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    The Diner

    3.2 (111 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Diners
    Closed 10:00 am - 12:30 AM (Next day)

    The Diner American Restaurant Photos

    THE DINER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - The Diner

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    Reviews With Photos

    Shake shake shake shake shake shake shake
    Sanj M.

    Fun spot for an all-American diner style milkshake date! This was an inspired suggestion by my guy after a disappointing dinner elsewhere, and a good place to warm up after being frozen by the unexpected return of winter in June (well done UK)... We didn't have to wait long as we nabbed two high seats at the bar and started enjoying the completely overdone diner theme and jukebox tunes. My guy has a weird knack for choosing drinks for people so I trusted his choice of a 'Choconaut' hard shake for me. He wasn't wrong. Rum, dark choc liqueur and choc ice cream, that altogether tasted like a boozy version of Belgian Chocolate flavoured Haagen-Dazs (obv the best HD flavour) with yummy little bits of chocolate in it too. His bourbon and peanut butter choice was a little too peanutty for me but he was happy with it. The staff were ridiculously difficult to get the attention of, but redeemed by the cheeky guy behind the bar who err may or may not have obeyed a throwaway comment to go heavy on the bourbon in my guy's drink! I can't comment on the food, but the hard shakes might just bring me back to order the exact same thing again...

    Waffle Fries + Mac and Cheese
    Georgia J.

    I've been here a few times now and the food and service is always fantastic! Hard shakes are a definite must but remember one is enough, with the extra they give you the time I had two I genuinely couldn't move for a good hour... My personal favourite is getting waffle fries and Mac and cheese from their sides and putting them together! Food perfection!

    Filtered (photo) coffee mug.
    Yinnie C.

    So, you'll be horrified to know that some of my friends who have lived in London all their life, and they've never ventured down Carnaby street. (Oh, the horror) That could be down to two reasons. 1) Clearly, I have far too much time on my hands when I should've been studying. 2) I'm secretly a hipster (not so much a secret now...) So it's like WE HAD TO GO, I mean there is no choice, I MUST show them a whole new world, like aladdin and jasmine on their magic carpet ride. I mean, it's SUCH a hard life. (I kid!) So my birthday rolled along and I dragged them along to try out the hard shakes and the burgers. I'm not going to lie, I never even looked at the food part of the menu. I saw HARD SHAKES and I was already sold. I mean. Bourban and peanut Butter. WIN. and do you know what else is win? They give you a scoop of peanut butter on the side of your milkshake container. What's not win. The gherkins were pretty rubbish. they didn't have a POW that cut through the immense amount of meat. I ordered the arch burger which has a pulled pork topping. ( Yes, I'm going through a pulled pork binge these days, AND WHAT?!) The burger started off well, but it didn't keep me going. I think I'm jaded after burger quest. I left half my burger and just ate off the pulled pork topping. To be fair, the burger was PRETTY ginormous. I wasn't wowed by The Diner but it's a sound 3 stars. And I'm sorry, the gherkins are pretty damn crucial.

    Joseph T.

    The Diner is one a few good places to get some fast food in the area. It is one of an increasing number of vaguely 50s American-style diners in London. I've not been to an equivalent in the US so I don't know how it compares. It is sizable place with a good amount of seats and 50s decor throughout. The staff are dressed and made up with the 50s look as well, though they're young and attractive so it's cool rather than mawkish and vaguely depressing. The food is as one would expect; hot dogs, burgers etc. The lunch/dinner food is good though not exceptional, although the bar has a good beer selection. Instead, it is best to come for the breakfasts which are well-done, and perfect if you are a little worse for wear.

    Zoe H.

    If you want the full American 1950 dining experience then The Diner is the perfect place. They serve delicious all day breakfasts which rival anything I've ever tasted in New York- the pancakes are probably contain my daily calorie content but who cares when they taste this good! The Lumberjack breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon and maple syrup) is the perfect cure for hangover. £7.50 might seem a bit steep for breakfsat but I really think it's worth every penny. The staff are dressed in 1950s gear and the walls are adorned with Rock'n'Roll era but somehow it does not seem tacky. If you're feeling a little delicate after an alcohol fuelled night you will be pleased to know that free coffee refills are offered.

    My chicken and waffles and my boyfriends burger. Sooo yum
    lady w.

    We ordered the queso and chips, crazy good, spicy, which I usually can't tolerate, but the level was perfect. I had the chicken and waffles and it was yum. Waffles tasted like freaking ice cream cone, in the perfectly crunchy, yet tender way. The fried chicken was fried to perfection and it also came with some onions rings, which I gave to my bf. My bf had a big chicken burger which was perfect too, fresh bread, yummy chicken. I love this place!

    Sweet potato fries.
    Kai N.

    Yet another mediocre attempt to recreate an American diner by restaurateurs who apparently haven't been in many. The main issue here was the inconsistency: some things were great, some were terrible. The staff were absolutely bored and disinterested, and bordering on rude. The food breakdown: Creamy Nut hard shake was fantastic, boozy enough without being too boozy; the side of French toast was fine and used actual maple syrup, though the toast was a bit thin; sweet potato fries were of the pre-frozen unsalted variety, as expected, but no complaints. The so-called Reuben was totally inedible, served on cold white toast (seriously?), sauerkraut right out of the fridge, cold meat, cheese not only didn't melt but was stiff, horrible salt beef, and of course the whole thing was stone cold. It wasn't one of those cases of "this isn't [insert the food it claims it is] but it's still ok on its own merit", it was the sort of thing you'd expect to eat at a Soviet canteen during particularly lean times. On the other hand, the Cali burger was perfectly cooked to medium as requested, though it lacked house made guacamole, and came on a decent roll, with the toppings an afterthought. Diner wings were mushy with no hot sauce, but hot sauce was made available at the table. The blue cheese dip they came with was weird, with a foamy texture, and blatantly pre-packaged; it certainly didn't taste anything like blue cheese dressing. Freakshow wings have an offensive name but were nicely crisp and served with a good dip. The whole place was understaffed, and from start to finish the food took over an hour to come, which is sort of ridiculous. The take-away message: you'll find things here that you really like, other things that are really just inedible, and you have to be prepared for poor service and a very long wait. On the other hand, you're likely to get in without a huge wait for a table on a weekend brunch, so there's that.

    Menu!!!
    Daniel P.

    After some cheeky cocktails in Carnaby St, I (understandably) got the munchies. Well where to go for wholesome food? I shall tell you, but in case you've already guessed, it was The Diner. Choice made easier by the way since a friend I was with had a burger craving. Quick service (9pm) we each plumped for an expected cheeseburger and milkshake, splitting some fries. My medium rare burger was actually medium, but I forgave the friendly (if a tad slow) waitress this since it was totally yummy. Sweet potato fries are a must here and cheese skinnies were a good option too. The triumph of the menu here are the shakes, especially the hard ones. A hard shake, I hear you exclaim? Why yes dear reader, hard in this case means laced with a generous dollop of alcohol. I had a brandy Alexander (an old favourite) which was nicely flavoured with Nutella and chocolate pieces. Minus top marks here for price (£7 burger is great hut you can get a better burger at better price at Grillshack) but all in all, a definite recommendation. Leaving whilst they were playing 'Gold Dust' was the icing note cake - top top however, don't mosh when full. Lots of burping ensues.

    Diablo Burger

    Excellent food with very reasonable prices here - try the ribs or Diablo Burger The wait staff was courteous and inside seating was comfortable and quiet

    Sophie E.

    I loooooove The Diner! Their fare is not 100% american (you can only import so much), it's true. BUT. You can find american bacon (i hate it, but it's the real thing!!), and greasy burgers, and maple syrup!!! Their menu is varied and caters to just about anyone. I'd recommend it for brunch, as the eggs are lovely and they have a nice variety of pancakes. There is free wifi (maybe so wifi-enabled qypers can write their reviews live?) and a hilarious cocktails menu. I have yet to try a single cocktail, however, as I always stop at the milkshakes. The hazelnut one is to die for. Really. And not only they bring you a massive glass? They also bring you the metallic container with the left-over ice cream and milk mixture in it!! So you get nearly 2 glasses worth. It is delicious!! It's definitely worth a visit if you're hungry and around Carnaby street. One afternoon I went there with some friends and we only had milkshakes. The staff were very friendly and didn't encourage us to leave at all!! I was very impressed.

    Food took 20mins to arrive!
    Martin E.

    The Food was good, i had the mexican with onion rings and fat fries which was a good size portion. We had a 30min wait for a table but it was during busy hours. The service was very slow and was just for drinks, roughly 10min wait then after ordering food it took a further 20mins to arrive.

    service charge?
    Bella R.

    Walked in, we were quickly placed in a corner and watched people arriving at a later time being seated before us. Everything was fine until our food was served. Not only was our ridiculously priced burgers cold but our ridiculously small £5.00 chilli cheese fries were too. Even at £8.00 a burger, fries are not included. To make things worse, when we received our bill there was a £3.50 service charge added. When I can hands down say that was the worse service I've ever had. Basically a lazy group of unprofessional looking 25 year olds moping around. Disgusting. Just as I was happy to be leaving one of the staff members, as we were stood under the shelter putting our coats on said "I know it's raining but move out the way"......Not acceptable.

    Pancakes, eggs and bacon...delicious!

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    The Diner Reviews in Other Languages

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    The Fat Bear - Seafood Gumbo 2

    The Fat Bear

    4.5(126 reviews)
    1.6 miBlackfriars
    ££

    WOW, this place is delicious!…read more Our family stopped in London for the last part of our cruise. After touring St. Paul's Cathedral, we were pretty hungry. We found The Fat Bear via Yelp!, and decided to give it a try. There were so many things on the menu that looked really good, but I had been craving chicken and waffles. The waffles were crisp on the outside, and fluffy on the inside -- the chicken, cooked perfectly, too. The syrup they serve it with is incredible. I definitely recommend checking this place out if you are in London! Carson C. Visalia, California

    I felt a bit like a genius because I was choosing a place for several friends to meet up and we all…read morewanted different things. I wanted something with at least one good veggie option, they wanted something with meat, and it had to be somewhere in-between Camden and Canary Wharf, not too pricey, and ideally close to the city because otherwise our Italian friend probably wouldn't make it. And lo and behold.... THE FAT BEAR!!! It was all we wanted and more! This place is sort of tucked away and up some stairs above a pub. It's really just a room and a half, which makes it super cozy and they have a pretty awesome looking bar. It's got warm lighting which makes the atmosphere really nice. Their cocktails were delightful and the service was excellent. I will make a very strange observation that someone working there had a very drunk friend who just sort of made herself at home. Then more joined and it turned into me watching this table of really really drunk people trying to order food. Two of them ended up just falling asleep. It was super strange. Anyway, me being distracted aside, I really loved the cocktail I ordered- Sloe Boat To China, and everyone else seemed happy with theirs. I was dying to try the pimiento cheese starter and the fried pickles. The cheese was particularly sharp and delicious. The pickles were good, but quite skinny (I mean come on, you're in an American restaurant I was expecting some serious pickles). The vegan gumbo was super spicy and delicious. I was impressed and enjoyed it. My husband dropped the ball and ordered the regular jambalaya (with sausage) rather than the seafood one which broke my heart a little bit, because I really wanted to try it. You know, I guess that means we'll just have to come back. Oh also another bonus, this place has brisket which is really hard to find. I can't say how it tastes but my friend said he defo approves (am I becoming more British with these words, or just more annoying?) Anyway, to finish it off I had the oreo cheesecake which the bomb. I love oreos. And it tasted like oreo. So all was right with the world. A wonderful place to come if you have people who want to try American food, or if you have out of town Americans who are too scared to try other food, or if you have hungry friends that want to try cajun food, or if you just want to try some really yummy food.

    Photos
    The Fat Bear - Bar Close-up

    Bar Close-up

    The Fat Bear - Buffalo Style Fried Chicken Sandwich

    Buffalo Style Fried Chicken Sandwich

    The Fat Bear - Crawfish Boil - Special Event 1

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    Crawfish Boil - Special Event 1

    The Alchemist - Truffle, tater tots and prawn popsicles or maybe it was lollipops

    The Alchemist

    4.3(100 reviews)
    0.5 miCovent Garden, Strand
    ££

    food: dint grab food only drinks but the were yum and barely tasted like alcohol. also they were…read moreobviously presented super uniquely service: the staff was nice but kinda slow getting to us at a table and there was a lot of chaos like a bartender dropping glasses the whole time ambiance: really cool lighting and interior, gets very busy though

    Between a 3 and 4, but going with four because the food was above average pub grub and the drinks…read morewere good even if they were better looking than tasting. Came here for pre-theater anniversary dinner with my wife. The ambiance was somewhere between that of a trendy club and nice bar. There was a mad scientist vibe with the lights being industrial vibe and some metal decor. The music was thumpy and loud enough to remind you it was there. It made me feel a bit out-of-place as somebody well past my 20s, but also a bit cool or being there. You really come here for the drinks. We got the pipe dream, smokey old fashioned, honeypot picante, and one other I can't remember the name of, but which came in a flower pot. The pipe dream and smokey old fashioned were likely the best. Overall the drinks were more visually appealing than traditionally good and the visually appealing ones tended to have ingredients that weren't as top shelf and/or they were just too sweet. Not bad, but disappointing for what we'd hope. The food was the opposite. I had low expectations and the food wasn't amazing, but was better than average. We got the bao buns, crispy duck pancakes, panko halloumi, katsu curry, and hot honey pork tacos. They arranged for it all to come out in time for us to make our theater show, which was nice. The bao buns and pork tacos were probably the best. Neither blew me away, but both were solid. The katsu curry and halloumi were standard of what you might expect. The crispy duck pancakes was maybe as advertised, but it would have been nice to have some moistness or substance to the dug vs. it basically being crunchy salty bits of something. Overall, this wasn't a bad meal, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for either. We may be back, but we'll probably try other things first.

    Photos
    The Alchemist
    The Alchemist - Cookie dessert

    Cookie dessert

    The Alchemist - Presentation drink

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    Presentation drink

    Bodean's - Boss Hog Dog

    Bodean's

    3.9(266 reviews)
    0.1 miSoho
    ££

    Bottom-line: while maybe average to its American traditional bbq counterpart , Boudean's is…read moreprobably as good as it gets for London. Ordered the half baby back ribs, fries and slaw. Baby back ribs: not necessarily fall of the bone type of ribs, but if you give it a good tug , some of the meats will slide off its axis. I enjoyed it for what it's worth. Obviously, the smoker is limited in scope , so I'm not expecting Texas style quality. Was a little chewy in some places, but also tender in others. Had a preference for the chiptole bbq sauce rather than the hickory. Fries were mostly good (minus the tiny bits). So close to the meats, the fries absorbed some of the smokiness flavor. Slaw: low-point of the bbq. They used way, way, too much dressing. Like it was flooded. Also the cabbage wasn't cut finely, but presented as whole chunk slices. Would definitely not recommend this one. Overall minus the slaw, I enjoyed Bodean's

    Good taste of the US with some smoked bbq. Variety if choices from pulled pork Mac and cheese to…read moremy recommendation of the boss hog dog. Sticky fingers were not my favorite so may avoid that appetizer choice. Dined with a group of 35 and they were able to accommodate us in their basement dining area with a call ahead. Wait staff was pleasant although took a minute to get that much food out and had to ask for drink refills, but overall would surely return.

    Photos
    Bodean's
    Bodean's - Lots of ale choice!

    Lots of ale choice!

    Bodean's - Sweet potato fries

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    Sweet potato fries

    The Diner - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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