Ayoush

The short answer: terrible service, extortionate prices (especially for drinks), tiny portions and the belly dancing entertainment felt forced. The decor cannot make up for a totally disappointing evening in so many respects.

After trying and not succeeding to book nearby Levant lebanese restaurant for a birthday party accommodating 18 people, I was short on time to find another restaurant with that much space for a Saturday night. I walked around the area and saw Ayoush which looked chilled, busy and had great Moroccan decor. I spoke with the manager who said "that should not be a problem". This one saving grace perhaps kept me from giving them 1 star out of 5.

I was impressed with the decor downstairs having our own little 'cave' which was cutely decorated with cushions and candlelight. However this meant it was convenient for the waiters to ignore us most of the evening. 5 of us showed up together and were given drinks. Shortly after, most of the others arrived and we waited 15 minutes before having to call a waiter over to take drink requests. We had 2 menus to share between 14 and the waiter was being very demanding of getting the drinks order quickly. I didn't like this shortness at all, very rude especially when we didn't have enough menus to know what to order!

I hoped that the service would improve but unfortunately it was simliiarly terrible the rest of the night. Many times we were without drinks. The gap between the starter and main was too long, nearly an hour.

Also the food is an ABSOLUTE RIP OFF!! 9 of us had set menus, while 5 had mezze which included a selection of hot and cold starters. That was it for £20 pp. So they brought the set menu starters and the mezze starters together which was probably only enough for 8 people! Even though I had a main (which was a rather pathetic bed of roasted vegtables, some cheap melted cheese and rice) I still felt hungry by the time we left. So I can only imagine those who ordered the mezze were not satisfied.. The dessert was shockingly tiny. A bit of baklawa, kiwi slices and strawberry slices on a plate to share between 14 people. Then the mint tea was disgusting and sour.

And the bigger shock?? £50 each for the meal. I tried to hide my annoyance as it was my birthday party. I felt embarrassed that my guests had to pay that much at the shocking portion sizes, bad entertainment, and poor service. I had slightly higher expectations, even tho I read plenty of bad reviews online after I'd booked, but they were utterly dashed. NEVER going back here - nor do I think anyone in my party will be.
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Crystal
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Sunday, September 21, 2008

It was my third time there, so that's because I liked it the first two times, of course. Anyway, we ordered a mix of all dishes this time, to share between four people. Even if we were quite hungry, they were too generous. We ended up leaving almost half of what we asked, and that make us feel that the value for money wasn't living up our expectations. We weren't very fair though. The restaurant is really cozy and it surprise you with the amount of arabic style lamps hanging from the roof. The service is quite friendly and they are also quite fast serving the food. Everything was what you could expect from an arabic restaurant and even if you should think twice how much you order, the price is reasonable.
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xx
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, August 11, 2008

Completely over priced, awful food, taste is nothing like middle eastern food.
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Thursday, April 03, 2008

the food was great the staff were very helpfull and frindely the only thing that spoiled our night was the stupied manager who made as beg to get atabel downstairs he was very an friendly atherwise loved the atmosphere
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sarah
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Dreadful. Where to begin…overpriced; indifferent - verging on rude - service (and automatically charged 12 % for it and had our bill unceremoniously plonked on table before we’d asked for it); tiny quantities of very mediocre food (e.g. I ordered leg of lamb from the menu and got 3-4 small slices of poor quality lamb). I felt really ripped off. Being a Londoner, I feel I really should have known better, but it looked busy and interesting from the outside. I agree with one of the other reviews where they said it was just cold food re-heated, it certainly wasn’t cooked from scratch. I know I should've complained at the time, but didn't want to spoil a nice evening out with a friend I hadn't seen in a long while.
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Stephanie
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 21, 2008

Great location for a restaurant and in a cool part of London, just a pity that the restaurant is this one. I have never written a review on anything before but I felt so strongly about this, here I am. The staff are not only rude and almost confrontational but extremely inept and lazy. The wine is horrible, a sheesha pipe cost £20!!! I wish I had not paid and just left. If you are ever think of going out for a meal with friends go to one of the many others near to this where an effort is made provide a good dining experience.
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Brad
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 14, 2008

Terrible, Terrible and Terrible. With a capital Err. Never again!

Cold food warmed up.

Very very rude service - The "Manager", whose name is Mido, is unwelcoming, rude, abrassive and unhelpful, and the atmosphere was sleazy to say the least.

Mido needs to learn manners, and how to serve and treat his customers who are guests at his establishment. A hospitality course would not go amiss.

In terms of value for money it is a complete rip off. I have no qualms with spending alot of money in resturants or clubs, my name being a regular on tables and guest lists at Cristal, Movida,Amika, Boujis and Maddox being testament to this. But Ayoush is something else. I do not usually write criqtiques, but I want to warn everyone.

in the words of Dante "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Avoid !
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Jumana Bin Kharbash
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, December 17, 2007

Great place to eat well and good service
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me
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, November 09, 2007

Yes it's expensive, but it's pretty good...

Food is good, wine list is rubbish. Music is good.

Shisha outside is quite good, but again expensive.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 2
Friday, November 09, 2007

lovely food, but really overpriced for what they gave you, the portions were quite small so we ordered more to make sure everyone had a reasonable amount, when we were presented the bill we were absolutely shocked. i wouldn't recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy.
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Tim
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Friday, July 13, 2007