The Diner

I went here with the boyff for Pre-​Theatre drinks/​Food.
We walked in and within a minute a waitress had greeted us and sat us down. The seating is typical American diner booth and chairs so it looks exactly as you would expect.
The waitress came over within a couple of minutes to take our orders.
I wasn’t hungry so I went straight for a voddas and DC. I was delighted to see that they had so many local and London drinks behind the bar! GO LONDON! Support local businesses and all that :)
His Lordship asked about the ribs, which could potentially mean we were leaving it tight to get to the show on time… So I had a face like thunder, but, the waitress thought it would be fine.
So, his food arrived, and he said the ribs were very good indeed (Flavour and meat wise), but they were warm to cool in some parts. This could be as the waitress asked them to be quick, but thought it would have been better for them to cook them so they were warm throughout.
The chips were skinny fries and nothing special. Coleslaw was rather different.
I ordered another drink, it got made straight away, although it was left on the side for ages, then when I turned and looked in the direction of the bar staff they bought it over.
I will definitely pop back when I have more time and then we can take our time and order and not worry about time. It seems a good place and was packed.
If the ribs were warm and I didn’t have to wait ages for my drink it would be a 4 star.

The name here really says it all. It American style diner food is what you’re craving for, The Diner has you covered.
Between classics like fried chicken and waffles, burgers with Cajun fries and all-​day breakfast pancakes it’s hard to choose and hugs portions make sure nobody goes hungry.
Definitely one to check out when the mood strikes you.

I’ve been to several of these chain restaurants in London now and every time I’ve had a problem ordering! Now I am willing to except this might be bad luck on my part but it did frustrate me slightly when in two of the restaurants the problem was with the same thing! Biscuits. I lived in Louisiana for a while and fell in love with biscuits for breakfast (no I don’t mean of the rich tea variety) Biscuits are a cross between scones and English muffins, they are phenomenal and I always look for them in any american style establishment! Alas, I have yet to sample one in any of the ‘Diner’ restaurants. Each time my request was met with a ‘sorry we’re out’ response. This wouldn’t normally bother me except that I now see they have been removed from the menu completely! MY question is, if they were that popular that you ran out each time, why remove them from the menu? Were they just there as breakfast fodder? Did they think no one would want them? I’m baffled!
Anyway, on to the rest of the review. The Diner is ok. I love American diners but I’ve been to better (way better). The food is fairly expensive, which I expected given they have sprouted in all the tourist trap areas of London, Covent Garden, Spitalfields, Camden Market. The food is ok, it all felt a bit mass produced and not very satisfying. On one particular trip on a Thursday night to the Spitalfields restaurant we were told they had run out of ice cream. Not great for somewhere that openly advertises ‘great milkshakes’ and desserts.
I realise I have moaned a lot throughout this review but I just don’t feel like there is much else to say. I expected better.

Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. Food wasn’t special at all, some of which was just bland. Eggs Benedict bread was stale and tasteless; Eggs were overlooked and hollandaise sauce was bland.
I should add that the waitress was friendly about the Benedict and didn’t charge me for it.

Went here for some Diner ambiance, nice feel as it was a bust afternoon! Staff attentive and Oder was taken promptly with a few questions answered. Burgers were nice and dogs ok but nothing to write home about. Best part was the onion rings and the cheeky Bloody Mary which was very very good. Word of warning though steer clean of the loos as they were dreadful!

Loved taking a break from Euro food for some American food while I was in Europe. :) I got the corn dog which actually came with 2 corn dogs! The fries were just OK, a little big, but that is personal preference. The service was great and would definitely recommend.

Went here for a meal before going to the theatre. The food was really great and very tasty! The staff were very friendly and helpful. We ended up getting the ‘brunch burger’ which was quite a remarkable burger! The fries were also very good! Good chilled atmosphere for an informal dinner! The tip was automatically added to the bill which I am not a big fan of but because of the good service I felt it was deserved!

Good solid American breakfast food. Will visit again!

What I really wanted to try here was the Buttermilk Fried Chicken but I knew I didn’t have the appetite for it. I also knew I had to try one of their famous shakes and went for classic vanilla to get me started. A lovely thick, creamy, smooth and way too drinkable milkshake. I could probably have drunk about three of these before I started to feel sick! It helped to cool my mouth down as well when I discovered that the main I had chosen was a little bit on the spicy side: Diner Mexican Breakfast Pan. (with a side of biscuit because mmm… American biscuit!)
The food was extremely good but the pan made eating it a bit of a nightmare so perhaps a separate plate to give a bit more room for manoeuvring would be great. I’m drooling just thinking about it, this is totally something I should try recreating at home! My dining companions enjoyed theirs as well actually managing to clear their plates with one of them recommending the chilli cheese fries in particular.
My only real complaint would be the service which wasn’t that great. I mean we were more than happy to sit chatting with each other and weren’t in a hurry but a bit more attention would have been nice! I also disliked that the service charge was already added to the bill which I always find a bit insulting, especially since there were only three of us. I can fully understand why it’s necessary for larger groups but I don’t think that tipping should become expected in the same way that it is in the USA. I doubt that will stop be from visiting again and devouring some buttermilk chicken mind you…

Came here for lunch and opted for the shrimp burger and milkshake, pretty standard food. Although the mac and cheese is good. I think it’s a bit overrated for the price though.

Pretty bad food. Proper junk menu but the realization is awful.
Fries are not crunchy, hot dog is very dry, coleslaw has no taste, chicken wings aren’t appealing and Mac and cheese is just pasta and cheese.
You would really expect more than than for a «dinner».
Prices are really cheap though

Was here with a friend last week after a few hours pottering around seven dials. We were looking for something inexpensive and comforty in the cold weather and Diner almost delivered.
I went for the Cuban which must be a popular, mustard and pickles with the pulled pork works beautifully, and it was proper sloppy which was exactly what I wanted.
Didn’t deleve too far from the norm with the rest of my choices, sweet potato fries and chicken wings, standard for me, both were perfectly acceptable but nothing to shout about.
Friend got the cob salad which was pretty generous in its portion size, I tried a bit and was impressed.
Here’s my issue though, I still get frustrated with places that charge nearly £10 for a burger/​sandwich/​etc. and then don’t throw in at least some fries. Four pound extra is a bit steep, I paid nearly £25 in total with a beer and wings thrown in. Not outlandish for London but the cost doesn’t quite match the standard of what I got.
That said, if you’re happy to pay those prices you’ll have a decent meal. I’ll probably look to try other places similar in style before returning, there’s definitely better value out there.

An ok location for a relaxed meal with friends, but the food is overpriced, the drinks even more so and the service is incredibly slow. With the prices they’re charging they could afford to employ a few more staff. The toilets were disgusting when we visited, dirty and blocked, and this was at 8pm on a Tuesday evening. The food was more or less ok, and the portions were good, but the bacon wasn’t cooked enough.

I went here for breakfast and I would go here again!
Only booths so no risk to be disappointed being seated in table with chairs. It is not very large and if you get here just when they opened you might need to wait awhile for orders.
Decent selection of American breakfasts. Except for the American sizes. Pancakes served with maple syrup. But you need to ask for butter. Free refill of filter coffee.
Friendly staff and no unnecessary waiting time.
Register online for free wifi.
They accept AMEX.

OMG the chilli cheese fries here are epic and I still feel like I am going to burst hours after eating them!!! Wow! Proper good comfort food. The problem is the milkshakes. £4.50 for a milkshake that isn’t that big or filling??? Not cool. But otherwise a cool place to hang out.

If you veer away from the burger/​hotdog/​fries combo you’ll be rewarded. The diner dishes are all delicious, particularly the dirty rice and meatloaf. Milkshakes are also great albeit a bit heavy with the rest of the food.
If you have to wait a bit for a table then Freud right next door is a great place to grab a drink or two while you wait.

Great dinner last night. Had a hard time choosing what to get because everything on the menu sounded so… Comforting. Grabbed a cheeseburger with diner (mmmm Cajun) fries AND wet fries (gravy) and devoured everything. My friends and I didn’t leave a single dang bite on the table.
There’s so much more to try… must… return…

Stopped by The Diner for lunch. Byrons was across the street, though a tad pricey for a good burger, I needed to try out The Diner instead since its always bustling with customers during the lunch hour.
The only things I can comment on are the burger + sides we ordered, and not the breakfast (which I noticed another Unilocaler was disappointed in).
Diablo Burger x 2 (medium rare patty with bacon, jalapeño mayo and cheese) — 8.80 each
Side of mac n cheese — 2.60
Diner fries (spiced) — 3.10
Wet fries (gravy) — 2.90
Strawberry + Hazelnut milkshake — 4.30 each
So, we went in a little over our heads, neither of us finished our burgers or sides — it was delicious, but it was just WAY too much food! The patty was nicely done, medium rare, and the works were great. I do get a bit torn on the works, since I think a great burger can still be enjoyed naked. But who can really say no to bacon AND cheese???
The sides were pretty good, though one order of fries is enough to share between two people. I preferred the spiced fries over the gravy fries.
Overall, I felt i could go either way with Byron or The Diner. The Diner is a bit cheaper, not by THAT much, but their menu is a lot bigger if you’re looking for variety. I’d definitely go back!

I love you, The Diner.
We waited about 10 minutes before getting seated at the bar, then decided to just eat there. Great decision. The staff were super-​friendly and attentive and we could see the food coming straight out of the kitchen — the smell was amazing.
We ordered; The Diner Mojito with REAL blueberry syrup, Camden Hells Lager, Yankie Pig Dog (beef frank topped with pulled pork and american mustard), Cheeseburger + bacon, sweet potato fries and onion rings. And it was all great, really nothing to fault.
I intend to go back and order each item off the menu, really could not be happier about the popularity of ‘American’ food here. And they are opening The Diner in Gloucester Rd, which is even closer to home. Looks like I might need to start popping the button on my jeans…

I should have a frequent eater’s card for The Diner. No matter what part of London I end up in… if there is a Diner I will eat there because I know the food is always delicious and the atmosphere is always chilled out.
This particular Diner opened quite recently however they have the same great quality and atmosphere as every other Diner I have been to. We were seated very quickly and our drinks delivered right away. We even got to keep the riddle on the top of the Lone Start cap to keep us distracted for a while. Parting from our usual burger orders, we opted for the Diner Po Boy and the Open meatloaf sandwich. The chipotle mayo on the po boy complimented the crispiness of the crab. The meatloaf was moist and had lots of flavour. The chili cheese fries were delish as usual.
Again, another win for the Diner!