The Blues Kitchen Camden — Restaurant in London

The food was amazing and I cannot fault it at all! The service however was awful. Myself and my partner came to blues kitchen at around 5:00 today 10/10/24 for dinner and the service was horrendous, we’re both managers in hospitality at reputable businesses in York and if my staff acted the way the staff here did they wouldn’t have a job! We were told that booth seats were fully booked however 4 remained empty throughout the entirety of our meal. The lady was polite when taking our order, however the food was quicker to arrive than the drinks as there was only one person on the bar, despite 4+ staff members constantly standing by the heat lamps doing nothing! Once our meals arrived we were not checked on at all despite making eye contact with staff members and sitting directly next to the host stand. Additionally when asking for the bill I looked at a girl who was wearing sunglasses on her head (in October…) and she walked away. I ended up having to ask whoever was at the host stand!! This is such a shame as the venue and the food is amazing it’s just a let down that the staff are rude, untrained, and unprofessional! I would understand if it was busy but it was not busy at all! When we were given our bill it was placed face down on the table and a card machine was forced in-front of us with the total, we were taken aback and just tapped our card and when we were finally able to look at our bill there was a 12.5% service charge which I found ridiculous considering we didn’t receive any service at all!! The waitress clearly put it face down to hide the fact that there was a charge, there was no “does the bill look all okay?” She just put it down (not in a check book) and put the card machine on the table I honestly cannot believe it! I loved the food at Blues Kitchen but due to the service I would not return and would not...

As a Blues Kitchen fan and keyring holder, I was really looking forward to a casual pre-show stop with friends at the Camden location. To be considerate of other diners, I didn’t make a reservation since we’d only be there for drinks and a light bite. I even called ahead to check that we’d be fine without a table booking before 9pm when live music started and was reassured it wouldn’t be an issue.

Upon arrival, I checked with the staff that my keyring discount would apply, but I was told that the keyring only worked with a “full dinner with a main” and required a reservation. This was confusing and disappointing, especially since I’d purposefully skipped booking to leave tables for full dinner guests. To add to the frustration, my keyring is apparently an older version without any indication of this new “in-restaurant” requirement, and with no terms or conditions printed on it, there was no way I’d have known.

Instead of recognising that I’ve likely been a long-term customer, the staff refused the discount without empathy or flexibility. Even after asking to speak with a manager, we were simply told that our keyring wasn’t valid, and they didn’t offer an updated one either. The lack of name tags didn’t help, as it’s impossible to mention who was involved (seems convenient). The whole idea of stopping at The Blues Kitchen was for us to enjoy some great discount, so in the end, especially after such appalling service, we decided not to stay.

I also want to mention that I emailed the only contact I found (booking enquiries) before posting this publicly, wanting to give the team a chance to respond – but it’s been over five days, and I haven’t heard back. Sadly, this lack of response and customer care has made the experience all the more...

I visited The Blues Kitchen this evening for cocktails and dinner, and I am disappointed to say that the experience fell far below expectations.

To begin with, the cocktails were extremely poor. Each one we tried was overly bitter, harsh, and quite frankly undrinkable, which was surprising given the restaurant’s reputation for cocktails.

Regarding the food, we ordered two fried chicken mains and one crispy chicken sandwich. Unfortunately, the chicken was so excessively salty that it was inedible. We also ordered chicken wings; while they were very spicy, they were reasonably acceptable compared to the rest of the meal. The only positive aspect of the evening was the white wine recommended by our server, Will. His service was exceptional: professional, attentive, and a true credit to your team.

However, when we shared our concerns with the manager, Isaac, the response was extremely disappointing and unprofessional. We were told, “Thank you for your feedback. Hopefully next time it won’t be bad, and if it is, I’ll eat the food.” This dismissive remark was entirely inappropriate and left a lasting negative impression.

Overall, the standard of both food and drinks was highly unsatisfactory, and the management’s attitude only compounded the poor experience. While our waiter provided excellent service, this alone does not compensate for the quality issues and lack of accountability from management. Unfortunately, based on this visit, I would not be...