Bam Bou

Starter of ground beef in pepper leaves was great but main of vegetable curry was uninspiring. Amateur but friendly staff milling around looking a bit clueless. Nice room but tables too close together. Annoying table turnaround time of two hours.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Monday, April 06, 2009

I can't quite put in to words how much I love this place. The food is always absolutely sensational and the building it's in is sooooo Old Hanoi, I just want to stay and never leave.
Comment on this reader review

Wendy
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, December 05, 2008

Visited on a Wednesday night, surprised at how very busy they were, so much for the credit crunch! Ate in the ground floor dining room which had an expensive feel and was a romantic and intimate environment to eat in. Service was polite and attentive the entire meal.

The starters were average to good and the main courses were good to exceptional being a duck dish which was cooked to perfection and well flavoured.

Overall we had a very nice evening at Bam Bou, can you get better food for the same money? Probably. But you won't go too far wrong spending an evening here.
Comment on this reader review

Sam
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Thursday, November 06, 2008

I eat out for lunch a lot with my job doing lots of client entertaining, and 'Bam Bou' is right in the heart of medialand on Charlotte Street.

I have to say, and I am a cynical bugger, that I am surprised at some of the negative reviews below. I've probably eaten there on at least 4 occasions this year and have found the food to be practically faultless on all occasions.

I've always shared the dishes there which is probably for the best as the choice is so challenging. Starters whet the appetite perfectly - an amazing lightly spiced, fragrant shredded chilli chicken salad literally lights your mouth up upon first taste. the ribs are coated in a deep rich sauce, and the meat falls from the bone with no effort. Dim sum are fresh and steaming hot, and the crab cakes are great.

The main courses are generous and ideal for sharing too - choices of succulent pork belly, a lamb and butternut malaysian curry, and a chicken green curry are all amazing, and on the times I've been there, rarely has food been sent back!

It is a light, modern dining room, service is attentive, and the only criticism is it can be a little bit slow.

It works for a business lunch but also for a romantic evening meal. Go there and I assure you, you will not be disappointed.
Comment on this reader review

Nigel
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Overpriced. Watered down cocktails. Mediocre food. Staff who behave like they are better than their customers. Definitely not going back & wouldn't recomend it to anyone else.
Comment on this reader review

QZ - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Monday, August 25, 2008

Having been to Vietnam in November, I was eagerly anticipating going to Bam Bou with my husband for his birthday last weekend.

Although we didn't readily recognise many of the dishes (no Pho?) we started off with great cocktails and did enjoy the meal itself. The starters (the dumplings and the crispy soft crab) were both delicious and reminded us of being back in the country. We were a bit disappointed by the lack of choice of main courses and my peppered beef was nice but not outstanding although my husband fared better with the braised beef (again, definitely reminiscent of the food we ate out there).

The desserts (poached pair and the creme brulee) were also hits and I would recommend these to other diners.

The wine was very expensive though - that was a major contributor to pushing our bill up to £110 so I would stick with Tiger beer as I saw others doing. Service was pleasant but we had to ask for our edamame and cocktails three times which wasn't a good start.

The main downside of the restaurant though is the way in which they've rammed in the tables. It was really frustrating not to be able to hear myself speak let alone try to hold a conversation and there was a group of 4 sitting around a tiny table but who noise-wise filled up the ground floor by shouting to each other. My husband had to restrain me from saying something to the staff who obviously didn't care. We were also on a table for two between other tables for two and the sound levels will obviously vary according to your fellow diners: one side were talking to each other perfectly normally and we didn't have a problem but the other side held a couple of loud gents doing a business deal and it just stopped our conversation in its tracks on occasions.

Overall I would recommend Bam Bou for the food but book early or late which it might be quieter as I would imagine the dining experience is a lot nicer when it's not so noisy!
Comment on this reader review

Keeley Lund
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, January 23, 2008

I would give it an "OK". The restaurant is certainly trying very hard to create the Thai/Vietnamese atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food is very bland and reads better than it tastes. The starters and main courses all needed extra seasoning.

The service was "OK": very attentive topping up our wine glasses (hoping for us to order more wine), but otherwise difficult to attract their attention.

Verdict: will not go again. Once was enough and there are certainly many other similar restaurants which serve better tasting dishes and are more value for money.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Saturday, December 29, 2007

Went here with my wife on a Saturday night. Great atmosphere and stylish decor. The food was unusual and very good. We thought the service was pretty decent too.

The only drawback of the place is the feeling that the management want to get as much money out of you as possible. eg. before 9pm you only have a 2-hour slot so they can get as many in as they can; 12.5% service is added automatically to your bill.
Comment on this reader review

Donnie
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Sunday, December 02, 2007

Great food, great decor, great atmosphere - especially when sitting out on the terrace and people-watching on Charlotte Street!

Highly recommended - make sure you try the chocolate spring roles for pudding!
Comment on this reader review

Alex
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Thursday, October 11, 2007

I have been there twice and I've always been very happy with the food and the atmosphere. Sometimes can be noisy.

It's expensive but worth.
Comment on this reader review

CC
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Friday, August 24, 2007