Lala Peshawari — Restaurant in London

I recently visited this restaurant for the first time with my husband, and unfortunately, it was quite a disappointing experience. We decided to try the mixed grill, which turned out to be a bit of a letdown. Firstly, the wait for our food was unusually long, as everything arrived on a big tawa. While the variety of meats in the mixed grill was commendable, the lack of spiciness was a major drawback. We were hoping for a fiery and flavorful experience, but it turned out to be quite mild and unimpressive, especially considering the price point.

Although the meat itself was cooked well, piping hot, succulent, and tender, the accompanying dips were a major disappointment. We were served tiny portions of raita and chili and coriander chutney, with the latter being the worst among the two. The chutney was thick and bland, lacking any real flavor that could complement the meat. It felt like an afterthought rather than a well-crafted accompaniment. The restaurant should definitely consider expanding their dip options to include common choices found in most restaurants, such as green raita, chili and tomato chutney, and Mango chutney. This would greatly enhance the dining experience.

Another aspect that left a negative impression was the serving of water. It was served at room temperature, which was quite off-putting, and to make matters worse, they provided plastic cups. Considering the environmental concerns associated with plastic waste, it was disappointing to see a restaurant of this caliber not prioritize sustainability by offering glass cups. Although they kindly provided ice upon request, it's astonishing that they wouldn't provide proper glassware for their customers.

To add to the discomfort, the restaurant lacked air conditioning, leaving us to melt away in the humid weather. It's quite surprising that in this day and age, a restaurant wouldn't invest in a basic amenity like air conditioning to ensure a comfortable dining environment for their patrons. The absence of such a necessity greatly affected our overall experience.

Lastly, the dessert options were severely limited. After an underwhelming main course, we were hoping for a satisfying ending to the meal, but the choices were few and uninteresting. It would be beneficial for the restaurant to expand their dessert menu to cater to a wider range of preferences and provide a more memorable dining experience.

Overall, my first visit to this restaurant left me with a sense of disappointment. The lack of spiciness in the mixed grill, underwhelming dips, room temperature water served in plastic cups, absence of air conditioning, and limited dessert options all contributed to a less than satisfactory experience. I hope the restaurant takes these feedback points into consideration and makes improvements to provide a more enjoyable dining experience for future customers. The only positives was the excellent customer service...

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction and concern about a distressing experience my partner and I had at your restaurant, Lala Peshawari, on August 11, 2023.

During our visit, we encountered extremely disappointing service and unprofessional conduct from your staff that has left us shocked and uncomfortable. The incident involved inappropriate behavior and disrespectful treatment from your chefs, which has compelled me to bring this matter to your attention.

The chefs were openly laughing at us, making derogatory remarks, and even directing their laughter towards my partner, who felt targeted and humiliated. This behavior continued even as we were leaving the restaurant, making the entire experience distressing and emotionally overwhelming.

In addition to the disrespectful behavior, the quality of service we received was far from acceptable. Our initial waiter failed to take our order, and it was an assistant chef who eventually attended to us. While he initially seemed helpful, he later engaged in making personal jokes about our origin and behaved in an unprofessional manner.

Furthermore, the quality of the food we ordered was subpar. The Lamb Karahi Plate, priced at £11.90, was exorbitantly priced for the small portion we received. Equally disappointing was the Lamb Shank Biryani, where the lamb was overcooked and the rice appeared to be scraped from the bottom of the pan, resembling burnt remnants.

Our complaints to the manager were met with a dismissive response, stating that the staff's behavior was related to their own jokes. However, the targeted and continuous laughter directed at us raises serious doubts about this explanation.

As loyal customers of Lala Peshawari, we were expecting a delightful dining experience and courteous treatment from your staff. Unfortunately, the behavior we encountered on August 11th was disrespectful and demeaning.

We urge you to take immediate and decisive action to address this matter. Such behavior tarnishes the reputation of your esteemed restaurant and harms the overall dining experience for your patrons. We hope that you will investigate this incident thoroughly, reevaluate your staff's conduct and training, and take appropriate measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.

We expect a prompt response from you, addressing the concerns we have raised. Your commitment to resolving this matter will greatly influence our decision whether or not to continue patronizing Lala Peshawari in the future.

Thank you for your attention to this...

I last reviewed this place 2 years ago and what a huge change this place has gone through! Since my first visit this place has never really been the same again. The evidence is clear and there are a number of telling signs. The staff has been replaced with less attentive people. The place is empty on a Saturday Evening and most other days. The place has diversified and gone more into the fast food market with burgers ,wraps and kebabs. This now makes lala another jack of all trades and master of none. The chapli kebab was okay. Bit over priced to be honest at £10 a kebab which is the size of a starter plate. Garlic naans are delicious but now making thinner and charging £4 per naan. The lamb shank biriyani was not fresh and smelt like it was a few days old. It was heaped in a small bowl so it makes it look like a big portion and when you lift the spoon put which is buried with rice then half of it spills onto the table. Just not very practical. Chapli kebab tasted okay. Garlic naana and green chutney were great. We sent the biriyani back and was offered another fresh one? Questionable as to how a 'fresh ' biriyani can be made whilst we are sat waiting at a table. Had ice cream which had good flavours but was oddly chewy in texture. This was obviously because the ice cream had dried out and been exposed for some time. I had around a quarter left of my ice cream but could get to eat the rest as this stupid fly that was annoying us throughout the meal finally landed in my food. Unfortunately there was a fly or two constantly buzzing around. At the end if the meal we paid the lady owner and to my surprise she carried on taking the payment as normal. The biriyani was not on the receipt which was fine but my point is that she didn't care about the fact that We sent a fat bowl of biriyani back and questioned that it was not fresh. She didn't ask what was wrong or apologise or query what happened which I think is not great customer service and shows how much thos establishment cares about their customers. Bit worrying to be honest. On a seperate note I find it odd that there is no hygiene rating on the front door. To be fair I would expect a 4 or 5 but who knows. The place has been quardenwd off and divided into different areas now. Menus change slightly with new additions and a few things being removed. This place isn't what it used to be and had gone downhill very very rapidly. Anyway I'm afraid I'm no longer a fan and I won't be in a rush to return...