We stumbled across this restaurant during the Christmas holiday period several years ago, when most other businesses were closed. We haven't looked back since. The restaurant is situated in the thriving Brunswick Centre which is host to a plethora of eateries and retail shops. Due to the popularity of this restaurant (especially at lunch time) you are often greeted with a line of eager customers queuing outside for a table. Parking can be expensive and problematic in terms of finding spaces. There is an underground station only 2 minutes away (Russell Square) and Holborn station is around a 20 minute walk. The interior and decor is a little tired-looking and the tables are very closely situated next to each other which can prove a little intrusive on your personal space while eating. The toilets are situated in the basement and require a fair walk down a grimy metal staircase, you could be forgiven for thinking you are going down into part of the London Dungeons expecting to find a torture chamber for non-paying customers :) (Most) of the staff are very friendly, welcoming and tentative, they are very efficient at their jobs and your food arrives freshly cooked in what seems like minutes. My only criticism, would be that you do feel rather rushed to finish, especially at busy times when the queue is going half-way round the block. The eagle-eyed staff will swoop down and collect your empty bottle or bowl/plate, even if others on the table are still eating. You are then asked if you would like anything else in a - 'could you please hurry up as we need the table' - kind of a way. Ah...the food, yes. Although primarily with the title of a 'Noodle Bar' restaurant, The Hare and Tortoise has an excellent range of freshly-made Sushi. The quality is excellent and is on par, if not better than the likes of Yo! Sushi. The menu is not vast in its food choices, but every single item on that menu has been carefully chosen for its uniqueness and flavour. All the starters are mouthwatering and moorish. Try the prawn dumplings! I would highly recommend the 'Curry Laksa' it is to-die-for. I cannot put into words the explosion of flavours and variety of content within the dish to give it justice. It's like a party in your mouth. :) My family and I frequent this restaurant monthly and although we have tried other dishes on the menu, (all of which have been fantastic) we always seem to go for the Curry Laksa - It almost doesn't 'feel' right visiting the Hare and Tortoise and NOT having the Laksa, which we have named as their signature dish. It's quite amusing actually, on our way there, we all agree to try something different from the menu and we have all the good will in the world to try something new, but when we are sat down and the waiter(tress) comes over its Curry Laksa all round! Well, It's a bit like going to a swimming pool and not getting wet! You just can't do it!! The chicken Katsu Curry is worth a mention too, it's panko-covered chicken in a thick curry sauce on a bed of boiled rice, a hearty and warming dish if you are feeling cold and hungry. Anyway, I digress, enough with the analogies, just have the Curry Laksa, OK? Just one more thing to note, the size of the dishes are 'one (Big) meal' size, therefore, you pick one main dish as a meal, don't get carried away ordering several dishes thinking its like a standard Chinese restaurant, as you WILL be eating for hours and taking home several 'doggie-bags'. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough, (for its food) and if we lived more locally to its address, we would probably eat there 3-4 times a week. read more

Studying in London for a few weeks and wanted to make sure I got a range of cuisine. This is a great choice for Asian style treats. There's an awesome range on the menu from small bites to big meals. I tried the duck and ate it so fast that I could get a picture. It's a really busy spot so be prepared to wait if you're dropping in on the weekend read more

This restaurant is full of students from nearby Universities. I can see why as the food are reasonably priced. And if you order green tea, it's unlimited refilled for £1. The quality of the food is so so as you can expect from this type of restaurant. The service is on the slow side. We had to wait for nearly 30 minutes for our mains. read more

Hare & Tortoise is situated in the Brunswick shopping complex. I arrived at 8:39pm and there was long lineup. I've never been to a Chinese restaurant with such long lineups anywhere in the world at night. I had to wait for about half an hour for a table of four. I ordered the Singapore rice noodle dish. In the menu, it listed to have egg, shredded chicken, pork, prawns, onion, carrot, bean sprouts, Chinese mushrooms, and chilli. I only saw a few tiny chopped up pieces of prawns. There wasn't much chicken and there were a few pieces of pork. It wasn't very hot and spicy, but I did see the 2 peppers symbol on the dish menu. So, I got a big bowl of noodles with not much in it, but it was reasonably priced read more

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This Japanese-focused asian fusion restaurant was sort of like an independent Wagamama...albeit with a much more extensive menu. The staff were extremely attentive and friendly and we were seated quickly, even on a busy Saturday night. Pluses? Portion sizes are huge and the price is affordable. Negatives? Unfortunately the food was pretty mediocre IMO. If you're not snobby about Japanese food then you'll be fine... but I'm pretty fussy about getting it right. Lesson learnt: I should just listen to Yelp. It was, as described, pretty bland. read more

My work colleagues decided we needed to go out for lunch. They chose Hare and Tortoise because they are huge fans. It's quite close to their building (ours it a bit further away). I'm always up for trying any new place so I was keen to give it a try. This branch opens at 12:00, so if you get there right around then, it's quite easy to get a table. When we left around 1:15, the place was packed, so it's definitely popular. I can see why, the food is fairly inexpensive and decent, so you feel like you're getting a good lunch somewhere. I had the brown rice tea (because I love that stuff), and it was quite nice. Plus it's unlimited refills, so I made sure to have a second cup. I also went for the Penang Prawn Mee. It was one of the few items on the menu with three chillies. And with the rain, it seemed like a big bowl of soup might be nice. It also came out very quickly (so obviously they do have a lot of stuff made up in advance). Everything was nice. Pork cooked well and was soft. Prawns also cooked well. The soup had nice flavor, but it was far from three chillies. I'd say a half a chilli if anything. Barely any spice. So that was a bit disappointing, but since it's about half the price of expensive ramen joints where the food isn't really much better, I at least feel like I'm getting value for money instead of spending a ridiculous amount of money on what amounts to a bland bowl of soup. So yeah, it's probably a place to come back to for a work lunch. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here with friends or on my own, but someone suggested it, I would definitely come along. read more

4 stars solely based on value rather than merely on food quality. An absolute institution for students (particularly Asian ones), I used to frequent H&T when at UCL. During peak meal times you can expect to queue for at least 20 minutes before getting a seat. Fortunately they do take-out, so if you're in a hurry you can just head inside and order at the cashier. Food: It's all pretty reliable. The sort of thing I'd score at a 3-3.5. Their katsu curry is solid, likewise for their laksa. The char kuay teow deserves special mention imo because it's actually objectively good rather than just good for London. Their sushi/sashimi is all decent. Similar price to atari-ya but marginally worse in quality. Basically don't come here just for that (go to atari-ya instead) What makes H&T stand out is the value. Mains are around 6-8 pounds each and the portions are obscenely large. I think the best representation of this is the fact that the tempura udon (~7 pounds) is quite a decent portion on its own at the price. But because it's comparatively smaller than the other dishes, for that price point you get some sushi on the side as well. Bottom line - far from the best asian food you'll have but a combination of decent qualify, decent pricing, and massive portions make this incredibly good value for money. read more

5pm on a Monday evening and the place is packed. Must be good? Not sure. Udon soup bland, salmon maki rolls cheaper than California rolls, and lots of student-aged patrons. My guess is it is quick and priced well for Uni students. Ok if I'm in a hurry but not a place I would go to again for a good sit down. read more

It's good, and affordable, and belly-filling. I used to live in a flat adjacent to the Brunswick Centre, long before its current modern iteration with nice shops and juice bars and sit-down restaurants you'd actually want to linger in. That reads disparagingly, but it shouldn't: I loved my former 'hood...it was a little gritty, a little beat down around the edges, and housed a much-loved secret - the Hare & Tortoise. Two friends and I would meet every Sunday night here. I would have - exclusively - one of two things: ramen or chicken katsu. Flash-foward to today: change is around us (cue GIF of a massive clock ticking and some monster ballad about life passing us by in the background). My friends have moved from London. I no longer go to the H&T weekly. I do now eat katsu at other establishments (though, here was the first time I'd ever had the crunchy chicken with a side of mild fragrant curry and, for better or worse, it's the taste that I match all subsequent katsus against). Change is around at Hare & Tortoise, too: prices have gone up a little (though you can still get a significant meal + tea for under a tenner). The lines seem longer than ever, though they do move quickly. The service is efficient. The menu has expanded (I have never tested the sushi). The food is comforting. I still carry one of their cards from 2005 around in my wallet. Good memories of friends + Japanese n0ms. Yelp note: pairs nicely with a trip to the Renoir Cinema! read more

Super fast seating and good sushi at decent prices for London. Nothing is particularly creative here but the service is good and if you are looking for a boisterous start to an evening, this is a solid bet. The convenient location next to the British museum lends it to be a good post museum meal. Besides sushi they also offer all sorts of Asian standards. Pad Thai, gyoza, katsu curry. They so takeaway so if there is a queue, give them a call and then go get coffee. read more

The Hare & Tortoise predates the Brunswick centre's gentrification, previously being on the opposite side of the Renoir cinema, always popular with Asian students in London. With the general makeover the Hare & Tortoise has changed too, and now has more seats than before. They have also added sushi to the menu which whilst decent enough I generally avoid for the more comforting main dishes. I usually go for the Tori Katsu curry with Chinese greens, which particularly seems to do the trick when hungover. Although, it's important to mention that the gyoza are also really tasty. As was mentioned the queues can get pretty crazy and the service can be a little moody. Still it's great value and really fulfilling food. read more

Delicious!! Fast-paced, you have to keep up with the servers. Seemed like a place full of regulars, who enjoyed coming back. The menu has a great selection of dishes, and I could hardly wait for the food to arrive (watching other people with their food built up the anticipation). Took a little time, but was worth the wait. We got the Tori Gyoza for the table, and I ordered the Tori Katsu Curry, Yaki Udon and Beef with Chili Black Bean Lo Mein - all cooked to perfection. Great for an empty stomach, and we even had leftovers. The whole meal cost just cost £20 for three people! read more

It's been a ritual for many years to go to the Hare and Tortoise after a film at Curzon Bloomsbury. It is always packed with a small but worthwhile wait for a table. Despite, the huge choice of local restaurants, my movie going friends and I never considered going anywhere else. In fact we often close to see a film at the Curzon just to eat after at the Hare and Tortoise. It offered the best value Japanese food in town an incredible variety of delicious food from its extensive menu. It's menu included a brilliant selection of sushi and sashimi dishes and some delightful light sides. It was a small chain with a winning concept. Loved it. Last week we were devastated when we arrived to a half empty restaurant on a Friday night. We were handed a new menu, thinned down to its bare bones; just a double page with a limited choice. Sushi and sashimi dishes were a thing of the past. Instead, it was a very carb-based menu of bulky rice dishes and noodles. I looked at a big man on the table next to me eating a mountain of stodgy white rice with a peak of sticky sweetened pork and was gutted. There was literally nothing we could eat and we decided to leave. The staff looked disappointed but unsurprised. By the number of empty seats, whoever made the crazy decision to cut the menu and try to change their winning unique formula into a cheapo version of Wagamama must be counting huge losses. Their staff must be worried for their jobs. We won't be returning again unless they give customers back the reason why we flocked there in the past. Very sad and very stupid. read more

I remember my roommate was obsessed with this place because this place was the only restaurant in London (that we found) that gave you an ample amount of food compared to the price you paid and the quality was great too! Although it's labeled as Chinese cuisine, they have Japanese (including sushi/sashimi) food and occasionally Korean food on the menu as well. Although we always had to wait in line to get a table, the service was quick and friendly. If you are a college student studying abroad like my roommate and I were and want to get the most of your money (damn you exchange rate!), you should definitely stop by Hare and Tortoise at least once. Or you can go every other day like my roommate did. LOL. read more

This location of the Japanese food chain in nestled in the corner of Brunswick Square, a fairly busy shopping plaza with no shortage of shops and restaurants. The interior is clean cut and well lit, with smooth wooden tables and comfortable seating. The Hare and Tortoise's menu is extensive and comes in several parts: noodles, rice, nigiri, maki, sushi boxes, sashimi, donburi, drinks, and dessert, as well as being very reasonably priced (a noodle or rice dish could set you back 6 to 12 quid, depending on what you choose to get). You'd find your standard chicken teriyaki boxes and your unagi boxes, but you' also find other Asian dishes, such as char kway teow and fried rice. Overall, it's a pretty standard pan-Asian menu leaning more towards the Japanese. The sushi box that my three friends shared came speedily, along with our beverages. With 12 pieces and was about 14 pounds--it is sushi, so of course it was a little on the pricey side, but it was fresh and pleasant, However, nothing to write home about. My roast duck came with two or three pieces of boy choy and was served over a bed of white rice. The duck was crispy and tender, but again, it was nondescript and predictable,as well as my companion's chicken teriyaki and my other friend's tonkatsu ramen. The service was great-I barely felt that the servers were there, yet they managed to answer our every need in an efficient manner. I would have given this place 4 stars, but I felt the food could have used a little more "oomph," which I understand is difficult when you decide to do a pan-Asian restaurant of any sort. It's difficult to stand out from the crowd. 3.5 stars. read more

Good price and good food, has Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian food. Tried the yaki udon and roast duck & rice so far, both pretty decent. read more

Hare & Tortoise - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Professional and friendly staff. Food was not bad, but it could be spicier in my opinion. All in all its a good place read more

I love the Hare & Tortoise and have been around 5 times. I like the extensive menu, and despite this the food is generally good quality. Disappointed a bit this time round - the wakama salad was a bit of seaweed salad on top of normal lettuce. - the singapore noodle was bland with not much meat / fish - edamame arrived without salt! Seriously - the only reason to eat edamame is as a salt vehicle. Generally it's a four star experience, but it gets three stars this time. I'll update next time I visit. Don't let this put you off, great with friends, speedy, fast and good value. read more

This place serves a variety of Asian food. The quality is decent, but not great. The dishes have a very standard presentation, as if they came off a conveyor belt. The main drawback, however, is that this place is always overcrowded and noisy, being filled with students from nearby universities. This is bound to happen, given that it's one of the few full scale restaurants in the area. The impression you get from the staff is that they want you to finish your meal as soon as possible and leave to make room for more people. It's generally ok for lunch if you are in that area, but certainly isn't worth queuing outside for half an hour in the evening or deliberately traveling here from somewhere else. People say it's value for money and they're probably right, but, in my opinion, I would rather spend much more and get the food and the service of excellent standard that I deserve. read more

Hare and Tortoise, as an Asian food restaurant, stands out for me due to its value for money. Portions are big (maybe even huge), especially its noodles (though it might be the huge bowls giving me an illusion of extra size). And they go for about 5 to 7 pounds only. My favourite dish here is definitely the curry mee, which is very rich (the soup) and they don't skimp on the garnishings. It can get very full in the evenings after 6 or 6.30pm, so make sure you get there early or be ready to queue for a while. It's generally a short wait if you're a pair or at most 4 people. Any more than that will take forever if you attempt to try your luck. read more

This mini-chain combines Chinese, Japanese, and Malaysian offerings in a café-style environment, which of course sounds a bit like Wagamama. This put me off coming here for a long time even though the Bloomsbury branch is close to my office. Of their offerings, I prefer their soup noodles to their stir-fried noodles. In particular, I like the curry laksa (£6.25), which is generously topped with chicken, fried tofu, prawn, squid, and fish cake. Although this was a different variant to one I had at Kiasu, I thought the laksa here was superior. In contrast, my take-away yaki udon (£6) was a bit lacklustre. Whilst it was good value and chock full of roast pork, squid, prawn, and crabstick, it lacked quality. The presence of crabstick was puzzling but I was more disappointed by the lack of garnish, such as pickled ginger and spicy fish powder that normally accompany Japanese fried noodles. Whilst Hare & Tortoise may lack a bit of quality, it's much better (and cheaper) than Wagamama. Overall a decent good value option for noodles, if you find yourself in the vicinity of one. http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com/ read more

I rate this place highly because the flavours and seasoning are spot on and the dishes are mostly under £10! If you have an appreciation for Asian food and on a budget then I definitely recommend this place! Laksa was delicious! read more

Hare & Tortoise - Laksa.. only £7.70 - great broth! - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

Small chain of Japanese restaurants serving sushi, ramen, noodle & rice dishes. Great food and decent prices.

three words: SPICY WING STICKS! Possibly the nicest side order i have ever had... Have been known to order two portions... Lovely food, brusque service at times depending who you get, but thats to be expected in most asian restaurants... right??? (controversial!) I always go for the Satay Chicken Lo mein- I dont know why... Its the mix of the tofu, the large slices of chicken, the extra chilli, the crunch veg.... Lovely! I must ocnfess i have only strayed from that offering once ro twice, always to return. YES you can queue for ages outside YES they can muck up some orders but overall i think it is well worth a trip if you are around the west end and fancy a quick eat! read more

Hmm this place is almost so good I don't want to share it! It's a chain of five restaurants dotted around London. Almost always full, but table turnover for 2 people is pretty quick [no bookings/reservations]. Prices seem to rise ~25-50p each year but on average a large meal will cost ~£7 [great for feeding anyone with a big appetite!]. Good selection of Asian fusion dishes from sushi to your basic noodles! My tips you can't go wrong with the Tori Katsu curry OR Curry Laksa! Yumm And if you're feeling indulgent try the Spider Maki! Enjoy! But remember! I never told you! read more

Very fast service, food was great. My husband wouldn't shut up about how delicious his noodles were. Highly recommend!

This is an excellent place for a quick nosh. Main courses start at about a fiver for a tasty noodle or rice dish. It's one of small chain - there are others in Putney, Kensington and Ealing. The service is not always particularly friendly but it is efficient. read more

Eel in this restaurant is very good, no matter it is with rice or on a sushi. Not expensive but great taste. read more

Hare & Tortoise - Chinese Near Me - London, XGL

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Love this place, even worth putting £3.60 in the parking meter for.. Consistently good food and reasonably priced..

Nice little restaurant for Asian and Japanese food. Food quality is OK considering in London. Sushi wise, rice is a tad hard. Soft shell card is overcooked Asian dishes are tasty but oily. Overall, nice restaurant with varieties. read more

I'm a big fan of cuisine from both Japan and China, and have had the luck to spend a reasonable length of time living within the latter country and enjoying the food there. So while I'm no expert on the food by any means I've come to appreciate what makes great Chinese cooking and what I experienced here was definitely that; have tried all of the soup noodle dishes on my numerous visits and greatly enjoyed them all. Simple but packed with flavour; reasonably priced, although there are definitely cheaper out there. They have a range of drinks from the usual beers to fancier spirits too, and the location is lovely, right in the Brunswick centre which is worth a walk through if only to get to the park next to it; there's the brilliant cinema right neighbouring this restaurant too which I'd recommend also. One final thing that just popped to mind and is only a small point but worth mentioning: seats in the left-hand side of the place always seem to be plagued by a constant air con blaring sound. It's not an issue to everyone (as proved by how packed the restaurant can get at peak times) but for those irritated by background noise I'd advise you sit elsewhere in the restaurant. But a great place overall! read more

Friendly service and great sushi. I was staying at the Pullman St Pancras and looking for sushi within walking distance, and this was perfect. The tuna tataki sashimi is really good. read more

This is a really nice restaurant that's not too expensive so is great for students coming from nearby universities. I've tried the curry laksa, the roast duck, and the yaki udon. The curry laksa was really nice and I will be going for it again; the other two dishes were okay but I wouldn't rush to have them again. The roast duck in particular is hit or miss. Loss of one star simply because the service can be hit or miss. Arrive during busy lunch periods and expect to be asked for your order before you've even taken your coat off. However, when I've eaten there later in the day staff are less brash and very friendly and welcoming. Overall probably the nicest restaurant to visit within the Brunswick complex. read more

I have been a fan of H&T since 1996 when it used to be a small independent Japanese eatery hidden in the tired old Brunswick Estate. With the regeneration of Brunswick, so has my little Japanese secret. If you like Japanese food and don't want to be limited with just sushi, this is the place to be. There is so much on their menu that I love to eat. The food is always to a high standard, fresh and delicious. The service is fast and friendly. A good size main and Jasmine tea comes to approximately £10. It is often busy (because it s so good) but you hardly ever kept waiting for a table for more than 10 minutes. I think it lost some of its original charm from the early independent days as H&T has a few branches dotted around these days and is no longer my little secret but still my most favourite Japanese. read more

Living a block away from here makes this place a little too accessible... therefore addictive. Never be discouraged by the lines outside... the most you'll wait is 10 minutes. And they pass out menus outside, so as soon as you sit, they're ready to take your order. The food isn't super memorable, but definitely affordable, great quality, and delicious! read more

For someone who knows something about authentic Chinese/East Asian food, the duck rice here is pretty amazing. I can't speak to the other dishes because I have never ordered anything else. Its worth the wait in line during lunch hour, at least for a nice dish of duck rice and a solid side of the chili (sambal). Last I checked its pretty affordable too! read more

Food is good at a good price but waitresses don't seem to want to be bothered serving.

Review is for miso ramen. Acceptable by London standards, I suppose. If you are a ramen fan and looking for long brewed bone broth, don't stop here... just keep moving along. (Consider yourself warned). The broth was not deeply flavored. The pork topping was ok, but had a weird aftertaste. I suspect that it was not fresh. Noodles were ok. Service was fine. read more

Me and my friends, partially drunk, were staggering around Russell Square hungry as hell. A friend of my friend worked at a pub (in fact, his dad owned it) So we went there to try and find some grub. £10.00 for some fish and chips? Nowhere to sit? Packed pub? No thanks. Had a pint but we kindly made our excuses and tottered off and found this place. The Hare and Tortoise? I thought that it must have been a pub food type of place. How wrong I was. A queue? For a restaurant? Welcome to London. It is the first time I have ever had to do this.. normally I turn up and there are seats available. But not here! The wait was only ten minutes though and alcohol had smoothed over any friction I might have felt otherwise. We even let an older pair of couples go before us to be seated because we were feeling so amiable. Finally though, we got to our seats. The fun started here! The food was excellently affordable and before my food came (stir fried beef in black bean sauce) I was skeptical about my portion size but I was delighted with what I got. A large bowl equally distributed between delicious rice and delicious stir fry. The service for me was enjoyable (some Japanese waitress kept coming over to speak to us... probably my good looks) and they were very helpful, despite the business. I would advocate this place to all, even if you aren't necessarily in the area. There are other branches at other parts of London though so look out for them if you don't live near EC1! read more

I think the other menu were fine but don't order the ramen or noodles in soup. The noodles were cut too short and all mushed up... Quite disappointing in that term. The service was very nice and the ambience is perfect to go out with friends or even on your own. read more