at all, don't live in London or around London, usually takes over an hour or so each way but very much worth the trip. A TEN OUT OF TEN FOR ME ANYWAY.
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K.L
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Sam and CC, you're both nuts mates, clearly with some sort of grudge against this fantastic restaurant. I live in Wapping and have eaten here dozens of times, I have never been disappointed. If you want quiet, go and eat in the park next door. Its an Italian restaurant for god's sake not a morgue! As for comparing the freshly prepared food (YES SAM FRESH!!) to some mass produced pap in somewhere like Pizza Express, you need to get out more matey!
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Peter M
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, October 05, 2007

I have been to this place few times and now it is in my favorite restaurants list. Food is great, service as well. Also, this place is children friendly – we have been there with fiends and two pushchairs and they had no problems accommodating us. I understand it is crowded, but probably for the reason - good food! And if somebody tries to compare their food with Pizza Express of Tesco ready meals - has an awfully bad taste and does not understand much.
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Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 03, 2007

I have to disagree with the two statements below. The restaurant is packed with tables, but that is due to high demand. There is no need for music in this place, as the atmosphere is different to any other restaurant you will probably ever visit. Absolutely buzzing. As a Spanish person, this is the type of restaurant you want to go to, good food, good people. The food portions are large and tasty, there is nothing lacking in the food, when you order a dish u can taste all the wonderful blends of ingredients and you can tell the food is fresh, as the tomatoes burst out with just the juices that you would expect from a perfectly cooked Mediterranean dish.

If you want to go to a boring, quiet restuarant with rude waiters and badly cooked food with chefs who don't know where to start, then go to pretty much any other restaurant in London. If you want food that is prepared correctly, with the aromas of freshly cooked mussels, prawns, tomatoes and pastas and the warm buzz of chatter, with waiters who are a pleasure, then go to il Bordello, and have a proper food experience. The food is fairly priced, with an average meal for two costing roughly £45 with a bottle of wine. This restuarant is my favorite and nothing beats its food, atmosphere and location. Simply excellent.
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Isabella
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I agree with Sam W, this place is so overrated. I went all the way to Wapping with high expectations and was very disappointed with the food which was average at best, tasting stragely reminiscent of Tesco ready meals. With a menu that large, there is no way they are cooking from fresh.

Thanks to the tables being so close together my friend and I could hear every word of the dull conversation the couple next to us were having.

There were a few plus points - including the fact that the average food was appropriately priced (I can't understand why some of the reviewers below call this place expensive - compared to McDonalds maybe?) Also they don't indulge in that awful practice of automatically adding service charge.

I would advise people to go to any branch of Pizza Express or Ask instead!
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CC
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Horribly over-rated place. Cacophonous din from scraping dishes and chairs, and full of loud-voiced show-offs. Food average. But the worst and most cynical thing is the way this place - which years ago was quite pleasant - has crammed in more and more tables. Given the way the tiny 'card tables' are squashed in, it can only be a matter of time before diners are required to perch on each others' laps. It all makes for a very stressful experience - avoid unless actually starving.
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Sam W
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Sunday, September 16, 2007

Great food, atmosphere and staff. A bit pricy at times. Portions often too large. One downfall - tables too cramped together. Have been eating here for 10 years now, and always bring friends and relatives here when visiting from afar.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Friday, August 31, 2007

What a nice bistro, despite some of the brash clientele who talk rather too much about deals they haven't quite pulled off while ignoring what's on their plates. Still, quite simply the best calzone I have eaten in forty years here or in Italy and you could absorb the tonno e fagioli as a main course if, as I was accompanied by a guest recovering from a urinary infection but who succumbed to the charm of this very competent restaurant where they care about how things are done and who consequently tucked in and felt all the better for it. Bravo Bordello.
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ray wells
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, July 10, 2007

This place is packed everynight of the week, and for good reason.

The food, service and atmosphere created by the staff is top drawer.

Do yourself a favour and go, NOW!!
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Paul
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, July 03, 2007