I really do love the food here, it's very tasty. Always combo-up. ALWAYS! They used to have great options for vegans but now it's very limited (where's the mock duck?). I don't go very often so I don't mind getting the same thing every visit, as it's always a treat. But I do miss the food variety that was on offer the first few times I went. I think there's two vegan dishes, but you can only combo-up on one so I always get the aubergine dish. Coz I'm a pig. read more

I'm always a fan of southeast Asian food and I can tell you that everything they serve here will exceed your expectation. I came here with friends and we tried different things on the menu from starters to main dishes. I really like the ying yang laksa and it comes with a thick and mild spicy broth in coconut milk. It has all the nice herbs including coriander and basil that add up the taste. You can also choose from chicken, meatballs or prawns. I had a bowl of large laksa when it was raining outside so it was perfect. My friends and I shared a couple of starter plates. We had the fried dough that comes with tasty peanut sauce, chicken wings which were well marinated with sweet and sour sauce with basil, and fried Vietnamese spring rolls with sweet ginger dip sauce. Everything was so gooddd. And then I tried some of my friends' dishes like the tamarind fish. They offer you a combo pack, which basically let you have jasmine rice, glass noodles, crispy prawn crackers, and friend meatballs by adding £3.50. It's a good combination and good deal for a big meal. Services were good too and you can tell that this place is popular and it gets really busy at lunch time. read more

Banana Tree is in an awesome area surrounded by lots of shops and other restaurants so it was a nice treat to walk past. The menu looked exciting but upon walking in, there was a stale smell and it was not full compared to other restaurants nearby. Nonetheless, I was craving some fragrant and strong flavours and Banana Tree is an IndoChinese restaurant guaranteed to provide those flavours! They have some nice starters, soups, curries, salads, meats with salad and some cool drinks. We ordered the Duck Spring Rolls and it was recommended we wrap them in lettuce, mint, coriander, some pickled carrots and dip it in a spicy sauce (Recommended as in they put a little card on our plate to tell us how to eat it- Bit random). It sounds all very exciting but I preferred it separately. The pickled carrots were awesome! We also ordered steamed chicken dumplings which were awesome!! For mains I had the Laksa soup - IT WAS MASSIVE!!! For only £10.95 I believe! But it is extremely rich. It's a pretty relaxed vibe and the waiters/waitresses are all pretty chilled too. Super affordable and nice if you want a spicy dish or a big variety. read more

While walking around Soho with an American friend of mine, eager to show some of the culinary delights of the West End to her, we happened upon Banana Tree. Admittedly, it was a tossup between Banana Tree and Busaba EatThai. My friend and I were having a conversation while perusing the area's restaurants about trying new things and being open to new experiences. This is what swung it for me to try Banana Tree. I wish we had gone to Busaba. I did enjoy the buzzing atmosphere here, even on a Sunday evening. However, this is certainly not the place to come for an intimate evening of fine dining. We were greeted by our waitress and took a seat. After a brief look at the menu, I opted for the barbecue style pork with rice and my friend went for the Laksa noodle soup with prawns. To drink, I had a Banana Tree daiquiri with Raspberry and she had a lychee-based drink. The drinks arrived and I did feel a little hard done by in that there was barely any alcohol and barely any fruit juice for that matter. It seemed to be a glass full of ice with a little fruit juice for colouring. When the food arrived, I was more than happy with the presentation and taste of my pork dish. However, my dining companion noticed that a number of her prawns were not de-veined meaning that they were essentially offering her "poo filled prawns". Our well meaning but linguistically inept waitress had a lot of trouble understanding what my friend's complaint was but eventually took the bowl back to the kitchen. During this time, a rowdy table full of diners joined. In such a open plan dining room as this, before long the volume level was approaching a din. that aspect was not so bad, however, the fact that they kept on shopping chairs and walking around meant that my dining companion was constantly being bumped into and having her chair kicked. Eventually the bowl appeared again and all that they had done was remove some of the prawns. And you guessed it, it just meant that there was a bowl of noodles soup. My friend did attempt to explain this again to the foreign waitress, but to no avail. At least, they did take it off the bill but unfortunately my friend went hungry for the time being. Overall, I enjoyed my food a lot however seeing what a painful process it was for my fellow diner tainted even the tasty food for me. read more

Was looking for another restaurant Asian restaurant on Wardour Street but google maps failed me, so we ended up on going to Banana Tree. I started with the Lychee Mojito, which I thought was a bit too syrupy. I wish I had gotten a beer. I had the Monk's Tofu dish (vegetarian) which was pretty good - chunks of tofu, fresh vegetables, and good spices. They upsold me on the side of rice that came with a few small appetizers (salad, crispy chips, etc.) which I regretted instantly when it came. Service was spotty and it took forever to get the bill and pay. The decor is very ware-housey urban, which is kind of cool, but just reminds me that the place is another London chain. I most definitely wouldn't return. read more

Not too bad! I think this place used to be an Itsu ... or some conveyor belt sushi place, if not Itsu. I went there about a year and a half ago. Then it closed. Now it's a Thai place. Not sure how long it's been open or why you would care so much about these specific details of my visitation of this establishment. I went with a work group - eight of us, and I was paying - and we were able to get a table without much issue. Initially seated at a table in the middle/back of the room, our seats were stools without backs. I have the posture of a slouching primate, so I was a little disappointed. But, to our luck, we were moved to a table with proper seats. Oh glorious day! I ordered the green curry with some jasmine rice. It was alright, nothing too special and not exactly prepared in a traditional style. But, it was decent - I won't complain. I had a good mocktail, too. Something with lychees in it. And I learned the word mocktail. That was a new one to me! I am so bringing it back to the US. Look out, world. I've got a new word and I am so using it. read more

- next tube station: Picadilly Circus (Picadilly Line) - crowded restaurant with tables placed very closely to each other; very noisy (you almost cannot understand each other at one table) - friendly staff; quick food delivery - they offer a selection of dishes and specialities from the Indochina region, the lemongrass growing countries of South East Asia that include Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and the peninsula of Malaysia and Singapore - Street Style Crispy Dough: a light and chewy Indochinese style dough served with their signature Kajang Satay sauce (3.70 GBP); yummy, however, is it really light - deep-fried dough?? - spicy green papaya salad (5.90 GBP); spicy and tasty - char grilled blackened chilli pork: slices of leg of pork in aromatic dark soy, palm sugar, chilli, garlic & ground spices; served with oriental chilli and mango salsa (8.90 GBP); although I am not really a fan of pork it was really good (if you like your meat with sweet aroma) - drink "Princess of Ragnoon" was delicious! Recommended! Conclusion: Food was yummy, location is okay (very crowded, very noisy, very cramped) read more

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Very nice place in Soho. They have plenty of Asian food dishes to choose from and also "combo" option useful if you are really really hungry. The rice they offer amongst the sides it's really good and the food in general it's decent. This place does not accept reservations so you might be in for a wait if you show up in weekend during peak times. One thing that might affect negatively your experience at Banana Tree is the sometimes excessive level of noise: my god this place is noisy. Also being a small please doesn't help either, sometimes it's hard to hear even your dinner mates at your table for how noisy this place is. But I guess that the nice food and the quick service make up for it. Just if you are looking for a relaxing and intimate atmosphere this is not what you are looking for. read more

Nice atmosphere and tasty dishes. The waitress is fast, knowledgable, and friendly. Great convo. Dimming the light after 8pm and switching the music on gives it a different feel- quite trendy. read more

Banana Tree - The Legendary Renang with chicken as combo meal. Nice flavor and good spice to it! Recommended! - Asian Fusion Near Me - London, XGL

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Boring Pan Asian fusion food. Jack of all trades, master of none. Manager relegated us to the back of restaurant instead of seating us on the large middle table that is available for groups. Probably due to the way some of us in the group were dressed. Thankfully our waitress was lovely! Typically with these sorts of fusion restaurants you're served a watered down version of an existing dish. The food wasn't terrible, but a far cry from the more authentic restaurants dotted around the same area. Also way overpriced for the sub-standard food. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Good thai food. Huge portions and friendly and fast service.

I love this restaurant because the noodles are always excellent. I had rice noodles with bean sprouts, oyster sause and prawns which was very tasty. My friend had stir fried Singapore rice with egg which was a bit overcooked so it formed a clump. However, it was still very tasty. For desert I had sweet black rice and my friend had banana fritters. The banana wasn't very hot and it was served with chocolate sauce which didn't really compliment the fritters. The service was excellent from all of the team. Banana tree offers good consistant cooking so I recommend this restaurant. read more

Excellent Asian fusion restaurant in the heart of vibrant Wardour St. Good choice of meat and veggie dishes, quick service and reasonably priced. read more

I'm a food addict but also a strangely fickle one. After a trip to Indonesia and Singapore 3 years ago, I've been looking for the perfect Indochinese eatery in London. Banana Tree happened and that quest ended! Unexpected explosions of taste and complete transformation due to the beauty of this cuisine is unrivalled. Traditional and unexpected can only be truly peaked in such a stylish, warm and attractive place. Mouthwatering dishes at reasonable prices are a treat, as well as the patient staff. Make a point to visit Banana Tree! read more

Went here for a lunch take away. The menu looked really good, the staff were really friendly and guided me through the menu until i found something I wanted to try out. I ordered the chicken pad thai and i wasn't disappointed. It was really fresh and tasted really good. read more

Delicious food and fast and nice service. The chicken dumplings were unbelievable, and the special beef curry was also delicious. Highly recommend this place. read more

This is the worst Asian restaurant I've ever been to in the world. The past reviews sum it up accurately - service is dreadful here and they're unapologetic about it. We waited over an hour for our meal, which they forgot to tell the kitchen about. When it arrived, the laksa was mostly water and powder - did they run out of noodles or is that just the way they limit portions to the extreme? After that, the bill arrived and the waiter offered us 25% as a gesture to how abysmal the entire experience had been. The manager stepped in to give us 50% after acknowledging that we waited over an hour, and also another 30 minutes to even get the bill. Two hours spent in this place is two hours wasted. Don't bother going here unless every single restaurant is closed in Soho. Opt for next door's Busaba Eathai, Vapiano or Hummus Brothers. read more

It always makes me feel sad to leave a poor review especially when the staff are sweet, but it really was a comedy of errors when we came here. Firstly they'd lost our booking despite two confirmations. Service was slow, bathrooms untidy and the menu uninspiring for veggies. The crispy dough starter was sadly bland and deep fried (even though I'd asked and been assured it wasn't.) The sweetcorn fritters were good though. Not much else to add :( read more

What a lovely new Soho find. Banana Tree offers Busaba Eathai food at Wagamama prices. The offerings aren't terribly original, but it's freshly produced and tastes delicious, plus portion sizes are just right (they look small, but they're packed with meat and lovely rich sauces, leaving you just full enough to make it through the afternoon without falling asleep). Plus by serving side salads on a banana leaf, they ensure it looks beautiful. In fact the food presentation contrasts rather too well with the spartan interior. It's all exposed pipes, brick walls, concrete benches; that old chestnut. We've seen it before. (Perhaps at Wagamama's). I suppose it helps to focus our attention on the lovely edibles but nonetheless it just doesn't feel as welcoming as Busaba Eathai. It's tough not to compare the two when the food on offer is so similar; but in terms of atmosphere, Busaba wins hands down. Banana Tree is certainly more practical (there is actually space between the tables for a pushchair or somebody on crutches; you can see what you're eating; you don't fear that if a fire were to break out, you'd be burnt to a crisp before getting half way across the insanely crowded room), and you can't fault the quality of the food, but it does lack that certain je ne sais quois. On the other hand, this means that you can actually get in and out during your lunch break, which is a bonus. I suspect it won't be the case for long, though; as with most Soho eateries, within a month they'll either be packing up and moving on or have patrons queuing for half a mile down Wardour St. We're a tough crowd, but by god are we loyal. read more

Stopped by this branch of the Banana Tree following a comedy show at the nearby Soho Theatre. This location can get extremely busy if you try to get seated around 19:30-20:30, but we arrived just after 21:00 and we were immediately given a table. This is a well located branch of the restaurant and we had visited before because it offers great value with a Tastecard, where diners were offered a 50% discount on their bill without making any reservation. However, after we were seated, we were informed that this branch is no longer accepting the Tastecard. The waitress clumsily advised us than we would still get a 2 for 1 deal on our main meal- this turned out to not be the case- or we misunderstood- as we were provided with a voucher with our bill for this offer on our next visit. Much to the credit of the management, I complained about the confusion and they let us use the voucher on our meal. Aside from the disappointment of losing a great discount with the Tastecard, the Banana Tree is reminiscent of Wagamama in both its setting and style- lots of communal seating and fast pan-indo/asian dishes that come out as they're ready. I personally prefer the food at the Banana Tree to Wagamama and feel you get a lot of value from their main meal upgrade option with rice, prawn crackers, corn fritters and a salad to accompany your main dish. The food always looks fresh and pretty healthy with a generous variety of vegetables- a lack of veg is something that has disappointed me in the past with Wagamama! The flavours are good, consistent and the staff are usually very prompt and friendly. This is a nice alternative to the other similar establishments for a quick and satisfying bite. The only issue we seem to battle with upon each visit is the proximity of tables to neighbours- we always have the misfortune of being placed next to a rowdy and obnoxious group and you literally can't hear yourself think over their conversation. This isn't atypical in these types of restaurants, especially in central London spots- I have just remarked it repeatedly at this location. Shame about the Tastecard discount being pulled, but it does appear that they are trying alternative in-house discounts and offers to customers, so watch this space. read more

Dirty plates. Dry, cold food. staff who are in need of a wash. if the smell of drains outside wasn't enough... If Ramsey's Nightmares came here they'd have a field day. watered down concentrated squash style juice passed off as 'freshly squezed' And then they have the nerve to charge you service on top of the bill. one of the waitresses was concerned and attentive once i'd complained. twice NO. No. NO. save yourself. read more

I've had the loveliest time at this place. Even though it was a super busy night, service swiftly seated us at the window and we were served very quickly. My black bean noodle dish with tofu and veggies was pure bliss, and quite big. It was just the right blend of spices, the right temperature and a well mixed choice of vegetables. The wine was nice and a bargain, and in general the money we paid was not much for what we got. Whether you're a fan of hot and spicy or milder dishes - they'll have enough on the menu to cater to your tastes. Veggie options are plenty and fantastic. Service is lovely and the restaurant looks beautiful. The fact that it is so busy is telling - go here!! read more

my first time at this restaurant . The food was ok , but service a bit disappointed . Few people was taking orders from us , so I was not sure who is my server . To order another drink I have to grab someone attention. Good offer for cocktails between 5-7pm buy one get another free. A bit noisy ass well read more

Our family is gluten-free, and BananaTree offers limited but worthwhile GF gems. The chicken satay, and in particular the peanut sauce, was great and the papaya salad had a nice kick to it. The server was knowledgable about GF and was attentive. A small pocket of GF dining in Soho. One suggestion to BananaTree, include "GF" on your menu like you list Vegetarian. read more

2* might be harsh, but I'll try to justify it. I've had enough authentic Malaysian / SG / Thai food to know whats good and whats bad, though to be fair - I'm not as knowledgeable down to the type of paste / noodle (see Tim L's review from April 17/12), which is very important. I've been here twice: once because we were desperate to eat, and a second time because I was given a voucher to make up for the poor food received from the first time around. First time: Chargrilled blackened chili pork leg, with a combo of glass noodle salad, corn cakes, spicy crackers, steamed Jasmine rice - 8.90 + 3.25 add-on for the combo. The combo can only be added onto certain dishes - the ones I wanted were all sold out. The waiter was kind enough to let me have the combo add-on with the pork leg meal, which normally isn't included. When the dish arrived, I was appalled at the size - I wish I took a picture. The leg meat was 3 paper thin, dry slices of meat, 2" in diameter. This made up my £8.90 portion of the meal. The 3.25 add-on filled me up more than the meat. I had a word with the waiter about the size, and he apologised - also admitted that because I ADDED on a combo, they decided to cut down my meat portion to make sure I don't waste food, and that its never usually that small. Excuse me?! I'm paying extra money for sides, so why is my main portion being cut down? I should get what I pay for - if there are leftovers, then leave it up to me. I've paid for it already, so if there are extras, I can take it home. I was given a voucher to come back a second time. Second time: Ying Yang Laksa with Coriander Meatballs - 8.60 Chicken + Shitake money bags - 4.90 The laksa was OK - rich spicy broth. I wouldn't order the money bags again - I felt it was a very poor attempt at making deep fried dumplings. Overall: + servers were attentive and accommodating when I complained about the size + nice atmosphere + value: affordable, considering its the Soho area + if you HAVEN'T had SE Asian food before, this will probably be a good medley of spices / flavors to get your feet wet, but: - the food isn't authentic at all. A decent attempt, but you'll get the real flavors and food at a non-chain restaurant - beware when adding on a combo, as I've been told by their manager / kitchen staff that they cut down on the main size. Not sure if they are still doing this since I complained and said an add-on doesn't give them the right to cut down on a meal size. - my friends had pad thai and Kway teow mee, which were poorly done. Not enough "wok hay" - a cooking technique using a smoking hot wok, which 100% affects the way food tastes. http://lucidmike78.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/what-is-wok-hay.html Again, if you haven't had this type of food before, it may seem great - but while the atmosphere and vibe here is nice, go somewhere else for authentic food. read more

Good food, some nice veggie/vegan options too! Nice smaller-scale alternative to Wagamama!

Some of the worst asian food I've ever had. I ordered an Ayam Kunyit Chicken curry for lunch. The chicken tasted like it had been frozen and thawed, definitely not fresh. The little sauce it was in was so watered down and devoid of all flavor. Super disappointed. read more

Following in the footsteps of other 'alright to like it' chains Wahaca, Byron and Cay Tre, The Banana Tree Canteen has opened its doors on the lucrative corner of Old Compton and Wardour Street. They've stripped back a relatively new concrete clad build to reveal, surprise shock horror, a bland concrete interior, complete with a ceiling full of air con and shiny piping. Unnecessarily New York. The menu takes you on an interesting twirl round Indochina, an accurate description, if slightly colonial and not a word you hear oft used to describe the Thai / Viet / Malay cuisine on the short snappy list. Like trailblazing neighbour Busbai Eathai (they of the legendary hour long post work queues) it's aimed squarely at the office crowd. There's a good mixture of sweet and spice, nothing too challenging, and you'll get away for £25 a head, perfect for that leaving lunch or a postscript to a few drinks. A selection of mainly fried dim sum style starters thankfully feel homemade, or at least freshly made, and skip the sacherrine sweet MSG chilli toilet cleaner that often accompanies such dishes. We pulled little morsels of salty porky flesh from their bones and hoovered up moist and juicy minced chicken 'moneybags' deep fried in bulbous wonton wrappers, pleasingly large, and definitely more than Monica from HR could cope with in one mouthful. Steamed dumplings were sadly less successful. Waterlogged, still born gzoya in an acrid burnt sauce. Mains were pleasingly meaty, coming in two principle variants the marinaded to dark almost bitter perfection meat, a char-grilled blackened chilli pork and a blackened beef both fell into this category, or the softer strops of al dente noodle curled round various sauces. The meat arrived punctuated with pillowy mixed vegetable rice and more dipping sauce, they had enough heat for the casual chilli hound, though not enough for me, lacking as they did the kick from the missing, surely obligatory, bottle of Sriracha sauce. Cocktails are a bit of a let down sadly, in an All Bar One kind of way. Overkill of nutmeg gave (too much) Oriental flavour to a watery Mai Tai and the freezer cold lychees in a second were just nasty. That being said, I'm sure I'll be back, it's a sufficiently above average offering in an everyman kind of way and sometimes frankly, only a Thai can satisfy. read more

Food was tasty, but my pork belly came out room temperature and tough, so it was definitely a case of pre-cooked food that was reheated...which I assume was not the kept at the right temperature, because I needed to make a fast trip to the toilet before I even left the restaurant. If you go with one of the fried chicken dishes, you can expect a hot dish. That was actually tastier than mine. Rice was also not my favorite...very dry. Ambiance is noisy, and service can be a bit slow to get your order placed. read more

I really like the lunch special, which comes with salad with a lovely, piquant dressing (I get it without the crushed nuts, thank you very much). The chicken with basil had a delicious, spicy sauce, although I was a bit distraught by the surplus of black fungus. Still, can't beat the price, especially in Soho. read more

Very very busy. Tasty though. The service wasn't the best - very very extremely slow, but I quite understand it as there were only 3 waiters for the whole restaurant...def not enough. Would def go again. read more

I love the food here! It's well priced and the service is great. Occasionally I ask to not pay the optional service charge to see whether they are genuinely giving good service. I have never once been given bad treatment after this request here. The staff are great! I bring my friends here a lot for this reason. read more

One of the best places I've eaten at in London. Drinks are BOGO so might as well have two! Definitely try the steamed chicken dumplings. The sauce they are in is exquisite. read more

Great Indochinese food- stiry frys/currys etc- good service and a good atmosphere. Great express menu for lunchtime if you're in a rush, reasonable prices and super friendly staff. Lots of veggie options read more

I especially like eating here as the food is good , well prices and there are a good number of options for vegans and vegetarians

I love this place and often go for lunchtime during the week. Great food, quick service and reasonably priced.

We were headed to another place when we stumbled on this restaurant. We were drawn in by the crowd and then looked at the menu to find that it had Asian inspired cuisine with some unique combinations. The food turned out to be fresh and refreshing with interesting combinations. While it is a lively place it is a little noisy which is why it loses a star. On the plus side, our waitress Matilda did a great job of helping us decide what to have. We would go there again. read more

YUM! Reasonably priced and amazing food. Get the traditional staple curry dish and the duck.

The seems to be a very trendy restaurant in London. The interior is done well. I was really excited to try the Asian fusion style food. We ordered 3 dishes and none seemed to be fusion. They were close to Chinese in my opinion. The presentation was done very well but the overall food was just OK. Everything looks amazing but I was not feeling the taste or was not impressed by any one of the dishes. read more

food looked good though didn't get to try it. service was horrendous. from the wait at the door to get in with 25% of the tables empty, it took 20 mins...sat down and waited another 20 for no attention. walked out and hostess decided to ask why we were leaving. read more