Loaf — Restaurant in London

I visited Loaf and unfortunately had a very poor experience.

After placing my order, I waited about 20 minutes before going to check. My steak brioche sandwich was just sitting off to the side, uncovered, while the hot honey chicken was still being made. I left and came back 10 minutes later, and now both sandwiches were sitting there, uncovered and getting cold.

Staff explained that one fryer was broken, so chips were delayed. I waited another 5 minutes, but still no chips. At that point, I checked the temperature of the brioche sandwiches and confirmed what I already suspected. They were absolutely cold. Yet the staff were still preparing to serve them as if nothing was wrong.

When I pointed out the issue, the staff seemed confused and unsure what to do. Service was not good at all. They eventually remade the sandwiches, but again the chips weren’t ready. One staff member even asked if I wanted to just take and start eating the steak brioche while still waiting for everything else, which made no sense, especially since I was with another person and we ordered together.

Eventually the hot honey chicken brioche came, but still no fries. I ended up having to take extra paper plates myself to cover the food until the fries were ready, another 5 minutes later.

The whole experience showed a lack of organisation and customer care. If a fryer was broken, they should have managed timings better, stopped taking so many orders, or at least been upfront with customers. A contingency plan like a spare fryer should also be in place. At the very least, some kind of apology, discount, or offer should have been made, but instead staff acted as if it wasn’t their problem.

If I’m paying full price (especially a high price for such small portion) I expect full service. Unfortunately, that wasn’t...

Loaf Clerkenwell is a real hidden gem for anyone craving freshly crafted brioche sandwiches , and the fact that everything is halal makes it even better. The space is casual and inviting, and the service was friendly from the moment we walked in.

I had the French Butter Steak sandwich, and wow, it was incredible. Tender slices of steak cooked just right, dripping with a rich, buttery sauce that soaked beautifully into the fluffy, golden brioche. Every bite was packed with flavour and just the right balance of indulgence and comfort.

My friend went for the Hot Honey Fried Chicken, which looked great with its crispy coating and drizzle of hot honey, but the flavour didn’t quite match the expectation decent, but not as exciting or bold as it sounds.

The French Fries were a definite highlight: golden, crispy, and well-seasoned, the kind you can’t stop picking at even when you're full. We also ordered an Oreo Milkshake, which sadly didn’t hit the mark. It was far too milky and lacked that thick, creamy richness you’d expect from a proper Oreo shake.

On the brighter side, the Homemade Lemonade was refreshing and zesty, the perfect drink to cut through the richness of the sandwiches and fries.

I’m already planning to go back to try their other sandwich options, especially the Smash Burger and Truffle Scrambled Egg. Loaf Clerkenwell definitely has the potential to become a regular foodie stop. Just hoping for a better...

Following the hype across the socials thought id check this place out for myself and boy was I pleased to have done so. We got the french butter steak and double smash burger sandwiches - both of which were really good. The steak was cooked really well and to my utmost surprise still retained a juicy pinkness on the inside and was well seasoned - cant really ask for more at this price point in central london. The accompanying french butter was very good as well providing the required lubrication and another flavour dimension. The smash burger sandwich was also very good. The sweet pickles really shone in this selection and were a glorious in every way. I feel like the brioche didnt really add much to the experience and feel like perhaps another choice of bread like say a freshly toasted ciabatta could have added another layer of crunch to this already very 'soft' ensemble, but a very decent ensemble it was nonetheless. I did have to que for around 10-12 mins before placing my order and then waited another 15mins for my order to be made ready, but it seemed like a small price to pay and I was a happy and satisfied customer. I work not too far away and can definitely see myself visiting again for lunch. If only they could give a calorie breakdown for...