Sheau Ng
Came here on Sunday dinner in party of four. We decided to take their set menu at £42/person (normally for 8, but adjusted accordingly). More food than we can eat. And all full-flavor, though the bone marrow and curries were surprisingly under salted to my palate.
Service was excellent, and accommodating to our every needs. Place is small, cozy, and tastefully decorated.
faiyaz deoghare
I visited this restaurant on Friday with my family and it was fantastic. Their food is really authentic and the service is excellent.
The manager Ameya was very courteous and extremely helpful when it came to choosing dishes from their menu.
We ordered the Not buttered squid and Mutton rolls as starters which were both good dishes.
For the mains we ordered the Chicken curry and Prawn curry along with their signature hoppers. We also got the chilly cheese dosa which turned out to be much better than the ones we get at other restaurants.
Overall a fantastic experience and definitely worth another visit.
ain norman
Authentic, unpretentious, and (oh so) delicious are the three words that come to mind when describing our experience at this restaurant. As soon as we arrived, we could tell from the menu that our taste buds were in for a treat. Fortunately, the friendly team was on hand to help us avoid over-ordering.
For starters, we enjoyed the Hot Butter Squid and Chicken Chettinadu Bites. The buttery squid and crispy chicken were a perfect combination of flavors and textures.
For our mains, we shared the Prawn Kari and paired it with String Hoppers, Dosa, and Roti. I mean, why not try all three? It was all so delicious that we couldn't resist. Don't forget to add on the Pol sambol, paired fabulously with the hoppers & dosa. And, make sure you save some room for the chocolate biskut pudding.
Finally, we want to give a shoutout to the team for their exceptional care and hospitality. They always checked in on us with a smile and made our dining experience truly memorable. Thank you, and we can't wait to visit again the next time we're in London.
Winnie Cheong
Food was good, but some of the kari dishes are not as good as before. Drinks are excellent albeit small and average compared with London prices. Seating was much more spacious than before the COVID era. You can also book for earlier seating in advance now, which means I no longer need to queue for an hour just to get into a virtual queue. Service was excellent as usual.
Darshan Jatwani
The food was great, Interesting cocktails and the service was good. The waiter provided great recommendations and was friendly.
Best to make a booking at a non-window seat.
Matt Goodman
Loved this place! I’ve long been a fan of Sri Lankan cuisine and was thrilled by the food here. Highly recommend and also found it to be quite budget friendly and portions are large. Reservations essential as the place is quite small.
Vanessa Tu
This was recommended to us by a friend and it was well worth it! We ordered the lamb biryani and the black pork curry with a side of brinjal moju (eggplant) and hoppers. We absolutely loved the moju and the flavour of the black pork curry worked amazingly with the hopper. One thing though is that both meat dishes had tough, chewy pieces which was why it's a 4/5.
Elisa Laffi
I don't know. I had high expectations? Was I spoiled by another Soho Sri Lankan restaurant (possible, I will not name it here tho cause it would be bad but you can search for it). What I know is that I was somehow disappointed. The food is good and still pretty flavour/charact less. We had both the veggie and the regular taste menus and be aware: it was LOTS of food.. Even too much. I wished they had warned us as we ended up have to pack the mains!! The service is lovely and we manage to have a walk in even if online it said the first availability was in a week!!
Ashkan Esfandiari
Really tasty food with a lot of selection. Highly recommend the kothu roti. The Karis are a little on the small side but still very good and flavoursome. Only rating 4 stars because service could’ve been a little better and they didn’t let us bring our own birthday cake in which is weird. Also a compulsory charity donation to a charity of their choice, again weird.
Tony L
Best Sri Lankan restaurant in London!
Last night, I had dinner at Hoppers Soho around 9 pm. Despite the restaurant still being busy, the atmosphere was fantastic and buzzing.
The food was absolutely delicious and the service was top-notch. The spice level was perfect and not overwhelming. I especially enjoyed the Prawn Kari, dosa and egg hopper.
I highly recommend this restaurant. 👍🏻
Zacharias Hannoun
Really nice place. Clean and simple. Very nice food. It was a first for me, trying sri lankan cuisine. If you go there you should try the roti bread which was amazing. Prawn curry was my choice of main dish and it was delicious.
chan Mary
Super delicious and authentic Sri Lankan food🇱🇰😍
The pineapple lassi is refreshing🍍highly recommend it if you like sweet lassi
We ordered the chilli cheese dosa, it’s very flavourful 💯
chicken curry with roti was amazing too! The chicken were very tender😋
Egg hopper was just okay, it has a bit of coconut flavour but nothing too special!
A lot of ppl recommended pork bone barrow. Personally don’t really like the smell and taste of it (too porky 🐷) but the sauce was great 👍🏻
Chiara Chinellato
Strongly recommended! All dishes are very well cared for and very well executed! The recipes are not quite traditional (wheat flour in sambhar and dosa - which is fine since it's the chef's choice). Best Dish Ever: Chicken Bites! I was also very impressed with their personal brand of kombucha, an amazing drink!
The service was ok just a little cold compared to the ambiance and the food.
Anyway, see you soon Hoppers !!
Anu Joseph
Had dinner here one day and it was amazing! Had to come back again to taste more. The egg hoppers and the chicken or prawn Kari are highly recommended. The spicy green papaya drink was good too. My friends who tried the veg options of aubergine and sweet potato, loved it too! Will definitely come back here!
Arathi Rajanth
Really enjoyed some authentic food at the hoppers. Loved the mix of Tamil and Hindi music. Loved the deco. The staff were friendly and welcoming.
The only suggestion is to make Sri Lankan chocolate biscuit pudding. Couldn't eat the chocolate biscuit pudding as it was way too sweet.
Daniel Steel
Would visit again, excellent service and great food. Not not order the spring hopper again but that's personal preference!
Miro Loves
In love with the ambiance of this place . The staff is friendly and helpful, the food is tasty and the service is prompt and punctual as well . Highly recommended to all seeking a lovely dining experience.
Modyfoody
Absolutely indulging platters and filling servings . The prices are reasonable, the ambience is beautiful, the staff is highly professional and friendly while the service is prompt and punctual too.
Adhith Rajesh
Enjoyed the ambience here, amazing choice of music and great atmosphere in general. Service was impeccable and food was very good. The reason why I feel it was very good and not amazing in my opinion is due to the lack of spice level but I appreciate this must accommodate customers from all walks of life with varying spice needs. I thoroughly enjoyed the Squid devil and would definitely come back, both for the food and the music. Highly recommended!
Adhith Rajesh
Creative Sri Lankan food in a trendy space. The Hoppers are like a better version of a dosa, served in a bowl with a sunny side up egg at the bottom. Surprisingly, they don't serve any accompaniments. It’s advisable to order a curry and a few chutneys to serve as dips. Service is fast and reliable. Highly recommended!
Anusha Kasture
A personal favourite since years. If you are looking for comfort food during winters, this is the place to go! Slightly overpriced for the portion but the taste makes it worth it.
Falmaskri
Went to the restaurant with no expectations, but as i got in i was impressed bu the design and flavor of the menu. We had chicken kari and buriani loved it. Well done
Menondelhi
Fantastic food the Sri Lankan plus Kerala experience was great. The buttermilk was spicy the goat roti with chopped parantha was a nice starter along with the veg cutlet. This was followed by the chicken curry and the traditional hopper. I then had the pilau rice and the drumstick sambar which was excellent
Jaycee
Limited choice of authentic food from Sri Lanka. Whatever is there in the menu is worth trying as they are of high quality tasty items. Maybe they could have served few more fiery hot and spicy delicacies from that part of the world. One important thing to keep in mind is that this restaurant is no baby friendly as there are no comfortable seats for moms and babies. Avoidable restaurant for parents with small babies.
Divyanshu Vij
Fab place for Dosa’s , idli , Appam and many more authentic food , must visit if you are craving srilanka /South Indian Cusine . We had recently visited and were fully satisfied as coming from india getting to have such good food in the heart of Oxford street London , makes us very happy , Thanks a TonTeam Hoppers 🙏
Glocal Explorer
#Appam is one of my all time favourites and this restaurant ( they call it hoppers - so their name) have aced them !!!<br/><br/>What I had ?<br/>Appam , #sambar , hot toddy<br/><br/>What I liked the most?<br/>Appams <br/><br/>What I thought of them?<br/>This place is the only restaurant in London serving appams that I know off. It’s like a must go to if your an appam lover like me.
Ayush Lodha
I have always struggled to find a table at this place known for sri-lankan cuisine. Finally got around to have lunch on Wednesday. They gave us a table for 1 hour which was enough time. I ordered their lunch menu and everything was tasty. Slightly expensive but worth a visit!
Sara Gibson
Whilst travelling in South-East Asia a few years ago, I fell in love with the subtleties of Sri Lankan cuisine, so when I learnt the Sethi siblings were bringing Sri Lankan food a little closer to home I was delighted!. The first Hoppers site opened to mass applause and as is increasingly standard in Soho, massive queues! I’ll admit I’m not a fan of the rise of non-reservation restaurants (please stop punishing me for being organised!) and after a few attempts to dine at Frith Street I had almost given up on the chance of ever reliving my travel food memories.
Hymavathy
Me and my husband love this restaurant in London. We have to visit this place at-least once in a month. Amazing food, quick service & pocket friendly.
Richa Bulani
This place has amazing Indian food. A lot of Indian restaurants in London don't serve the actual Indian taste, but hoppers surprised me. The chicken gravy and dosa were exactly like you would get in India. Even the filter coffee was very close to Indian preparation. Loved the food and hospitality. The place was buzzing with people over weekend. Must visit! Thanks to our dear friend Leo we visited this place and it was totally worth it!
Braviya
It was surprising that we didn’t had to wait in line to get seated, as it’s always crowded. Cute little place, tasty food but I feel it’s overhyped and over priced for the portions they serve.
Priyanka Ahuja
The single phrase that describes this place is “Oh my god”!! What a super delightful experience.<br/><br/>I have been here twice and overate in temptation!!<br/><br/>Tried:<br/>Idly sambhar because idly is my fav dish. It was soft and fluffy but the hero was the drumstick sambhar! Totally home style authentic. Swiped the whole bowl myself.<br/><br/>String hoppers: this came with two yummy accompaniments. Again soft and very flavourful. Both the accompaniments were bursting with different tastes - one with coconut and spices and the other yoghurt based and spiced.<br/><br/>Hot butter deviled shrimps: fresh and wrapped in South Indian spices. <br/><br/>After sweeping all the starters, we had:<br/>Chicken kari with the Malabar paratha: I almost cried with the taste of this. It was SO tasty and authentic. The parantha was perfectly crisp: brown on outside and soft inside and the chicken kari was one of the best I have had! It was literally finger licking good. <br/><br/>Cauliflower curry with lemon rice: again a creamy and tasty curry. The only suggestion is to have plain rice too as lemon rice doesn’t go great with every curry. <br/><br/>My friend ordered something which was a short rib with some sides. He is a South Indian and after the first bite he just closed his eyes and said “This has reminded me of my mom first time in London”. It was SO well made and tasted just like it is prepared at Indian homes.<br/><br/>Also had the butter milk which ofcourse was also delicious.<br/><br/>Overall, all the curries and dishes had a starkly different and distinct taste of their own. Everything was cooked with perfectly blended spices, true to its origin.<br/><br/>Very happy experience! <br/><br/><br/>
Aryan Pathak
We ordered all the dishes that were recommended to us and we were not disappointed. The food is spicy so those that are not used to should request for suggestions. The podi dosa is super spicy and it hits the roof when you have it with the curry(kari).<br/>
Sandeep Pandey
If you want typical Srilankan food in Central London then this place is for you!! Nice Srilankan concept restaurant divided in 2 floors! One at lobby level and other one in underground! We were four had good number of items, Hoppers, lamb shank, Dosa and some dry preparation of chicken! But showstopper was Icecream Sandwich!! Few photos from hoppers!!!
Arnav
Amazing Sri - Lankan food - best dish we ordered was the kutu roti - order that for sure. <br/>Went towards the end of lunch even then there was a line so be prepared to wait
Omar A. Miranda Ramírez
I visited Hoppers after having a couple of drinks in a bar in Soho and I love it! The service was great, the food amazing and surprisingly fast! Super recommended!
Food Admirer
Must say fancy srilankan Cusine. Excellent presentation of food. Dosa was really nice and crispy and so was hopper. Service part is a big slow but being at lunch hour when the restaurant was full could be the reason. <br/>
Rosaamaral
Probably the first time that I got my pants dirty at a restaurant 2 times, and still manage to leave the restaurant very happy - (I) the staff is SUPER nice, and (II) the food Is great! We asked the manager to choose for us and everything was perfect.<br/>5/5 <br/>Signed: Francisco
Sandeep Samtani
Fantastic lunch this afternoon at Hoppers. Ordered the prawn curry and the lamb shank curry. Mouth watering delicious. The best curry I could have had. Nice ambience and great service
Feedmepls
We tried to visit once at 8.30 on a Wednesday night, and were told it was a one hour wait. Lunch seems to be a better bet - we've been twice at lunch, once on a weekend and once on a bank holiday, and both time have managed to get a table within 10 minutes. We had the dosa, egg hopper, and chicken kari the first time and it was so good we had to come back and order the same thing. The paneer is also delicious, and the ginger tamarind chicken soft and flavourful. And don't miss the drinks - we've only tried the non-alchoholics but a couple of them are among the best drinks we've ever tried. The wattalapan milk is a malty, creamy winner, and the green papaya krush is deliciously refreshing. Prices are quite reasonable too. Will definitely be back!
Dhiraj Kalro
Probably a place I will visit each time I'm in London. Despite traveling to Sri Lanka often, the type of food tasted here beats all of those visits to the country. Service was tad bit slow considering we had gone for lunch towards the latter half of the afternoon, but the food did most of the work. Adding to that, the authentic Sri Lankan beer added a different flavor. Money was well worth spent and it is a must visit if your in for good quality, spicy food!!
Filipe Passos-Coelho
Went to the Hoppers at the corner of James Street and Wigmore Street with some friends who were visiting us, under an amazing weather. Having arrived early, we were seated at the esplanade outside, and had plantain chips and chilli fries (amazing). After finishing a delicious house punch our table was ready (at 9pm sharp!) and we went downstairs. We ordered for the 4 of us the green peppercorn chicken, bonemarrow varuval, string hopper seafood kothu, the lamb shank kari, the egg hopper, and 3 different chutney (besides the coriander, I did not hear the names of the other two). The egg hopper is good but, as the ex libris of the place, I was not resoundingly convinced. The bonemarrow was a bit odd; the texture was not to my liking but the sauce was incredible. The other dishes blew my socks off. The kari is phenomenal, superbly tender meat, a sauce that is spicy and packing a punch. The seafood kothu was superb, the crab was so delicious, not crunchy, you could cut it with your fork. The peppercorn is good, the spice mix is an interesting experience for your palate. The 2 chutneys I did not know what they were of were spectacular. One was strong and spicy, but delayed so I was caught off guard. To finalize the dessert is delicious and a nice closing argument for a delightful dinner. The staff are very friendly, the space is decorated with taste, a blend between exotic and ethnic with modern. Very recommended!
Andreia Mateus
Loved the place & the food! I have been to Sri Lanka last year and this restaurant made me travel back then. The Egg Hoppers (obviously!), Vegetable Kothu Roti & the Chicken Kari... everything was so delicious! I can't tell what I enjoyed more.<br/>Another plus, they have a digital queuing system. That means you can leave your number at the door, go for a few bears and they will contact you once your table is ready.
Jalpesh Thakrar
Date of Visit: 07.03.18<br/>Time: 3pm<br/><br/>Review: A great place to eat and not having had Sri-Lanken before this was a nice pleasant surprise. The service was good although the table were small and the resturant shuts down for a period of time between lunch and dinner so you do have a limited time for lunch. I look forward to visiting again. I can see the Soho branch now also offers picnic lunch boxes which would be perfect for the summer. So I will look to try this one day. <br/><br/>Dress Code: No dress code<br/><br/>Booking Process: In the Soho branch you cannot book so its walk in only, being small this can be a bit hit and miss as it is a busy place and I prefer to book to be honest so I am not as comfortable with this process. <br/><br/>Location: 49 Firth Street, Soho, London, W1D 4SG<br/><br/>Cuisine Type: Sri-Lanken<br/><br/>Parking: Soho, so not really but there is an NCP car park not to far away. Advice you use the well connected London Transport system.<br/><br/>Decor & Lighting: Basic decor, nothing special but still clean, tables are a bit small given the size of the dishes so bear this in mind when ordering. <br/><br/>Heating and Cooling: It was a sunny day but everything inside was comfortable. <br/><br/>Drinks: Sunshine juice - Cold Press Orange Juice - Ginger - <br/>Turmeric - Honey - Given they do not do normal range of soft drinks i found this refreshing and ginger and turmeric was very subtle. <br/><br/>I had the following food: <br/><br/>Chicken Kari - A large portion with some great flavour in the curry to me it is like a mix between Thai and Indian.<br/><br/>Egg Hopper - This is a light crispy pancake with an egg inside, similar to a south indian Dosa but a nice accompaniment. <br/><br/>String Hopper - Another large portion and really light and great taste, it went really well with the chicken to be honest as a substitute to rice which can be a little heavy and filling. <br/><br/>Mutton Buriani - Another really large portion and another great dish where the lamb was succulent. Plenty for two or more. Really fresh and one of the best I have eaten. <br/><br/>Bill / Cost: £80.00 for 2 (with enough food to take away for another night)<br/><br/>Conclusion: A great place to eat some great food. I would not order as much next time but with so many new items I have never tried I went a bit crazy.
Karine Ataya
Excellent place for really yum Indian food. Had a few of the appetisers and a masala dosa with condiments which was awesome. Would come back for sure
Belleamis
Hoppers had been on my go-to list for a very long time, and when my friend wanted to meet for dinner, it was the perfect time to try Sri Lankan food. We went to the Soho branch around 6pm and it was packed! Luckily for us, we got in after 10mins of waiting. As soon as we walked in, it smelled amazing and I was so excited to try the food. Before visiting the restaurant I googled what Sri Lankan food was and everything sounded amazing. It was similar to South Indian food- which I love so I was very excited to try Hoppers.
Chris Lawson
Superb food. Friendly helpful staff. Arrived quickly and hot. Lamb kothu roti and vegetable kothu roti awesome. Tamarind chicken wings pleaded even our picky 12 year old.
Mayuri Manjula
Oh my god the food!! I could still taste the Hopper in my mouth! Mouthwatering food and great atmosphere for a friday night dinner!! Its service is quite good as the waiter was informative and was able to mend and customize our orders. The price- well a bit too expensive! Cost £40 each for a table of three! But then the food- Yum yum yummy!!!!
Jonathan Sherwood
Fresh authentic absolute jewel I love express lunch try avoid peak times. Each dish is fresh and a real treat. Staff very attentive. They want you to love this unique experience.
The Jaminator
Given the amazing reviews about this place and it serving Sri Lanka food, I knew I had to check out this place so we went on my birthday! Loved the decor and the staff were very friendly. We were enticed by the exciting twist on traditional Sri Lankan drinks with the Falooda cocktail but unfortunately it didn’t deliver. The presentation was beautiful but the actual cocktail probably needed a bit of a creamier taste with a bit more sweetness to remind us more of a falooda. The food on the other hand was divine! I had the biggest egg hopper I had ever seen and one of the best kothu roti’s I have had! A seafood kothu roti with soft shell crab?! All my favourites in one dish! Definitely recommend going to this restaurant and trying out some good Sri Lankan food!!
Sharvari Karnik
Finally been to hopper and agree with all the fantastic reviews I read before. The food is absolutely delicious. I am in love with the fish Kari I had. Everything was just wonderful. Hats off to the chef. Devilled shrimps are spicy, but again delicious. And nothing can describe how amazing the mutton rolls were. Actually, it wouldn't be fair if I recommend only the dishes I had, everything on the menu is worth it and you will love it. Can't wait to go again. Soho branch doesn't take bookings and they are closed on Sundays! Go soon guys! Enjoy.
Pooja Shetty
Authentic Tamil food in London. Their signature dish is hoppers or appam and they are super delicious. The curries are awesome. Don't forget to try idli sambhar podi.
Sonali Surgeon
Despite having had very little Sri Lankan food in the past, I was really impressed with the food at Hopper’s. Delicious food with a lot of variety for veggies, and being someone that loves spicy food it was the right amount of zing! I would have given this place a rating of 5 but the only issue I found was the annoying waiter that kept trying to rush us off our table after an hour despite there being other tables available and us still having 30mins left on our table. We must have got interrupted at least 5 times in 15mins.
Shouga72
Oh my God the bone marrow was just exquisite!!!!Loved the food, worth the air to be honest. The butter milk drink was delicious and light in the stomach.Will go again for sure!
Johnny Pan
Great restaurant with delicious Sri Lankan food. The wait is very long (around 1.5 hours) but it is well worth it - the texture of the hopper and the dosa were beautiful and the various curries complemented them perfectly.
Don'tMessWithMyFood
Exceptional Sri Lankan food in the heart of London. Flavours were spot on. Curry and gravy were rich and jam packed with flavour.<br/>Amongst us we had the seafood and lamb kottu rotti, an array of hoppers (string, normal and egg), black pork curry, chicken lollipops, crab curry. <br/>Only downside is the booking system for a table. I suggest get there early and be flexible! Won't be seated without the entire party present.
Flo
No wonder that Hoppers is one of the best and most recommended restaurants in London. Tried the lunchtime rice plate and it was amazing especially if it’s your first visit because you get to try little bit of everything. Food was very tasty and drink was very refreshing!
Han
One of the best Southern Indian restaurant I have been to. Full of flavour and fresh. Restaurant is fairly small, no bookings and the wait time is about 45 mins for table for 2 but food was well worth the wait.
Pavan Mulanni
Eaten Sri Lankan food for the first time. Extremely satisfied to have eaten here. The Podi Dosa with Okra Kari is a must try! Make sure you can handle your spice :)
Karan
The food was FABULOUS. It is a nice and cosy place perfect for a lunch. The chicken was amazing and the manager of the restaurant was very friendly and extremely helpful.
Chilli And Cloves
I have wanted to try Hoppers for a while now, belonging to the same family that own Gymkhana, Trishna and Motu it has been on my ‘to-visit’ list for some time. So it seemed like fate when my eldest had a Sushi making class booked around the corner. I checked the website to try and book a table only to find that you couldn’t make reservations. So after Sushi class had been completed (and she’d eaten half of what she had made) we set off to find Hoppers. After doing a massive loop in the cold drizzle (why oh why can maps not give straightforward directions) we found it.
Donutsam
One of my absolute favourite restaurants in London is Hoppers. And I’m not alone there, there is a constant stream of fans also queuing for the experience. Expect to wait some time if you’re coming during the usual dinner and lunch times. If full, it’s a process of leave your details and they’ll message you and on a chocka day that could be >1hr. One of the reasons it’s busy is due to being awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand. But the more important reason is it offers fast, tasty, consistent Sri Lankan-styled food that is a huge step beyond the norm. And I’m getting better at the ordering. So a base curry and a hopper is the first thing you should get. The conical dosa is fine if you prefer something with a bit of crunch. Of the menu, I quite like the root vegetable kari (£6) and the hopper (£4.50), you definitely need the one with the egg. It’s also nice to have a few sides and pickles as well for a nice, diverse plate, and it’s worthwhile sharing a few starters. Try the chicken lollipop chukka (£6) or the taro, cashew and ash plantain fry (£3.50) The drinks are fab, check out the Wattalapan Milk (£5.50) for something a more refreshing. Prices are more than reasonable at Hoppers and despite the long waiting time, it’s a speedy exit as well.
Googlebacha
Halal - this place has a not so pleasant system of queuing up in long lines (no reservations by phone which is super inconvenient especially if you are with family or need to do some planning ahead of time). Only advice would be to get there at opening time for both lunch and dinner. Also make sure all your guests are with you as they don't give you a table unless all people are present. Once you do manage to get in the food is great and but I am not sure if it is truly worth the wait. Ordered the idli, egg hopper and lamb kothu roti.
Luis
A small restaurant in a big city with a very good quality. The reservation process and waiting list works perfectly. The service great a nd the food excellent. Worth visiting
Sarah Bailey
Very tasty indeed. Worth the queue, even if I'm not a fan of the queuing! We went late lunch on a Saturday, put our names down and had to wait for around 50 mins. Beautiful beef shin biriyani, with egg curry, aubergine and yoghurt, and egg hooper, chicken lollipops... I could have ordered it all! Would definitely go back.
Paromita Roy Dasgupta
There is actually no real reason why this place would not get a 5 rating. We started with buttermilk, followed by idli, sambhar, podi and 'bonemarrow varuval' - guys I just can't describe how good it was, lip smacking, you gotta try this out! we finished our dinner with fish kari & chicken kari with hopper. Undoubtedly this place is way better than some of the "so called" Michelin star restaurants(Indian cuisine). You don't need any recommendation for this place....just make your way to the restaurant & I am sure it will be well worth the wait!❤️
Chiq_pea
We came just after opening at 5:45pm on a Wednesday to request for a table. We were told the wait would be 1 hour, but in fact it took 1.5 hours. However the food was worth the wait! We had the sting hoppers to start and the kiri hodi sauce its swerved with was to die for! This was followed by lamb kari, root vegetable kari, pilau rice, egg hopper, pol roti, and regular roti. I wouldn't recommend the pol roti (coconut) as it was very dense. The regular roti was much more flakier and lighter. Overall the curries were great, and this place is worth a try!
Dr. Foodie ..
London brought me closer to my neighbor and I could try the exotic Sri Lankan cuisine. In India we don't have any such Sri Lankan restaurants so while I was at soho I wanted to give this cuisine a try.<br/>The restaurant has amazingly long waiting lines and unfortunately it doesn't have any prior reservations option. <br/>The Sri Lankan food was more like South Indian food. The dosas here were thin and crisp, not heavy like a naan. Each chatney was different and had its very own flavor. <br/>The restaurant was nice and warm. The food service and ambience were great. <br/>Too long lines, they should consider reservations!!!
Meghana Nair
We had returned thrice from Hoppers before the long waiting line, until one day we got lucky! Oh boy, Hoppers deserves more praise than it gets, the Place is a foodie paradise! The small Sri Lankan restaurant serves lip-smacking food. 'Hoppers' is a pancake made with rice and eaten with curries or with an egg in the middle. <br/>A curry lover will appreciate this cuisine; the servers will help you make the right selection if you are too confused about the names of these relatively unusual dishes. <br/>The nonvegetarians are luckier and have more choices on the menu. <br/>The chutneys are superb, and the fish curry is unlike any other I've had in the city. <br/>The Tamil music in the background makes it somewhat exotic! <br/>I highly recommend you trying the local arrack or filter coffee to end your meal.<br/><br/>The wait for the table is worth it. Keep Gobbling xx
ShoRt
Funny enough, this was my first meal in London! A very trendy restaurant with a simple but unique menu to share Sri Lankan cuisine with people. Slightly on the pricey side of you have tasted this type of food but the ambience tops it off. <br/><br/>Famous for their hopper (as they are called it) and dosa, we ordered that and some curries. The small plates were also delicious (tried the prawns)! I have heard good things about their bigger plates but did not have a chance to try it.<br/><br/>A small restaurant so get in quick if not it gets busy, just like every good place in London.
Triska
Arrived before opening and there was already a queue. The hype clearly hasn't faded and I'm not quite sure why. Had the prawns to start and without the addition of some bread it felt a little odd biting into spring onion in a tomato sauce. Had the lamb hopper and was initially underwhelmed by the portion size although it was filling. All in all though, the flavours were pretty mediocre. I'd be willing to go again, but as yet, I feel rather unimpressed.
Surpreet Kaur
Being an Indian, I was also under the impression we can't get delicious Indian food anywhere except India. But, Hoppers definitely proved me wrong. Known for its Sri Lankan and Indian cuisines, at Hoppers I actually tasted the best of Idli and Sambhar and Dosa. Although the names were different yet innovative, the food was the best version of deliciousness. Last but not the least, we also had a very tasty and special tea, served in small steel glasses. Definitely going to visit there again and again and again. Thumbs up to the staff which manages so much of customers efficiently even in rush hours.
Jessica
We started with lotus root crisps - thin, light and...crisp. The Hot Butter Devilled Shrimps swiftly followed, packing a powerful punch of chilli (not surprising since the dish was approximately 80% chilli and just a handful of actual shrimps). Top flavour though.
The City Lane
Hoppers Soho is a Sri Lankan restaurant named after the pancakes made from fermented rice and coconut milk batter that are a popular breakfast item in Sri Lanka.
Charlyn Cruz
I never thought I'd ever give a place full marks, but Hoppers absolutely deserves it. I had an egg hopper (because what isn't improved with an egg?) with the fish Kari and a selection of sambols and chutneys. The flavours were exquisitely balanced with just the right amount of heat. Portions were perfect. Service was unpretentious and friendly, yet incredibly efficient. Go at lunch to avoid the massive wait. But even if you must queue up, be assured that it'll be worth it.
کۆسار کوردی
Had a lot of expectations for this and the experience really fulfilled those. The service level is high at Hoppers, where they constantly ask you if you need anything and if the food was good and so on. Me, personally had a hard time to choose what to go for but after waiters recommendation I ordered cutton rolls for starter and the spicy dusa for the main. Really good flavour with a lot of spices. Definitely worth a visit!
Halal Food Guy
Hoppers a small and I really mean small (it only holds 25 people) Sri Lankan restaurant right in the middle of Soho from the people of behind Michelin started indian eatery Gymkhana. So when you have a place in soho that can hold only 25 people prepare for queues. They have a new and modern virtual queuing system, get there leave your name and number with the hostess and go off until you get a text saying your table is ready.<br/><br/>Lucky for me, I work in Soho, so I went from my office and put my name down, was told there was a 30min wait and went back to work and by the time the table was ready my friend had showed up.. some advanced planning there.<br/><br/>The place is loud due to the size (i think i’ve mentioned that) and a bit cramped.<br/><br/>Confession time, I’m writing this review a month after visiting and all I can recall is that I Really liked the food here. Everything I ate was great, in particular the Devilled shrimps – they had great flavour and the spice was perfect. Yeah.. thats all I got right now. Hoppers equals good. Not much of a review I know, but does anyone actually read these? I just look at the pics and score.
Spinmyplate
Walking around Soho we bumped in to this little Sri Lankan restaurant we had also heard of and wanted to eat here. However, only got the opportunity the second time we visited as it was always full. I'm a big fan of South Indian/Sri Lankan cuisine and the menu looked very inviting.<br/><br/>It's a small yet quirky restaurant with very hospitable and efficient staff members who were extremely knowledgeable about the menu. While browsing through the menu our waiter also recommend a few dishes.<br/><br/>Out of the small eats we ordered the BONE MARROW VARUVAL WITH ROTI and the HOT BUTTER DEVILED SHRIMP. I highly recommend the bone marrow, my first time eating it, was absolutely brilliant with rich and vibrant flavors that went perfectly with the roti. Although, the deviled shrimps were probably the only disappointment out of our entire meal. The vegetables completely overpowered the shrimp. <br/><br/>For our mains we each ordered HOPPERS, which is essentially appam, and DOSA to go perfectly with our FISH and CHICKEN KARI along with the SHELLFISH KOTHU ROLL. All of the above reminded us of classical South Indian food we get back home and kari, especially the fish, had the right balance of flavors, minus the spicy part.<br/><br/>Overall, despite waiting for a long time out in the cold, I can say that I had a good meal at Hoppers and I would recommend it for South Indian/Sri Lankan cuisine lovers. Just be prepared to wait or come at a non peak hour as suggested by the manager.<br/><br/>4.5/5
Eat Like Ushi
didn’t compete with the basic successes of this place. 4.8/5 rating from 50+ people - are you kidding? I know London curry is exceptionally good and the main cuisine I was back here to eat (Dishoom, Needoo, other) but that rating is ridiculous. The other places that competed for me stomach that lunch was Black Axe Mangal (haute kebab, exceptionally rated) and Kricket (Indian in Brixton).
Lesley Pittaway
The perfect excuse to linger over a wine in Soho! (Like anyone needed an excuse...). Plus the delicious Sri Lankan schnacks at the end of the tunnel make the two hour wait totally worth it.
Krishnan Sundaram
Fantastic food. We had a veg kothu and a lamb curry with hoppers (appams). Authentic, fresh and great tasting food. Good and extensive range of drinks including filter coffee in a tumbler.
Quiet Eating
I freely admit to being an uneducated peasant when it comes to Indian food. I don’t know my rotis from dosas and I have no idea what a hopper is. I thought it was some game that little kids used to play. Where you would have to hop, skip and jump into squares drawn on the floor. Punishment for failure to adhere to these rules would depend on the locale of the school. Where I was, it was verbal abuse but I heard that elsewhere physical punishment was more readily available.
Miso Hungry
I'm running 15 mins late but not bothered as a friend is there on time so she can wait in line already. That sounds really bad and its not what I meant to happen honest! But it did... and I apologised loads so we're all good. However what I didn't expect was the wait would be more like an hour... now what? I'm starving, but so curious to try this place... screw it... we're waiting! And actually its not so stressful as you can run off to grab a coffee and they'll message on your mobile. <br/><br/>The food is absolutely amazing, my co-diner will eat anything but meat for the moment so a few things that caught my eye were off limits if I were to be sociable and shared. So no bone marrow Varuval for me this time! The special was a (whole blue swimmer) crab Kari which was fair game so that more than made up for it. Other exciting things which I had no clue about but will definitely go back for included Devilled Prawns, Egg Hopper and String Hoppers. Miso happy!
Jovita Lall
This is a crazy place. Everytime u go to Hoppers u will be told that there is a 2 hours waiting time. Finally got lucky and managed to enter after about 20 mins of braving the cold. Mind u, they take no reservations. <br/><br/>The food is so good, you've gotta come back and stand again in that queue. Tried the dosa, idly, sambar, fish curry and the quintessential hopper. Everything was perfect. This place is not to be missed.
Jabster
Waited 2.5 hours to get a table, so my expectations were super high. It was worth the wait. Although not everyone could understand the menu without asking about certain things, it was so exciting to try something completely new and different. Definitely worth the wait! Dont make any plans after youre going to be so full and satisfied! :)
Vikram
Forget the arrogance as u get in ( if u do manage to) the food speaks for itself !!- had the shrimps and the bone marrow and closed out with dosas and the Sambal - am a great fan of South Indian and Sri Lankan food and boy the food was outstanding - on top of that great Tamil Kooth music and fantastic cocktails - the only dampener was the coffee very sweet and avoidable - only suggestion would be cut the arrogance at the door as every restaurant has its day !!
Manishbb
This is a very quaint place. Sri Lankan feel and the. . Doesn't seat more than 25 people so always a wait.<br/>The plain dosas were excellent. Offering 3 types of chutneys. Also giving option of Masala dosa.<br/>Idli's sambar was also very good. Sambar just right.<br/>Had the Maysore filter coffee again vet good.<br/>Close enough to authentic.<br/>Music a bit loud though.<br/>Would visit again.<br/>
Phil
4 to 4.5 <br/>Have wanted to come for a while but the no reservations and its popularity meant I didn't want to face a 2hr line for food. However today arriving pretty close to 12 we were seated straight away. 1220 and you'd be out of luck However. <br/><br/>No stranger to Sri lanken food, having married into it and being a fan of chennai dosa, I enjoyed our lunch. <br/><br/>Highlights for me definitely were the bone marrow, pork Kari and fish Kari and the hoppers. <br/><br/>The quail wings were nice and the dosa. <br/><br/>Duck Kari wasn't for me. Also only getting one roti with the bone marrow was a bit of a shame as the sauce was great and needed plenty of mopping up. <br/><br/>Service was quick and friendly. <br/><br/>£70 for two. 3x beers, 1 cream soda. Bone marrow and quail wings starters, duck, fish and pork Kari , two dosa and three hoppers plus chutney. <br/><br/>We didn't leave hungry!
Eat A City
Hoppers features Sri Lankan food, fresh flavours in a cool lively restaurant and a low price point that’s proved a huge hit in London. The team behind the restaurant also run two Michelin starred Indian restaurants, Gymkhana and Trishna, and the equally popular Bao, a Taiwanese ‘bao’ restaurant. Both Bao and Hoppers have a similar vibe, small, cosy lively and friendly staff serving well priced ‘authentic’ food. And both have queues outside day and night
Foodloverdubai
Hoppers I could easily rate this place 5/5. <br/><br/>Always loved srilankan food if you follow my reviews you would note that I have a long history with srilanka. <br/><br/>No the in n out of srilanka as been visiting for over twenty years and grown through the lankan food !! <br/><br/>O my how does this place so it justice and the credit it deserves !! <br/><br/>I personally always love srilankan food over Indian and this place competes with all the best Indian restaurant In a good way. <br/><br/>To start with we ordered a Mutton Roll ( Superb ) <br/>And we have the Stein Hoppers this is the only reason why this place lost the 5/5 did not love the Pol Sambal or the Curry it served it with for some reason ( Not Bad but could be better ) <br/><br/>For Mains we went for the Lamb Kotti ( superb ) and the best of the best was the Whole baby chicken Beats any chicken ever ! <br/><br/>We also did order the hopper with the fish curry was worried that the fish might be very fishy but again was proven wrong and was the best fish curry I had ! <br/><br/>Superb the only other thing was maybe to check with the Pol Roti if I had to pinpoint anything else <br/><br/>This place is special and hats off to the chef who created this place <br/><br/>Food 4.5/5 <br/><br/>Service 4.5/5 <br/><br/>Ambience 5/5
Sandra Guerin
To queue or not to queue? <br/><br/>That's one of the main questions you'll have to answer if you're trying to have dinner in Soho on a weekend. Especially if a visit to one of the JKS restaurants is part of said plans. Including their latest venture, Hoppers. <br/><br/>The real question is, is it worth the wait? And the answer to that is yes, indubitably yes!
Devesh Nigam
We had a 2.5 hour wait which was managed well as staff gave realistic timings and the mobile link and staff SMS texts kept us updated while we had cocktails nearby.<br/><br/>Staff guided us through the menu with good knowledge and service was great throughout.<br/><br/>Food was the best point - authentic flavours, fresh ingredients and amazing hoppers / appam, parathas and chutneys. Will come back again.
Karishma Pais (Kim)
OMG! Such a pleasure to find amazing complex layered flavours in masalas. I'm completely in love with Hoppers and can see myself trudging over quite often, inspite of having had to wait an hour to get our table.<br/><br/>Hoppers has been on my wishlist for ages and I was determined to eat there this weekend. Inspite of Murphy's Law acting out in full force, I dragged myself out of the house and headed there. Only to be told at 9:30, that there would be at least an hours wait for a table AND the kitchen closed at 10:45pm<br/><br/>Anyway, we asked her to put our names down on the list. We were given the link to a really neat app, which would let us know when it was our turn (however, mobile signal is terrible on Frith street) and we headed to Bar Italia for a coffee. Sadly, the desserts there were too tempting and by the time we returned we had only half our appetite left and not enough time.<br/><br/>We did however get to try their signature bone marrow curry with the Ceylon paratha (layered and flaky). The egg appam with pork kari and the gun powder dosa with some SriLankan sambols. Everything was absolutely delish!<br/><br/>Finally, I have found a place that can make thin crispy dosas in London, close to home (I can make the thicker versions myself, but you need an industrial style kitchen to get them thin and crispy)<br/><br/>I'd love to go back with more people (its a tiny place, so table of 4 is the best bet) and try EVERY SINGLE THING on the menu.<br/><br/>They have a full bar, serving a few brands that are only available in India / Sri Lanka - like the Amrut, I didnt see Old Monk though. They did have frothy milk coffee, but when I checked it was being served from a thermos, so I decided against it.<br/><br/>This is a place I will visit often, until I taste everything on the menu and start over again.
Fatty Mountain
Brought to us by the JKS Restaurants group who also owns Trishna and Gymkhana. Hoppers is their new venture at the heart of Soho. Serving South Indian and Sri Lankan street food for an affordable price. There is a no reservation policy like all the other new hipsters restaurant in London, so make sure you go early and queue up. I arrived at 530pm and did not get seated until 730pm. I watched a lot of hopeful diners being turned away at the door at 8pm as they were full for the night. When you get to the front of queue, the lady will ask for your number so they will contact you when your table is ready!
StickAForkInIt
After our 2nd visit to Hoppers I have to say they are hitting the mark in all departments. All the food tried has been so delicious and pleased to see that none of the dishes shy away from the proper level of spiciness. Highlights are the devilled prawns, generous juicy prawns in a superb sweet and very spicy chilli based sauce, and the egg hopper with black pork kari and all the condiments, Good service. Very reasonable prices. New automated queueing/notification system almost completely offsets the annoyance of no bookings.
Nic Cril
This meal has been a long time coming. We tried in the week leading up to Christmas, betting that it would be all Christmas parties and drunken debauchery that would keep the masses at bay for us to easily get a seat at Hoppers on Frith Street. It was a bad bet as most London restaurant critics listed it in their Top 10 Best New London Restaurant Lists that do the rounds at that time of year. We sucked it up and headed to our backup – Smoking Goat Soho – so not a bad effort overall.
_ar1g
Hoppers offers unpretentious delicious and reasonably priced South Indian food. Everything our group ordered was delicious, what else is there to say?<br/><br/>Highlights: masala dhosa (ask, it's not on the menu), the idli, surprisingly good cocktails.
Nitika Tandon
For a Thursday afternoon this place was super busy. We couldn't get a table so we had to eat at the bar. I'd definetly recommend to make a reservation before you go. The food was great - we ordered fish curry, Dosa and sambhar. Though the quantities were disappointingly small. The music and people were quite loud. I'd like the place only for the food but not so much for the ambience and experience.
Peachesnotcream
Was really surprised by this small restaurant! Sri Lankan food is delicious and I will definitely be coming back 😊 food is tasty and the spices well blended, I might actually even prefer it to Indian food now! 🙊 pictured here is the egg hopper & dips.
Londonfoodster
I had a read a lot about this place and decided to give it a try this weekend. Hoppers does not take reservations so we had to reach as early as possible to get a table. Too my luck there were 13 people waiting ahead of us. We entered our name on the wait list and wandered off for a organic coffee at costa fresco as the wait time was 90 min. Good thing is hoppers will send a text 10 before your table is ready and to our surprise we got our call in 45 min<br/><br/>Now onto the most interesting ordering food, hoppers has a pretty simple menu and we decided our food real quick. Starters were mutton rolls and buttermilk as drinks. Both items<br/>we're authentic and had a South Indian/srilankan taste to it. <br/><br/>For mains we ordered egg hoppers (aka appam) and lamb Kari and that did not disappoint as well. Infact it was amazing, after all that food we were too full and decided to have their local coffee instead of desserts. coffee was nowhere close to a South Indian filter coffee and infact it was way too sweet for my liking. I left more than 3/4 coffee as it is. I guess that was the only disappointing part of our meal. <br/><br/>I will be back next time to try their signature kothu paratha!!
James Dimitri Fletcher
5 out of 5. This place is amazing. Beautiful decor, great staff (especially the waiter who came and served us beer whilst waiting in line), incredible food. I think this was the first Sri Lankan restaurant I have been to so I was blown away by the items on the menu and the textures and flavours of the food served. I don't really need to recommend anything in particular as everything we ate was perfect. Do not expect something similar to a UK Indian restaurant. The only downer is as it is such amazing food, there is always a long line but it is definitely worth it.
Debbie
Great food, great atmosphere, great service. Ask for Joanne! Owner is super efficient to get you into the restaurant with minimum inconvenience. Zzz
Boozy Bunch
At the risk of making one of my fellow Boozybunchers Sanj jealous (it’s on her Boozy Bunch hitlist this year), I’m posting a review of Hoppers, one of my favourite recent meals. I have to say that my heart sank when I saw the previous occupants of this site, Koya, close when chef Yamasaki returned to Japan. Having also previously hosted legendary chef Alastair Little’s restaurant, Hoppers had big shoes to fill in taking over these premises. However, when I heard that the Sethi family were behind the new venture, I felt more reassured. They’re the driving force behind Michelin-started Indian restaurants Trishna and Gymkhana as well as investors in Kitchen Table, Bubbledogs, Lyle’s and Bao. I’ve been to all their establishments except Lyle’s and loved them all
Jeanne-Marie B
Recently I went to the new bloggers & critics acclaimed restaurant: Hoppers. Hoppers is a Sri Lankan restaurant owned by Karam, Jyotin and Sunna Sethi, the team behind Trishna and Gymkhana, and based on Frith street. When I heard it was related to Gymkhana, I must say that turned me off a little bit as I had an awful experience there due to bad service.I've tried to go to Hoppers before Christmas but I did not really want to wait and have lunch at 4pm. This was before they introduced their app queuing system. I went to Hoppers last weekend and heard a lot of good things about their app queuing system, unfortunately (or kind of) I didn't get the chance to experiment with it as I managed to get a table straight away. My sister and I were not familiar at all with Sri Lankan cuisine and dishes. As soon as we were seated, a very nice waiter explained to us the concept and the menu. He recommended that we order a dosa or a hopper which is a bowl-shaped thin pancake made with fermented rice and coconut milk batter, with a karis (equivalent of a curry).We asked for the mildest curry, and were recommend the red pumpkin kari and the lamb kari.We started our meal with two starters which are called 'short eats', we had the mutton rolls and the duck roti. The mutton rolls were nicely crispy on the outside and had mild spiced rich mutton inside, and were served alongside a spicy tomato relish. The duck roti was a minced and spiced duck meat roti pastry and it was served with a nutty spicy sauce. Both starters were delicious, however we had a preference for the mutton rolls but we ate them with the duck roti sauce. My sister and I like spicy food but only when it is not too hot. We made the mistake of drinking all our water with our starters and our mouths started to burn soon after!A nice waiter seeing our distress, asked us if we wanted some yoghurt to calm the heat. We accepted without hesitation and ordered a second bowl to compliment our mains too. It was really nice to have such attentive waiters. For mains, we had one hopper each with a soft-yolked egg baked into it, with all the sauces: Poi Samboi, Seeni Samboi and a coriander chutney. We shared the lamb kari and the red pumpkin kari. The lamb kari was very tender and melt in the mouth, but it was indeed spicy. The pumpkin was probably the most mildest dish of our meal. It went very well with the lamb. We didn't have any dessert as we were too full, but during my next visit I might try one.Overall, despite our mouths being on fire for the whole lunch, we had a very good experience at Hoppers. The team was really nice and attentive, the food was superb, spicy and full of flavours. I will definitely come back to Hoppers if I don't have to queue for hours.In my opinion, the only improvement this restaurant could do in the future will be to offer each dish with different level of spices so everyone can have more options. 9/10
Shayan Sacki
Word of Mouth plus a strong foundation are vital ingredients for a popular dining spot as well as a successful one. Hoppers in Frith Street, Soho is run by the same group who run Gymkhana and Trishna and upon this strong foundation, I was very confident that I would enjoy this experience. This plus a glowing endorsement by friends and family meant that when the opportunity arose for myself and Laura to go we jumped at the chance.
Bert Conibear
This. Place. Is. Epic. I got back from Sri Lanka early this year where I enjoyed mountains of curry and rice. Hoppers had been on my radar for some time and I chances my arm in a Saturday and bagged the last available table before the kitchen closed at 2.30. I was mildly concerned my expectations wouldn't be met after eating more than my fair share of karis and rotis on my travels but my first bite of the duck roti dispelled any lingering concerns. This place is well worth the wait, which is inevitable given its near cult status, with such delicately spiced food and an array of small and deeply flavoured dishes. I didn't try any of the main dishes which are rode naive by comparison but to mix a few of the smaller plates and karis, you definitely don't feel you miss out. The pumpkin Kari is one of the best dishes I'd eaten in a long time and, if anything, I'm happy food in Sri Lanka wasn't as good as this as I would have never made it out of the restaurants.
Emily
destination, Fay Maschler of The Evening Standard gave it five stars in an uncharacteristically gushing review. Which was maddening, as it doesn’t take reservations and the queues were already a couple of hours long at peak times, even before a glowing endorsement from London’s queen critic.
A Spoonful Of Sugar
Hoppers is a Sri Lankan restaurant owned by the Sethi siblings, the team behind Gymkhana and Trishna (and backers of Bao, Bubbledogs and Lyle’s). With a restaurant portfolio like that, you know you’re going to be in good hands.<br/><br/>I must admit, I was not familiar with Sri Lankan cuisine before visiting Hoppers, so I was excited when I started to read glowing reviews on Twitter and see mouthwatering photos flooding my instagram feed. I kept walking down Frith Street on my lunch hour, hoping to see a break in the queue but alas, that queue was firmly fixed every day. Then one day, as I was heading back from a meeting, my colleague Naomi Whatsapp’d me to ask how far away I was from Soho. On telling her I could be there in ten minutes, she excitedly informed me that there was currently no queue at Hoppers and I was to leg it there asap. And so I did!
Yummy Jubbly
To kick start the year, we went to Hoppers – the Sri Lankan restaurant in London’s Soho that everyone is crazy about. It’s a small cosy restaurant serving yummy food that’s different to anything else you’d find in London right now. Hoppers is opened by the same behind Gymkhana and Trishna – so we had high expectations when we turned up. We were not disappointed! Each element of every dish we tried was cooked to absolute perfection!
Yummy Jubbly
Hoppers is a small cosy restaurant serving yummy food that’s different to anything else you’d find in London Soho right now. We had chicken heart chukka (£4.50) The chicken hearts were really tender and the coupled with the South Indian spices, it really was a good way to start our meal.<br/><br/>Bonemarrow Varuval, Roti (£4.50) – sweet, melt-in-your mouth bonemarrow, cooked in a delicious curry. The accompanying roti was also good, crispy and fluffy and paired so well with the curry.<br/><br/>Hopper (£3.00) with Guinea Fowl Kari (£5.50), oby Pol Sambol, Seeni Sambol and Coriander Chutney (£1.00) – the famous hopper is made with fermented batter and coconut milk. It’s got a soft fluffy centre like a pancake, with the top half crispy like a crepe. The guinea fowl was so tender it was falling off the bone!<br/><br/>Dosa (£3.00) with Fish Kari (£5.50), accompanied by Coriander, Tomato and Coconut Chutney (£1.00) and Yogurt (£1.25) – the dosa is like a super crispy crepe, but made with lentils. The fish was super moist and the spices in the curry didn’t overpower the subtle flavour of it. We also ordered the yogurt to add an extra layer of creaminess.<br/><br/>Buffalo Buriyani, Duck Egg Kari, Yogurt and Brinjal Moju (£16.00) – this dish is one of only three mains on the menu. Another faultless dish. The buriyani was packed full of flavour and had a mixture of textures – soft tender buffalo meat, fluffy rice, and crunchy cashew nuts. The duck egg kari seemed to have been fried before hand as it had an extra layer of skin to it. The yogurt and pickled aubergine were also good accompaniments.<br/><br/>Watallapam (£4.00) – a steamed coconut pudding with a strong cardamom flavour. This is a dessert that just melts in your mouth.<br/>Love cake with Yogurt Kulfi (£4.00) – similar to a sticky toffee pudding, but with the extra flavour of cardomom.<br/>Again we love it and would highly recommend this trendy Sri Lankan restaurant !
Antonio Manuel Teixeira
Good decoration and good staff. The food is médium quality and the service is so slow. We wait for ask ten minuts. The localisation is good.
Robert Ngo
Check out our Blog below for the full review: <br/>yummyjubbly.com/?p=646<br/><br/>We were really impressed with Hoppers and will definitely be back soon to try everything else on the menu. We’ve given Hoppers a whopping 4.5 yums (as we did with Bao – which doesn’t surprise us since the Sethi siblings are also investors there). Service was good and we even had Sunain Sethi as our waitress for the night. It was really nice to see the owners so hands on, it shows they really care about their business. The cost was just under £80 for 3 people. So if you haven’t given Hoppers a try yet, we’d suggest you go soon!
Rosie Alittlelusciousness
Unless you've been living under a rock or you don't read any restaurant reviews, then I'm sure by now you've heard of Hoppers, the new spot in Soho serving Sri Lankan food from the people behind Gymhkana, Trishna, Lyle's, Bubbledogs, The Kitchen Table and Bao. Hoppers has been highly reviewed by some of the biggest names in food, and with a no booking policy its popularity has gone through the roof. I've been a couple of times now, and by the second visit they'd installed an app queuing system whereby you can leave your phone number in the queue, pop to the nearest pub/bar and wait in the warm with a drink, until you get a text saying your table's ready, rather than huddled under the awning of the building opposite as we did on our first visit. Don't let the wait/queue put you off going though - you need to try this food. As you'll see on Thursday when I post my top 10 restaurants of 2015, it's made its way on to there, which is saying something with the amount of restaurants I've been to this year. And Hoppers is ridiculously cheap, particularly if you don't drink too much (both times I've been our drinks spend has far exceeded what we've spent on food....)And talking of drinks, what better place to start. There's a slightly weird and wonderful cocktail menu at Hoppers, and to be honest, most of them include ingredients I prefer on my plate than in my glass (curry leaf, peppercorns, cashews) so on both visits I've gone for the Hoppers gin and tonic, made with lemongrass infused Sipsmith gin, Indian lemon, lemongrass and tonic, which is a zingy and refreshing drink and a great start to the meal. I had a sip of Emily's Colombo no.7 gin and tonic (gin, fresh curry leaves, cinnamon and cardamom tonic) but much preferred mine.
Food And Drinks Noob
Egg hopper with fish kari was fairly decent as the hopper was light and crispy while the kari delivered a good balance of spicy and sweet flavours, however the egg yolk was almost completely cooked when it arrived on our table.
Anuradha Bhatnagar
Killing it. This little slice of Sri Lanka in Soho has the power to transport you to island paradise, with a fantastic, authentic menu, perfect execution, and attention to all the little details. Hot just like it should be. Short eats are lovely, eat everything there and get two of the mutton rolls. Pop it in your bag if you can't finish it. Devilled prawns are absolutely spot on, and best eaten with a fluffy aapam/hopper. Didn't get to the big eats this time, going to be hard for me to get past the prawns. Cocktails were fairly boozy and OK, had a pineapple arrack cream soda thing which was quite pleasant. Pandan jelly rice pudding also absolutely fine. Love the Tamil music in the background. Well, I guess I'm never going to Tooting again...
Halal Chronicles
Hoppers restaurant is the third South Indian restaurant of Karam, Jyotin and Sunaina Sethi, who are the siblings behind the Michelin rated Gymkhana and Trishna. Hoppers offers rustic street food, inspired by the roadside shacks of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Hoppers have confirmed that only the chicken and lamb are halal. The Lamb Kothu Roti, shown in the picture was a phenomenal dish. The lamb was so tender, that it effortlessly dissolved in the mouth. The Roti had a subtle sweet pasta like texture which brought further joy to the palate. The dish also consisted of scrambled eggs & assorted vegetables, which made it moreish and hearty. Furthermore, it had true authentic Sri Lankan spices, which injected the dish with a level of heat that made your tastebuds stand to attention, without defusing the other mouthwatering flavours. This was true street food. Our only critique of this dish would be that there just wasn't enough of it, with a few mouthfuls, the dish quickly reached its demise, causing our belly to mourn the loss, as it yearned for more. For the full review check out our New website on our homepage.
Foodexpectations
I have been dying to try Hoppers since it opened for many reasons: Gymkhana is one of my top five favorite restaurants in London and Hoppers is owned by the same group. Also, Hoppers serves Sri Lankan food which I had never tried, but as we are going there for Christmas and New Year, I wanted to see what we were in for…and the food was so delicious that it got me even more excited for the trip! The must eats are on my review but get there early as they have a limited number of roasted chickens available, and its a must order!
Foodexpectations
Absolutely delicious food in a casual and buzzy setting. Their food is extremely flavorful and I left the restaurant dying to go back for their roasted chicken - one of the best I've ever had. I wish they took reservations and that is the only draw back for me.....
Felicia Tan
Moti Mahal, Bombay Brasserie, and now Hoppers. I don't really indulge in Indian cuisine that often, and now it seems that I have somehow visited three within a single month - not that I'm complaining.Hoppers on Frith Street in Soho is the latest venture from the Sethi family (Trishna/Gymkhana - both of which I appallingly have not been to yet), centrally located at the site which was once the much-loved Koya.
Matt The List
Time for a quick look at the most-talked about restaurant in London at the moment - Hoppers. [Yes I know, Sexy Fish, you've made quite a splash too.<br/>]<br/><br/>In a nutshell - it's a classy introduction to Sri Lankan food, focused mainly on dosas and their open-faced cousins, hoppers. And everyone's gone gaga for it:<br/><br/>"A seductive, come-hither menu" - Fay Maschler<br/><br/>"...clearly the best thing since sliced bread/Bao" - Rocket & Squash<br/><br/>"Nothing about my meal there could be faulted... 10/10" - Cheese & Biscuits<br/><br/>The Sethi siblings (restaurateurs extraordinaires) have the midas touch - Bao, Gymkhana, Bubbledogs, Lyle's - all runaway successes, and Hoppers is their latest. It's taken over the much loved Koya space on Frith Street, and already has Londoners queueing down street for food they didn't know they wanted.<br/><br/>The no reservations queuing was a bit of a shambles, but I'm sure they'll find a system soon. Once inside, you might find yourself sharing tables, but it's that kind of place. We had a natter with both of our neighbours, including some bona fide Sri Lankans, mostly regarding unfamiliar words on the menu. Most questions can be answered by the helpful glossary on the reverse of the menu - I do love a bit of learning at dinner time. Feel free to ask me about Jaggery, Varuvals and Watalappams - they aren't rude, I promise.<br/><br/>It's an attractive space with some lovely design touches including funky coat hooks and toilet seat handles - you've got to enjoy the little things!<br/><br/>London does already have Sri Lankan food of course. In fact, it has Apollo Banana Leaf - a marvellous, outrageously cheap restaurant in Tooting where mutton rolls are 90p a go. At Hoppers, they are £4, but, to be fair, most of the pricing is in fact reasonable. <br/><br/>From the "Short Eats" section, we enjoyed String Hoppers (steamed handmade rice flour noodles pressed into string pancakes) served with Kiri Hodi (a mild coconut milk gravy cooked with fenugreek and Maldive fish) and Pol Sambol (relish made with ground coconut, Maldive fish, onion and red chilli). See - lots of learning to do. Duck Roti with Rasa (gravy) was also a big hit. The Bonemarrow Varuval (a Chettinad masala) is currently doing the rounds on Instagram.<br/><br/>Then it was on to the hoppers and dosas. A hopper is simply fermented rice batter and coconut milk fashioned in to a bowl-shaped pancake. The Sethis were probably hoping to introduce Londoners to hoppers, but quite by chance, a small street-food operation called Weligama started doing it at Druid St. Market earlier this year, so be sure to check them out too!<br/><br/>Anyway - you select your base, add some relish and chutneys, and pick a kari (curry) to go with it. We opted for a fish kari with our dosa (£9.50) and a lamb kari with our egg hopper (£10). Both were delicious, though the fish took a while to materialise. N.B. Sri Lankans like it hot - if you don't, let them know, and get yourself a load of yoghurt (which I'd rather they didn't charge £1 for). <br/><br/>There's another section with larger sharing plates, but after short eats, hoppers and dosas, we didn't have room for Buffalo Buriani or Ceylonese Spit Chicken - maybe next time.<br/><br/>For dessert, we braved odorous Durian Ice Cream served inside a Milk Hopper with Kithul Treacle & Jaggery (unrefined sugar) and found it to be quite delectable and moreish! Who knew? Again, there's more to enjoy on the menu here (Love Cake anyone?) - a return visit is bound to happen soon. <br/><br/>Several thumbs up for Hoppers, but don't forget about Weligama and Apollo Banana Leaf amid all the rave reviews.<br/><br/>N.B. As at Shotgun, the cocktail list has been kicked off by Talented Mr.Fox Matt Whiley - always a smart move. I'll be back to work my way through them separately.
KS_Ate_Here
From the team that brought us Gymkhana comes their next venture which is sure to get Londoners and tastebuds excited - welcome all to Hoopers; the Sri Lankan influenced little sister of the fore mentioned Indian juggernaut. <br/><br/>I say "little" because that is what it is. Located in the heart of Soho on Firth St, you can expect intimate and cosy with no more than I suspect 50 covers at any one time. However, there is nothing little about the flavour of the dishes where big and bold are the name of the game. <br/><br/>Short eats such as the bonemarrow varuval (served with a light and fluffy roti) and duck roti with rasa are absolutely divine and will awake every tastebud and even some you didn't know you had. Even more adventurous dishes like the chicken heart chukka are a pure delight and if you can get over the name, you'll be rewarded with the most enjoyable experience as the combination of spices with the richness of the chicken heart is divine. <br/><br/>Moving onto the carbs of the meal, you're faced with a vast choice of karis (essentially curry) to go along with your hoppers (fermented rice crepes) or dosas (lentil crepes). You can't go too far wrong here but if I had to recommend anything I'd say the black pork kari and the guinea fowl were beautiful. However always ask what the special is because you'd hate to miss out on a treat. <br/><br/>Desserts here are limited and in all fairness, you could pass on and be perfectly content. The pick of the list though is the love cake (served with kalfi) which was described as "like a sticky toffee pudding". If you like cardamom, this is your dream as it is the overriding flavour. <br/><br/>So in all, a really wonderful meal packed full of spices and flavours that really challenged the tastebuds. It represents another smashing success from a restaurant group that already has so many. Get here but be early otherwise you'll endure a lengthily wait and have your whole party ready otherwise you won't be seated. You've been warned!<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Also follow me on Twitter @annixontong and @WeTryKai and on Instagram @annixontong.<br/>
Sheepa Miah
If I’ve spoken to you or seen you in the last week or so, I will have definitely told you about this incredible newly opened restaurant in Soho, Hoppers. It’s one of the new ventures by the JKS Group, the geniuses behind some well known London restaurants right now, such as Gymkhana, Lyles and Bao.<br/><br/>Hoppers serves some delicious Sri Lankan food, which I only realised was missing from my life afterwards. I’m putting it out there… this place is the new Dishoom for me. The food really does speak for itself. It’s different from any other Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to and the main items are reasonably priced in my opinion.
The Picky Glutton
It would be temptingly easy to grade Hoppers on a curve – it is, after all, the only Sri Lankan restaurant in Soho (or indeed any centrally located part of London that I know of). There’s no need however. It’s not only more than good enough to stand on its own two feet, it’s good enough to rival its cheaper but tattier Tooting-based competition.
Murray Blake
Hoppers is the latest venture from the Sethi family, London’s most successful restaurant siblings. Their restaurant empire includes the wonderful Gymkhana and Trishna, and they have provided backing for Lyle’s, Bao and Bubbledogs. Karam Sethi is the culinary brain of the family, opening Trishna at the age of 24 and going on to win a Michelin star there four years later. He is a largely self-taught chef, having been heavily influenced by his mother’s cooking and childhood summers spent in India (he also spend a year in the kitchen at The Sheraton in New Delhi). The Sethis’ have a conventional middle-class background: their father is a chartered accountant from Delhi who came to Britain in the Seventies, his wife joined him a few years later and the family settled in Finchley, North London. Jyotin, the eldest, left a high-flying career in investment banking to become a managing director of the business – he has arranged funding from a range of private investors to supplement the family’s funds. The youngest sibling, Sunaina also had a brief spell in banking before training in wine whilst working at Trishna, she is now operations director of the group and focuses on devising drinks menus as well as overseeing front of house matters. She served me on my second visit to Hoppers and was an effervescent presence in the busy restaurant.
The Foodie Diaries
As far as grey days in London go, today started out as one of the gloomiest with relentless rains that proved impossible to shield against, thanks to vehement winds that kept blowing our brollies sideways. Definitely a day meant for spending indoors, pottering around with endless cups of tea and catching up on the blog.<br/><br/>Instead I found myself hopping over muddy puddles as I made my way to Hoppers, the latest restaurant from the Sethi siblings, bringing a bit of Sri Lanka to Soho.<br/><br/>This is the same family that’s at the helm of Trishna & Gymkhana not to mention they’ve also backed Bao, Bubbledogs & Lyle’s. So as you’d imagine, expectations were riding high ever since they announced their new eatery, inspired by the food and design of the roadside shacks in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.
Samphire And Salsify
Sri Lankan cuisine is about as familiar to me as the Rugby World Cup, so the notion of Hoppers, a restaurant specialising in the dish of the very same name, seemed like an intriguing one. It’s based in the former site of Koya and it’s by the Sethi family – who know a thing or three about brilliant restaurants, whether it’s ones they run; Gymkhana and Trishna, or ones they back; Bubbledogs, Lyle’s and Bao.
Cheese And Biscuits
The Sethi family's first restaurant in London was Trishna, in Marylebone. It's a great restaurant, Indian fine dining that isn't just about serving the same old curry house classics with while tablecloths and a wine list, but reinventing the cuisine from the ground up with superb ingredients, luxuriant spicing and a staggering attention to detail. It's still one of my favourite places to eat out, and in fact I've got a big table booked for my birthday next month.
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