OKN1 — Restaurant in London

We went to lunch on Monday at the Open Kitchen without any great expectations. We were knocked out by the quality of the food - well cooked and served in very large portions - and the friendliness of the place. We had a starter of lamb meatballs followed by chicken, and a cheesecake desert to die for. The price was a fraction of the cost we would have paid to get a similar meal at an established restaurant.

Of course, the staff are trainees and people are learning on the job. The menu is limited - though there are vegetarian and fish options throughout. There are inevitably going to a few mistakes en route. However eating at the Open Kitchen has been far more pleasant than going to some of the better known restaurants in London. And if this helps the trainees develop their skills and get jobs in leading restaurants, then so much the better. The Open Kitchen is well worth going to and we will be...

OKN1 staff, thank you for a lovely night! The overall concept is something we need more of and it's done really, really well. I like the idea of supporting the community and it's great to see the work opportunities for those who might not otherwise get to gain industry experience. The service was lovely. It's really heartwarming to see the students working so hard and getting to showcase their talents. What a great concept!

I had the beetroot carpaccio and the pan fried sea bass, which were both incredible. I also tried a bite of the ham hock with bacon jam and toast starter, and will be getting this next time as well. So delicious!

The cocktails are great too and everything is very reasonably priced (I'd actually argue too cheap)! I'll be back again very soon and bringing my friends....

I wanted to love OKN1 but sadly our experience was truly awful. We waited 25mins to order a drink, 45mins to order food, and when it arrived it was stone cold and we had to send it back (after our meal had also been delivered to another table in error). There were only 2 service staff for the whole (packed) restaurant, and we spent 2 and a half hours there and had one course and 2 drinks. When the food arrived a second time it was good, but the whole experience was so chaotic, and there were clearly so many unhappy customers there. The staff were polite but the whole place seemed woefully understaffed. Sadly I will not be returning, and I would not recommend at all, until they up their staff numbers and better organise...