Al-Amin — Restaurant in London

Appalling service - the worst I’ve received in years. Ordered at 7:45, meant to arrive in 40 mins. Email says it will arrive at 8:50. Call the restaurant at 9, they say it left the restaurant will be there in ten minutes. Nothing. Call again at 9:20, “food should be there in 1 minute”, I ask why he said otherwise earlier and he hangs up on me. Call back at 9:32, can hear him in the background asking if the food has left, “food left ten minutes ago”, gives me the excuse of the driver being a third party so they don’t know what happens after the food leaves - very rude tone. I ask him to call the driver, he says he will call me back. He doesn’t. Call at 9:45 and ask where it is, he sighs, obviously having hoped it would show up without him having to do anything - “it’s not there yet?”. I ask him to cancel the order and refund me and he says he needs to contact the driving service to try to get me a refund but that he doesn’t know if it will work. This driving service was the order option direct through their website. He says he will contact me after he’s called them tonight. 10:22, call again after I hadn’t heard back and apparently the person I spoke to left and won’t be back till tomorrow. Apparently will call me tomorrow with information about a refund, but I don’t...

My ‘go to’ refuge from an imperfect and increasingly bewildering world, ‘Al Amin’ has been a feature of my life for several decades. The first time you eat here you feel as though you had turned up unannounced at your uncle’s place for a share of the family dinner, slightly abashed but assured of a welcome. The second time they greet you by name and give you a firm hug. After that, you are simply family - especially if you support West Ham.

I can recommend my personal favourites: chicken shashlik, lamb samosas with mint sauce and a Bengali salad - sometimes I push the boat out and have Bombay potatoes or bindi bargee - and the popadoms with relish make a lovely appetiser. When I don’t have time to stay there to eat, I order a takeaway and chill with fellow customers and watch a game or put the world to rights. Sometimes both; a great way to while away the 20 minutes or so it takes to prepare your meal.

If you have leisure to book a table and relax, the service is friendly and attentive and the ladies get roses to go home with. Who could...

Don't go to Brick Lane, go a little up the road to this family run restaurant. Always quiet, so there's a guaranteed table and speedy service, but the steady stream of take-away deliveries out the door show how popular this place is. The decor may seem a bit dated and tired to some, but to me is traditionally charming, and leaves all the showmanship to the food. The menu has so many tempting choices, but anything on the chef's specials is very recommended. All of the starters are fresh and and the mains are as sumptuous to match. If you don't mind a chat, maitre-d is very charming, and gave us a free drink when we said the place was recommended by a friend he knew. The portions aren't as large when you take-away - but it's still very good...