Blue Legume

The food here is good, but I have to agree with some of the posters below, the service leaves a lot to be desired. The first time I went here, about two months ago one lunchtime, I was with three other people. We waited absolutely AGES for menus, having to eventually ask for them. The place wasn't rammed by any means and the staff were all standing around the counter talking so it's not as if they were particularly busy.
Food arrived at different times meaning that one person started their meal as the rest of us were nearly finishing (and we had been eating slowly in the hope that her food would arrive soon).

The second time I was only with one other person again at lunchtime, when we asked for a menu we were told rather rudely to look at the boards on the wall. You may think this is fair enough considering you order at the counter, but we wanted to take menus to our table outside rather than making a hasty decision there and then. The couple next to us also waited absolutely ages for any service, so we told them that they would probably need to go and ask for menus etc, and seemingly they didn't know you also had to order at the counter, so again we told them.

I think this place would be really great if they improved the service. A smile and a helpful demeanour go a long way, and I agree with the person below who said if you don't enjoy interacting with people then why work in an environment where it's a main feature of the job.

Have been to the Blue Legume on at least a dozen occasions - lunch and dinner - and have never had problems like those described below. Great place, lovely food and friendly staff.

The Blue Lagume in Stoke Newington was our favourite place for breakfast, we and several other couples would frequent due to the amazing fruit platter.

Now we have a Blue Lagume closer but for some reason they do not do the fruit platter!! It was by far the best seller at their other location so I can't understand why.

Very dissappointed, this is 2nd rate in comparison to the Stoke Newington branch in terms of choice and friendliness.

The staff in the Blue Legume are extremely bad mannered and rude. I love the brunches and have brought friends and visitors on a few occasions but having been treated so rudely time and time again I'm not going back. I'm always polite and smiling when I speak to staff there and am met with a sour face, irritation and disrespect...this is just when ordering my food. I don't understand how somewhere like this can have so many awards with such little regard for customer service. And why open/work in a cafe in the first place when you so obviously find interacting with the public such a displeasure.
I've never reviewed before but the latest incident where the table was cleared before we'd finished our coffees annoyed me so much I had to vent (waitress took my saucer while I had my cup to my mouth). It's really pathetic in this day and age and if they don't do something about it they're going to lose out in the long run.

I went to the Blue Legume for a late brunch this afternoon with two friends. It was full when we got there, but two of the patrons immediately offered to share their table with us.

It is counter service, so once we finished drooling over the menu (everything sounded great!) we ordered, and immediately had food envy, as every plate going past us looked amazingly tasty. Thankfully our own dishes were just as good when they arrived.

I had the eggs florentine. The eggs were perfectly poached and hot; the spinach was wilted but not soggy, and the hollandaise sauce was quite flavourful and not flat and greasy which hollandaise sauce can so often be.

My friends had the french toast with honey butter (by all accounts delicious) and the ravioli with mixed mediterranean vegetables & freshly shaved parmesan, smelled and tasted delicious, and all the vegetables were cooked just so - not soggy but just enough, and very flavourful.

The pots of tea are seemingly endless, and the coffees adequate. Not Nude Espresso or Monmouth standard, but quite passable, with nice fine foam on the latte (even with soy milk).

The one thing I would note though is that although the first two of our meals arrived only 5-10 mins apart (we did order separately though) the third only came another 10 minutes after that, by which time I'd just about finished.

However, this is essentially a cafe, not a restaurant.


I had no great expectations on the service after reading the below reviews, but the staff were efficient and not unpleasant. The food was so good I didn't really care, to be honest!

I'll be going back again soon!

we lunch at the blue legume last Sunday and it was great, I had the eggs benedict it perfectly made and my friend had scotch pancakes and it looked amazing. the service was great too(although they were busy) i would defiantly go back.
i read the reviews above and think they must have been somewhere else it does not sound like this place, the place was so busy we had to wait for a table, it must be good!!!

Last Saturday (2 Oct) I went to Blue Legume to celebrate my birthday with friends. I had never eaten there before, but chose it based on positive online reviews and a seemingly interesting and varied menu. The evening was an unmitigated disaster. If you like good food and value good service, you wouldn't dream of going to Blue Legume. I have never posted a restaurant review before, but the experience was so horrible and mortifying I feel compelled to share it anywhere I’ve read a review of the place.

1. We arrived at 8:15 but it took until 9:00 before our order was taken (and that's only because we asked them to take our order).
2. Five of the party ordered the lamb shank for their main, but after ordering a waiter returned to say that there were only two servings of lamb shank left and that three people had to choose something else. One of these three also had to change her starter as they'd run out of that too.
3. The starters were horrible. My asparagus was cold and set in cold, custard-like Hollandaise sauce with a skin. Those who ordered the cod or whitebait were presented with a plate of something mercilessly deep fat fried.
4. The mains arrived at 10pm - almost two hours after we arrived. Most of the group were just glad that the food had finally arrived, although the general consensus was that it was bland.
5. Most of the time throughout the evening the glasses on the table were empty. I can't recall the staff once asking if we would like more drinks (let alone apologising for the lengthy wait). Attentive they were not. In fact, I'd go so far as to say they were indifferent to the point of rude.
6. We were seated in the conservatory at the back of the restaurant. It was raining heavily outside, but this is no reason for customers to get wet. One person in the party was dripped on throughout the evening.
7. The table was booked for 18 people, however there were 14 of us in the end. After the meal I asked to speak to the manager. I told him how disappointed I was with the service, and with the food that could most kindly be described as mediocre. I told him that if they were unable to accommodate large parties they shouldn't accept the bookings. He replied, and I quote 'but we do cater for parties'. Clearly you don’t.
8. We couldn't make out from the bill if we received any form of discount for my complaint as it was handwritten with numbers scrawled here and there in no comprehensible order. It worked out at a highly unacceptable £20 per head. We didn't enquire further - we'd spent a disastrous three hours in the place and were keen to cut our losses.

It was after 11pm when we finally left the restaurant - much later than expected, and consequently my plans for the rest of the evening were scuppered. Of all the wonderful restaurants on Church Street I had to choose this dump. Awful food, woeful service, a leaking roof and two servings of lamb shank. You've been warned.

Didn’t have a great brunch. Food was good, which is why i returned from previous visit, but service was terrible. So bad it was worth coming online to give feedback as they didn’t seem interested in the restaurant. I think they forgot my order, I waited for ages, they then served the table to my left before me (who had ordered the same food) even thought they ordered 30 mins after i had ordered. When i pointed it out they just said mine was on its way. I didn’t get an apology.

Good food but i wouldn’t go back