Banana Tree Westbourne Grove — Restaurant in London

I’m not one to normally make complaints, but I believe that the service my family and I recieved tonight was the worst I’ve ever experienced. As a hospitality worker myself, I tried to be understanding but after 50 mins of waiting altogether and having to resend one cold dish back to the kitchen, and even finding a foreign object in the food (a Thursday day label) I believe writing a review is fair.

Food when it was warm tasted good hence the good review. Service if I could would be a zero and atmosphere zero as loads of dirty tables around too. I Went for dinner last night, table of 5. Sat down at 9pm. Order taken very swiftly, only two workers on the floor they seemed extremely overwhelmed with Ubers and didn’t prioritise the customers. They left several dirty tables too and there was ZERO communication about the food wait time for dine in.

Around 20 minutes after waiting, we received our starters. Then 30 min after that we received our main courses. In the meantime of that 30 min wait, our table kept asking how much longer for our mains were but the blonde woman at front just said ‘we are understaffed, it’ll be out soon’. To be honest, we tried to be understanding as it was Eid night and we had expected maybe chefs and FOH have called sick but this is to do with rota created by management which I won’t get into.

One table behind us were so fed up that one of their customers went to Nando’s and back, and started to eat their takeaway on the table whilst waiting for their order too. Finally when the meals were ready, they came out at different times. The first dish came out and it was cold, so we resent it back.. we were soooo disappointed because after waiting that long, this person had to wait even longer to eat. Then the staff came over around 5-6 min later with the rest of our meals explaining their apologies but was confused why they offer anything in the meantime. Finally when the resent order returned to the table, it had a sticker on the plate, with Thursdays date on it. I showed the FOH staff the foreign object in the food and the staff member called over the woman, who I assume was the manager and she simply responded ‘we will remove that off the bill for you’.

If I had taken this further, with a sticker in food: evidently the restaurants management would’ve been in a lot of trouble with Surefoot. It’s so odd to me the way she reacted as this isn’t how any restaurant worker should behave.

Again, as a restaurant manager myself.. I believe that if they were that overwhelmed and understaffed they should’ve stopped taking UberEats orders and focus on the front of house cleanliness and communication, maybe offer the upset customer something in the meantime (the messy and unclean tables, and the extremely long wait time!!).

Especially after finding a sticker on the plate/around the food, they should COMP the whole tables bill. I would’ve done the same under these circumstances. I would’ve offered something in my power e.g quickly offer and make a drink on the house so that customers wouldn’t be so upset.

Overall, extremely disappointed, and I found it weird how the bill was still given with service charge added. We did pay for the meals as the starters and drinks were amazing, but the main meals wait time and everything else explained extremely brought down this experience to a zero.

Yes, she did remove the meal that had the foreign object off the bill, and she did put a 30% discount on the bill, but we had already had a taste card offer and this discount isn’t substantial enough to be honest.

Please speak to management about simply feeling whether or not the plate is hot before sending to a table, check plates for foreign objects such as stickers and offer something in the meantime when there is an extreme delay/communicate it so that customers know what to expect. I’m more than happy for a manager to contact me regarding this as I don’t feel I should’ve...

I had the most wonderful experience at the Banana Tree branch on Westbourne Grove, largely thanks to our remarkable waitress, Renuka. From the moment we arrived, her warm greeting and attentive care set the tone for an outstanding evening.

Throughout our meal, Renuka demonstrated true professionalism and genuine passion. She had an intuitive understanding of our preferences, offering thoughtful recommendations and executing each step with finesse. Whether it was taking the time to describe specials or checking in at just the right moments, she struck the perfect balance between being friendly, responsive, and unobtrusive.

What made the service truly shine was Renuka’s personal touch. She went the extra mile, ensuring our drinks were refreshed, accommodating small requests with a smile, and making us feel like valued guests. Rarely have I experienced such dedicated hospitality and it’s clear she takes real pride in her work.

The food itself was delicious but it was Renuka’s outstanding service that elevated the entire evening. If you’re looking for a dining experience anchored by elegance, warmth, and genuine care, ask for Renuka. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you to Banana Tree for delivering such a memorable night and thank you Renuka for going above and beyond. I can’t...

I recently dined at Banana Tree for a Christmas lunch party, it's a Malaysian restaurant that left me with mixed feelings. The main courses were undeniably good and packed with flavor, portions weren't huge but more than enough, showcasing the authentic taste of Malaysian cuisine. The dishes were tasty, and it's evident that the chefs have a skillful touch.

However, the starters were a bit of a letdown. They lacked the same finesse as the main dishes and failed to make a lasting impression. While the main courses were a culinary delight, the starters seemed to fall short of the overall dining experience.

On the downside, the service was disappointingly slow, this might have something to do with the sheer amount of people in our group but It took an extended period for our orders to arrive, even though we pre booked our time and meals before hand. In the end we had to cancel our desserts because we needed to head back. This sluggish service significantly impacted the overall enjoyment of the meal.

In conclusion, Banana Tree offers a commendable array of delectable Malaysian dishes, but improvements are needed in the consistency of the starters and the promptness of service. If you have the patience to wait, the main courses are...