Kastner & Ovens

Nasty. I had a horrible experience here this morning. The member of staff on duty was hostile and incredibly rude. I asked first if it was open, only to be met with yes, I’m busy serving someone (which was not apparent. They looked like co-workers chatting to me). When I tried to see if there was seating downstairs, the woman said: “There is only the kitchen down there; you can do the washing up if you like!” Unbelievably for someone working in hospitality!

i had such a delightful experience here! - friendly and fast service. since everything is already prepared, you just get a box, order, and youre good to go. the woman managing the store was so nice - the food is also so good. very wholesome, tasty dishes with unique combinations of ingredients.

The absolute best food in London. And make sure to leave room for the baked goods. Cannot go wrong. Take away shop where we've always had good service. They are busy (deservedly so), queuing works like it does everywhere in the world (well when people are good, less well when people are rude - that's not really the shop's fault/responsibility), and quality food costs money....not sure what some of these reviewers expect. Great food is well worth it! Especially in an area filled with cheap touristy food.

Wow what a sad and stark contrast to the one in Liverpool st which I go to almost every day. None of the usual happy smiling staff for a start, no welcome no nothing just fixed stares and a very odd vibe.. Then the main event the food even that looked jaded and hard done by. Most of all the young girl who served me my small salad took great effort to make it super small and put about half a spoonful of each in the box where at Liverpool st you always get way more than that.. Maybe she had been told to do this who knows but I ended up with a half empty box where at Liverpool st it's always joyously full. I remarked on the contrast and was ignored until I pointed out i wasn't talking to myself and I got some mumble about a spoonful. (it really wasn't - so much so I asked for the same salad twice) I really don't know what's going on in this branch, maybe they're closing but going on this shenanigans it's Liverpool st all the way.

Decent healthy food if you love grains and salad pots! You get a lot for your money and staff are always helpful. The food isn’t always my cup of tea but that’s down to personal taste, there’s always a queue out the door. It does feel a bit rushed because of that, but that’s the trade off when you’re a hit with the locals!

Best place in Covent Garden for lunch, hands down. Amazing fresh food, great ingredients, delicious salads and fantastic cooked food. And the best Banoffee Pie ever

My go-to for workday lunch takeaway over the last few years. It’s possibly also the only place left in the area that does home-cooked-style healthy (and delicious) food, especially after food-for-thought closed down some years ago. There’s nothing in the area that can compete with the quality of the salads and hot food. As of writing I’ve been paying £7.50 for a small box of a portion of hot food + a couple salads, enough for me. If sharing might want to go for the large.

Was excited to try this place. You can't see the ingredients well and service is rushed... had bacon in the salad... I don't eat pork. Could be dangerous for people with allergies. Salad was placed in the same box as gnocchi so was all a hot mess. Only good thing is I can tell the ingredients are fresh.

I am a twice-a-week regular at their Spitalfield location and just love their food and the concept behind it: a selection of salads and quiches as well as some hot food items. The menu is changing daily. My go-to is usually two salads and whatever quiche or frittata that appeals to me. Thank you for offering an affordable and healthy lunch option!

i had such a delightful experience here! - friendly and fast service. since everything is already prepared, you just get a box, order, and youre good to go. the woman managing the store was so nice - the food is also so good. very wholesome, tasty dishes with unique combinations of ingredients.

Huge fan, perfect for work lunches. The menu is always changing, every day includes a variety of quiches, salad/veggies, and a few hot dishes. The quiches are really good but the quiche lorraine is probably the best. They sometimes have a sweet potato quiche which isn't the best. I've had the gnocchi which is quite good, a variety of their salads which are always super fresh. They also have a bunch of desserts, my favorite of which is the lemon square which is so goooood. I just love that the food is always fresh

Friendly, tasty, fast and perfect. Worth popping in rather than the usual chain store fare.

LOVE this place. It is a bit of a walk from my office but fortunately they put up the menu on their Facebook page in the morning so I can see if it's worth making the trip. Food always tastes fresh and there is a great selection. The soy samlon and lentil lunchbox is a particular favourite, great value and you get a whole salmon fillet unlike most lunch places.

Today a lemon bar from Kastner & Ovens changed my life. I don't even like lemon bars. But this wasn't your ordinary gooey mess on crumbly crust, this was a slightly hardened powered sugar top, fresh lemony goodness middle, all resting on a soft, moist, perfectly textured shortbread base that was better than anything, and I mean anything that I have ever put my mouth around. These lemon bars are too good for any low level sex metaphor, so let's just say this: I would get paid in these lemon bars if I could.

Fooooooood! The people here clearly love their food. Kastner & Ovens is an amalgamation of everything that is good and wholesome on Gods green earth: vegetarian delights, curries, pies and cake, so much amazing cake I can barely contain myself. I had myself a meal of pie that was suffused with soft cheese, sage and chicken; lentils with beetroot, and stunning dauphinoise potatoes. It was excellent, filling and worth the slightly inflated price. Eating in can be a chore as there is only one table at the back of the store, yet saying this, on a Monday lunch time, the three of us who went all snaffled seats. My recommendation: Go for the mango and orange cheesecake - OH MY GOD!

Thank God for this place. Ever since my office moved to Covent Garden from Soho, there's been a dearth of good takeaway places for lunch. This one more than makes up for it. They offer a good selection of salads, hot dishes, soups etc. I quite like the different salads you can mix up in a box in two different portion sizes. Service can be a bit chaotic as everything is portioned to order and the shop is quite small. Get there early if you can and avoid the crowd. Very reasonably priced. Although not quite at the quality or interest level of Ottolenghi, it's also about substantially less expensive.

This place is a great lunch find for anyone looking for fresh food with that homecooked feeling. Think 'healthy' sans the boring chow like sprouting beans. My new motto for healthy eating in 2012 is 'What would Ger Murphy do?'. My Dad swears by homecooked meals (which you can get close to in Irish pubs) and doesn't seem to have put on a pound since his twenties. Kastner and Ovens seems like a London fix that fits that description perfectly - and no-one goes home hungry. As emphasised below, in winter it's more suitable to those with an office nearby because there's nowhere to sit. Besides that, I have no complaints and it's a favourite amongst my co-workers. Add to that some delightful and ever-helpful staff and you have a winning combination. Saying that - I'm a little afraid because I haven't even tried their cake selection yet and by the sounds of it, they'll never be able to get rid of me once I do!

Can't believe I didn't try this place sooner. Everyone in our office raves about the pies and salads and they weren't wrong. Worth getting there early as there's usually a queue down the street. The staff are super friendly and will help explain what's on offer that day (the menu changes daily and they post every morning on Facebook) and give their recommendations to what works best with each dish. Definitely try their pies and the lamb and veg chilli was delicious. For a small takeaway box you can choose 2 salads to accompany the main dish, all really tasty. Great homemade food on the go.

When I (rarely) get to work out of office instead of client sites, I really enjoy coming down to Kastner and Ovens for some takeaway. They have a huge selection of foods, everything from salads, soups, quiches, pies, pastries, cakes and sandwiches that it is sometimes difficult to decide what to have. I'm always torn about going early when there's probably going to be a queue, or going a little bit later when it's likely they have run out of their freshly made foods. I think I end up spending around £6 each time I go, but I think this is the price you have to pay for amazingly fresh foods that are absolutely delicious.

Walked past 12 cafes for this place. Very glad we did. Great service, coffee, hot chocolates and superb Raspberry slice.

So if you're like me and work in central London and hate having the same packaged sandwiches for lunch but just don't have the time to bring in leftovers or better yet, make a home-cooked lunch to bring into work: you will love Kastner & Ovens! I was introduced by a colleague when the smell of her lasagna made me think of home. In fact, everything on the menu screams "freshly baked". The other reviews are right - the queue can get very long at peak times during lunch. But if you plan it right, you can have yourself a home-cooked meal, complete with a piece of cake, in no time. The trick is to make your desk feel more like home once you get back to eat it.

Excellent food, good service, reasonably priced. Go early for lunch as there might be a queue - but if there is it doesn't take long. This place is only take away. There is a couple of hot dishes and several different salads you can choose from. The menu varies daily, but it's always good. I like to mix a few of the salads in a box for about £5. Tastes great, healthy, yet filling. Take it back to the office or if weather is nice sit down at one of the benches in the Covent Garden market....

Lovely secret place for delicious and healthy takeaway lunches.

a new lunch favorite of mine. they make outstanding quiche and a nice slice is only £2.50. all their baked goods look amazing too. if i wanted to gain a bunch of weight this is the place i would indulge at.

The best place for a quick delicious lunch. Pies and salads are great! Service is cool!

Great selection of freshly baked cakes, treats, mix and match fresh salads, hot savoury food and soups. This is a great go-to lunch place for take away healthy food around Covent Garden. The salads are not your average Caesar or Greek salad - great combinations and lots of colours. There are only two tables inside to eat on location so be prepared for lines with the food and takeout.

The best place ever for lunch and cakes. Amazing selections of salads that changes everyday. They do amazing potatoes with different flavours. The peas and roast mushrooms are also great. I've tried the brownies, cookies and curly whirly cake -- all amazing.

Easily my favorite takeaway place in Covent Garden, Kastner and Ovens makes for a damn good lunch (as evidenced by the long lines out the door). The place is fairly small but they serve up a whole lot of homemade goodness, usually involving two hot specials a day plus a variety of fresh quiches, soups, sandwiches and salads. It's a bit on the pricey side of things, but possibly some of best takeaway food I've ever had.