AlMASKOOF ALIRAQI RESTAURANT - LONDON — Restaurant in London

OMW, I am trying to explain without any exaggeration, I have business and I always try to help small independent business but some people don’t deserve to receive that help. I drove all the way from outside of London to spend some good time with my wife and as an Iraqis we never run business unprofessionally like them. Staff should be treated more respectfully and managers should teach them how to talk professionally with clients mainly for people who can’t speak Arabic ! They said you get what you pay for! Well , We paid over £120 for one fish! That wasn’t a caviar. The hygienic rating it must be wrong, toilets not clean , we should’ve received kebabs and a couple drinks after over 2 hour just fish arrived and on the bill says kebabs drinks and fish I said to them we had only fish , then he took off the drinks on the bill , I said we had only fish then he gave me a bill for the fish only with 12.5 % service charge what a joke ! What the service charge for ! As a business runner , this place would go on bust if they won’t make a radical change in the way they are operating. There was one elderly Saudi woman which she was very angry with their service outside the shop and I thought that’s not fair now I realised she was such a clever woman! She decided to seat opposite the shop and her kids were having the meal alone lol I wouldn’t mind to pay good amount of money if the place is clean and professional, never late to learn , today was recorded as a good learning day another lesson ! The worst meal ever. May Allah gives you patient with your staff. I hate criticising but I hope you sit down and make improvements in your life and your...

They hire Very rood staff, I went with my partner to have a dinner, one of there staff she put us on the table and she asked my partner where are you from? And he told her I am Egyptian, she said I am Palestinian I am Psychic and I knew you are a doctor, he said yes, and she start telling him I don’t sleep at all I have nose unsymmetrical, and he advises her to to go her Gp and explain to him and she said I will bring a piece of paper and writ to me what I need to tell my Gp, and she came with a piece of paper and asked him to write, he wrote it to her in Arabic but she does not want only that she said I need your phone number to chat with you over night because I never sleep, I can’t sleep at all and then she asked him are you married with her and she looked at me, and he told her we planned to marry soon this year, and she said I don’t want my manager to know I am speaking with you and quickly hides the papers, and then her manager was watching her and he came to us and said to us hi how are you and he start to take order for the table beside us and took the order, and we ate dinner but me and my partner where very wondering why she force him for that? After we had dinner we walked to our car and she start to send him a messages, hi it’s me how are you doing? Please call me in you free time, Me and my partner felt sick and we thought away our dinner in the street, like we ate poison food We will never come back and we will tel this story to all friends at relatives Very rood I don’t recommended this restaurant at all Dirty...

We visited Al Maskoof in London with high hopes for an authentic Iraqi dining experience. While the food had some delightful moments, the overall experience was mixed.

Upon arrival, the staff at the entrance were not welcoming — no greeting or friendliness, which left a cold first impression. We initially wanted to order their signature masgouf fish, but were told it would take over an hour to prepare, and nothing else was readily available in the meantime. This was disappointing, especially considering the restaurant was nearly empty.

On the positive side, several dishes truly stood out. The chicken biryani was flavorful and well-cooked, the okra was rich and satisfying, and the Iraqi bread was fresh and authentic. For dessert, we had saffron mohalabia, which was smooth, fragrant, and delicious. The Iraqi tea was also excellent — a perfect way to end the meal.

The final bill came to £107, which felt quite expensive for two people, especially given the lackluster service and empty dining area.

Facility note: The restaurant has a restroom downstairs equipped with a water spray (shattaf) — a considerate touch for Middle Eastern and Muslim guests.

In summary: The food was enjoyable, particularly the biryani, okra, bread, and dessert. However, the service and readiness need improvement. The restaurant has potential, but the experience should better...