Home Bar and Kitchen

a group of us booked this restaurant/ bar for a friend's 30th after reading some of the positive reviews documented. however, i found it a disappointing experience due to a number of issues.

We were offered a set a la carte menu at £23 for 2 course or £27 for 3 course. This you may think is not a bad deal. However, there were no vegetarian options (some people in party were vegetarian). When asked, we were given their (standard menu). It was then that i noted the a la carte dishes alongside a wider variety of course. The main course average fin the standard menu ranged rom £12 - £16. This meant that if you wanted a main and desset, under the set 'a la carte' menu a dessert of say ice cream that was offered would actually work out at between £7 - £11!!!. When I highlighted this to the waitress, she just shrugged and said that their creme brulee normally costs about £8 'a la carte' menu aside. I am sorry but the 'a la carte' menu is A RIP OFF ploy!!!!

Secondly, the ceiling above our table sprung a leak, and one of the party got soaked in water. What was insulting was they barely uttered an apology to our wet friend or offered her a towel even. They just got us to stand up and drag our table (3 of the party were pregnant) over to one side with the leak still hovering close by us. One eye on the food, one eye on the leak!!!!

There was not even a gesture of apology such as a free drink for our wet friend. This also occurred when our main dishes arrived, so as we were dragging our table our food was also being placed on the (moving) table.

By the time the commotion had calmed down, and we sat down to eat our (small substandard) main courses they were cold.

The tables were laid out well, but with 6 bottlesof mineral water already in place (which we had not asked for) and found out they actualy cost £3 each. This is a cheeky tactic to push (unwanted) bottled water

Another disappointment was the dessert. I opted for treacle tart as did most of the party (we had a vast choice of treacle, creme brulee or ice cream all a bargain at £11!!!!!)

We all left the tart, it was all treacle with a slither of pastry - a may as well have just sat their with a tin of syrup in front of me!

Finally, the service was desperately slow (although all smiles and politeness). Our table was booked for 7.30pm, we finally settled the bill at 11pm!!!

Although the interior was designed well, there were so many factors that made this a thoroughly disappointing and (undeserved) over priced substandard evening.

If you want value for money, decent 'a la carte' food and want to keep yourself dry don't come to home. It most certainly wasn't much of a 'home'
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h mck
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Sunday, May 11, 2008

Haven't been to Home in a while, but will be making more of an effort to go back. Had a great menu: 2 courses for £12..50. The food was terrific, wine amazing, staff fabulous. What more can you say......
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kelly Brown
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

I've just moved into the area & found this little gem of a restaurant & bar.

It was good to find a restaurant serving superb british food. The place was very relaxed (hence the name), everything was right, the ambience, food, music & the service was great!

Highly reccommend this one!!!!

Paul. shoreditch
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Paul Morris
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, March 20, 2008

I've commented on some of the reviews below, but I should add that I've had the misfortune of trying to eat here. I've got no problems with the (wannabe) bar if that's what you want, but if you tack on a restaurant (or "kitchen") you should really make more of an attempt to provide restaurant standards. Staff got our orders wrong and insisted that it was our mistake -- that attitude was enough to make us leave.
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Dolores del Culo - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, August 27, 2007

I don't normally write reviews but this time I feel that I have to!

I went to Home B&K with friends last week, and my experience was quite like many of those described below -- service never more than indifferent, except for attempts to push overpriced wine.

Reading more about this place now, we probably just weren't trendy and free enough with the cash.

It does seem more about the bar downstairs, with the "restaurant" as an add-on. The food itself wasn't bad, but I expect less of the attitude when I'm a paying customer.

Apparently this place is hip and trendy in a Shoreditch/Hoxton kind of way. It certainly seems thinks it is that, but I'm more interested in food.
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Sandrine Bourredine
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Thursday, August 09, 2007

I had a table book last week end, i was so amazed by the friendly and really professionnal service. The vibe in the restaurant make you feel like you want to go ahead with a big night out.

The food wasn't over priced and the quality was definetely over my expectation. This is a good place to have a romantic night or too comr with friends for a big night out in the basement bar.
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emmanuel aymes
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Unfortunately I didn't read the reviews before being invited along with friends to this place. The critical comments that others have made are right on the button -- some good aspects, particularly some of the food, are lost amid poor service and a belief that Nathan Barley is the ideal customer. Perhaps it is a bit better at lunch (without the wannabe bar in full flow downstairs) and if you go there regularly, but I really don't see why anyone would. This place is like something of a parody of the Hoxton/Shoreditch effect. Avoid it.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, February 10, 2007

I was part of a small lunch party. The restaurant was almost empty but the service was so slow that lunch took almost two hours. We gave up on coffee.

The plates were cold and many of the main courses could only charitably be described a "tepid". The ingredients were good quality and several of us commented that had the food been warm we would have been happy enough. I will avoid this place in future, even though I have used it for some time and it is near my office. The staff have given up and expressed no interest in serving us.
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Fred Taggart
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Monday, January 15, 2007

My office is nearby and I regularly use Home as a favourite restaurant for lunch with clients and friends. I rate the food and the atmosphere highly.
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Quentin Bargate
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, November 30, 2006

I ate at Home on a Saturday night with my boyfriend. The evening started promisingly with a drink downstairs. Drinks were good value and I liked the laid back feel with the big comfy sofas.

The menu in the restaurant had a good choice; mains were quite heavy on fish dishes. I started with a really nice creamy buffalo mozzarella, Parma ham and quince, while my partner had an excellent tuna carpaccio.

Things went downhill from there. My main of cod with lentils arrived cold. When I informed the waitress of this she looked incredulous and begrudgingly removed it for it to be shoved in a microwave for 30 seconds. To be fair when it was returned it wasn't at all dry so I continued to eat it, but there wasn't so much as a suggestion of an apology from the surly waitress.

After clearing our plates we waited 20 minutes until we had to ask for the dessert menu, it not being offered to us, and another 15 to get someone’s attention to order. Deserts were OK, forgettable.

For a meal of over £50 a head I expected the service to be better than this. There were plenty of waiting staff that were milling around the place but didn't really appear to be doing anything.

It was an ok meal, but I wouldn't return.
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Louise
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, November 07, 2006