Rainforest Cafe

Went to the Rain Forest Cafe for a organised childs 5th party yesterday, one word would describe the experience- CHOATIC.

The food was average when it arrived (OVER AN HOUR) and at hugely inflated prices.

The drinks tariff is very expensive with a bottle of beer costing around £5.

On the table next door to us they were brought the wrong order 4 times!!!!!!.

Waiters are pretty useless and all in all a complete joke, nothing really organised for the childs party other than a limp announcement by the waitress when they brought the cake.

The place relies on its position in central london and although the setting was exciting for children the place is a poor attempt at a restaurant.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO LET ANY FRIENDS NOT TO BOTHER.
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ANONYMOUS
3 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Sunday, December 05, 2010

My wife, our 2 sons and I visited the Rainforest Cafe, London on Sat 27th November 2010 at about 5pm expecting not to get a table for an hour or so. I was pleasantly surprised to be told 15-20 mins and decided to wait downstairs in the waiting/bar area. Whilst waiting, I bought 2 bottles of beer which cost £9.20. 30 mins after getting to the waiting area our table was called. We ordered 2 burgers and 2 kiddies meal deals with 2 more beers but nothing else and the bill came to £79. This included a mandatory 12.5% service charge which annoyed me.

It annoyed me due to the fact, I had not read it anywhere and also because the service was terrible. I understand the prices being OTT for the "experience" but to milk another £10 is poor IMO. I also understand it was probably one of their busier shifts but that did not excuse our poor service.

For: The kids meal deal included a pack full of goodies which they loved. The "experience" was worth doing, even if my youngest (4yrs) got a bit scared of the thunder effects.

Seated 30 mins after arrival on a busy Sat afternoon/evening without booking.

Against: Price. Service Charge. Quality of Service. Quality of food

Overall for £90, the food and service were definitely below par but if you go there knowing this, you won't be disappointed. Do it once for the "experience" for the kids..............I will not be going back.
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Monty
5 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, November 30, 2010

went to rainforest cafe with my niece and her friends for her birthday party. the atmosphere was great with the moving animals thunderstorms etc kids loved it but unfortunately the food was a bit of a dissapointment. very expensive for what you got.

we ordered starters butterfly king prawns in coconut with a side sauce £8.90 but there was no taste and they were like cardboard, but the enchilada wrap was gorgeous, the burgers were ok but again very over priced for what you got. the pudding we ordered was chocolate brownie with icecream and that was like rubber but the volcano gigantic dessert was super and you really did get a lot. the birthday cake was fantastic and the staff were very attentive to the kids giving a tour around the cafe they loved it.
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rosie
5 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 1
Monday, November 15, 2010

Have to disagree with some of the less positive reviews on here. Took my soon-to-be six-year-old daughter for lunch on a Sunday and found the atmosphere great, the service speedy (although I do agree the food was obviously pre-cooked and warmed up) and the portions substantial. We even arrived an hour earlier than booked and the restaurant weas very accommodating - we were seated immediately. Okay, it was a little overpriced but nice enough and the staff were attentive without being overbearing, What's more, they were very diligent in pointing out dishes containing ingredients one of us has an intolerance to, even when we had already chosen, and explained the kids' fixed menu which I had missed. Calling attention to Jessica's birthday and having the other diners join in with the singing made it a memorable experience, and I'd definitely go back even if it wasn't a special occasion next time.
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9 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, November 07, 2010

I visited the Rainforest Café on a Sunday afternoon in October 2010- four adults and two children. Very disappointed by the entrance; having to manoeuvre a pushchair through a cramped, overpriced gift shop just to get in. We were seated quickly; first impressions weren’t great- we got a table next to the “waterfall” which smelt of mouldy water with a hint of bleach. The background din from the waterfall and the authentic rainforest noises made it difficult to talk. Then came the menus- two courses for an adult averaged £25 and £14.95 for a child’s meal!!! Overall, service was too efficient, lacked the atmosphere we had expected, food looked over priced-décor was tired-cane furniture and table cloths looked really cheap- so that combined with the smelly mist and sound of waterfall we decided to leave before ordering! Would not recommend this to anyone- we ended up at Prezzo five minutes away and had a great lunch.
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Katherine Baker
3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Sunday, October 31, 2010

What a rip-off!!!

OK at first you are taken in by the shop enterance which is OK if you have small kids that like moving fake snakes and crocs. All the rubbish they have is over-priced. Although the variety is huge.

Dont even bother going downstairs to the "Rester... Place they microwave stuff" Its poor quality and tasteless for what you have to pay.

Great idea... rubbish execution.
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Eddie - View all reviews by this user
4 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Thursday, October 21, 2010

We took our daughters for a day out in London and went here for lunch. You have to walk through the gift shop to enter the dining area which in itself is stressful with 2 young kids and 50 odd different sorts of cuddly toys, t-shirts and lots more. The dining area was great for kids - they loved the animals and the staff were friendly and helpful. I opted for the crayfish and smoked salmon salad at around £15, the kids had the all inclusive kids meal for £15 each. This comes with an activity pack which was quite good actually............. thats where it ended. My salad which was served in a huge bowl, consisted of a small slice of salmon with less than a handfull of crayfish and a teaspoon of dressing on the top. The rest of the huge bowl was full of lettuce, if you took the majority of that out I would say you had a starters worth. The kids pizza was shocking. Small, throw in the oven. My kids LOVE pizza but this wasn't eaten. Desserts for the kids where huge....... there's only so much icecream they can eat and mine was nothing to write home about either. My friend had meat balls, which again got left and to be honest they looked like they had been reheated in the microwave. I had a fruit smoothie for £4.40 and our total bill came to over £90. BEWARE OF YOUR BILL i was stupid enough not to notice the 12% service charge they put on. So having left 2quid for the waitress and nothing more - it wasn't till I got home I realised we'd also paid £10.

GREAT FOR KIDS - NOT IF YOU'RE HUNGRY.
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Jasmine Lait
6 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Lovely time...good friends, good fun. Little hectic and room is not a luxury at peak times however the prompt, courteous service coupled with the intriguing atmosphere makes it enjoyable.
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8 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 6
Sunday, October 03, 2010

Phenomenal outing with extended family. Members of all ages had laughs and smiles. Went for granddaughters first birthday and cannot think of a better, more pleasureable and interesting venue than the Rainforest in which to bring everyone together with under the same roof.
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Darren
8 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 6
Monday, September 20, 2010

Went yesterday evening with a friend and we both really enjoyed ourselves. We had a brilliant waiter who was always polite to help and explain the menu and even gave his own personal opinion on the taste which was spot on when I ordered the steak, it was delicious as well as the chocolate brownie my friend had. Price wise it's a bit expensive but that's normal for central London. Will definately be coming back again.
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Wayne - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Sunday, September 05, 2010