Jollibee Leicester Square — Restaurant in London

We arrived with plenty of time to eat, around 6.15 pm Sat 2 March. As we went to pay for order at the counter after using queuing to use the kiosk, the server informed the couple in front of us that the 'wait time' may be up to 25 mins as they were busy. The server saw us acknowledge this also. That couple declined and left but the 25 minute timing was okay for us so we paid for our order. Our photo receipt accompanying this review shows this was at 6.24pm. After 30 minutes, the rest of time our time here was unpleasant, anxiety inducing and chaotic.

The collection numbers were all over the place and we couldn't tell in what order we would be serviced but it was clearly late and approaching more than double the time quoted. So we tried to approach the desk to enquire about our very delayed order. We were worried that we would likely miss the cinema (we paid £50 for two tickets for Dune 2) just two doors away in the same spot in Leicester square . We would either have to a) forgo all our food (about £37 worth) and walk out or b) miss the cinema because of how ridiculously late Jollibee were when we were already hungry when arriving.

It was impossible to talk with the staff to explain the circumstances, they are all too busy and clearly don't have time to devote to help. We did what we could to try and improve our circumstances, we managed to get to the front and gave advance notice that the food was ordered 45 minutes ago and we now needed this as takeaway. All we got was a nod (assuming acknowledgement). Our food was not ready until 7.28pm (see receipt) and was put on an eat-in tray (they ignored/forgot the request for it to be a take away) and they had no capacity to reorganise it...They were straight onto the next order and barely making eye contact with me.

By this time it was already too late, one of us had already ran back to the cinema to check and it was confirmed we had already missed the start of the film and we still hadn't eaten anything. It's hard not to be frustrated when you have no choice or control over losing that kind of money and there is nothing you can do to change it, especially when we planned timings and arrived well in advance.

What made matters worse was that Jollibee had missed one of our drinks and the loaded gravy cheese fries we paid for were certainly not 'loaded' and they missed out the gravy (see photo). Poor value for £5 when they are missing a main ingredient. Chips were pretty cold too so it seems like parts of our order were just sat there whilst other parts were not ready. It is such a mission to get to the front of the desk to speak to someone and we gave up hope and just decided to make do with bits of our order missing.

Overall an awful experience and we simply couldn't enjoy our meal. We were pretty upset to have missed our film and wasting £50 on cinema tickets for next door because of the shocking service and extremely misleading turn around times. We do not understand this or how it's reasonable. We had no special requests for our order, it was just a standard order of three burgers, two desert pies, two loaded chips, 4 some chicken tenders and two drinks. It's a shame as some of the food was tasty and it could have been a really good experience under other circumstances. If we had not been told a completely inaccurate wait time when we arrived we never would have ordered. If there was an genuine desire to make this good then I'd hope Jollibee would reach out to us to...

The largest fast food chain from the Phillipines has landed in London. The Leicester Square location is prominent, indicating the brand wants to make an 'arrival' statement. But did the hype, and more importantly the food meet the expectation? The interior of the restaurant has been well thought out, with colourful wall murals and a wall dedicated to the company's history and achievements in the Phillipines. There is a customer sink and hand washing station in the actual restaurant - nice touch and handy after the chicken. There are self-ordering terminals, although these are only in English - no other language options for ordering, unlike all the other major fast food brands. Ordering on the terminal was easy, quick and clear. Service time to delivery of food was quick -- approx 5 mins. There was no customer service interaction, other than an operative who yells your order number across the waiting customers. The atmosphere was the same as any other fast food joint, except you could sense the palpable joy of the mainly Filipino customer presence that Jolibee had made the long journey to London at last. The menu is a familiar mix of fried chicken, burgers, chips and limited side options. There are a few alternatives which make a visit to Jolibee slightly more diverting than sitting in a McDonald's-- oddly they have spag bol as a menu option (this is one of their signature dishes) and they also have a slight nod to Asia with a chicken and rice bowl which comes with a bit of salad garnish. Price wise, Jolibee is a low budget option and their chicken meals come in under the general price point of KFC, although their burger options are slightly more than McDonald's.

They say the proof is in the eating:--

We ordered

A Yum cheeseburger 2 piece spicy coated chicken Chicken & rice bowl Mango & passionfruit pie

The cheeseburger was reminiscent of the sort of burgers I had on Bonfire Night when I was a kid. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't special either. It did hit on the nostalgia factor though, reminding me of my youth and Jolibee seems to lean towards nostalgia to sell its brand, so maybe something was working there.

The fried chicken pieces were well cooked and come in two options - original or spicy chicken. The spicy option proved quite spicy. The coating was crispy and the chicken was not drenched in oil. However, the chicken was only slightly warm which means they are cooking the chicken and keeping it but not with warm lamps on .The quality of the chicken could easily match KFC though.

The chicken and rice bowl was very standard ,basically white rice topped with fried chicken pieces and some small salad garnish. Jolibee sell various sauces at 50p full but you only get a tablespoon so not very generous.

The mango pie is another Jolibee signature offering and they claim to sell one every 3 seconds (assume they mean in the Phillipines on that one). The pastry was flaky and the filling tasty Again, like the chicken, the pie was barely warm..

Overall, this is a diversion to the fast food brands you already know. - but don't expect great shakes Jolibee seems to be an excercise in the nostalgia aimed at its core Filippino customer base rather than tempting curious Europeans through their doors. Whether the eating experience here stays with you longer than the time it takes to walk to your bus/Tube stop is debatable. Wether you make a return trip is...

I am giving this review to express my absolute frustration and disappointment following my visit to Jollibee Leicester Square this afternoon. What was supposed to be a simple lunch break turned into one of the most unpleasant fast food experiences I have ever had, and I feel compelled to share this in detail.

From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was chaotic and completely uninviting. The staff on duty were miserable, dismissive, and blatantly rude. There was no greeting, no smile, no offer of help just cold stares and a clear lack of interest in customer service. I have genuinely never encountered such a careless and unprofessional attitude from restaurant staff, especially in a location as central and high-profile as Leicester Square.

The ground floor seating area was completely full, which is understandable during peak hours, but what I saw upstairs on the first floor was completely unacceptable and frankly disgusting. Numerous people were slumped over tables, clearly asleep, some even lying across chairs like it was a hostel. It was absolutely shocking to see a supposedly family-friendly restaurant allowing its dining area to turn into a makeshift shelter. It created an uncomfortable, unhygienic, and unwelcoming environment for paying customers.

In an effort to actually find a place to sit and eat the food I had already paid for, I approached a staff member and politely asked if the second floor could be opened. Instead of any kind of reasonable response, I was met with complete hostility and a rude dismissal. The staff member looked annoyed that I had even dared to ask, and refused to even consider the suggestion. His tone was aggressive, and his attitude toward customers was nothing short of disrespectful.

When I finally sat down after waiting and searching the food I received was cold, poorly prepared, and not even close to the standard I’ve experienced at other Jollibee locations. It tasted like it had been sitting out for far too long. Nothing was fresh, the portions were sloppy, and the quality was well below acceptable.

For a restaurant that markets itself as joyful and welcoming, this visit was the complete opposite.

To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. I’m angry that I spent money at a place that clearly doesn’t care about its customers, its food quality, or even the basic upkeep of a clean and safe dining environment. Allowing people to sleep in the restaurant, refusing to open seating areas, serving substandard food, and employing rude staff all contribute to a business that is failing in every possible way.

I would strongly urge anyone considering this location to stay far away unless they want to be treated poorly, served cold food, and forced to eat in what feels more like a waiting room or shelter than a restaurant. I will not be returning to this location, and unless serious improvements are made, I won’t be recommending Jollibee to anyone either.

This was an utterly disgraceful experience, and I sincerely hope someone in upper management takes this feedback seriously because what’s happening at this location is far...