A Toca Restaurant — Restaurant in London

One of the worst meals I have ever eaten. Im genuinely amazed as either our four dishes were the most unlucky or unseasoned tasteless delayed food is some kind of Portuguese staple. not exactly attentive service then asked if we wanted some bread while we waited - didn't realise it was costing us £8 for a sliced baguette. Add the inclusive service charge and its a bit over £13 just to sit down. I had the Portuguese style sirloin steak - apparently they like it with a fried egg on it and some kind of brown liquid that didn't really taste of anything with unseasoned french fries and plain rice. Was pretty tough and not exactly prime beef. My daughter had salmon - again no seasoning , no choice of accompaniments which turned out to be a boiled potato. There were so many bones it was inedible. My wife had a fish stew which ended with a fish spew. A couple of prawns , some thawed calamari slightly fishy flavour and massive chunks of boiled crab shell with no crab meat in it with haricot beans which weren't really cooked. My other daughters vegetarian meal was edible but fairly non descript collection of potato , tofu ( who knew?) and carrots. Four veggie/ vegan options of decreasing ingredients - "couscous with vegetables..."

I genuinely challenge anyone to look at the menu at work out what each dish is flavoured with- its just wreck fish .. with rice and chips... or tuna loin... with rice and chips. Just awful. No one asked how the food was and totally disinterested when the plates were half full when we eventually got someone to get the bill.

As a rule if you have had toast that was better than a restaurant then its pretty bad. One of the worst places I have ever eaten but they seem to have a large crowd of locals and ex pats writing...

I went to this restaurant full of expectations, built up by years of hearing about this Portuguese institution and also by reading the great reviews testifying to its continued success.

The service was welcoming and professional and we got seated quickly despite not having a reservation.

We probably took some risks with our order as we fancied ordering a cataplana, which I had the pleasure of savouring when I travelled across the Algarve.

Sadly, the dish was a far cry from the flavoursome, creamy, delectable and fragrant cataplana that I had tried in its country of origin. The soup we got served had plenty of fish in it, but all tasted terribly bland, the texture was much too liquid, and, above all, the fish itself didn't taste particularly fresh: the mussels were crumbly and mushy, the clams chewy and stale, the cod a bit flabby and lacking the tender flakiness which usually is a sign of freshness.

I appreciate this is a very limited experience and that perhaps my opinion would be different if I'd tried more dishes from the menu, as many other customers seemed to enjoy their meal, and the restaurant remains popular; I can only assume that the cataplana is too much of a regional speciality which is bound to disappoint when tried outside the confines of its specific geography, so, while I wouldn't rush back, I would probably give this well-established joint another go in the future to try more items. However, I remain a little dubious about the quality of the ingredients used, especially when it...

We planned on having Portuguese dinner during our stay in London, because our Airbnb is in little Portugal. We chose this one at the suggestion of our host… and oh boy were we glad we did!

We were also very glad that we made reservations in advance for that busy Saturday night. There were large tables of families, couples out for dates, groups of friends laughing and having a good time. The whole restaurant joined in on at least two birthday songs. This wonderful boisterous atmosphere only led to the enjoyment of the evening.

We told our server Morello, that we have never had Portuguese food before. He graciously walked us through the menu and suggested some things that we had considered while perusing the menu, but were a bit afraid to order lol.

We ordered Vinho Vert, two tapas, Portuguese chorizo with pickled vegetables, and octopus salad. Both dishes were stunning and the wine a perfect paring. The octopus was tender and delicious with garlic onions and other spices. The combination of the crisp grilled chorizo against the vinegar saltiness of the vegetables was perfection. Our mains were whole grilled Seabass with boiled potatoes and steak with gravy a fried egg, rice, and fries. Both were done exactly to order and the Seabass was perfectly flaky. Be sure to try the Piri Piri sauce on the fish. They make it in-house and it’s wonderful…though deliciously spicy.

When we left at 9 PM, there was still a line of people hoping to get a seat, always a good indication of a great place. Do not pass...