BlackDahlia's Qype profile

Great alternative to the chain coffee places not so far away in Spitalfields. Quirky & cozy with friendly staff, the coffee is great and they even have almond milk as an alternative to soy milk. Support local shops and while away some time here.

Have been coming here for 3 years and always have had a good experience. Personal fav is the hallumi wrap. Fresh salad, friendly staff, and highly entertaining drunks late at night.

Definitely a great find tucked away a short walk from Liverpool Street Station and Spitalfields Market.  It looks like a tiny little place , but there is another floor of seating upstairs, so don't be too disappointed if it looks crowded when you walk in.

Thai fish cakes were perfect, spicy with the right consistency (not overly rubbery). The Chu Chee Salmon was lovely, the sauce tangy and the fish soft and cooked perfectly. My red vegetable curry dish was aromatic and delicious. Most importantly, the staff kept serving the Chang beers quickly as we devoured everything in front of us. 

Service is polite & quick, and overall the pricing provides value for money. If you are a visitor to the area, it's worth staying away from the chain tourist trap restaurants in Spitalfields and finding this much more interesting eatery. 

I agree wholeheartedly with the first review below...this place is such a hidden gem!!
Homestyle Italian food, with very reasonable prices and large portions.

I usually come here twice a month or so, it is a welcome find amongst lots of tourist trap chains nearer to Liverpool Street and Spitalfields Market. The exterior doesn't make the place look very inviting, but looks can be deceiving! I must have walked past this restaurant a hundred times before I finally went in.

I've never had a bad dish here. The pastas and pizza are lovely -  just simple, fresh food. Avoid the tourist crowds and support a local business by dining here. Highly recommended.

Excellent shop :  service is friendly without being overbearing and annoying, clothing quality is great. I usually wait for a sale to buy anything, which is really when you can get value for money. Perfect place for work clothes that look good and last.  If you are petite (like me) this place is a lifesaver -- their petite range is outstanding.  Bring on the Christmas sale!!

Visiting Barcelona, I had been warned it could be hard to find decent food, that one might really have to look around at bit. I stumbled upon this place and really enjoyed the food and the staff.

I had the calamari which was wonderfully done, lightly battered and not at all chewy. I like the fact they have dishes outside of traditional tapas -- my husband particularly enjoyed the chicken skewer with soy glaze and a tasty potato salad. The sangria was also quite nice. Staff were very good. It's a shame the prior reviewer had such a poor experience.....I liked it so much I went here twice during my 4 day stay.  

Being vegetarian I really really wanted to like this place. Unfortunately this restaurant was a big disappointment. Another reviewer explained his experience as "good and bad", mine was similar. 

Once again, armed with a Groupon voucher, I went on a balmy Friday night. The place was filled voucher-ites, as I could see the waiter explaining the voucher terms to almost every table.
Decor/ambience: Very nice, was much like sitting in someone's front room. Warm with wood accents, my husband thought it was cramped but I liked the coziness.  

Staff: Excellent. Welcoming and polite without being overbearing.

Food:  Started well with delicious plump olives for me. My husband had a simple mozzarella and tomato salad, the mozzarella was salty which was not a good sign. Polenta & bean dish was good but not brilliant.  Onto the third and main dish then....we waited 30 minutes after the second dish and I asked the waiter politely when our food was coming out. He explained that they had a "small kitchen" and were very busy tonight.  I thought this was a crap excuse, particularly as with Groupon you have to book in advance, so it wasn't as if all these people simply showed up at their door. Essentially, they overbooked and weren't prepared.  35 minutes ticked by...my husband and I decided to download "Battleship" on our phones and start a game. Finally at the 45 minute mark our mains came out.  My potato gnocchi with red peppers looked & tasted as if warmed up from frozen or microwaved or both.  Gnocchi was very chewy and the sauce was gloopy and tasted overly peppery-- as if pre-made from a jar. My husband's grilled seitan with fried onions also looked & tasted as if it was from frozen and/or microwaved.  The onions and greens were an oily slimy mess.  We ate a few bits and left; the food did not sit well in either of our stomachs for the rest of the evening. 

Shame as I think if they had concentrated on serving quality food and not overbooked it could have been quite nice. I won't chance it again.