Sakonis — Restaurant in London

We were here for Mothers Day as my mother loves Sakonis usually. We hadn’t been to the Wembley branch for a very long time, maybe 3-4 years ago as we go to the Harrow branch usually. But as we needed to do some Indian clothing shopping, we decided to incorporate a visit here. To simply put… we were left disappointed.

For Mother’s Day it was Buffet Only. There was a lack of choice I felt especially for such a busy in demand period. We had expectations the choice of dishes would be on par if not better than the Harrow branch. For example - They had their main dishes, chilli paneer etc. However we have somewhat been accustomed to having a wider choice as the Harrow branch has Chilli Paneer, Mushrooms, Tofu as well as other dishes from the menu.

There’s a difference in price too by a few pounds with Wembley being more expensive for one person. Not sure why? With the lack of choice.

Now, more specific to our experience. There was literally no food at long durations of the buffet. No food at all. Being told by staff it would be 10 minutes, another saying some of the food had finished. It got to the point where staff had to tell us and other patrons that they have closed it for a few minutes so that they could replenish. I actually felt sorry for the staff as it was busy and they just could not cope with the amount of customers, and the amount of food they needed to turnaround. The staff were generally accommodating and the ones we interacted with, including the duty manager were positive under pressure. We were also told that Wembley and Harrow are under different ownership too at this point when I raised with the Duty Manager who was also generous enough to discount our bill due to the food experience which we weren’t expecting. We went back and they had replenished the khichri and fried poppadoms. The paneer eventually came, although the wait was long, it was tasty and fresh. But £17 for Chilli Paneer and some other mediocre dishes? I’m not sure if Sakonis Buffet is that great anymore. I would go again, but only as A La Carte and will amend the review once I visit again, perhaps one of the other branches in Hatch End...

We went for the buffet at this place for dinner around 6.45/7. They charge £22pp but left out cold food with most dishes empty or needing replacing. I highlighted this to the staff about 7 times and they all said i’m that good was coming out and every time they checked with kitchen staff they got shouted at by them. Very unprofessional! For dinner this place only cares about a la carte! They had naans and breads missing, chaats missing, old soggy salads, and most of their starter salad items were missing. The pani puri section was a mess and empty that i had to scrape the bowl for most toppings. The ice cream machine was broken and the curry’s in the warmers were like warm at best but you could tell they’d been sitting out from lunch. The chilli paneer was also like warm. The crispy mogo was soggy and luke warm. Despite my numerous requests, none of these were filled until I made a scene about it last minute by which time I was full from the stale pizza. The pizza quality used to be so good, a nice thin base with light tomato sauce and ample cheese. It’s now a thick piece of cardboard with a very sour tomato sauce and hardly any cheese!

They eventually started bringing stuff out when I was about to leave. They didn’t even have chips or pizza until i asked for it and it came about half way through. I don’t think it’s fair that they charge full price per head when the buffet service isn’t at its correct standard. Although staff took this buffet price of my bill after a long argument they still proceeded to charge me service charge. I’m not sure what for as is this a self-service style place and the service definitely was NOT good! I couldn’t be bothered to argue it but won’t be coming again! I am very disappointed as I have been a loyal Sakonis customer for over 20 years and this experience has left a sour taste in my mouth about all the other branches too! Will be trying somewhere else next time in Wembley unless they fix this issue! They also need to add some variety in their buffet food menu, it has been the same for many...

Went on Saturday, 2 Dec 2023, around 2.30pm after having done some "specialty" grocery shopping. Fortunately, didn't have to wait as the peak lunch time rush was over. I ordered their Red drink which is made fresh from Beetroot, Ginger, Apples and something else which I can't remember now. In all honesty, this has to be the best fresh healthy drink available anywhere. It's not cheap at £6.50 but it's totally worth it. For snack, I had ordered Crispy Bhajiya. Again, one of my many favourite items from here. Didn't disappoint. They were served with two relishes- Tamarind chutney and fresh tomato chutney. I cheekily asked for some green ( coriander) chutney which was served so graciously and warmly. This time I noticed Dhebra on the menu which were sold previously behind the counter but they have done away with this for some reason now so I ordered one portion to takeaway. Their Debheras are the best I've ever eaten. They are so soft and tasty. Perfect with a cup of tea. I was nearly ready to go when I noticed a young waitress doing the rounds at the table if anybody (those who were having their buffet) wanted any more pooris or masala dosas. It was so heartwarming to see this hospitality as it felt like being at home and being serve by my mother. I could not resist and ordered six pooris to takeaway. The tables are cleaned fairly promptly after they have been vacated and unlike other restaurants, I saw a young man also sweep the floor to remove any food debris. I have seen this sort of cleaning in big establishments like McDonalds and so glad they are doing it here. Their effort to keep this restaurant clean shows clearly. I like their contemporary decor. The takeaway food containers were recyclable which shows they are making an effort. The total was £29.96. To sum it up, it serves great food with...