Ziloufs

Excellent cocktails, nice atmosphere in the bar, good music and friendly helpful staff. We were tempted in by the happy hour cocktails which were great value and delicious. All of this led us to ask if we could eat there. This is where things started to unravel as I'm vegetarian and the kitchen of this restaurant is not really set up for the vegetarian option. We opted for the 2 courses for £16.50 and there is actually only 1 vegetarian option as a starter and 1 as a main course so there isn't really a choice. The starter of miso soup was very tasty but not very filling. The main course of spinach & mushroom Balantine was a real disappointment. It was a dish of spinach & mushrooms wrapped in very tough spring greens in a cream sauce. In fact the spring greens were so tough that I couldn't cut them with the knife I was given. I pointed this out to the waiting staff who issued me with a sharper knife. I was told that they were supposed to be like that and I should cut them open and just eat the spinach & mushroom filling. I declined and the waiter did refund me the cost of the main course. Unfortunately as there was no other vegetarian option I left the restaurant very hungry indeed. Very disappointing. My friend and I agreed that in future we would only frequent the bar for cocktails.
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4 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Thursday, September 29, 2011

The food I ordered was over-priced and awful. I had a vegetable noodle curry concoction that was bland, tasteless, heavy and just terrible. My friends all tasted what I had and felt sorry for me! Furthermore, it was part of a laughable special offer where you paid £16 for 2 courses - you choose from mains at £10.50 and starters at £6 - saving you a whooping 50p - amazing offer! Would not recommened - go spend a silly amount of money for terrible food elsewhere.
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Minxette - View all reviews by this user
4 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 0
Saturday, July 23, 2011

They were not having a good day in the kitchen. The menu description looks very good, but they didn't quite got it together today. The crispy squid for starter was very tasty and well done. The main courses were all disappointing. The menu offered rib-eye steak but instead got roast beef. Half of it heavily overcooked and the other half heavily undercooked, I can't say what temperature it was supposed to be. The rest of the roast dinner was nice. The swordfish was dry and the master stock so salty that ruined the whole dish. The confit duck was rubbery, and the skin was not properly cleaned. Finding the quills didn't help the dish presentation. They were served with capelli d'angelo (although the menu said egg noodles and in a pan-asian restaurant you would expect egg noodles) and bok choy in a very nice coconutty sauce. The wild mushroom pad thai was not any better. Thankfully, the desserts were very good. The passionfruit creme brulee was very succesfull among the group, and the sticky toffee pudding with honeycomb icecream was well balanced and served at the perfect temperature. Good atmosphere and very good coffee. Don't think I will go back other than for drinks and desserts.
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Rakhe
5 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Sunday, February 27, 2011

Zilouf's is a good destination for a cheap, informal dinner. The interior is quirky and the bar seemed very popular. Food-wise, it was pleasing and good value. Although my pork belly was a little dry and salty, the sweetness and succulence of the sauce and the varied accompanying vegetables remedied it. The vegetarian options are limited but what was available - pakoras and a mushroom pad thai - were executed well. I'd return if in the area for a quick meal.
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dawnage - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Usually come here to meet friends for drinks in the bar area but decided to have dinner here this time too.

Food was lovely - fresh and vibrant. Only gripes were not enough vegetarian options and they could have used more chilli in the dishes.

As always excellent atmosphere too. Love this place
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SS - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, August 09, 2010

Dropped in here for dinner last night and I wish I hadn't.

It was very enticing, the atmosphere was great, a nice chick with a lovely voice sang songs and strummed on a guitar, the staff are nice (although it seemed each one of them served us oblivious to their colleagues - we were asked the same questions by 3-4 people at each stage of the meal), drinks were good etc.

The food was just not good at all, which doesn't seem to be the norm judging by the previous reviews......but I'll say it as I saw it:

Three starters: 1. ribs that were woefully undercooked (the meat had to be wrenched from the bone - not like it's meant to be when it falls off). 2. Bizzare calamari bhaji type things with a dip (salad garnish was nice though. 3. Strange salad that tasted of artificial smoke - horrid.

Mains: 1. Belly pork - huge slab - pretty nice, but far from brilliant. 2. Udon noodles - horrid

Didn't finish a single dish. The chefs/owners think they are E&O, Eight over Eight etc. - they're a million miles away and whilst it's a relaxed place for a drink the food sucks.

Bummer - I wanted to like this place.
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Coops
6 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Friday, May 15, 2009

A Great bar where dedicated people make hot drinks and deliver them with considerable aplomb. It is a pretension free environment that caters for all that are happy to leave their troubles at the door and relax into some of the delights that are waiting to be whipped up from the rows of bottles on the twinkling shelves. The lack of draught beer discourages those that feel emasculated by anything less than a pint glass in their hand and encourages trial of new things. The food is quirky and cooked by some freaking genius! I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.
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Fran
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Had a lovely time last Tuesday. Service was good and the atmosphere very warm yet buzzy.

Food was slightly better than average- they say it is fusion but it is more like Western dishes with a (very) tiny Eastern twist. We found the presentation was better than the taste.

Judging by the clientele, I think the place is more about style rather than good food. However with happy hour cocktails, we couldn't complain.

PS We went for the £10 for 2 courses deal, I am not sure they deducted the correct amount.
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8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, March 01, 2009

Went here on a Saturday night and it was packed. The restaurant bit is just behind a screen further to te back from the bar and later on in the evening it seemed more or less an extension of the bar and pretty loud. Nevertheless we had a good time, and two coctails for one before 10 on a Saturday night was a good deal.. The food was really good, exiting flavours and inspired combinations that really work, at a very reasonalble price, I had the scallops to start, £7 being the most expensive starter, and crab cakes as a main which I think were £10. All very very nice and quite unusual flavours making a nice change. Service was friendly if a bit slow at times.
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kit cat - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Thursday, February 12, 2009