Beach Blanket Babylon Shoreditch

I booked up and took my wife here a fortnight ago for our aniversary. We were shown to our table by what looked like a model who was more interested in looking around at people seeing if anyone was clocking them than attending to us. When i booked i asked specifically for a rose to be put on the table saying i would pay extra - when we got to our table, no rose.. and the management knew nothing about it.

Our drinks turned up 15 minutes after ordering them and our starter was cold - the croutons looked and tasted like cardboard. We had argentinean steak as a main which we asked for medium - it turned up black (nuked is a better word) and the size was as small as a welsh lamb chop. it was actually horrible.

It was at this stage i had enough, i was embarrassed and my wife could see i was about to deck the floor manager for ruining what was an extremely well planned anniversary dinner to reward my wife for being so loving and these idiots blew it.

Never go to this place.. I took my to a wine bar afterwards and we finished the night having fun but BBB was the worst experience ever. You have been warned.
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Steve E
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, August 18, 2008

Very Very Very Very bad service, bad food. The service was terrible, ended up walking out, they don't even take notice you until you take your money out of your wallet.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Saturday, August 16, 2008

We went last night having heard good things about the Notting Hill establishment. Good venue and nice decor once inside. Hit the cocktail bar downstairs before eating. Expect to pay around £150 for two people. That includes 3 courses and cocktails - or £250 if you fancy pushing the boat out like we did and ordered a bottle of LPR! what the hell! Food was average and portions were small considering the price paid. Wouldnt rush back if honest but overall wasnt a bad experience to be fair. Good service despite feedback from other reviews. Try Lounge Lovers after if you fancy a night cap! its directly behind Beach Blanket.
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H & A.x.
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Friday, July 25, 2008

I went here last Friday because we could not get into Green & Red Bar ( a fabulous Mexican Restaurant at the end of Brick Lane). I feel compelled to write to say how awful I felt this restaurant was. We were waiting for 45 minutes with no sense that we were ever going to get a table and were about to leave again when the woman on the till told us to stay. The set up here is like a spaceship. It's incredible the technology yet the actual communcation is non existant. We were compelled to stay when she swore like out of Star Trek there really was a table available.

When we got the table eventually we were ignored. We ordered wine twice still ignored and our starters arrived. When I had finished the starter the wine finally arrived. The service was UNBELIEVABLY bad. There was one strange lonely bar maid pouring drinks to straglers at the bar. She was alone but there must have been at least 10 to 15 people working this night. We finally got the wine and the main courses (which were NOT cheap) and I had opted for two starters instead and the truth is this was an expensive night for me and my friends on an ad hoc arrangement. We decided NOT to order any more as really we got no attention nothing but surley looks. Eventually we got the bill which was very expensive and concluded that 'service included' was possibly a good option for an establishment like this.

The only good thing about this place is the building. The same goes for it's twin sister in Notting Hill. It seems to be all about image for Beach Blanket Babylon and there are enough rich stupid people to fill such places, but frankly none of my party who were European young successful professionals will ever return.
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Sophia
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, July 09, 2008

I had already booked by birthday party at BBB before I had read the reviews so as you can expect I was a little apprehensive about going with all the bad feedback this place had received. We went on a Friday night (10 of us) for dinner and I couldn't have been more surprised. The place was full but we still had 2 waiters for our table who where very friendly, helpful and were fully clued up on the menu and the wine list and made suggestions on wine to go with our meal. The delivery of food was swift and we were all served at the same time so no delays there. I had a great birthday there and they even brought me out a slice of cake and sang happy birthday which was nice if a little embarrassing! Over all I really enjoyed the experience and will be going back. Great cocktails too!
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Helen
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 5
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Really bad service from very incompetent staff. The welcome was cold and staff made you feel lucky to be there. I think they are lucky to have the few clients they have there as there aren't any endearing reasons why anyone should go there unless you want to mix with chavs and loud suits without any taste. The food and drinks are not good nough to pull anyone there.The worst thing is to be treated badly like a smelly pair of socks.The staff are unhappy for some reason beyond our comprihension. With so many good places around, why give our money to awful places.
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Tanya
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Went here Valentine's Dinner. The staff and service was very organized and all 3 courses were delicious. Definitly worth the money and would go again.
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A happy customer
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Saturday, April 05, 2008

It beggars belief when a restaurant serving nothing more than over priced bar food masquerading as an a la carte menu can get six persons orders wrong when its not even half full. Both starters and mains arrived randomly.Some of us started whilst others were just finishing. The staff themselves seemed unsure about the order of the service. The food is almost transparent in size but nobody was that bothered as it was pretty dificult to stomach most of it. The sheperds pie was really bland and the rissoto would have tasted better if it was boiled in a bag. The staff have this attitude that you are privileged that they are serving you. Shouldn't it be the other way round as soon there won't be anyone around to pay your wages.This place is all hype and has no substance at all. It looks promising from the outside but once inside the reality hits you in the face. It tries to be flashy and hip but fails on all accounts.
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Toby Payner
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, March 24, 2008

Being a restaurateur myself, i wanted to try this new venue. At first, I was very impressed by the entrance and deco of the place. There is a nice atmosphere there.

We sat down for diner and from then, it was like the ABC of service gone wrong. The cutlery, glasses and napkins were dirty and the cruets full of tomato sauce. The waiter was not understanding our english and obviously the order went wrong. My steak was not cooked as requested and the fries never arrived. When asked, we were told that they run out of fries (how can you??).

Then when we finished our mains, the table was cleared and nothing else happened. I was quiet keen to have a look at the dessert menu but after 10 minutes of waiting, i just asked for the bill. When leaving, no one said good bye as the manager was too busy eating with his friend at one table.

What a shame it is and it shows that there is no management and no standards in this place.

Will obviously never come back.
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Olivier Lavigne
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 0
Monday, March 24, 2008

IF you go out to eat , isn't the least you expect is to be understood by the staff? After all i wasn't speaking Swahili.The order was completely messed up and there was not an ounce of regret from the management. It really irks me that places like this gets away with rude service and disgusting food. Shouldn't there be a department to uphold the standards of the catering industry? Surely ripping clients off is a crime.Well its murder having to eat whats on offer.

The cocktails fare no better.Out of curiousity we ventured down to the basement bar . It was really hot and stuffy and the same chaos ensued here. Staff who has not the slightest inkling about coctails. One drink was enough to drown our curiousity and we could wait to leave.
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Jennifer
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, February 07, 2008