I’d been coming here for several years to get my vietnamese food fix, and moved overseas for a little bit, last week was the first visit in almost 2 years and it was AWFUL. We ordered: coca cola, bo ba lot(beef in betel leaf), fried spring rolls, ca ri ga(chicken curry with rice) and bun thit nuong(lemongrass pork with vermicelli). The coke was lukewarm, the beef underseasoned undercooked, the springrolls were ok, the chicken curry was a flavourless gelatinous disaster. The pork was worse — not a hint of lemongrass flavour, and to add insult to injury, it was alternately overcooked and just this side of going bad. Needless to say, we stopped eating. Rinsed my mouth with a few sips of lukewarm coke. When I enquired if they’d had a change in chef, the waitress retorted«NO!». Never again! I’ll chance salmonella somewhere else thank you very much.
Cris G.
Place rating: 2 London, United Kingdom
I’m quite familiar with Vietnamese food. I’ve eaten here a few times. The first 2 times were OK. But the last 4 times or so that I’ve come, they’ve gotten my order wrong. I’ll order Summer Rolls(meaning the rolls made with transparent rice paper, thin vermicelli and prawns) and instead I’ll get some deep fried nastiness. Also, I’ll typically order soup and rolls for lunch and the first couple times, I was charge one price and the last time I went, they charged me a significantly higher price. And I can’t confirm if it was the food but coincidentally, the last time I ate here, I got sick. Very sick. So, um, yeah. They aren’t consistent in food nor service. Go elsewhere.
Kevin D.
Place rating: 5 Stoke Newington, London, United Kingdom
Superb food and service and also very good on prices. Highly recommend, small café serving quality Vietnamese cuisine.
Janet H.
Place rating: 2 London, United Kingdom
It’s not often that I find the service better than the food! We were quickly seated outside Viet-Anh Café — Beers(could have been colder) were quickly delivered while we perused the extensive menu. At well over 200 items on the menu it was a bit hard to sift through to find the treasures. The prawns dumplings to start were piping hot but nothing worth noting. I had soft noodles with vegetables and chicken… which I doused in sriracha sauce. The service was quick and friendly but the food wasn’t anything spectacular.
Caroline K.
Place rating: 3 London, United Kingdom
I wasn’t too impressed by Viet-Anh. Its mile-long menu read like your typical all-in-one ‘oriental’ place(usually a bad sign). I much prefer when restaurants just to do what they do best so I have no choice but to go there when I’m craving vietnamese. I don’t need variety if it’s gonna be half-arsed; I just want good food! The family-run joint was pretty quiet on a Thursday evening, only about 5 tables were occupied and most seemed to live in the area. The prawn summer rolls were a massive disappointment! The skin and noodles were dry like they were made in the morning and had been sitting out all day, and it was so dry that where the noodles had kinda solidified into an annoyingly dense lump. The lemongrass pork was definitely redeeming though! The meat was really tender and tasty tasty(but was it just MSG? Possibly. Probably.) I don’t know, something about this place just rubs me the wrong way. The exploitive lady boss and her almost patronising smile, the generic Asian menu, it’s not the ‘cosy hole in the wall family restaurant with surprisingly good food’ that you hope it would be. It’s just alright. There’s better food elsewhere. If I wanted vietnamese in Camden, Than Binh just off Camden Market would be my first pick!
F M.
Place rating: 1 New York, NY
Mixed seafood with black bean sauce: no fish, just a couple shrimp and pieces of squid; six or seven little black beans in a generic, sticky brown sauce soaking in MSG(which made me feel ill for a minute, and didn’t set well with me for the rest of the evening), and a few pieces of bell paper. Hardly«authentic»; completely bland. You can honestly do better with a precooked ‘Asian’ meal from a supermarket. A cute space, which is what brought me in in the first place, but I cannot recommend the food, at least not based on the dish I had.
Sara L.
Place rating: 3 Vancouver, Canada
The staff are quite friendly, the food is great, but the prices have gone sky-high compared to what it was before(i think at one point it was £5.00 sth for the duck rice) they tried to charge service fee on my take-out order…
Jules H.
Place rating: 3 London, United Kingdom
I like Vietnamses food a lot … I once ate so much at a brilliant place in Berlin that I thought I would blow up like the fat man in Monty Pyhton. That’s how much I like it. This is a good place. Three stars because the dishes are nice, the service is very nice and they do not push you out of the door as soon as you finished, like so many other small restaurants. Sadly this is not a purly vietnamese restaurant. It has all kinds of other asian stuff on the menu and the menu in itself is way too long. Between talking and reading this extensive novella it took me quite some time to make my decision. My friend was make subtle and thean less subtle hints for me to shut up and read it before she starved to death. The food is yummy, but depending on the cook it can be a bit too greasy.
Peter S.
Place rating: 4 London, United Kingdom
Viet-Anh Café is a great place to enjoy nourishing Vietnamese food on a budget. I’m still finding my way in the world of Vietnamese food, but I wasn’t disappointed here. I opted for a tofu, sauce and rice combo which I wolfed down very happily. The service was quick yet also unobtrusive, while the prices were very reasonable, at £7.50 for a mains. Definitely somewhere I’d happily return to if in the area.
Ashley V.
Place rating: 4 Oakland, CA
It was cold and I wanted some phở, I came here and I got some phở. A little more on the simpler side in terms of garnish variety and meat quality but it was still delicious none the less. There was a great deal more on the menu than just phở, including all sorts of dishes not specifically vietnamese, so there really is something for everyone here if you bring a group(although it’s kind of close quarters for more than a party of 4). I also ordered their vietnamese coffee for it had been far too long since I’ve had one. It too was delicious and cold and creamy and a lovely kind of dessert to go along with the meal. Decently priced and convienient(near tube station and high street area if you need to catch the train later) The service was great too. The food came out fast and they didn’t bother us when we stayed a lot longer chatting until we needed the check.
Alex S.
Place rating: 4 London, United Kingdom
After typing ‘Phở Camden’ into google I pleased to end up here for lunch. Definitely a café rather than a restaurant the décor is shabby/functional. The service was pleasant and quick. I got a good bowl of beef Phở. There looked to be plenty of fun things on the menu but I was on a budget, and £8.50 for soup and tea was just the price band I was hoping for. I’d agree with the Daisy-may B not as good as Kingsland Road(Song Que for example), but it definitely met my needs for something hot, fresh and good. I’ll be back.
Kelsey c.
Place rating: 5 San Diego, CA
This is my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in London, a short five minute walk from the flat and the price is unbeatable. The calamari with hot chili flakes is the best, I always started with that! The food, service, portions and locations made this restaurant one of my all time faves…
Angela J.
Place rating: 4 San Francisco, CA
Not bad if youre craving vietnamese food. I was craving phở, but it was only so so at this place. The deep fried calamari was delish! There other grilled items looked really good so I think I’ll do that the next time I go.
Daisy-may B.
Place rating: 4 London, United Kingdom
I came here last night and really really enjoyed it. The phở wasn’t Kingsland Rd standard but it’s 10 minutes from my flat! Three of us arrived at about 7.30 and were sat on a table for 2! Pretty squashy! Although understandable as the place was packed, but after about 5 minutes they moved us to a big table and were apologetic about it. So sweet! The whole menu looks amazing, we started with the Vietnamese Chicken Pancake which was deeelicious wrapped in lettuce(if a bit greasy, but I can get over that!), then all had the beef phở, the broth was nice and rich and beefy, but was lacking in other tastes and the beef wasn’t very rare at all. The condiments were really good though, apart from no vinegar and lemon instead of lime but lots and lots of beansprouts! And the noodles were yummy and not too soggy or stuck together. We all drank Halida beer, which was okay. The service was amazing, the staff were very attentive and friendly. My one criticism is they were very, very eager to get us out at the end even though the place was clearing out and there was no queue — desperate to take our plates and glasses away, asking if we were finished more than once during the meal, then hovering over the table when the bill had been brought. The whole menu looks amazing so next time I go I’m going to try and deviate from my standard phở order and maybe try some of the claypot dishes. Basically, the food is of a really high standard, it’s cheap and in a great location for me.
Jerry P.
Place rating: 5 Huntington Beach, CA
This place is one of the best Vietnamese restaurants i’ve ever been to in London. Everyone knows how pricey it is in London, especially for us Americans. with an exhcnage rate of 1 quid = 1.50USD. At this place you get a bang for your buck! Service: The service is outstanding. The owner is pretty homely, and welcomes you with open arms. If you don’t know what to eat, ask him, he’ll give you the low down. Pretty simple enough? Food: The food is awesome. Being military and stationed overseas, I don’t get to eat vietnamese all the time. But whenever I come down to London it’s always a for sure lets go get some vietnamese food! — I won’t say this place has the best phở or bun bo hue i’ve ever had but it is pretty good. The portions are pretty good, but not alot of meat. it’s just right. — The fried tilapia with mango and fish sauce is the bomb. It is usually my regular dish. for 10 quid you get a whole tilapia deep fried laced with thinly cut slices of mango on top served with fish sauce drenched over the fish. Delicious! Of course you must order with a side of rice. — All the curries here are pretty good. my favorite is the duck one. — Crispy fried noodles is also amazing with the right texture and flavor. — The salt and pepper tofu or squid is delicious. One of the best i’ve had in UK. — Café Sua Da — Wow, had not found a place in London that had any except here! I’m from Nor-California. we have tons of vietnamese coffee shops. yet of this big vietnamese community here in the UK, I have never found a place that served Café Sua! Definately a MUSTTRYFORCOFFEELOVERS!
Alexandra D.
Place rating: 5 San Francisco, CA
London is pricey and you know it! That’s why we were delighted to find this little affordable and delicious Vietnamese restaurant on a cold January day. I had a chicken phở and the broth was delicious. The lady also offered us some fresh ginger tea which was well appreciated since we both had started feeling a soreness in our throat. I ended up forgetting my shopping bag there and went back in the evening to pick it up. They had kept it for me. Really friendly staff!
Photog
Place rating: 4 London, United Kingdom
Cheap and fresh with great service. The pork vietnamese curry is to die for as is the chinese broccoli. Used to go on a weekly basis and have since moved a bit further afield, but still worth the trip. It is always crowded for a reason…
Claire L.
Place rating: 4 London, United Kingdom
Yum, yum! The Viet-Anh Café on Parkway is super delicious, really simplistic and affordable too. I’ve been here a few times and it’s great to bring a group and also for a one on one date as well. I particularly like their soups and the noodle dishes rock as well. I’ve never had any complaints and there is something for everyone — fish, meat, vegetarian… It’s nice to visit a Vietnamese place in a city full of Japanese and Chinese cuisine, it’s good to get something a little different. This place really is great and independent too so you should definitely stop-by next time you’re in Camden town…
BearBe
Place rating: 4 London, United Kingdom
This is the type of inexpensive and cheerful small restuarant that makes Camden such a great place to visit for a meal and drinks in the evening. It can get rather busy in the evenings though so be sure to arrive early — there isn’t much rom where you can wait unless you fancy standing outside on the street!
Na
Place rating: 3 London, United Kingdom
Viet-anh Café is a good vietnamese restaurant, with an extensive menu. I wouldn’t say the noodles(phở) there are especially noteworthy, but the main dishes are better than most vietnamese restaurants I have been to. The deep fried salted monkfish was scorching hot and really tasty, and the beef and vegetable dishes I have had on other occasions have all been perfectly — and quickly — cooked. It is easy to overorder here as the portions are all very big — a bit too big if you are having starters or sides as well. The staff are really friendly but not overly attentive. Don’t know why, but when I’ve had takeaway food from their it hasn’t tasted as good as when I’ve eaten in. I’d recommend for a quick and filling meal when out and about in Camden Town — it’s 30 seconds walk from the tube station.