Buddha Bar

Went to the Buddha Bar in Paris a few years ago and was very impressed so I went to check out the one in London last week for drinks with a friend as it as too late to book a table to eat.

The venue is smaller but the atmosphere is the same. We were at the bar downing lots of cocktails and had a great time.

Would definitely go there again! Highly recommended!
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Steph - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Thursday, December 25, 2008

I had lunch there yesterday, nice space but the food was really not all that good and it was not hot, just sort of luke warm, service was very friendly but not very good.
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Charlie H
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Friday, December 19, 2008

I have visited Buddha Bar Paris on a number of occasions and have always had a fantastic time and so have been eagerly awaiting the opening of Buddha Bar London, which opened a couple of months ago. I was a little worried after looking at some of the reviews posted on some websites but after visiting with friends on Friday 21st Nov I can say that it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The decor certainly lives up to everything I had experienced in Paris, if not better, low lit, decadent, theatrical decor and of course the giant Buddha statue over seeing the diners all adds to the wonderful atmosphere. The evening began with drinks in the bar, excellent cocktails were served to us by a very friendly waitress who made recomendations for us after enquiring about what we normally liked to drink. The service and food in the restaurant were both of a high standard, the wine was fine and even though we were told of the return time on our table we never felt rushed. After dinner we returned to the bar area which by now had become very busy and with the music that had slowly built up over the night, was now buzzing and even felt like it had a clubby atmosphere. We spoke to our waitress again who informed us that there would be bottle service after 10pm and were shown to a comfortable booth where we spent the rest of our night. In response to some of the reviews posted I can only say that our experience was all that we hoped for and have already booked again for December.
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Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 24, 2008

On booking our 7.30 table we were told that we needed to vacate it by 9.30. Upon arrival we were shown to a poor table away from everyone else in the middle of the room. Only on the third attempt were we allowed to sit in the main area.

The wine was very expensive for what it was (a passable sauvignon blanc for £27 and an acidic pinot noir from Oregon for an absurd £53).

Most of the food was OK, but tempura was awful and all of it was very pricey.

Asian-hotel-chic vibes were underwhelming.
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galava - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Avoid at all costs. We hosted a party of 4 on Friday evening (31st October) and regret not going about any other restaurant.

In essence, this restaurant is just another sketch-esque pretentious waste of time and money - more concerned about it's own self-perceived cool factor than about paying customers, good food and a good time.

To start, the restaurant impresses with the decor (especially the buddha), lighting and table setting. I wish we'd just gone in, experienced the space, and then left.

However, the music (especially on a Fri and Sat) is deafening. Across a small table for 4 it was impossible to hear each other speak. When we asked the waiter to turn it down a little, we were treated with disdain - as if we didn't get that we were privelleged to be coming to such a cool place, and that deafening music was part of their trademark.

And then the food turned up. To say disappointing would be putting it mildly. First they were out of dumplings (and considering it was only 9pm was a disappointment). The spring rolls were so oily and tastless that even a hungry party of 4 didn't try to finish them. The scallops were bland although the chicken salad did seem to at least try.

Eventually (after again asking them to turn down the music) the main courses turned up 45 mins later, luke-warm, and after sending back to be re-heated (and returned in exactly the same dishes - thank goodness for microwave cooking) they just were not worth the effort. Bland, tastless and obvious.

The wine was nice but at more than £50 per head we wished we'd gone to Zuma, Hakkasan, Nobu, Trader Vics or just about anywhere else.
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jamesfoley
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Sunday, November 02, 2008

Great food. Great menu. Brilliant decor.

Had an amazing night there. Went upstairs for some great cocktails.
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Lush
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, October 28, 2008

I went to the Buddha Bar on Friday, and I did not expect much after reading the reviews.....and I was right. This place is a total rip off and the food is bland. How can they charge over £30 for a small piece of sebass (which was totally dry) covered in tomato ketchup. Dim Sum and Spring Rolls were terrible....you can get better from your local takeaway or a supermarket. Total bill which was a few starters and 3 main courses, one glass of wine each, one dessert to share...£70 each!!!! An absolute disgrace....we should have gone to Zuma.
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Fergus Lee
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, October 14, 2008

When the mentioning the name of Buddha Bar one automatically thinks of extravagant decor, mouth watering food with tantalizing ethnic lounge music playing the background, high bench markers set by Paris, NYC, Dubai just to name a few... When asked about the London branch, many beg to differ.

As soon as you walk in your are deluded by the breath taking decor and the highly attentive staff at the reception and the dim light start to set the mood ... The bar is busy with bar men being eager to please and demonstrate their skills as seen through their cocktails however when waiting to be taken to you allocated table please be prepared to wait from anything to 20 minutes to almost 40 with very little apology.

The tables are small considering the amount needed to be seated with a personal experience of being giving a table for 5 instead one suited comfortably for 8. The food and the service start to question the high standards of the Buddha Bar chains.The menu does seem amazing and some dishes may be good but do not bring in the wow factor. Personally, the sushi is a delightful starter but nothing to have you fully content and is quite highly priced in relation to the size of the portions, the main course is disappointing with the food tasting bland or over powering with spices or the sauce, coming to Buddha Bar for food would rather be a miss unless your more than happy eating the sushi only.

When ordering accompanying wines with your food...approach with caution stay away from asking the staff for their suggestions they do not really know how to select a good wine. Seems more like they are fishing in the dark. The white is served warm always not matter how many times you send it back and the red is far from satisfactory. Now we come to the service, the waiter less than interested in what you are saying and more what their fellow colleges are talking about through their walkie talkies or and if you are wishing to catch their attention (quite difficult and demands patience) please do look at the sides where your sure to find them huddled in small groups most probably discussing last nights TV. When they do finally arrive, they are slightly arrogant, not to forget that they do smile but obviously cast an obnoxious "couldnt care less" attitude as if they are the ones doing you a great, highly painful favor as to serve you.

Overall, Buddha Bar is simply only the spot for a few cocktails (slightly pricey) and the chilled out atmosphere, not one of my top perosonal choices which I would choose when entertaining or simply going out for a good meal...
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KSheth
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Sunday, October 12, 2008

Well, I was more than a little apprehensive after reading some of the reviews on here- but you know what? You're all looking at this "destination" in the wrong way. It's not just a restaurant- it's an experience- anyone who actually goes here for a gourmet meal is quite frankly missing the whole point.

The look and feel of the place is amazing. The music is astonishingly good.

The large parties of people dancing round their tables is wild. The food is adequate.

If you want decent pan asian go to Cocoon, Hakasan or your local fusion. If you want a funky night out - come here.
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Wayno
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Sunday, October 12, 2008

Whoah! Possibly the worst restaurant I've ever been to!

Absolute rubbish! the staff were too busy on their stupid little walkie-talkies to take any notice of us. The management was poor, and the staff were unfriendly and arrogant, as was the floor manager! We arrived perfectly on time, however our table was not ready for another half an hour. The Apple Martini I had whilst waiting, though, wasn't bad...note it was NOT GOOD...simply NOT BAD. When our table was ready, it was far too small. They had seated our party of 7 on a table made for 4 people! The music was the best part of the evening, as it was fantastic.

We ordered our food in good time, but, as I have previously said, the waiters were too busy talking on their little toys to take any real notice, and after about an hour and a half we finally receieved our meal. I would not have minded this, had the quality of the food been any good...it was not! It was almost as bad as the service we were given, and THAT is saying something!! The squid they brought us was the wrong dish, and even that would not have bothered me if the squid had been any good! HOWEVER it was rubbery, damn-near impossible to eat properly and, without a shadow of a doubt, utterly TASTELESS.

The wine was not even wine...it was vinegar...and not even cold vinegar! The coca-cola they brought for my friend was flat and warm. When we complained about the wine being warm, we were given more of the same wine, however even THIS WAS WARM. When we complained again, we were given a different type of wine, which was still LUKEWARM. This may be seen as a controversial and exaggerated remark but I can assure you, that was not even the half of it! (for want of a better term)

However, the music was fantastic, but even this cannot, by any means, make up for the shoddy service, poor food and awful management that made Buddha Bar one of the most horrendously-staffed restaurants in London. I would give this place about a year ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM before it shuts down. I may be seen as prententious and pompous for writing such a scathing review, but I can assure you that this is not the first of it's kind...it may be the worst...but it is not the first.
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AnonymousK
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Sunday, October 05, 2008