Green and Red Bar and Cantina

went last night for the first time, there has been a bit of hype and pr about this place so was expecting good things. It was pretty dissapointing, the food was OK and probably as good a mexican as you can find in London. Drinks menu very impressive and well thought out. The service though was terrible, surly waitresses who would rather stand about chatting than wait tables or deliver drinks and when questions were asked on why drinks had been been sitting on the bar for ten mins rather than being delivered to my table i was given a side glance and no hint of a sorry, oh and of course 12.5 % service charge was added, laughable . Maybe there PR should have a meal there before the next round of releases.
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Pete
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Friday, June 08, 2007

we booked for 15 last friday night (25/05) and were looking forward to mexican, sepecially as we all work close to brick lane and tire of curries.

while happy hour was a bonus, we ultimately were disappointed with the food and service. we paid £30 each (just for food) and i was surprised at the lack of choice...there were a few vegetarians in the party and all they were offered was a plate of mushrooms.

the service was ordinary to say the least and after we finished our meal, we were almost pushed downstairs to clear the table, even though people apparantly waiting didn't need our table as there was plenty of room in the restaurant.

i love a good mexican and will definately not be recommending this restaurant to anyone..in fact i will be suggesting avoidance.
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mark fagan
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Saturday, May 26, 2007

My partner and I were really looking forward to eating at Green and Red; we're both big fans of Mexican Food, and London has a real shortage of good restaurants serving authentic food. We visited for Cinco de Mayo, hoping for some real atmosphere; and I had been considering it as a venue for a birthday party. Margaritas at the upstairs bar were good, and served promptly, although not cheap at £6 each, the bar was still fairly quiet at this time. While we were sat at the bar we ordered some tortillas and salsa, and were still waiting for these 20 minutes later when we asked the waitress if we could be seated at a table to order mains. We then asked the waitress and the barman if the chips could be served at our table, and ordered the taco platter for two, at £15 each

This comprised of small flour tortillas, crispy fried whitebait, roast courgettes, ribeye steak and crispy pork belly, with a salsa, a green tomatillo sauce, onions and coriander, and were lovely. Our tortilla chips that we'd ordered 50 minutes previously appeared after our main courses were served; and after we'd asked 5 members of staff about it! We finished with churros and chocolate, at £5.50 which were gorgeous, but there was a lengthy wait for these to be served and also for the bill. The bar was a fair bit busier by the time we left, and I understand that on a busy night, the service can be affected, but no-one made any attempt to apologise for or even explain the incredibly slow and half-hearted service we received, and a 12.5% service charge was automatically added to our bill. Our bill for 2 margaritas, chips and salsa, two mains and 1 pudding, was £54.44 including service. This is a nice bar, if you just want to drink, and the food is good, but the service really lets the side down; I don't think I'll have my birthday party here because for the prices they're charging it's just too amateur, I'd probably only return for drinks.
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Liz
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Sunday, May 06, 2007

The night started well, the cocktails and the bar attendant were fantastic. We had high hopes for the food and service.

The service was nothing short of horrendous. We were seated and nobody asked if we wanted drinks and eventually brought the menus. The floor manager was the rudest waitress I think I have ever come across. One of our party was vegetarian and had asked about which dishes were available. She looked very bored and answered but then took down the order wrong as she brought two of the same dish ( as I was also having a veggie dish). We told her it was wrong and she argued the point and told us that was not what we had orginally ordered and said she was going to bring the other starter but charge us for the one brought in error! The error was hers! What happened to the customer is always right? After this incident, a couple who had been waiting to be served for 20 minutes in the adjacent table, got up and left and said that they would prefer to eat elsewhere due to the disgusting service.

Anyway, the food was great in the end and so was the wine. Such a shame she had marred the evening.

We decided that we did not want things to be left unsaid, so we complained to the manager ( the same guy that had served us at the bar) and he was fantastic. He refunded all our drinks, the service and the "extra" starter. So thumbs up to him for making amends. We left happy customers and hope that the waitress will not be there next time!
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Catherine
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Thursday, April 12, 2007

Worst service we've had in a long time! Shame because the food and cocktails were quite good. Bad start when the first words out of the waitress's mouth were "did you sit yourselves down" (which we had not). We had to wait 20 minutes for the ditzy waitress to bring us 1 beer and this only arrived after she was reminded several times. The main course took 55 minutes to arrive. We got so hungry half way through that we ordered chips and salsa that never arrived because we later found out that they ran out yet no one told us! We had to flag someone down every time as no one actually checked in during the whole 2 hours we were there. Despite it all, we paid the full 12.5% service but tried to give some feedback to a waiter and his attitude was very much dismissive. Surprisingly disappointing given all the good reviews so far.
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S of London - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, April 10, 2007

We arrived, and were seated on a table by the door, directly under a speaker. The music was loud enough to make my eardrums crackle. This is probably because the place is both a bar and a restaurant, but it just wasn't possible to have a conversation over the volume. Not a good start.

The service was very good - we were instantly provided with iced water, and our food and drinks orders were taken within a few minutes. I opted for the Carnitas, whilst my dining partner chose Birria. The drinks arrived and were OK, but nothing special. About 20 minutes later, the food arrived.

It was disappointing. The pork came in 3 parts - a narrow 6" strip of crackling, a 3"X3" square of pork belly (which was almost entirely fat), and 4 short ribs with 5 strips of meat hanging between them. My partner's Birria was quite a sizeable lamb shank.. This was accompanied by a crock of refried beans (not black, but the beige variety), about 8 CD-sized flour tortillas, two small pots of red and green salsa and a small pot of what I think was shredded jicama.

Another reviewer has already commented that they fought to salvage 3 forkfuls of meat amongst the fat in the pork belly and I would agree with that. I think I was supposed to have eaten the fat too, but I can't bring myself to eat chunks of warm animal fat, so didn't. The ribs gave up more meat than the pork belly, but there wasn't really very much to make a meal of. My dining partner found more to eat in their lamb shank, but said that they didn't enjoy it much, as it was tough, fatty and very spicy. I was still quite hungry after my meal, but we'd both had enough of the loud music, so paid up and left.

Perhaps this is authentic Mexican, I really don't know, but I've definitely had far nicer 'authentic Mexican' in London than this. This just wasn't enjoyable to eat, and in my case it wasn't even filling. Although the service was good, I wouldn't go back again. 1 drink and 1 main course each came to £36.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Sunday, March 18, 2007

Absolutely fantastic restaurant! Having spent two months in Mexico a few years ago and loving the food there, I have been on a constant search for Mexican food outside of Mexico that meets the same standards I came to expect when travelling. I have been continually dissappointed, until going to Green and Red... Two of us shared the choritzo/potatoes and calamari (both small dishes) and the mushroom/spinach (large dish). The ingredients were fresh and of high quality, the food was cooked perfectly and the flavours were amazing. The dishes were not heavy, greasy or stodgy (which is so often the case with Mexican food over here). I went home feeling satisfied and contently full (but not sick). Highly reccommend this restaurant.
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Olivia
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Saturday, March 03, 2007

Four of us went here Saturday night. We were a little late arriving but they held our table despite a dozen or so potential takers. I liked the decor, not the usual sombrero and six-shooter rubbish. There's definitely a bar vibe here, and the music (South American dance and rock mainly) is loudish, mind you we were sitting directly under a speaker. The waiter who seated us was very helpful with advice about the tequilas and cocktails, unfortunately he seemed to be immediately replaced by a rather miserable waitress. She wasn't dreadful, just a bit grumpy and monosyllabic, she chucked our food at us but, thankfully, the food was very good. Exceptional, in fact. You won't find the usual tacos, chimis and burritos, here the food's a lot more authentic and sophisticated. The prawns, broad bean salad and chorizo we had for starters were all impeccable, really tasty. We had birria (lamb shank braised in beer), carnitas (roast belly pork and ribs) and roast chicken for our mains. The lamb was dark, sticky and beautifully spiced, falling off the bone. The chicken was dressed in a sauce with really deep flavour, the spices and chillis were obviously roasted or toasted. The highlight was the carnitas, though. First to get devoured was a delicious strip of crackling, the ribs then disappeared and the creamily fatted belly pork didn't last long either. All the mains come with tortillas (homemade) and the beans, slaw and salsas to make your own wraps. We also ordered sides of black beans with chorizo and a couple of little pots of roasted ancho(?) chillis. None of the food here is too spicy so you can add the chillis if you want an extra kick.

We started the meal with Margaritas and Palomas, which were strong, cold and hit the spot. A variety of Mexican beers are available (although the microbrewery beers shown in the winelist were out of stock), we drank Negro Modena and ordered a bottle of Mexican wine that was probably superfluous. The portions don't initially strike you as being immense but we couldn't finish everything despite our best efforts. Everyone was stuffed and satisfied. We forced ourselves to try churros and chocolate, the churros were crispy on the outside warm and fluffy on the inside and the chocolate should probably be illegal, it was simply fantastic.

All in all, with the exception of the grumpy waitress, this was a fabulous night out and I'd unreservedly recommend Green and Red for a night out.
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Boz
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, February 12, 2007

After reading rave reviews about this restaurant, I decided to book a table for my boyfriend's birthday on 7th February 07. When we arrived, we were sat at a table and promptly forgotton about. 20 mins later, our drinks order was taken and still hadn't arrived after another 15 mins so my boyfriend had to go up to the bar to ask for it again. When our food arrived (limited menu with only 3 mains being served that evening), it was delivered by surley waitress who seemed to be annoyed when we ordered another drink. Again my boyfriends drink arrived but they had forgotton my cocktail and we had to ask again. At all times we were polite and friendly and didnt make an issue out of the bad service at all. However, the service really was terrible, the food was good but not great, and it is the first time in my life I have left a restaurant without tipping anything. Also, it was freezing cold and the couple behind us also asked if they could be seated somewhere else because they ere also freezing. I sat with my coat on for most of the evening. I'm gobsmacked that this could have been voted a good restaurant, because what makes a good restaurant is the service and ours was slow, unfriendly and ruined our day. I left £73 worse off (we had two shots of tequila for £8 to try to warm up a bit) and it really was not worth it at all. You may as well go to the local cafe for a better service. I also wrote on their comments card about how unhappy I was with the service - don't waste your money.
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Lisa Morgan
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Saturday, February 10, 2007

Service was in shambles. We arrived and no one was there to take us to our table. After mulling about in the bar a bit, a man finally came, only to disappear without a word. A waitress then sat us. When we inquired about the details of the special deal we'd booked, she hadn't a clue, and she was none too friendly, either. We were having an early dinner, so I don't expect it to be lively; however, with only 4 other diners in the place, I do expect the table to be clean. She sat us at a table with an ashtray cradling a lone cigarette butt, which she didn't bother to take with her. I had remove the soiled ashtray myself! I was also rather disappointed with the decor. It felt a little cheap and plastic to me, but I didn't check out the bar downstairs.

I actually enjoyed the food. Like the other restaurant they own, Hawkesmoor (which I love), it's best to know what you are getting into before you go. My wife was, unfortunately, expecting burritos. With no help from the inattentive staff, I just figured the best way to eat was to make little tacos from the giant pork belly I ordered and the little soft corn tortillas. The salsas were spot on, the tortillas were of the real Mexican variety, and the pork belly (and my wife's lamb shank) was tender. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to sample the cocktail menu (being January and all) but it looked quite nice. I'd skip the starters, though. My chile rellano and her chorizo were nothing to write about.

I don't know, maybe it was a (very) off night, and it just spoiled the evening for us. I really did like the mains and the portions were generous, but with everything else taken into account (and £50 for two sans booze or pudding), I'm in no rush to go back.
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Dan - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 4
Monday, January 29, 2007