The Good Earth — Restaurant in London

Went with a friend and ex-colleague. Was bitterly disappointed from the minute we walked in being frowned at for not booking in advance (we went at 630 to avoid any busy times for that exact reason) We were reluctantly given a table as long as we left after an hour. Very welcoming, not! My colleague and I are both vegetarian. We asked about the vege and vegan food options and were told to check that section on the menu. It was all very confusing so we asked again. The waiter either didn't understand us or did not want to, he just kept saying it was OK. Eventually we realised the chicken on the vege menu was mock chicken but then we discovered that it's pretty much all cooked together. Our non vegetarian friend had a chicken soup and I asked about the vegan version which I was told was the same soup without the chicken. They could neither confirm nor deny that the soup simply didn't have chicken in it or if it was separate altogether. We then asked about some other vege dishes and I alerted them to the fact that I'm allergic to shell fish so there must not be any cross contamination. They then said they couldn't guarantee that. So they couldn't guarantee the vege meals were vege or not prepared with or alongside meat, fish or shellfish, and they couldn't promise the allergy needs would be met. We decided to not order anything. Our non-vege friend and her friend did. The waiting staff were impossible to engage and it really wasnt busy. When they did come, they were fairly abrupt. She said her food was nice but the portion sizes were tiny and it cost her £45 for a shared starter, one main and a glass of wine, plus service which she said didn't improve. To make things worse the owner seemed to treat others coming in very differently. We left her and her friend to it but they were really disappointed, as were we. FYI We went down the road to Baw instead, and had a beautiful and filling meal for half the price, served with a smile and full...

We booked this well-known old restaurant for my birthday on Aug 2025. One of the dishes we ordered was deep-fried prawns wrapped in shredded pastry. The first piece was nice, but in the second one I found a black hair wrapped with the pastry. I called a waitress, who took the plate and apologized.

A little later, the manager came over, smiling, and said that if the hair had been from their kitchen it would have burned during deep-frying, which I found dismissive. I explained that it wasn’t my hair, as mine is longer and thicker, even the hair was within the shredded pastry that I can't do that!!! and that they shouldn’t suggest it came from anywhere else.

Later, to test the manager’s claim, I personally deep-fried two of my own hairs — and nothing happened to them. They remained intact after frying, which shows the manager’s explanation was not accurate. I have uploaded everything here!

They eventually took the plate away but did not replace the dish. Instead, they gave us only a 10% discount on the bill, which felt inadequate for both the situation and the manager’s attitude.

Overall, my expectations were higher, given the restaurant’s reputation and high prices. However, the food quality was very average and not worth the cost. I left disappointed with both the experience and...

From the second we stepped in, we were met with complete chaos. No one greeted us, and after awkwardly waiting near the entrance for almost ten minutes, we had to ask if we could be seated. The server barely acknowledged us and seemed more interested in their phone than actually doing their job.

We ordered a few standard dishes, hoping for at least a decent meal. Unfortunately, everything we got was lukewarm, bland, and had the texture of something microwaved from frozen. My dish arrived with a piece of plastic in it…yes, plastic. When I pointed it out, the waiter just shrugged and said, “It happens sometimes.” No apology, no replacement, just indifference.

What really pushed things over the edge, though, was the open shouting match between two staff members happening in full view of customers. They were yelling and swearing at each other near the kitchen while everyone in the restaurant just sat there awkwardly. Completely unprofessional and made the atmosphere incredibly uncomfortable.

This place is a disaster on every level terrible food, nonexistent service, and a complete lack of basic standards. I left feeling frustrated and a little grossed out. Avoid at all costs unless you want an evening of...