The Empress

The Empress, London 130 Lauriston Road - London

Bar
• British
• Pub
• Sit down

78/100
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Ratings and reviews

78
/100
Based on 1373 ratings and reviews
Updated

Ratings of The Empress

TA

Trip
Last update on 10/11/2023
3,5
261 Reviews
Google
Google
Last update on 29/11/2023
4,3
688 Reviews
Foursquare
Foursquare
Last update on 31/12/2021
4,1
190 Reviews
Facebook
Facebook
Last update on 27/12/2022
4,4
102 Reviews
Zomato
Zomato
Last update on 27/12/2022
4,1
45 Reviews
Squaremeal
Squaremeal
Last update on 27/12/2022
3,5
8 Reviews
Yelp
Yelp
Last update on 29/11/2019
3,5
23 Reviews

Available menus

Reviews

Facebook
Leo Alexander Scott
+5
My favourite local, excellent beer, exceptional food, lovely staff, the best atmosphere. Oh and of course it's in Viccy Park village, which is just the nicest spot in London. Someone there must also be an avid art collector as their walls often show pieces from bang-on-trend photographers and artists. A real gem!
Facebook
Ann Summers
+5
Great night out, lovely fresh food, and friendly, helpful staff. We were not rushed, and even the dog was welcome. Would definitely recommend it.
Zomato
Kingy
+4
What a lovely pub in Victoria park village - visited on a Wednesday evening and it was busy but not packed. Had a cosy feel to it and the staff were nice. The menu changes daily and they keep it to around 5/6 dishes but the quality is great. We all had steak which came with thick cut chips and rocket - it was extremely tasty. Other dishes included hake, lemon sole and Guinea fowl. There are special deals on Mondays and Tuesday's so look out for them!
Jan 28, 2016
Zomato
Vicky Dalton-Banks
+4.5
I can’t remember the number of times I have been to The Empress. I love the place. Until recently I lived on Victoria Park and so I was within easy walking distance. Amazing and dangerous all at once. I can’t rave about this place enough – this is one of my all-time favourite places to eat in London.

It serves delicious food in a great setting. I basically wish I could style my whole flat on this place! I love to sit outside and people watch on a long summers day and then be all cosy sat at the bar during the winter. Oh, and they make the best espresso martinis in town, fact.

The menu is made up of bar snacks, small plates and mains and desserts. The ingredients are always fresh and seasonal, which I love. Every time I go back there is something new and interesting on the menu.

The bar snacks are worth a mention too. I always order the whitebait and paprika aioli. The portion sizes are fantastic and the fish is not oily and over-fried like you get in many places, the croquettes are always good too and perfect to accompany a glass of wine if you’re just popping in.

As I mentioned their menu is ever-changing but their steak is always very good and whatever the fish option is it will be cooked to perfection and delicious and light. I like the way the menu is arranged as it’s so easy to mix and match.

On my most recent visit we started with the cured salmon, beetroot and horseradish and the raw beef, sesame, lime and chilli. I hadn't tried the beef before - it was amazing! Then we both ordered the braised shoulder of lamb, pearl barley, celeriac and girolles. This was a great choice; the creamy celeriac went so well with the lamb. We paired the meal with a couple of cocktails and a great bottle of red and stayed until we were pretty much kicked out. This place is so cosy in the evenings!

I’ve gushed about this place enough, but just one last time, the food here is creative and delicious and refreshingly, it’s not extortionately priced. If you are in the area definitely make a visit!
Jun 16, 2015
Zomato
Vicky Dalton-Banks
+4.5
This is quite a nostalgic post for me to write – I have lived on Victoria Park for nearly three years now. We have a lovely little flat on the canal overlooking the park. We are very lucky indeed to have lived here. But this weekend we are moving, and we are moving south of the river people. I love Victoria Village, the park and all the great places to eat and I will miss it dearly. But, I am so excited about our new adventure in Forest Hill! We got the space and the garden we wanted and we get to explore a whole new part of London.
Jul 23, 2015
Zomato
Leif Kristian Mortensen
+4.5
Oh Yeah, grilled Bream on a bed of potatoe purée, squash and greens. Spiced pear with home made vanilla icecream. Yes, please!! I will be back. Yummy
Dec 03, 2009
Zomato
Andy
+4.5
Lazy sunday afternoons. This is a great place to grab beer after a stroll through Victoria Park with the paper on the weekend. It's bright and breezy and they do a really lovely roast too. Well worth a visit.
Sep 27, 2009
Zomato
The Food Connoisseur
+4.5
It was so delicious and also hard to eat because it was over stuffed with filling, I ended up using a knife and fork to cut the sandwich.
Feb 18, 2011
Zomato
Andy Hayler
+4.5
Food Type British Food rating 4/10 ( More information ) Address 130 Lauriston Road Victoria Park Hackney London E9 7LH England Phone Number 020 8533 5123 Nearest Tube Mile End Average Price £45 (Average price per head for meal and house wine ) Value For Money 8.89 (Value for money = Food Rating out of 10 / Average Price * 100) Location Map Link Website Website Last Visited April 2012
Apr 21, 2012
Zomato
Becks Dobson
+4
This place first stole my heart a couple of years back when I went to catch up with my friend Harry who was sous-chef under Rosette-winning Head Chef Elliot. A bright and airy restaurant, deep leather sofas, wooden board games, exposed brickwork and an open kitchen make this place somewhere that you instantly feel at home in. Fast forward a couple of years and I couldn't resist popping in to celebrate turning 25 in with six of my pals.

The Empress' menu is perfect for those who like to try a bit of everything. They offer generous helpings of bar snacks as well as usual starters and mains and there's nothing wrong with jumping around a bit. Whilst we were deciding we ordered a couple of baskets of freshly baked bread from the E5 bakehouse that we then proceeded to smother with unsalted butter, topped with fresh salt flakes. Choices made, we asked for our food to be brought out all together so that we could all chow down at the same time. This we were promised, but in reality it definitely didn't happen.

I chose two dishes: the first, raw beef with avocado, lime and chilli. The citrus zing complemented the meat perfectly, adding a cool bite to the tender bit of steak. Presented prettily with pea shoots and other microherbs, this was a dish that I could eat over and over again without any semblance of guilt. And for my second, other guilt-free dish? I went for a perennial old favourite of whole baked camembert with homemade chutney and thin slices of sourdough toast. Coming long after everyone else had finished their onglets, polenta and courgette, whitebait and ham croquettes, it was a typically countrified affair presented on a beautiful wooden board with the crisp slivers for dunking. Warm, gooey and oozing I definitely polished off the entire lot but had to ask for another round of toast that only came just as I was scooping out the last of the cheese with a fork. Hmm, disappointing.

We decided to forgo dessert (although my friends did buy me a shot of tequila instead and proceeded to sing Happy Birthday whilst I buried my face in my hands) and finish off the second (or was it third) bottle of red we'd ordered. The food in The Empress is definitely something to write home about (told you those pigs ears were good) but the service let it down this time. But I'll definitely be going back and this favourite gets a four out of five, nonetheless.
Nov 07, 2014
Zomato
Madrugada
+3.5
the victoria park village neighborhood is quite nice, and you have just the sufficient number of choices here, not like the confusion on the highstreet. a delicatessen, a few small shops, and a few gastropubs.ü

it is what they achieve with a simple salad menu that makes the venue appealing: funky ingredients that get along well together. a TimeOut review gives the best description here : "And what a treat: a salad that, as salads seldom do, seemed much more than the sum of its parts with grilled radicchio, pink grapefruit, wafer-thin fennel, plus tiny capers and parsley, and the more subtle British version of feta." 

The leather lounges do not make the place just stylish but comfortable, as the decorative items are scattered around in an impressive  way and the staff are genuinely interested in your pleasure with the meal..

Hipsters chatting around have already discovered the place, it is just one of those days when something proper and passionate about food does not have to be phony.
Oct 15, 2014
Zomato
The Food Connoisseur
+4
I went here after drooling over someone's facebook's photo's of the restaurant the food looked ever so good, fresh ingredients hanging over the counter. I took my friend here for lunch and opted for "Empress Steak and Cheddar cheese sandwich, fried egg, chips and salad".

It was so delicious and also hard to eat because it was over stuffed with filling, I ended up using a knife and fork to cut the sandwich. The bread used was ciabatta and can be very filling; actually to tell you the truth I couldn't even finish this. I also had their freshly made smoothie also very filling and ice cold just how I like it.

Nov 14, 2013
5
Titta K
+5
What a great find. Staff is so very kind as we were with our dogs and a baby and they helped us out with anything. Burger was delicious, location is really close to Victoria park and it’s a very cosy and simple interior with a wheelchair accessible entry and toilet.
5
Alice Capelli
+5
We visited on a Sunday afternoon without reservation. After 20min we managed to get a sit. The waiter was super friendly and accommodating! We ordered: - pork belly2x - Beef roast - Bloody Mary - rhubarb crumble - beetroot salad Above expectations! All freshly made and super tasty. A perfect place to experience a traditional Sunday roast!
5
C J
+5
A really nice place to stop by on a Sunday. The staff were super friendly, the atmosphere was great and the Sunday roast was delicious!!
5
Katerina Kokkinos-Kennedy
+5
What a gorgeous little pub. And wonderful staff who really understand that it’s ALL about customer service & friendliness. We’ve enjoyed the delicious vegan Sunday roast, and there’s a terrific £12 meal deal on Monday nights. Cannot recommend this place and its warm cosy ambience highly enough. And a heads up for the Hackney brewed pale ale. 💜💜💜
5
David Hensley
+5
One of my favourite East London pubs - now a gastropub. Had dinner there last night, was delighted to find partridge on the menu, which was delicious. Also good ale, and good wines by the glass - and great service.
5
Aaron O'Hara
+5
We popped in for a drink and ended up ordering some desert. Really cosy atmosphere, great food and excellent service. Dogs are allowed. The chocolate tart and fruit sorbet was amazing.
5
Florian
+5
Probably the best roast I’ve had in London. Positives of this place are the great atmosphere, classic interior, amazing beer and cocktails and large and classic roast dinners. The negatives were that the food is a LOT and that it was quite cold, but those are small negatives to a great experience.
5
lorenzo
+5
Dog friendly 🐶🐶❤️ Originally recommended from a friend. Walked in on Sunday looking for a table of 4. Considering the location just outside Victoria park hopes were low but we incredibly got ourself a table. The manager at the door was very welcoming and accomodating. Bloody Mary is served with freshly grated horseradish, SO yummy! Both pork belly and beef roast were delicious. Staff was really friendly. Rhubarb crumble was incredible! A perfect Sunday, thank you ⭐
4
John
+4
Had a wonderful birthday meal with friends here. The tempura vegetables were lovely for starters, the duck breast main was amazing, as was the puds - I tried too many to remember them all, but loved the rhubarb crumble. The staff were attentive and even treated me to a birthday beer. I can't wait to visit again. Knocking a star off as the gents was a bit below par. 👃
4
Kristen Gayagoy
+4
Fiancé and I both got the Sunday roast beef, a bit pricey but it was soooo delicious! Definitely the best Sunday roast I’ve had so far. The only thing is some pieces of the meat were too chewy, but the parts that were good, were so good. Lovely aesthetic, very traditional pub. It’s been packed both times we went, which is always a good sign.

Description

Timetable

Monday:
04:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday:
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday:
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Thursday:
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Friday:
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Saturday:
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Sunday:
12:00 PM - 11:00 PM

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Our aggregate rating, “Sluurpometro”, is 78 based on 1373 parameters and reviews

If you need to contact by phone, call the number +44 20 8533 5123

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