Pho (St John St)

86 St John Street, London, EC1M 4EH - View on a map
Telephone: 020 7253 7624

Details
Overall 7.5
Food 8.0
Service 8.0
Atmosphere 8.0
Value 6.0
Based on 1 reviews

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Came for lunch with a friend. Got a seat no problem although it was quite hot and I would recommend that they invest in ceiling fans.

I have been before and had Pho, this time I had Bun Ga Hue. I prefer the more lemongrassy spicy flavour. The bowl is big and the food is fresh, tasty and very filling. The iced coffee was nice but not served authentically. I do like this place as I really enjoy Vietnamese food. I will more than likely come back to try the salads and noodle dishes. The only downside is that I feel £8.75 for a bowl of soup is a little overpriced. Otherwise, I would visit more often.
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Sarah - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 8 stars
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Friday, August 17, 2012

BUN NOODLES. That's what it's about here for me. So delicious! The soups are good, but the bun noodles - lovely fresh noodles, bits of salad and herbs, and then the stir-fried bit on top with garlic, lemongrass, chili and god knows what else.... mix it up with that spicy sauce, and it's my favourite lunch... YUM! Cool people and music too.
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lisa - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating 9 stars
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Thursday, April 05, 2012

Pho do my favourite spicy beef pho - bun bo hue. Really is delicious. The brisket always so tender and the shrimp and chili paste they use will knock your socks off. Service is impeccable and always helpful.
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Keisha
Overall rating 8 stars
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Monday, February 13, 2012

Really can’t go wrong here. Simple, but strong menu, of delicious Vietnamese noodles. I tend to have a (pho) noodle soup, but they have great lemongrass noodles with bits of salad and a spring roll too. Just pick what you fancy in them, and dive in.
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ben
Overall rating 10 stars
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I used to come here a lot several years ago when it first opened and brought a lot of my friends and colleagues. Back then it was a bustling friendly place, the owner Steve and his wife would chat to you as they served dishes to customers (although the number of times we went there we never offered any free drinks etc as other restaurants do once they get to know you), the portions were great, food extremely tasty as cooked by the Vietnamese chef and easy on the wallet too. However since they have expanded to the West End and Westfield, everything has gone downhill to how it used to be. We tried the West End locations with friends and now we don't bother with Pho, we would rather spend our money at and take our friends to Cay Tre, Mien Tay or Song Que. It's a shame they were unable to maintain standards - now portions small (eg the summer rolls are about half the size now), service is brusque and impersonal, which is probably an unfortunate inevitability of expansion and complacency.
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Overall rating 3 stars
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Monday, March 28, 2011

Food is great. But service is getting worse. Don't know if it's the new staff or just being disorganised. Take away orders are often confused which result in slow service. When the place is crowded it gets even worse - staff is beginning to be rude to customers when our patience runs out after waiting more than 30mins for our food!
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Overall rating 4 stars
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Monday, February 28, 2011

Excellent value for money, good service, great food.
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Overall rating 8 stars
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, December 28, 2010

First time here last night, pho stock was too bland, spring rolls were greasy, fresh rice paper rolls were a bit hard. /guess we were unlucky, service was rude and grumpy. Sad.
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lana
Overall rating 1 stars
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, August 02, 2010

Not that great. Don't recommend it.
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john
Overall rating 1 stars
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, June 22, 2010

I've eaten my way through the entire menu in the past few months... It really is that good. And I really can't pick a favourite meal, as I genuinely think it's all fantastic, which is why I keep going back. Brilliant.

Definitely, my favourite Clerkenwell spot for a quick tasty bite.
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Jonny
Overall rating 10 stars
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, June 07, 2010

what the bloggers say

Gourmet Chick

Gourmet Chick - 6/10

Friday, May 08, 2009 - The ability to personalise your broth is a real plus at Pho and allows a feel of authenticity. However, this is clearly pho for Westernised palates and all the cuts of meat used are lean without any of the delicious fatty flavoursome bits that you find inside a bowl of pho in Vietnam. Of all the varieties on offer at Pho the standard Pho Chin containing beef brisket is the top pick. The meat could be more tender but it offers the crisp yet understated taste that is the hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine. The same can't be said for the Pho Bo Vien which contains dull meatballs which lack flavour…

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