The Five Points Taproom & Courtyard — Restaurant in London

One-star experience — food was five-star, but everything else was a train wreck.

We arrived at 6:30 PM for our 7 PM reservation, planning to relax, have a beer, and watch the Italy–Spain match. Instead, we got a frustrating, borderline ridiculous evening.

At 7:59 — a full hour after we sat down — the TVs were still off. We had to ask someone to turn them on, nearly missing the start of the match. Five minutes in, the signal started cutting out. After 10 minutes of broken TV, we gave up and streamed the game on an iPad.

Around 8:40, someone finally figured out how to get BBC on the screen. We thought we could finally enjoy the second half — until 9:35, when a staff member casually told us, “Just so you know, the veranda closes in 10 minutes.” We pointed out, politely, that our table was booked until 10 PM.the response? “You can watch the match inside.” No apology, no solution. Just a shrug and a suggestion to move — like it was our problem.

So we moved inside, into a dining area that was way too hot. No AC, no fans, just stifling, uncomfortable heat. You’d think with the heat wave and a big football match on, they’d be better prepared. They weren’t.

And while all of this was going on, the bar staff looked completely disinterested. No one smiled, no one checked on us, and instead of serving customers, they were just chatting behind the counter.

Let’s not forget — when you book a table here, they require your credit card details in advance in case you don’t show up. So they’re happy to take a deposit, but they don’t feel any obligation to actually deliver a decent experience. No working TVs, no courtesy, no comfort.

The only positive was the food. Genuinely excellent — whoever’s in the kitchen deserves credit. But everything else? A disaster. Poorly managed, indifferent service, and zero sense of hospitality. This place tries to act like a high-end restaurant, but it’s run with the professionalism of a dodgy pub. Not...

This pains me to give such a bad review but after two visits Friday 20th Sept in the afternoon and Saturday 21st Sept in the Evening.

Friday visited to pick up some food From the Ashes BBQ and from the moment we entered to when we left there was zero customer interaction.

The venue was empty and yet one of the worse customer experiences I have had in a long time.

However the highlight was the food. It was to die for and loved the tacos and the del piero doughnut. It is to die for. Amazing food.

The next day and after a long day at work going for a much needed pint, friends picked 5 points and I thought. Ok let's go maybe it was just an off day. It wasn't.

Bar staff looked at us like we were an inconvenience, being ignored and then passed over for people who came after you and waiting 45mins for food only to discover the order did not go through the system.

Part of me thought it could have been an integration error but as I work in the hospitality industry you can't help but think something else happened.

Management did not care about the situation and did nothing to fix it.

The team from the Ashes fixed it and thanks to them salvaged a 1 star review.

I know what you're thinking while reading this, it sounds like a bitter person with borderline Karen tendencies. I hope I can provide you with the confidence that I only leave 5 statr and highly recommended reviews just this time after 2 visits the experiences left me with a bitter taste.

Luckily the beer is OK to...

Went specifically for the bbq as seen on Insta. Good quality meat, however the bbq was a bit undercooked which lost the flavour. I’d expected a lovely seasoned crust and a soft pulled middle from a top quality smokey Que. The only plus was the rub on the beef but again no heat through the surrounding fat to grasp all that flavour. Green salad thing was a bit rough and had too much vinegar. Green sauce was basic and lacklustre. Where’s my fresh chimmichurri or some mustard dip for my chicken.

Basically no love put into it ! Slapped together and thrown out on a tray for a premium price. Consistency is key, I would not recommend @fromtheashesbbq, which is a shame, this has probably been top draw at some point.

The Uninterested attitude kids at the bars brought the vibes down and not many people in, which could be a marker. The venue and set up are amazing, but after spending £130 on a 4 drinks and a bbq felt a bit swizzed. If you’re visiting from a far there’s better places to get Smokey bbq in East London.

Saturday night for a good booze is probably the best part of the Five Points here. The beer is excellent and has been since the first days at the Pembury Tavern.

Portishead and other decent tracks on the playlist were a plus. This should be 5 stars. It comes up a very generous 3 at...