Tiroler Hut

I have now given up on Tiroler Hut. The first couple of times that we went there, the fun atmosphere and lack of decent alternatives in London for Austrian/ German food made up for the horrible service.

However, the service last Saturday night was shocking. We had booked a table for six two weeks in advance. One of our party couldn't make it and my two-year old was one of the six. My daughter was peacefully sleeping in the chair next to me when the wait staff insisted they needed her chair along with that half of the table. I looked around in disbelief because the restaurant was nearly empty and it was already nearing 8pm. After multiple members of the staff told me with a sense of urgency that they needed that seat, I relented not wanting to cause a fuss during our meal. So I spent the rest of the meal holding a sleeping 2 year old in my lap eating surrounded by empty tables. It was shocking.

In addition, we didn't drink much because we had driven there. Apparently this is against the "rules" and our desire not to drive after drinking was rude. The wait staff almost entirely ignored us. Being sober did make me notice how large the bill was at the end though! I had always previously assumed the bill was large, because of the alcohol, but now I know they insert all kinds of "charges" like a booking charge. Ridiculous!

I will now begin my search for a better German. Austrian place in the capital, because I will not be going back to Tiroler Hut!
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Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 4
Monday, August 25, 2008

This place is simply the best place for a lively meal out in London. The atmosphere (provided that you embrace the singing and dancing) is second to none and I can’t think of a better place to celebrate a birthday.

I booked 2 months in advance for 22 people which was organised by the restaurant faultlessly. They were extremely polite and accommodating to our needs and the food and drink was spot on.

This is not a gastronomic delight but if you fancy enjoying good beer and good food with plenty on impromptu dancing and singing as well the all the regular entertainment then you can’t go wrong.

When we went last Saturday (01/03/08) there were several guests who decided to get up and do a song for everyone and as there were several party groups there (of all ages) plenty of people were straight up on their feet as soon as a recognisable song was played.

This place is certainly what you make it and you can’t so go wrong if you go with an open mind.

I will be going back again and again.
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Chris
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, March 03, 2008

I'm going to have to agree with the last 2 reviews. I booked a large table over a month in advance and wasn't impressed at the time with their courtesy. Then a few days before our reservation - having confirmed about a week earlier with someone else - the manager rang me, demanded a deposit and when i queried why no-one had mentioned this to me before, I was informed that he didn't want people like me in his restaurant and he hung up. If it hadn't been that i was organising a large group of people and didn't want to find someone else I would have left it at that, but I rang back, apologised (! I know!), nearly got hung up on again and eventually secured our table.

When we arrived on the night it was clear that they had double booked and a table of 14 had a nice long table down the side of the restaurant and we were squashed on a table better suited for 10.

That said, we had a fun night, but we would have had fun anywhere. The waiting staff are very good, helpful and polite, unlike the manager. The food is over-priced for what it is. The atmosphere is fun and they were good at keeping our (not cheap) drinks topped up.

That said, this is the first review i've ever written on this site and it's only because i was so completely disgusted with the way he treated us and want other people to know before they consider visiting this decidedly average restaurant.
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TS, West Kensington
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I would very much like to give this restaurant a full review. Unfortunately after reserving 3 weeks in advance, I got a ring from the manager to say that there was a big problem and they weren't sure they could take me.

I'm sorry, but ringing 2 days before when I've booked 3 weeks ahead is the definition of c**p service. Avoid.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, February 10, 2008

The place is a dump and the owner is so rude! We were the first ones in a restaurant, after having it booked almost 2 weeks beforehand and the table we were offered could sit 2 at most and it was reserved for four! The only way it could fit 4 is if all 4 came from months of starvation and intensive labour.

We were very polite, but we were not about to enjoy my father's birthday crumped into a space allocated. I am not fussy, but there was just no way, absolutely no way to fit in. They could have sat us anywhere, but everything was booked. So, we decided to leave.

It was just outrageous.
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Alexei
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The Tiroler Hut clearly trades principally on the basis of clients' desire for some thigh-slapping Bierhaus jollity and 'gemuetlichkeit', with the obligatory musical accompaniment - an entertainer doubles as crooner and clarinettist, with a choice selection of yodelled Austrian airs. As such, food seems only to play a bit-part role in what is clearly designed by the hosts to be an altogether wider 'night out'. Tourists and parties looking to partake of this type of themed entertainment clearly aren't disappointed, as I gained the impression that the place is perennially popular and attracts vast cohorts, with over 30 years' experience.

Aber - 'but' - the food I had on visiting by no means reflected my own very fond memories of traditional Viennese and Tyrolean cooking in Austria itself, which I recall to have been utterly mouthwatering: the hope of encountering such cuisine was my main motive in dining here in the first place. I'd hesitate to say what was offered foodwise was bad, but my starter and main didn't rise above mediocrity.

I found the early-evening atmosphere quite pleasant - note the place is packed as early as 7 - and the service was friendly and mainly attentive - but this was only because we arrived deliberately early at 6; it took rather a long time to sort out the bill once the Hut became full. My own main - a pork dish in a mushroom sauce - tasted as though it had been prepared overlong in a slow cooker, though my friend clearly had better luck with his knuckle of pork, which seemed to be of reasonable quality. The hectically and hyperactively busy nature of the establishment - thronged by large parties looking for a tourist experience/themed night out - by definition will always prevent the of the food from attaining any significant distinction.

The selection of biers seemed fairly limited. I would have liked to have seen the classic Austrian bier Zipfer on the list, though they do have Goesser. I'm convinced one bottled bier option is also available at Lidl, though this might be my memory playing tricks.

It is a matter of regret that from what I can gather by research, there seem to be no Austrian (or German) restaurants in London that actually focus on their national cuisine as their principal and pre-eminent raison d'etre: the limited number of options seem to strive first of all to provide the lederhosen/oompah experience, with food as a secondary aspect. It seems like another trip to Vienna will need to be on the cards.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Thursday, August 09, 2007

I have been here a couple of times. It is a fun place to go and even fun dodgers cannot fail to have a good time. The reality is that you pay for the set menu just to get your seat. They could not really care if you like the food or not. They have a waiting list of about a month and as it is a unique place they can get away with it more or less. I say more or less because when I went last week the food was truly rank. All I can say is that I recommend you do not come expecting anything beyond school food and choose something simple off the menu. The cheese fondue is actually quite good but the main courses are awful. I know they have the novelty factor to attract people to this restaurant but I do not think that they will continue to be successful for ever if they do not improve their food. Then again, I never thought I would see a Chinese chap singing Ole Mio (jntroduced as Ricardo Chop Suey - amazed they can get away with that in these politically correct days!) in an Austrian basement restaurant and he does that every night in Tiroler Hut. Brilliant.
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Rick Brown
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Yes, the foods isn't great, booking is shambolic- but thats part of the package with Tiroler Hut. If you fancy a raucious evening of noisy atmosphere, Leiderhosen, cow bells, dodgy alpine paintings, great beer, a surprisingly sophisticated crowd and bad karaoke then this is your place.. this place is very popular so you must book by PHONE at least a week before. The entrance is tricky to locate- very charming and as long as you don't expect a cosy evening of good cuisine(its a place to let your hair down and unwind), you will be back for sure.
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Will Mac
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Sunday, March 04, 2007

I visited the Tiroler Hut restaurant on Thursday, and I must say that the place was fully booked. As I am a vegetarian, we asked them to prepare some vegetarian main course. So the chef very happily prepared Vegetable Strudel and it was just fabulous. I must say that special attention was given to our requested meal despite the short notice of just 1 hour given to them about us being vegetarian and they provided a lovely veggie meal for us.

The service and food both were just great and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a great night out. It is OK for big groups with the live music on every evening. It started a bit late though - it was past 9 pm, and by the time it really got to its peak, we had finished our meal and were ready to leave.

An enjoyable and memorable experience.
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SG
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Friday, February 23, 2007

The Tiroler Hut in a few words? Arrogant, appallingly managed and thoroughly disappointing. I had booked a table via email from their website the Thursday before the Saturday we wanted to eat. I received no email confirmation, and rang up at least 6 times on Friday trying to get through to confirm my reservation. Eventually on Saturday afternoon somebody answered the phone to inform us that someone had taken the reservation book home so they had no idea who was booked in that night. We were told to ring back at 6pm, which we duly did and then told that person still hadn't come in and to ring back at 7. We rang back again and they still weren't there. They actually mentioned that people were turning up for tables and they had no idea if they really did have reservations or not, or indeed where to sit them. They called me back about half an hour later to say that we did not have a reservation, and unless we called to confirm our e-mail it wasn't valid, because they received so many by e-mails they couldn't cope with the demand. I really wanted to go, and my 7 friends and I who trekked to Notting Hill were very disappointed.
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Holly Wheeler
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, February 04, 2007