Joe Allen

You pay for the atmosphere rather than the food ... Which is pretty poor to say the least. A simple menu that seems straight from the freezer. Nothing wrong with that but for a steak at 22 quid that's not good value.
A few of the staff are very nice but the majority don't seem to care too much and you feel like you're in the way... Which you probably are with so many tables crammed in.
If you're looking for stars most the ones who used to go there have passed away now or moved on.

Expensive and generally serves food that is so so. It is certainly not the best value around the the theatrical atmosphere hardly makes up for ther mundane offerings on the menu

This has to be the single worst dining experience we've had in twenty years of London eating ... and we've eaten everywhere from the best to the bog standard.

We wanted a cosy, unfussy, relaxed dinner - and having visited Joe Allen's several times over the years, decided to revist.

The food was atrocious - not just poor, but inedible. They are obviously no strangers to the freezer and microwave these days, everything was either watery and woolly (thawed out), tasted of fridge, or was baked solid having been hanging around and reheated. (I should just add we had booked, and it was Saturday 8.30, which should be the best and busiest time).

We asked the waiter - (very politely but firmly) to take the food away, and we would only pay for the drinks. The reaction was interesting, no surprise or concern, or attempt to talk to us about it - this kind of thing is obviously common there now. We paid for the bottle of wine, and then out into the street to try and find somewhere else on a cold winters evening.

Avoid at all costs - even if you like to have the off menu burger - you should know that there are many much better burger restaurants in London these days .... The idea that this represents a good example of eating out in London is untrue and unjust - thankfully.

I have given Joe Allen's one star only because you have to give it a star rating in order for your review to be accepted) and I wanted to prevent other people wasting their time and money.

I had a pre theatre dinner here with my family and it was a really nice dinner. The atmosphere was good and the location was very convenient for our theatre near the strand. The food and service were both good although it was perhaps a bit crowded. It was quite a pricey place but if you have the money it's worth the spend as it was a very good standard of food, especially my steak. It's a sort of upgrade of traditional British food which I always enjoy. Inside it isn't particularly posh, it has quite an american feel too with dimmed lighting and comfy seating which really add to the atmosphere. We also got to our play with plenty of time to spare so I'd recommend it for a good meal before a show.

In the 1980s, that golden decade for London, three restaurants vyed to attract the super-cool: Coconut Grove, Peppermint Park and Joe Allen. Only the latter has survived
and what a great place it is in its cozy Covent Garden basement. The service is very professional, the menu excellent and unchanging and, by London standards, not outrageously expensive either. It is on the Magellan half dozen favourite casual lunching places in central London.
Offering probably the tastiest burger in London, this is the place to go for casual dining. Other restaurants come and go: but Joe Allen is a constant. On this occasion, I was the guest of a top city lawyer, a discerning diner, who agreed with my conclusion that this is the best American food in London; but why oh why did Joe Allen ditch the wonderful red gingham table clothes for Paris-style white?