Busaba Eathai Store Street

I went to Busaba last night for my birthday (Fri night) and I was very disappointed with the service. Firstly, they do not take reservations and would not give us a table until everyone was there which was frustating. Futhermore, it was my birthday and I had brought a cake along to celebrate only to be told we could not eat it there! They have a no desserts policy, the waiter told me he didn't want to get sacked over allowing me to have cake. The service is very rushed, unfriendly waiters and the bill lands on your table before you've even had time to pick down your chopsticks. The only good point is the food is pretty good and well presented. Definitely a fast food restaurant good for casual dining.
Comment on this reader review

Anna Chan
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Saturday, November 03, 2007

I would agree with other reviewers that this place has gone downhill.

Went here with a friend after work, and was very disappointed. Service was rushed rather than swift and the staff are very unfriendly and snooty. Not one staff member smiled the whole time we were there, and made me feel like a nuisance for asking for drinks mid-way through our meal, not making eye contact and barely concealing their contempt when we took more than two seconds to choose our drinks. At the end of the day it is just a fashionable fast food place, they really need to get a grip on themselves. Perhaps they think it's cool, but they come across as stuck up and rude.

Food also was nothing special, presentation was poor and my main dish was served on a cold plate so the food was cold before I was halfway through.

I usually like places with communal tables, but was sat near the entrance and so spent an hour being whacked in the back by staff and customers squeezing through (literally whacked, and not once did a staff member apologise - other customers did).

I won't be going back.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Saturday, November 03, 2007

great food, very reasonable. thai calamari.. amazing! Its a wagamama styke thai restaurant. expect to queue on the weekends. try it!
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Food is very good - you must try the thai calimarie. It's a shame, and there is really no excuse, that the service doesn't match, and you feel that you are in a cheap chinese restaurant, where you get served insults with your noodles. The staff were unfriendly, and one tried to grab my plate when it was clear that I had not finished... how rude. But still, there are queues outside.. people obviously are happy to pay for good food, regardless of the bad service!
Comment on this reader review

chris
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Food - only okay, small portions and expensive for what we paid for

Staff - discourteous and very rude - we got the overwhelming feeling that they wanted us out ASAP (both during and after the meal).

Service - non-exsistant

Atmosphere - awful, we were being glowered at constantly throughout our meal by the staff.

They would not let us order till our friends turned up, then when they did arrive we were completely ignored trying to get the staffs attention. Likewise with ordering drinks - we nearly gave up. On two previous visits we have tried to book the lower private room and failed - with very feeble excuses given.

It's a real shame because a couple of years ago this was a really nice place, it seems to have dramatically lost it's way and it has a serious staff attitude problem. This place really, really needs to be improved drastically. All in all a very unpleasant evenings meal.
Comment on this reader review

Phil & Linda S
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 3
Monday, October 22, 2007

Used to be a regular at this establishment however i think the food is going down. The past couple of times i have been have not enjoyed the food and the dish sizes do tend me to getting smaller and smaller - no longer a favorite or a regular.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Saturday, October 20, 2007

Not at all impressed with this restaurant. We booked a table for 10 and were still waiting for 2 people who were running slightly late. We were told by the waitress that we couldn't order (not even drinks or starters!) until everyone had arrived. When they did arrive, the waitress was moody and hurried us to order starters and the main meal together.

In the end the food was of an ok standard, the same as if you went to any other Thai restaurant, and prices were much higher too. To top it off, we were given the bill, even though we hadn't asked for it (plus some of us wanted dessert!), and ushered out as soon as the bill had been paid by being told that there were other customers waiting to be seated.

An awful experience! It seems that with rising popularity comes worsening service!
Comment on this reader review

Kay
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 5
Saturday, October 13, 2007

Definately impressed with this place, we were greated immediately after entering and shown to one of the big tables. The staff were very attentive and we had drinks about two minutes after being seated. The food arrived swiftly as well and was some of the yummiest food I had eaten in a long time, I had the grilled duck and the squid dish. I have alreay told all my friends abou this place and am planning to come back myself soon.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, August 11, 2007

I couldn't disagree more with the previous review, I have never experienced anything other than swift and friendly service here and I have been coming for years. Anyway, I highly recommend this place and also the other two Busaba's one in Soho and the one near Selfridges.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, August 11, 2007

I was really really disappointed. Some of the reviews have been really good so maybe I went on a bad night.. But seriously, I received the worse service I have ever experienced. The staff were just plain rude. Saying that the food was lovely, but I would rather have gone to Wagamamas and been rushed there than be rushed and treated rudely at this place. Its a real shame. I hope other people have better treatment that I had.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, August 07, 2007