Tây Đô Cafe (Vietnamese Cuisine) — Restaurant in London

My friend and I had an awful experience at the restaurant. We were scammed and treated rudely and unfairly by the manager.

We confirmed with the waitress that we COULD pay by card before ordering (b/c she wasn’t sure) but when it came time to pay, we were asked to pay by cash. The manager claimed the card machine was broken and demanded us to withdraw cash from across the street. When we explained that our card couldn’t withdraw cash and it was not our fault, she unpleasantly asked us to tap our card on her phone.

That wasn’t the worst part. The total was 30.50, but we were charged 32 without ANY prior explanation. When we asked for a receipt, my friend noticed the difference and asked why. We thought it was tax or tip she had charged without our consent as we’ve never lived here before. Only then did she tell us there was an additional 1.50 service charge for using her phone to make the payment. We explained again and again that it wasn’t our fault and if we were informed in advance by the payment charge we would have made a different dining decision. We asked for a refund for the extra charge, but she refused and blamed us, saying the waitress had told us it was cash only, which was not true. She was rude by raising her voice and cutting us off while blaming us ‘shouting at her’. She made loads of excuses trying to tell us the deal was done and she couldn’t do anything to help. She wasn’t willing to solve the issue at al.

After we mentioned calling the police for help, she offered us a soft drink, but we just wanted our refund because we felt scammed. When we asked for advice to solve the issue, she told us we just had to accept it and police wouldn’t help for the issue worth only 1.50 pound. It was our first time visiting in the UK, and we felt desperate and ended up having to ask other guests for help (since we didn’t even know the number to call police). Only then did she give us the refund, accusing us of escalating the situation.

We still haven’t received the receipt she promised to email. I don’t mind paying by cash, but I expect to be told upfront and not charged extra without notice. In the end, she even commented that we were the ones ruined our dining experiences.

Rude people are everywhere but unfortunately, we had to meet one today. The rest of waitresses were nice...

The service was excellent. The waitress was amicable, quick and very attentive. I barely had to do anything to get her attention and she also asked how everything was, during my meal.

They are open and have covid guidelines in place. They are also cash only.

The food was on the opposite end unfortunately and I didn't want to create a fuss, especially since I had to get back to work. The dish, the broth/soup is served separately from the noodles, beansprouts etc. Which I actually prefer. I forgot to ask about that, but previously when I've dined there, the dish was served as I described. The point I want to make from above is that the dry part of the dish normally has a sauce which gives the dish a more savoury taste which was completely gone. I ordered the pork and seafood variant. The pork was tough and chewy. Because they were somewhat long and thin slices, bending the meat was the best way to describe my experience when eating the pork. The seafood part, consisted of literally 1 prawn and 1 piece of squid. There was also what I presume to be pieces of meat/fat to give the dish more flavour? Of course I tried eating it but it tasted very gamey and I couldn't eat it. There was also a random piece of meat which looked and tasted like a beef ball. The broth was okay. The taste was a little thin though. Afterwards, because I have a weak stomach, I was sick so I do know that the food wasn't exactly fresh (what part, I'm not sure).

Hopefully it was just a one off, but I wouldn't recommend ordering the Hu Tiu. It's one of my favourite dishes which not many places do...

Best restaurant on this street.!! If your on Kingsland road, I would highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to try authentic Vietnamese food. Their menu is extensive and the staff are very friendly. The service of the food was quick and the young waitress named Anna was very polite and lovely. She made sure to accommodate us even while the restaurant was very busy. The restaurant is very clean and tidy.

This place has a very homely feel with a bright and traditional Vietnamese decor. This is my go to place whenever I want to introduce Vietnamese food to my friends. I definitely recommend the Vietnamese drip coffee but on this occasion as the weather was hot I had the lemonade which quenched my thirst nicely. The food was fresh and the presentation was amazing. I ordered the number 51 which was vermicelli with grilled pork, pickled carrots & radish with a spring roll and Vietnamese dipping sauce and my friend ordered the flat noodles with Beef. The food was not greasy and the taste was delicious.

They also have another branch across the road which caters for a larger number of people which is great to know if you have a future celebration. Their menu also have images too so you can have visual of what the meal would look like. Once again I left completely full and cannot praise this place enough. Thank you for a great experience...