Song Hong

Delicious food. Friendly service. Lovely table decorations. Will definitely be back to this cute neighbourhood restaurant for some fresh and healthy Vietnamese food.

I loved everything about this place. Very friendly and warm service, great food and menu options, large portions. Cosy environment, clean. Highly recommend.

Very good quality Vietnamese food. I liked their fried squid and spring roll, it is crispy but not greasy. The seasoning is just right. The service staff are very customer oriented. I would love to come back to try more of their food.

The food quality has sadly dropped since the change in ownership. It was one of the freshest, most authentic Viet Namese around until the change. Ingredients are less fresh, sloppily (but quickly) served, and smaller portions. There was a mouse running between tables and the staff watched it, with no reaction or help or apology to us shocked by its presence.

Most authentic Vietnamese restaurant in South London, producing the tastiest and freshest dishes to savour and enjoy. Be warned they are usually very busy during dinner service, so I would advise to call in advance to avoid disappointment.

Its Vietnamise places, and it looks just like that - asian restaurants, and you could swear it's family-run: small, cosy, and nit pretentious, and the waiter speaks English enough to communicate. What they lack spoken English, they compensate in their friendly, helpfull approach. I went there for a quick dinner before going further for the night. The food is delicious, felt freshly prepared, came super-quick (note that the place was not too full as we went there very early evening) good portions, and if you don't want to - no need to but a starter. No dessert option, though. Great menu with plenty to choose from. Also: CASH ONLY, and if you forget to bring it, there are cash machines nearby.

This is a great restaurant in London to visit if you love Vietnamese food at the right price point. My friend and I ordered the summer rolls for starters and they hit the spot. The mains were lovely and went down a treat. Staff were nice but they didn't have any clean glasses just for tap water as they had a big function that day but eventually they had clean ones for us.

Delicious! It's quite busy so you might have to wait. We had pork ribs and squid to start and they were great. The squid was the best dish. For mains we had beef pancakes that were the best ones I ever had, and then we tried prawns with lemongrass. Perhaps too much lemongrass for me but still nice. The beef came with a great sauce as well.

We have been wanting to try out this place. It's now one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in London. We ordered banhxeo, fried seabass and pho. The fried sea bass is a must. The banhxeo was good too. This place is cash only, so come prepared.

I have to say, I don't like Mien Tay as much as I used to. Just a few months ago, I thought that the broth was definitely one of the better tasting ones when it comes to pho in London. However, recently it has seemed to have dropped in quality, and the star anise flavour is a bit too strong. The portion sizes are also incredibly inconsistent. Sometimes your bowl will arrive completely filled, and sometimes it will arrive with a comically small portion of noodles. Despite these complaints, the roasted quail is really quite good so they manage to maintain 3 stars in my book.

A really nice, casual and relaxed place with very tasty Vietnamese food. Rather for an informal meeting with friends than any special occasions. Worth visiting!

Absolutely delicious home-style Vietnamese. We will definitely be back. :) The décor is no frills but emits a cozy, in your dining room comfort. Several tables seemed to have VIP treatment and spoke with the waiters in Vietnamese. Always a good sign. Service was mediocre but the food came out quick and was absolutely delicious. I enjoyed the wine list and love the inclusion of pairing suggestions. We ordered: Traditional Crispy Pancake with Pork, Prawn & Bean sprouts starter (Bánh xèo tôm tht) Curry Clay Pot (both Prawn & Chicken) Spicy Rice Vermicelli Soup with Beef & Pork (Bún hu bò heo) Each dish was amazing - I highly recommend them all!! **Cash only

Great casual hole in the wall style Vietnamese restaurant in Clapham Junction. Relaxed atmosphere, quick service. Don't be surprised if you find yourself seated in very close proximity to other customers- the tables are very close together. I ordered the fresh prawn paper rolls and some beef pho, although my friend has the crispy vermicelli spring rolls and I couldn't help but pinch a couple...they were amazing! Pho tasted delicious and reminded me of being back in Vietnam- great way to warm up on a cold winter's day in London. All the food was very fresh and fragrant. Alcohol-wise they have beer and wine, and they also have Vietnamese coffee on the menu. My only gripe is they don't take cards- it's cash only. Thankfully there's an ATM about 40 metres away.

We ended up coming here since Song Que Cafe was closed, and it ended up turning out pretty good. We ordered the combination pho and summer rolls.

Love this place. Took a friend who had never been and she soon agreed that the food is a delight. We shared a crispy chicken pancake to start which surprised us. Looked much like a giant taco filled with fresh chicken and beansprouts. Accompanied by a lovely sweet sauce. We also wolfed down beef smothered in delicious Satay sauce. For main we shared half a duck with pancakes. Be warned, this is huge and would comfortably feed four. Lucky for me, I got to take the rest home. Fresh juices are another highlight. I had a refreshing carrot and orange. As others mention, the tables are packed alarmingly close together, so prepare to hear all about your fellow diners. We left stuffed and very satisfied. I've already been several times, and I'll be back pho sure!

What am I doing in Clapham for Viet food? Mien Tay opened another branch in this area and I had to try it. The chargrilled quail was cooked well and tasted like how I had it when I was a young kid. The vermicelli noodles were of a decent size and was delicious. This time around I had the spicy broth pho and it did not disappoint. Mien Tay did a good job in opening their second location by not letting the quality of their food go down.

Sorry Mien Tay but a downgrade... the food was still good - though it does seem to have gone a little bit downhill - but the service was apalling. They forgot our drinks repeatedly, gave me a funny look when I ordered a beer (it is allowed!), and then brought the wrong food but accused us of lying and then had an argument in front of us. Not sure if it's just the one guy but this trip wasn't nearly as enjoyable as usual.

Best Vietnamese in London I love this restaurant and have been loads of times but for some reason I hadn't been for a while until last night. I was really looking forward to it and as usual it did not disappoint. We tend to order the same things as we know what we like. Favourites include the springrolls which are sublime, thin and crispy on the outside with delicious generous fillings and the fresh rolls served with a peanut dipping sauce which are so lovely and leave you feeling virtuous and healthy. The choice of fish cooked on the bone is great - my favourite is the sea bream with lemongrass and chilli. The goat with galangal, the crispy aromatic duck and the singapore noodles are real winners too. This time though there were a few new additions to the menu and we opted to try the chargrilled goat which was really tasty and succulent and best of all the spicy soft shell crab which was the best soft shell crab I have ever tasted - I'm dreaming it of it now and wish I could have another plate of it! Desserts are limited but interesting - we had the Vietnamese Rainbow Drink described as Mung Beans, Gelatinous Seaweed and Coconut Milk, but don't let that description put you off, it was sweet and delicious and a lovely way to finish our meal! This used to be a BYO restaurant but not anymore unfortunately, but wine and beer are reasonable. If you find yourself in Battersea you need to give this place a go, but do book in advance. We were there on a Monday night and people were queing out the door - I guess that says it all! Oh and one final thing - it's cash only, so don't get caught out!

This is one my favourite restaurants in London. It is probably the best pho I've ever had (grew up near a large Vietnamese community in Cali). Amazing, deep flavoured broth that is not too oily or full of MSG. Generous portions of meat and noodles as well. Some other notable dishes are the fried sea bass and lemon grass, beef and watercress salad, and the spring rolls! You almost always have to book a table, so make sure you call a day beforehand. This place is also BYOB, which is another plus in my book :)

This restaurant was very disappointing. I remember it to be a lovely place to eat a few years ago, but obviously the standards have changed. It took a fair amount of time for our waiter to arrive and we asked for water, and he didn't deliver. We had to remind him about the water when our food came, and even when he brought it, he didn't bring enough glasses for everyone. As for the food, I thought it was poor quality and the rice wasn't worth the wait. It was dry and unseasoned. The toilets had no issues except they said vacant when they weren't. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to eat at and I definitely wouldn't eat here again.

This place was recommended by a friend. I heard they were super busy all the time so we came on Sunday around 3pm for a late lunch. It wasn't packed and we were seated right away. The tables are really cute, they have a 3D scene of a traditional Vietnamese house (i'm guessing...). We started with the spring rolls which were nice and crunchy on the outside and full of veg on the inside. I opted for the lemongrass and chilli chicken which was really tasty. My friend had the chicken curry which was super delish It tasted like a spicy yellow Thai curry. We both got sides of rice, but we only needed one as it a huge side. I was a bit off put when we walked in that the guy who took us to our seat was coughing quite a lot. However, they servers were nice and were quick to come over once you get their attention. The price was amazing for the food we had. I even have some leftover for lunch today... yum!

Quick glance: + authentic Vietnamese flavours + quick service + take reservation - cash only - rushed service Full review: Delicious and authentic Vietnamese flavours in Clapham Junction, so if you live in the area why wouldn't you visit when you are craving for the fresh taste of coriander, grilled meat and soupy goodness. If you aren't opposed to quail, try the barbequed quail - succulent and flavoursome. Yum! The venue is small and it's a bit packed, but I guess that keeps the atmosphere cosy and the cost down. You feel a bit rushed when you eat there because they want to turn over as many tables as possible, so it's not somewhere for a a first date (unless you're in a hurry to depart or get to the bar). At the end of the meal, they give you complimentary dessert by way of fresh, sweet orange slices. Great way to end the meal.

I was really looking forward to being impressed by this sister location in Clapham of the ever-popular Kingsland Road Vietnamese haunt, but, well, I wasn't. Don't get me wrong: everything was good. But nothing really impressed. My iced coffee was sweet and creamy, if a wee bit bitter. My fresh prawn rolls were satisfyingly chewy but a bit bland. My prawn pho was hot, spicy and mollifying but lacked a depth of flavour to suitably knock my socks off. The service was sufficiently brusque, the kind of service you'd expect at a low-key BYO establishment. Two starters, two drinks and two mains came to £28. A free cut and tooth-picked half orange came with the bill gratis. That was a nice touch. I'd definitely return, but not in a hurry.

Very simple looking restaurant, and the service is brusque but efficient. However, the pho is pretty good - one of the best I've had in London and I've had a few - with generous portions of beef and noodles, for only £7. Win in my book. Prawn summer rolls were ok, which was a disappointment. The mekong catfish we tried was tasty, but the sauce was a bit too salty. My benchmark for Vietnamese catfish is the one from Cay Tre - this is definitely not as good. Overall, I'm going to be coming back, but for one thing only - the pho. But it is worth coming for if you're local in the area. Note - this place is cash only as well. But there is no service charge!

After visiting Vietnam in January this year, I've been on a search for delicious Vietnamese food in London. Mien Tay absolutely nailed it! The salt and pepper squid was soft with a crispy coating, the pho was rich, full of meat and a huge portion! But the best for me were the bo la lot, which took me right back to my holiday. £36 for 2 courses and a beer each! Slightly let down by the service, which was efficient but not very friendly. They only accept cash, but there is a cash point very nearby. I'll be back soon!

Most definitely high quality vietnamese food at reasonable prices. Indifferent service, but you're getting cheap food and the best pho I've had in London. Take it or leave it? Take it. Just don't expect a lot in terms of service. Like to be given the cheque and that. Loads, loads, loads of food, and so good.

Definitely one of the best places to eat on this stretch of road ( tho' there is Enak Enak up the way) .While I wouldn't go as far as some reviewer's ratings ( it's neither the best nor the worst Vietnamese food I've ever had) but this place is very nice for what it is. Food is fairly straightforward, and, as other reviewers have alluded to, free from the cloying and noxiously unnatural sauces you might find in the cheaper sort of Chinese. Service is somewhat random I've waited the thick end of an hour for a takeaway but well intentioned and friendly. This place fills up fairly quickly at the busier times of the week, which is pretty much any time it's open ( popular with many locals, and AA Gill rather liked it), so you may want to book. Oh, and don't forget it's cash only, not that this place will break the bank.

I came here for my first meal during this trip in the UK. I got a standard tofu and vegetable dish with noodles. The bok choy was crisp and the tofu was soft and well-seasoned. I was happy with it. We also tried the fried rice and that was not too greasy and flavorful. The water cups were small and they were too busy to fill up my cup so I was thirsty for a lot of the meal. We sat in the basement and shared a table with another pair, which was a bit awkward but fine. Check it out. Cheap and delicious, just like you.

We found this place to be really good when we went for lunch around 1:30pm on a Saturday. We had previously ordered take-away from there with some friends as they knew it and essentially introduced us to it. The decor is not great (though the wooden houses under the glass at the tables is kind of cool) and the 3 star hygiene rating kind of put me off but since we'd eaten their take-away before, we knew the food was great. We ordered sparkling water and green tea. The menu says 500ml for the water but it's actually 330ml. Not a bit deal but really should be changed as that's a bit of a difference. The green tea was excellent, a giant pot of it that seemed never ending and had a great flavor. We ordered the beef pho as an appetizer because we were really hungry and it came pretty quickly. It was very tasty except I suspect it did have a bit of MSG as near the end, when it was just the broth, it started to have a kind of weird flavor. They brought our mains, Chicken with Cashew Nuts and Scallops with Ginger and Spring Onion very soon after the pho so the table was quite crowded. We also ordered some steamed rice as we had forgotten before. The rice was very sticky but surprisingly good and went well with the dishes. We thought both dishes were tasty though my partner said you could definitely taste sauce more than scallops in his dish (I didn't try it). The service was good, when we needed something (rice, fork, extra glass) they brought it right away. I think we would definitely go again and can recommend it to anyone looking for some well-priced and tasty Vietnamese! Be advised, it's cash only!

I'm going with what he said. You'd keep going back to Mien Tay just for the lovely people. The fact that they attend to your needs AND bring delicious, light, bright Vietnamese food to you is like a bonus, and one that only gets better when you get the bill. They're very efficient so they will have charged you for everything you've eaten. The prices are so ridiculously good value, however, that you'll assume they haven't. Stand outs for me included the beef rice paper rolls, honeyed chicken and a lovely, vibrant papaya salad. The chilli oil - dried shrimp is, apparently, the key - is also the best balance of heat and flavour in a condiment that I've had from North London to the wilds of Battersea. Perfect for groups, fun for couples, great for anyone grabbing a quick solo snack, this is definitely going in the address book. Mien Tay is EXACTLY the sort of little restaurant that makes me proud to be a Londoner.

I was alerted to the existence of the new Battersea Mien Tay almost from the moment it opened by South London food bloggers and tweeters @chrispople (http://cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/ ) and @hollowlegs (http://www.lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.com/) , and other equally fanatical foodies. It's practically unforgiveable that I hadn't tried it until today, given that I live literally two minutes away. I had relatively low expectations, having judged the place - rather like the proverbial book cover - by its external, naïvely kitsch appearance. I have embarrassingly not been to Vietnam (to be rectified in 2010?) but I have variously had Vietnamese in New York, Sydney, in Hong Kong, elsewhere in London, and possibly somewhere else, and NONE, not one, matches the sheer, ludicrous, surreal brilliance of Mien Tay, Lavender Hill. Communication started badly - the English of the staff is worse than poor. Add to that the fact that I didn't want to even attempt to make considered choices from the 202-item menu, but rather have suggestions made for me, and I couldn't make them understand that I didn't care or know what I wanted, I just wanted them to feed me according to their whim. Having more or less made ourselves understood, because my dining companion's patience far surpasses mine, we were treated to a hypnotic array of flavours and sensations that must be the most perplexing and delightful within a radius of two miles, until you hit Chez Bruce on Wandsworth Common, Trinity in Clapham, or Cambio de Tercio in Chelsea. With a big difference: this costs next to nothing. There isn't a dish over six quid. Two people can stuff their faces for under £30, or eat a huge bowl of pho for a tenner between them. Stand out dishes: Chim cúc (Chargrilled Quail with Honey, Garlic & Spices) Pho tái viên (Rice Noodle Soup with Sliced Beef & Beef Ball) Bò lua hong (Sliced Beef in Coconut Juice & Wine Vinegar, served in a Clay Pot) For this last one, you cooked it yourself at the table, on a small gas cooker! We finished off this remarkable feast with something scarily called Chè ba màu - Gelatinous Seaweed Rainbow Drink with Mung Beans. We will be returning, again and again. (http://www.mientay.co.uk/battersea/index.html)http://www.mientay.co.uk/battersea/index.html

Here's a quick write-up on a great lunch deal. Mien Tay is a Vietnamese restaurant with two branches, the original in Shoreditch and a newly opened one in Battersea. Living south of the river, I went to the latter following positive reviews by other bloggers. Their set lunch menu consists of a range of one-dish rice or noodle based meals. None cost more than £5 with free extras of prawn crackers, a bowl of egg & vegetable soup and half an orange. I went for the rice vermicelli with spring roll & chargrilled pork (bun cha gio & thit nuong). This dish is very simple with bun or rice vermicelli served at room temperature topped with spring rolls, chargrilled pork, salad and herbs accompanied with nuoc cham - a sauce consisting mainly of fish sauce and lime juice. You simply add the sauce into the bun and stir. Mien Tay's version was pretty spot on. The salad and herbs were fresh, the spring rolls weren't too oily and the pork was very flavoursome. It's not quite as good as Song Que's version as the chargrilled pork isn't quite as juicy but I'm nitpicking. The lunch deal is amazing value and I was surprised that there were only 3 people eating here on Saturday lunchtime. I'll be sure to return to Mien Tay with friends for a proper meal in the near future.

We have eaten once previously in Mien Tay, and found the food to be fine but not amazing. However, this review relates to two recent aborted attempts to visit the restaurant. On both occasions we experienced the same problem. On calling to reserve a table, we were taken through the whole booking procedure (when would you like to book, how many people, what time etc.) to be told that there were no tables available. The suggestion was then made that we 'come down to the restaurant as something might become available'. On the first occasion we didn't bother, but last night we did. On arrival at 7pm, we were told that there was nothing available until 9:30pm. This raises two questions: firstly, how can the restaurant suggest that 'something might come up' when they are so solidly booked until late that night? And secondly, if they know they have availability at 9:30pm, why not just take a reservation for that time over the phone? To make it worse, the staff were rude and unconcerned when delivering this message. It seems to me that perhaps Mien Tay is becoming a victim of its own success - and they will quickly find that if they keep up this poor attitude and inflexible booking process they might not be quite so busy all the time.

Proper local restaurant that nearly always has a queue to get in. BYOB part is great since their is a REALLY good liquor store about 5 storefronts up. The food is fresh, colorful, beautifully garnished and Vietnamese has got to be one of the best cuisines going- like the best mix of Chinese and Thai. It's also pretty inexpensive, we had 3 starters and 3 mains for less than 30 quid. The only drawbacks are that 1. it's so busy it can be super loud 2. you smell like the food you ate when you leave and 3. the decor is pretty shoddy-- but you aren't here for the decor- you're here for some great Pho!

I've been here probably 5 or 6 times as the food is really good (and reminds me of my travels to Vietnam) The portions are good sizes and really tasty, there's a good atmosphere but expect to be close to other people. I have found the staff to be rude on occassion and rush you out (as it is so popular) but other times it has been fine. I always go for the vermicelli spring rolls and am never disappointed. And remember to bring cash as they don't accept card.

Couldn't be bothered cooking dinner so strolled down to Mien Tay to see if their no frills but quality reputation was deserved. We were soon greeted by a friendly waitress who kindly served us throughout the evening. The food was well priced and tasty. Would recommend.

Absolutely delicious little hidden gem - it doesn't look like much from the outside but the food is incredible. The goat with Galangal is a real highlight - trust me! We also had the lemongrass chicken, perfect if you need to clear your head out! Great atmosphere and will definitely be back and recommending it to everyone

My friends raved about this place as their neighbourhood go to. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. Perhaps they set up the expectations a little too much. We ordered about 8 dishes and I only liked the sugar cane prawn balls. As we were 4 people, the waiter should have told us that it only came in orders of two, so we cut them in half, but then 2 people lost out on the sugar cane experience along with the prawn ball. The rest of the food was a bit mediocre. I've had way better Vietnamese cuisine elsewhere. It was packed to the brim when we arrived at 8 Pm last night.

This is the most delicious vietnamese I've ever had, and arguably the best low-key restaurant in London. The food is incredible. Go with a bunch of friends and order loads to share. Make sure you try the pork fresh rolls and traditional crispy pancake with chicken and beansprouts to start. Since I first tried them 18 months ago, i haven't craved any other food since. The sauce for the rolls is incredible, and so moreish. Their beef salad with herbs and lime is just mouthwateringly delicious. After my mother - a restaurant-phobe - tried it the first time, she insisted on going back twice more that week to have it again. The mains are great too. Beef wrapped in rice paper is my new favourite - great for people who like to play with their food, you assemble your own rice paper rolls with minced beef, mint, beansprouts, noodles and salad. My friends rave about the stir fried goat too - though I'm not really a goat-lover. As for veg, try the Morning Glory. I know, I know, but ignore the name, its a delicious cousin of Pak Choy. The service is pretty fast, once you get a table - I'd recommend booking ahead though, as it gets pretty busy since Giles Coran picked up on it. And the decor is fantasticly kitch - keep an eye out for the lobster shaped rattan wall lights, and plastic bonsai trees. Its BYO and pretty cheap, so great for those on a budget, but its customers are all sorts - I've gone their with small children, students, large and small parties, and everyone is made to feel welcome. Its popular for dates too. The only downside can be parking, leave some extra time to find a space or get the bus. Oh and the takeaway isn't quite as good, it loses something in transport. Other than that, can't recommend it enough. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!xxx

Not as good as some of the places I tried near Old Street. As an East Asian, I felt the food was not that authentic and I've had much better pho in the past. Also, not as cheap as portions are very small.

Absolutely fabulous: always packed, especially at weekends, good location right on Lavender Hill, BYO booze, very good value, service can be a bit mental but that's part of the fun. The Galangal Goat is not to be missed. Doesn't take cards.

Four stars for the food, less one for the fact that they kept trying to take our dishes away before we were done with them! It was packed when we were there on a Monday night--though we didn't have to wait for a table, I wouldn't be surprised if the staff is simply used to having to shuffle folks out the door as quickly as possible most of the week. I had a delicious sea bream with mango in a light and sweet dressing--half of which I ended up having to forfeit to my partner who "doesn't like fish", so they're doing something very right. For my sacrifice I was allowed half of his goat with galangal--the sauce was rich and complex, but the goat was a bit on the chewy side. We may have silly expectations for goat, though, having been introduced to it in the mountains of Crete. Nice wine list with detailed descriptions of everything and recommendations for particular dishes on the menu. Everything our neighbours had was beautifully plated and smelled amazing, too, so we'll probably be back soon!

http://hungryinlondon.com/2011/01/mien-tay-battersea/ I hardly ever get over to Battersea. The only reason for me to venture out into this tube-less part of town is the Battersea Arts Centre an utterly great and creative theatre well worth the journey. If you have the chance to see 'The Children and Animals took to the Streets' by 1927, do it! This was one of the best and most entertaining shows I have seen in the past year. Additionally, I really like the bar at the BAC, I just wish it was closer to where I live, I would hang out there every day Anyway, one of my excursions to the other side of London made me try Mien Tay which is conveniently located just a couple of blocks away from the BAC. I went to the Mien Tay in Kingsland Road once and I found it terribly bland. I liked the Battersea branch better, but also this one, despite serving very decent quality Vietnamese, did not blow me away tastewise. The Fresh Green Papaya Salad with Prawns (5.50) was certainly enjoyable. There was nothing wrong with the green, freshly grated papaya with exotic herbs and prawns immersed in nuoc mam, but nevertheless I did not experience the flavour explosion that similar dishes at for example Song Que provoked. The same applied also to the Chicken Pho (5.50). When it's cold outside and I am anywhere close to a Vietnamese restaurant I have to have pho. There is nothing as comforting and warming as this delicious chicken soup with loads of Vietnamese herbs, some chili to clear your respiratory system and vitamins from the fresh bean sprouts. The pho at Mien Tay was solid and nice enough and I wouldn't mind eating it again, I would however not go out of my way to feed my addiction with this particular variant. Having said all this, Mien Tay is really cheap. You can get out of there for 10 pound/per person without slumming it. And that's actually worth a honorary mentioning.

Their Veggie spring rolls were just OK. But the big no was I found a beetle of some sort in my rice!

The staff inattentive the food inconsistent. My recommendation is to not veer off course from the staples. Today was one of those days that they got both our dishes wrong. Whatever was served was loaded with spice or sugar or oil. I used to really like this place despite the not so civil staff but I have been let down.

The service here leaves an awful lot to be desired, but all things considered, I'm a fan. Huge portions, very fresh and good prices means that Mien Tay is pretty unbeatable! The wine prices are also very reasonable. It gets very busy so it's definitely making sure you make a reservation.

Don't really understand why many people recommended this one... The food is just so so, from the presentation to the taste, nothing is bad but nothing is good enough to impress me. I came here twice in total, the second time I ordered several dishes included a chargrilled pork on rice. When the dish arrived, immediately my friend found a curved short hair laid right in the center of the plate beside the rice, it's really disgusting. I pointed out directly with a low voice in order not to draw the other customers' attention. The waiter took it back. I walked to the reception and told the woman there that I'd like to change the dish to a Pho. No reply, no apology, nothing, that woman didn't give a s**t. Instead, the waiter told me my dish would be ready soon. Several minutes later, the Pho with beef arrived at my table in a smaller potion. At that point, all I wanted to do was finishing my lunch asap then leave. Funny thing happened after I paid my bill. The woman at the reception took a long time to bring my change back after I asking for it... that kind of service and dish with curved hair, no way I would tip you! Will not go back again and good luck to people who dine there often.

The kind of place you don't Yelp about because you want to keep it a secret, but the secrets out, so there is no point in not letting this gem of a place shine. First: make a booking, second: BYOB, and third: stick to the Vietnamese dishes on the menu. If you've been to Vietnam, the pho (esp. the Bun Bo Hue) will transport you back to spicy soups you might have had all over the country, and the crispy pancake appetizer is just a larger cousin of the ones served up at the Bale Well in Hoi An. The squid is tougher than hoped (this one probably had to be flown in from Vietnam) and I haven't strayed very far into the Anglocized lamb and more typically Chinese dishes. If you miss good Vietnamese food, this is one place where the flavors are spot on.

Fantastic restaurant with authentic Vietnamese food without those disgusting sticky sauces. Really fresh food and BYO so at a really good price. The staff were really accommodating as well.

I'm used to bad service in an Asian restaurant so my expectations were low to null and I was thinking how bad could this place be after reading the reviews. It was pretty bad. The waiters and waitresses were nice, but the manager/owner was not. First, the place was 80% empty and I had wanted to be seated at a table that wasn't right next to an occupied table since they were very close together, but he refused and said that the table I pointed to was 'reserved'. I was going to point to one of the many other tables to sit at but didn't bother. Secondly, as I got up to leave, he bumped into me and didn't say anything. He was too focused on the seating arrangement. As for the food, the spring rolls aren't worth the money bc of their small size. The main, which was beef vermicelli salad (bun), was a good size and tasty. Next time I will probably just carry out.

I didn't think Mien Tay was bad but compared to the other Vietnamese options in London, in particular the ones in Deptford and Shoreditch, it is lacking. The summer rolls were standard, but very small. I ordered the pho with beef, beef balls and brisket. I was hoping there would be more variety such as tripe and other more interesting textures, but there wasn't. In addition the broth was not of a very high quality and finally, everything was just pretty bland. The food, frankly, tasted very Westernized. Disappointing.

So far, this is the worst Vietnamese food I've ever had. You wouldn't expect it from all the positive magazine reviews they've plastered on the outside of the restaurant window, but yeah, it sucks. I think I'm qualified to give this place an honest rating cos my mate's family runs a Vietnamese joint and I used to go to the Eden Centre on a regular basis which is pretty much Little Saigon. My biggest beef is that they brought out dishes as they were ready so you had to sit around until everyone finally got theirs. They also kept forgetting the accompaniments, no pancakes with the duck, no rice with the curry. I had the misfortune of ordering the "aromatic duck". There was nothing aromatic at all about it. It was nothing more than a boring plate of duck scraps, which was dry, flavourless and not even a hint of the 5 spices you usually smell. My wife had the chicken curry and it was pretty decent. Nothing special about it, but hard to mess that up though. My overall impression of what I had, and looking around is that you could fumble about in your own kitchen and come up with better Vietnamese food than here.

Not a fan been here once a few years ago and thought I might give it one more try ... Staff was awkward and some where even a bit rude... I think cash only places should be illegal as they obv being shady by only wanting to deal in cash.. There was no clear sign it was cash only before I sat down... The hygiene rating was only a 3 out of 5 ... Yikes... Staff was slow and understaffed along with the fact I heard a dog yelping downstairs through the walls when I went to the bathroom sounded like it was barking to get out of something ,,, a .) I hope it was just a pet if you know what I mean... I've been to Vietnam b.) I now it's unhygienic to keep pets in restaurants c.) the dog shouldn't be locked up like that :(... Ordered beef pho and the beef was way to light and didnt taste like beef, tasted a bit more like pork? very questionable meat is never a good thing... I regret dining here, I just wanted to leave

Delicious food, friendly and efficient service (even in very busy times) and value for money. Highly recommend the vegetarian spring rolls, salt pepper & garlic squid and the papaya salad. Takeaway service is also quite speedy. A restaurant I've recommended to many and will continue to.

What a waste of our time! After reading the glowing reviews I was incredibly excited about our friday night reservation. We had booked ahead the night before hand and even the incredibly freezing and icy conditions didnt put us off venturing out of our way to visit this supposed gem. We arrived - mentioned we had booked a table. The waitress looked a little confused, looked around the full restaurant and then said 'oh yes your table must be downstairs' a little odd we thought but followed her out of the warm, romantically lit, buzzy main room down into a cold basement room with flourescent strip lighting and pointed to a table for 20 and told us we could sit there. There were 2 of us! They obviously had no idea about our booking and for some reason I just didnt fancy sitting somewhere where they hadnt even bothered to honour our reservation. We left, annoyed, and wondering why on earth do restaurants around this area of south london consistently get it so wrong?