Namo

One of the many gaffs that has tried to create more seats by building unuseable table space in innapropriate places. Uncomfortable and inattentive staff. Left without eating.

I don’t usually write bad reviews but I ate at Namo Victoria park tonight and it was honestly dreadful! Main dish blatantly came straight from a tin and… it was supposed to be a noodle dish… well I could barely find any noodles; the wait was so long and I had to ask twice for my food; all that without mentioning that the side came burnt! No knife no fork, and I had to cut my side which I obviously couldn’t do with chopsticks; I didn’t even get offered the option to eat with a fork. Staff was very disorganised, service was terrible. Now I’m just hoping I won’t be sick tonight!
All of this cost me £30…well thank you but no thank you, this was the first and last time for me!

Good food and great service. I ordered the vegetable curry with sweet potatoes and the monkfish in banana leaves. the dessert was pretty good too!

Delicious, tasty Vietnamese food.
Visited Namo early on a Friday night as we were hungry and walking past. As it was 5.30 we didn’t need a reservation and unless you have a big group I think you should be OK just walking in.
I had the squid to start with which was so good I’ve been thinking about it ever since! It was the perfect texture and deliciously spicy and lightly salted. I then had a duck salad with noodles on the side which was also good. The salad was filled with large juicy pieces of duck and I will definitely be having it again.
The drinks menu comes with a fairly standard of beers and spirits and 3 or 4 cocktails.
The menu is slightly more limited than in many of the other Vietnamese places in the area. However the quality is excellent so don’t be put off. I’ve been walking past this place for years and I’m now kicking myself for not going previously.
Price was around £40 for 2 people, 3 courses with a couple cocktails and beers.

Nice space, nice atmosphere, got busy at around 8pm (midweek). Food was OK, and reasonably priced. If you’re after a really good Vietnamese I’d go to Green Papaya –same prices different league on food.

We had a wonderful meal here on bank holiday Monday. I have been to a lot of Vietnamese restaurants in this town and I think this is one of the best.
For starters we ordered some chicken wings and they were perfectly cooked. They reminded me exactly of how they taste in VN — light, crisp and not too salty.
For main I ordered the Vit Ham which was a Duck, date and glass vermicelli noodle dish. It was gorgeous. I’m sad that my mum could not try this dish — unique but to me — high end vietnamese dining.
We also had the beef curry and a mixed vegetable dish — both extremely well cooked with wonderful flavours.
I’m reserving 5* only because the food took a little too long to come out and there was only one waiter that day. The service wasn’t bad at all — but maybe another member of staff may have helped a bit. Still — we weren’t in a rush!
I’m definitely going back — I can’t wait to take my family along next time.

I’ve been going once a month for four/​five years and have been a huge fan of their uncomplicated menu, zen garden and friendly service. But recently its not quite the same… Service is very poor (15 minutes before we get asked about a drink?) food only hits the mark when the head chef is in (Saturday/​Sunday according to the waitress) And the sweet little touches like Jelly Bean bags with the bill have disappeared. The staff don’t feel like a cohesive unit anymore. Where’s that Namo magic gone? Come on chaps, sort it out or you’ll be losing customers.

I was visiting London and a Vietnamese friend of mine wanted to go to a Vietnamese restaurant. We picked Namo because she had never been before, it had good reviews and it wasn’t too far from where we were staying.
We liked the interior design, and it was pretty dark which created a nice atmosphere.
Service was incredibly slow. If it was packed I would’ve understood, but it definitely wasn’t as there were only two other tables taken when we got in and they both had their food already. It took at least 15 minutes to get the Vietnamese coffee my friend ordered. Other dishes were just as slow, and we had to ask for the bill twice.
I had phở and my friend ordered something else but somehow ended up with the exact same as me. Not sure what happened as the waiter repeated it twice and the bill did make the difference between the two. By the time my friend realized the mistake we had already started eating and were already frustrated by the slow service as well as the terrible coffee so we decided to just eat and leave rather than make a scene.
I did like the taste of the ph and so did my friend, it just wasn’t what she ordered. She however hated the Vietnamese coffee and it was so bad she couldn’t even finish it.
Prices were pretty high and service wasn’t included. Also, it’s cash only.
0 stars for the service, 3 stars for the food, and I’m rounding down to 1 star because we had an overall bad experience.

Namo is a great authentic Vietnamese restaurant off the beaten track, around the corner from Lauriston rd. We stopped here for lunch on a sunny Sunday afternoon and took a seat in the garden area.
We ordered from the Lunch special menu plus a couple of extra dishes, and shared the mixed grill and mixed fish platter, with roasted vegetables, rice and soup plus beef curry with egg friend rice. It was delicious! I normally don’t order fish, but the monkfish was very fresh and tasty. Each main is around a tenner and they have Asahi on tap. A lovely find!

This isn’t exactly the type of establishment where you’d expect to find loads of screaming kids… but I’m afraid I had bad luck. I tried to go to my happy place in my head but they were so loud it really did ruin the experience of this chilled restaurant for me! The whole sea bass I had was so so good! The size of it when it arrived at my table was a bit embarrassing hahaa. The egg fried rice was pretty average! I’d like to come back and try the cocktails as hear they are amazing.

Great food whether eating in or take away. Sadly moved recently and so this is no longer on our doorstep. I highly recommend the food but especially the chilli squid and salt & pepper wings. For me its the best in Hackney.

I had a brilliant time there a couple of days ago with a couple of friends who live nearby. It’s a cute, cosy and aesthetically pleasing restaurant. There’s a covered sort of outdoor extension at the back and another recessed space on the left.
The food is genuinely good, they seem to try different things regularly but if my watching food shows like Rick Stein and others is of any use, this is definitely genuine Vietnamese cuisine.
I had a whole steamed sea bass and whilst the size of the fish was perfectly fine I could have swallowed another one. So tender. The seasoning was perfect with chillies, ginger, lemongrass and soy sauce. Beautiful.
The service was also excellent, we had a little chat with the young waitress later who was asking news from the North of England where she’s from.
Very relaxed, genuine good food, fresh ingredients, great service and very decent prices considering the up and coming east end area. £55 for 3 mains, 3 summer rolls and 2 pint of Asahi lager. Can’t argue with that and I made my friends promise we’d go back with the fiancée when we are next visiting.
4 stars because I didn’t really check the drinks menu (not that wine is really necessary with this type of cuisine) but if they have other beers and some good wines, I’ll update to 5 next time ;-)

On a hot, heavy night in Hackney after a couple of beers in the Britannia we made our way to Namo for dinner. The restaurant seemed pretty busy, usually a good sign, and we were seated in a partially covered outdoor area, which, given the weather was ideal.
S_​ordered a Passionfruit cocktail, which at 5.50 was reasonable and she enjoyed it (she likes her cocktails). I had a Tiger, a standard for oriental type restaurants.
The prawn crackers were a mixture of the Styrofoam types and the crunchy ones but edible in that moreish kind of way that prawn crackers are.
For starter I opted for the Soft Shell crab, which was one decent starter size crab,
well cooked and crispy with a Tamarind dipping sauce which complemented it quite well. S_​had the Spring Rolls, however when she asked if she could have them with plum sauce rather than the regular dipping sauce she was informed that they would not go well with plum sauce. We didn’t pursue it, however S_​, somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to spring rolls, remains adamant that they would have gone very well with plum sauce. We’re not talking some Ayatollah haute cuisine chef here so why do restaurants insist on not giving people what they want when they ask for it?
For the main I had the Bo vi huong described as a «Vietnam spicy Beef curry with lemongrass». The bowl of brown I got had good chunks of tender, if somewhat fatty beef, reminiscent in texture of stewed beef. Unfortunately, although it tasted ok, spicy it was not.
S_​had a chicken curry, which again was ok.
Our friends shared a Crispy duck with pancakes. They had to attract the attention of a server (not easy) to ask for the accompanying spring onions and cucumber which were not delivered with the main. Note, this came with plum sauce so it was definitely available.
Service was not too great to be honest, it was difficult to attract attention, although there were plenty of staff around.
So the verdict. Prices seemed reasonable, although I haven’t eaten out in London for quite a while so I’m not sure how comparable they are.
Service was poor overall, and they also have an interesting quirk when paying the bill. They do not accept gratuities on cards, only cash. As we had almost no small cash on us, this resulted in a very small tip, which being fair, was probably representative of the service level we received.
Namo is ok for a quick bite, but I doubt if I’d be planning a return any time soon.
For me anyway, the wow factor definitely is not there.

Nestled in Victoria Park Village serving tasty Vietnamese food. Food is brilliantly flavorsome and the service is friendly and efficient. The extension at the back is great in the summer or in the evenings, this patio area has a removable roof which is perfect for London unpredictable weather.

Whenever my boyfriend asks where do I want to go out to eat on a random night, It’s usually to Namo. I have to restrain myself from over-​eating Vietnamese on a weekly basis.
A lot of reviews complained about service, but I haven’t had any overly bad experience… a couple times, we’ve had to wait a bit for our cocktails but it has been Friday night. The Lychee cocktail is my absolute favourite, it’s hard to find a cocktail club that uses fresh lychees which is such a win in my book.
I recommend the duck pancakes and the 5 bean pork, which is perfectly chili-​BBQ flavoured and is just out of this world. Yum. Wonder what we’re doing tonight…

I went here very spontaneously with a few friends the other day, and was instantly hooked. The atmosphere is certainly more upmarket than what I am used to, but that said it’s not substantially more expensive than any of the places on Kingsland Road. Service was good, if a little brisk, and I was really impressed by the patio, which had a removable roof. (How cool is that?)
But let’s get to the food, which is obviously the most important aspect of any restaurant experience. And this one certainly was a pleasant surprise. We ordered several dishes to share (all vegetarian) and each dish was uniquely flavored with an interesting twist compared to your «standard» Vietnamese fare. Everything tasted really delicious, with an interesting balance of spices and accompanied by very good dipping sauces. Portions could have been more generous for my liking (but then that’s almost always true for me — greedy eater that I am).
In sum, I would recommend this place for a nice, somewhat special Vietnamese dinner that won’t break the bank.

Don’t rely on getting a table, it’s best to book. The dishes’ descriptions on the menu may be deceptively simple (My brother: You’re ordering steamed chicken with lemon and ginger? You’re the dullest person on earth — — after tasting — — Hmmm. Do you want to swap?) but the flavours are tremendous. Also their Pinot Grigio is incredibly drinkable, you’ve been warned!
Closed on Mondays, they do takeaway if you collect but don’t have a delivery service. Try the monkfish with ginger –yum!

A fantastic Thai and Vietnamese restaurant in Victoria Park Village. The restaurant is stylish inside and tables have enough privacy to take your girl/​boyfriend there for an intimate dinner. The food quality is amazing and some of the best Vietnamese I had in London so far. Portions are not over-​generous but enough to make you completeley happy. Still a secret tip but reservations on the weekends are recommended to avoid disappointment.
Verdict: brilliant and as already mentioned: a hidden gem.

Namo’s is without a doubt one of my favourite places to eat in the east end. Situated in the heart of Victoria Park Village, it’s pretty convenient for me to get to as I live a hop skip and a jump away, well a cycle through the park. But you if you are to come here on public transport the nearest tube station is Bethnal green and you can get a bus from there.
The last time I was here I had the Ca-​ri do bien — Vietnamese Seafood curry
Prawns, squid, tilapia fish cooked in coconut milk & tamarind fruit which was absolutely delectable.
The staff are super efficient and friendly, the décor is stylish, ¹⁰⁄₁₀.

Namo is amazing if you like Vietnamese food –this place is really good.
Its cheaper more accessable brother on Kingsland road is Huong-​Viet in Dalston and amazingly has the same owners .The difference in décor and and location is huge. This restaurant feels slick and pricey.
However this hard to get to restaurant (no tube or train nearby) also has reasonable prices with a much grander and stylish presentation.
We ordered the «vit chien don» or duck pancakes which were
gorgeous to start and the” tom/​nuc tuong” or prawns in black bean sauce for main as well very good —
Definitely worth the trip to the Victoria park area and if weather is nice there is outside eating as well that is asian porch-​like !!