Bird

Restaurants Shoreditch
18 Love It
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Bird serves up free-range fried chicken alongside fresh cut fries, Korean cucumber salad, corn pudding, mu shu pancakes and more. Salads, sandwiches, burgers and desserts are also available. 

Posted:

Venue name: Bird
Contact:
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Address: 42-44 Kingsland Road
London
E2 8DA
Opening hours: 8am-11:30pm Mon-Wed, 8am-12:30am Thu-Sat
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Average User Rating

2.9 / 5

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star:1
  • 4 star:7
  • 3 star:9
  • 2 star:4
  • 1 star:4
LiveReviews|26
3 people listening

TERRIBLE! Initially went there on a date night with my partner and the food was cold , to make it worse my partner was then ill later on in the early morning of the next day . I chased this up with their manager called Louise and she assured me they would investigate after a whole month plus I was chasing them constantly and they just failed to get back to me . When I eventually got in contact with the main manager she dismissed me and told me she was busy dealing with customers . I then later on got an email of a report that coincidentally was apparently made by a food safety officer on the day I called. 


This report said they were basically not sure whether or not the food poisoning came from their restaurant . After that we had nothing back no apology , nothing the manager didn't even call me back all she did was forward a report that apparently took place when on the day  I called which was a month plus later , that is when I knew I was being messed around and the report was not legitimate. The manage dismissed me like I wasn't a customer , did not even bother to call up for a follow up , did not even try and at least call up to confirm I received the report or to ask if I had any further queries , absolutely disgusting that my partner had to go the hospital and miss days off work only to get a report stating that they weren't not sure if he got food poisoning from the restaurant . 


As a returning customer I have learned my lesson to never go to a bird restaurant again or even recommend it .AVOID!


Can't comment on the burgers but for gluten free fried chicken this place is amazing. Service can be slow/confused, but I've been a bunch of times and the staff have always been nice and the food has been tasty. It's not super cheap, but for me it's a great place for a quick tasty meal. 


Abysmal. Awful. The food is mediocre, the service is the worst you will ever have. Avoid. 

Tastemaker

Nice food, free range chicken, chicken wings on waffle base, excellent donuts/ice cream filled, and modern environment. For quick bites, it is an excellent choice.

tastemaker

I tried Bird once and I don't think I'll go again... I don't expect to pay that amount for some fried chicken, I know it's free range and it's shoreditch but still it wasn't that different from eating at kfc. I was expecting more creativity. 

Tastemaker

I finally got around to using my Time Out voucher for a burger and fries here last night and unfortunately even after a near 4 month drum roll it just didn't sing. I tried the Buffalo Blue for an extra hit of flavour and it most certainly packed a punch but I feel that the copious amount of sauce was the saving grace as the chicken itself wasn't anything special.


I'm glad I visited with an offer because I can't help feeling that when fried chicken is as available as it is in London then the kind that I was served at Bird just doesn't justify the price hike simply for sitting in a posher setting. 

tastemaker

Fried chicken is bae and since moving from South London to East I've been hoping to find a good place that will deliver some fried chicken goodness. I'm afraid to say that Bird is not it. Ordered some take out and was really excited to try the chicken tenders. The chips were alright, as good as chips can be, but the chicken was dry and painfully un-crisp. My housemate had the waffle burger and it was also disappointing. The waffle tasted like it had been dunked in soy sauce and was oddly chewy. Kudos on the free-range chicken but the search continues. 

tastemaker

Disappointed at the inconsistency. The first time I went I have blown away the waffle chicken burger (Yes, that is a thing) was everything I thought it was. After loving t so much I convinced my fried chicken-loving friend it was the best place to go. Unfortunately, looking like a bit of a fool, the expectations the second time around fell very short. Chicken as dry, service wasn't great. 


I will probably go again, but with fewer expectations. So my advice is to try it and hope you get the first experience I did. 

Tastemaker

American style diner and they only serve free range chicken! The Korean wings are amazeballs, so tasty and spicy. Such a great kick to them! The burger was mediocre and the dessert was over rated. But they do a great lunch deal for £8, so you can't go wrong. Staff were friendly, but the food was soooooo slow! Top tip Go just for the wings

Tastemaker

Bird... Is the word! And woah is there a lotta fried bird on this menu! Although it is slightly inconveniently located (for me) at the top of Kingsland Road the restaurant is definitely worth a visit. It covers 2 floors with plenty of tables so the no reservation policyshouldn't cause too much of a problem. We arrived at 6 on a Friday evening and there was plenty of space even when we left at 7.30. 

The chicken here is goooood. We tried the wings to start which were tender, with a well seasoned crumb but seriously messy (wet wipes are provided). You can also choose from 8 sauces of which I definitely recommend their bbq. The wings weren't as crispy as I had hoped but full of flavour. Our mains however were perfect. Fried to perfection but still very tender chicken. I went for the waffles and chicken which is served with maple syrup and a sweet butter. Seriously bad for you but honestly worth it. My bf had their spicy chicken burger which was tricky to eat because of all the glorious sauces they added. As if we needed it but we both also got dessert sharing their waffles and ice cream and their doughnut of the day ice cream sandwich. Both were seriously good. My only suggestion would be to consider how they serve the mains and dessert as the plates and bowls were a little small for the portion size making it even harder to eat. As well as delicious food they also have a great selection of cocktails and beer although we stuck with tap water which was regularly topped up by friendly waiters (along with much needed never ending supply of napkins). Overall we were both really impressed and definitely rank as one of the top fried chicken restaurants.

tastemaker

How could fried chicken possibly go wrong? We went to BIRD for lunch on a Sunday. The fact that it's half empty should've been a warning sign. The chicken & waffle was a bit of a disappointment - the chicken lacks flavour, the batter wasn't crunchy, the waffle was solid hard. Wings were a bit better, possibly because it's smothered with sauce. The surprising "winner" was the jalapeno corn - creamy and spicy! It's good value for the location and size, but won't be bothered to go back unless necessary. 

tastemaker

Their Chicken Waffle Burger is literally just fried chicken between two waffles. 

I feel like I don't need to write anything else, other than that it was as epic as it sounds. 


I love that they use free range chickens, long live liberty! Well worth a visit- their £8 per person lunch menus are a really good time to go; a lot less busy and for a little less dollar too. 

tastemaker

I didn't think you could go wrong with fried chicken... There was a very American feel to the place and everything was a bit stodgy. The cheesy Korean fries were ok, wings - nothing special. Chicken and waffle pales in comparison to Duck and Waffle, especially for the prices. Not even an oreo cookie ice cream sandwich could cheer me up 👎 Accessibility wise, there is quite a big step to get in and I didn't bother enquire about toilets.

Tastemaker

Ordered through Deliveroo twice. Did not disappoint. Great if you want to feed a large group of people. The Original Waffle Burger is delicious, everything arrived hot and portions were great. Buffalo sauce could be a little more tangy, having lived in US, I was expecting same standard. In fact, all their sauces could use a little more oomph. Would recommend, if there are no other options.

tastemaker

We were a group of 6 on a not-very-busy weeknight evening, and we had to wait over 30mins for our food to arrive. Slow... and dry.... and we were still hungry afterwards... more than slightly disappointed. 


The waffles tasted reheated, the chicken had no juice left in it, and the fries were just 'meh'. We had donut desserts to try and fill the emptiness, but it didn't help as these too were dry and slow. The only thing that was fast was the waitress cleaning down our table before we'd finished. 


Considering how many places do all of these things brilliantly, Bird needs to step up to the perch. 

tastemaker

My friends and I visited Bird over the weekend after a few Saturday afternoon beverages. With the Time Out 3 Course £15 Offer in hand and a quest to try to find the best fried chicken in London, we left with our growling stomachs satisfied but wanting slightly more. We had the wings with Korean gochujang sauce for starters which were as spicy, tasty and messy as they should be and shared a Bacon and Cheese Burger and the Chicken and Waffles. The Bacon and Cheese Burger was pretty tasty but the Chicken and Waffles could have probably been bigger. After a slight miscommunication (most likely due on our part to those afternoon beverages) we ended up with a plain doughnut rather than the ice-ceam doughnut sandwich but as far as doughnuts go, it wasn't dry. Overall, Bird is fairly satisfying but in a city such as London with so much competition, especially in terms of fried chicken places, is it just another hip, diner style establishment?



 

Tastemaker

I visited Bird a while ago with a friend - it had caught my eye and I really wanted to try it. I love fried chicken, as most of human beings, and most Londoners. So, one Sunday, all roads led to Bird after a stroll in Columbia Road Flower Market. It wasn't very busy when we were there.


Basically it is an American style with a touch of hipster diner which claims to be "the best free range fried chicken you've ever tasted", well, sorry to break it but -what a surprise- it's not! I must say I wasn't very impressed neither by the food nor by the environment. I tried their signature dish - the waffle burger. It was OK, nothing amazing, but it was no way worth it its price - 14 pounds. It is definitely big, but when I am thinking of the combination of waffle and fried chicken, I expect something really delicious which was not the case. My friend had a chicken burger and was not impressed either. The fries were pretty bad too, I mean, how can you fail fries. The service was very good though.


I won't encourage you to go but I won't suggest not to, either. They may have improved or it could just be a bad day. But you can definitely find something that is worth your money within a 1km radius.


If you have tried The Butchies in Broadway Market then you know what real fried chicken tastes like.

Tastemaker

The orange buffalo wings here (those orange ones with the spicy sauce on, with a blue cheese dip) are to die for. Been craving them ever since I went a while back. Much better to get lots of sides and small plates to share here, I think the mains are a little lacklustre but certainly not bad. Cocktails were surprisingly good too. I forget the name of ours but it was cherry-esque with egg white and so tasty I had about four in a row. 


Staff were friendly and sweet but jesus the food took a long time to come, like an hour. It also took a while to get the bill but it was busy and like I said they weren't unpleasant. I would certainly go back here for the wings and cocktails alone, would like to see speed and service improve a little bit. 

Tastemaker

I've been here twice and my opinion of the food is mixed. The Nashville hot burger is indeed very spicy and the flavours are interesting together (hot sauce, cheese, and kewpie mayo) but it wasn't divine. The chicken wings are a bit dry and fatty - my favourite were the gochugang covered ones. Sides I've tried include cheesy korean fries and deep fried pickle. The fries were good but the deep fried pickle was greasy and not as nice as the ones I've had at meat liquor. It's hard to go wrong with an ice cream doughnut sandwich and maybe it was an off day, but when I tried it, the doughnut was a bit dry. Free refills on coffee is a bonus!

Tastemaker

Bird does what it says on the tin - tasty fried chicken but not the best in London by any means. I had the chicken and waffle which was actually very nice but the pieces of onion in the waffle ruined it a little for me! My bf had some chicken wings and wasn't impressed at all - apparently they were quite dry. I think Bird is fine to go if you're in the area but probably not one to make an effort to go to...


Well I honestly can't recommend this place. I went last week and ordered a bacon and cheese (chicken) burger, some cheesy Korean fries and a beer my friend also had a burger fries and beer and the total bill come to just over £40 so it's not the cheapest diner I've ever been to. The decor is quite cool and it seemed fairly busy, which is why we went in, but don't be fooled by this - the food certainly doesn't justify it. The burger was not horrible, but its fairly bland taste was covered by by too much salt. There are much better chicken burgers to be had in London than this. The chips on the other hand, were really awful - they were cold for one and covered in so much sauce they were practically swimming it in. And as for the beer, watch out when you order it on tap - it doesn't come in full pint glasses, but rather two thirds of a pint. All in all, a bland burger, soggy, cold chips and a stingy serving of beer for over 40 quid doesn't exactly make a satisfying experience - I won't be going back!

Tastemaker

It's always important to have goals in life. Mine is to complete the 9 Christmas Burgers Challenge (OK self imposed). My quest started here at Bird with their 'Crimbo Burger'. Oh my-- what a start!


The chicken was deliciously crispy and slathered in a cranberry sauce. Then a nice stuffing patty and the piece de la resistance-- deep fried brie. Yes folks-- deep fried brie. Lush. Everything worked SO well together. It was a bit of a behemoth but believe me-- you will not leave a crumb! The deep fried parsnips, although tasty, are definitely secondary, but a good accompaniment.


It didn't help that I had some chicken wings (felt like it was my duty) to start as well. Went for the classic buffalo with blue cheese (included! yay!). The seasoning they had on the wings was good and the sauce was indeed fantastic. For six is a quid a wing, bit pricey, but of course the more you buy the cheaper it gets (75p/wing if you get 24). But again as a starter, reasonable price and good for sharing!


Christmas Burger 1/9

Rating of burger: 9/10 (a strong start!)

Link to the 9 Burgers: http://www.timeout.com/london/blog/the-best-christmas-burgers-in-london-111915


I doff my hat to anyone who can eat The Original Waffle Burger in one sitting. I nearly passed out eating half of it: it's just so deliciously rich, chewy and hot. I was hangover and had to sleep instantly afterwards. I'm yet to try any of the other bad boys on the menu but I'm confident it will cut the mustard. 

Tastemaker

Absolutely delicious fried chicken, it really is some of the best chiken I've had...but their service is awful! Each time Ive gone, they've got something wrong, which is not that impressive.

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