Giraffe

I’ve been to a few Giraffe restaurants before, but usually for lunch or dinner. When my husband (then boyfriend) came to visit me in the UK ended up taking refuge from the harsh winter weather and stopping for a coffee and some breakfast.
The coffee was alright, I think once you’ve had real American drip coffee at even the most run-​down establishments you come to realise how weak the UK version is in comparison. But it was coffee, and it warmed us well! He ordered a breakfast burrito, and a side of bacon to curb his hunger, and I stuck with poached eggs, bacon and a round of toast. It was definitely a little on the expensive side for the portion sizes, but it was cooked as well as it could be. It was nothing to write home about, but it filled a hole and we were very grateful for that! The service was pretty poor though, especially as the restaurant was nearly empty, which has been what’s brought the overall rating down.
It was a shame really as I’d vouched for Giraffe based on some of the tasty Mexican dishes I’d had the pleasure to have previously.

Very beautiful place, although there may be too many tables. Giraffe hamburhuer was delicious with a very quality meat!
Price very affordable

We decided to pop in for a quick drink as we needed to be somewhere near a waitrose that was on the way to a friends house. So it wasn’t a planned trip but I would definitely go back, although the drinks took slightly longer to come out than expected they were surprisingly good for the price (bar buddies) and all of the staff were friendly and helpful, and let us sit down on an outside table of our choice. I didn’t try any food but really enjoyed my mango and lime daiquiri. I am not sure what category giraffe fits into really but if you are looking for a quick, reasonably priced cocktail near to a waitrose this place fits the bill.

Giraffe can be terrific and really sate cravings for an umami burst. Edamame, East Asian inflected dishes, etc. are generally pretty good, but tend to be very salty/​soy-​ey. My American children think the burgers are very good. The menu changes fairly regularly and both the flavorless and the flavorful go their way every few months. If you want a salad that has a lot of interesting bits in it, Giraffe usually offers up something tasty. But every once in a while I’ll order something and it is just dull and missing a key flavor or texture. Fish and meat can be overdone, too. Service is generally very nice and the prices are good for central London, but sometimes I feel like I would have done better with something from Waitrose warmed up at home…

We went to Brunswick centre and they were totally full but we found a table outside. They were busy but the Spanish waitress made a very good impression and was very patient as we weren’t sure about the drinks order quite yet.
Once we ordered the food came quite good on time and tasted very good! For starter we had the chicken Popsicles or something like that and they were really good! Once finished it took less then 15 min for the main course to arrive which were burgers!
The meat itself tasted good but wasn’t that amazing ground so you had sometimes a few harder pieces of meat. Another thing which was not that big deal but a bit annoying-​there was a lot of rocket salad on the burger which made the burger taste a little bitter.
Overall I can say it’s worth a visit. Their menus gigantic and there is definitely something for everyone.

LOVED it! There are a lot of different things on the menu so they have something for just about everyone. When i was visiting my friend in London we ate here almost every night. The brownie desert with ice cream was DELICIOUS. the restaurant itself has a very nice atmosphere and doesn’t feel too crowded, even if you’re sitting right next to someone. We ate breakfast here a few times too, It was very good. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Great quick breakfast before catching train.
I came here prior to jumping on a train up to Hull. I had the English Breakfast and loved it. The clerk at the counter was upbeat and funny. The rest of the staff was equally upbeat and smiling: busser, food runner, etc.
Don’t half step. Grab a spot at the common table and enjoy a quick breakfast before jumping on the train or hitting the city.

Poor service, gross waiters, gross food.
Waiter was sick, food was nasty, HORRIBLE SERVIXE

I’m still not quite sure what to make of Giraffe. I find it’s a bit of strange place that can’t quite identify what it is, café/​restaurant/​bar. Depending which of the venues you visit will depend on what it most resembles.
My favourite thing about Giraffe has to be the bar buddies, at 50% off selected drinks Sunday-​Friday in the evenings. They have a good selection of cocktails, beer and wine to choose from. The food however I’m still unsure of, the portions are small and it isn’t cheap and they seem to sell a selection of different foods. Their offers are probably the best value for money with Burger night on a Tuesday and feel good menu for £9.95, although the selections are limited.

I came here for lunch alone. I had an OK table and was greeted promptly — the service was really wonderful here. My waiter was really attentive, friendly, and funny, and the rest of the staff was attentive and on top of it with everyone who walked in the door.
I had a salmon dish which wasn’t bad — good chips, probably the best I had in the city (not those frozen chips!). The salmon was cooked well and had a tasty tomato and corn salsa on top of it. I also had a glass of mediocre Chilean white wine.
I had a bit of work to do and used the free wifi from the Starbucks. The staff was non-​pressuring and let me linger a bit while I finished my wine. I probably wouldn’t rush back to Giraffe, or any of the other locations. The main reason is that it’s quite a popular place for families — I was one of the few people without a kid in tow.
So, if you have kids… you might like this place a bit more than I! It’s very kid friendly.

In London kann man wunderbar amerikanisch/​britisch frühstücken und das Giraffe ist sowas wie eine Diner-​Kette, die abends als Bar umfumktioniert wird. Ich habe in dieser Filiale gefrühstückt und hatte eine recht durchschnittliche Erfahrung. Das Service und die Einrichtung waren okay, was man eben von einem Diner erwartet. Das Essen war leider nicht wahnsinnig berauschend: ich hatte das Full Breakfast, das mit Ei (nach Wahl), Speck und Wurst kommt, letztere leider eher ungenießbar. Für gute acht Pfund ist das Preis-​Leistungsverhältnis in Ordnung, ein bißchen mehr Raffinesse wäre aber nicht fehl am Platz. Pluspunkt für die diversen frisch gemachten Säfte die zur Verfügung stehen.

This place was great. Burgers and onion rings were excellent. Staff was excellent. A burger joint away from home (California), kept me from getting homesick. I recommend this place for families or travelers who don’t know where to eat in London.

Living in the International Hall down the street for a semester, friends and I ate here plenty. The food was always great, no matter the time of day. They had a special going for lunch that included a drink and a dessert, along with the entrée and fries, for I think around 6 pounds. My favorite was the breakfast, though, delicious and very well priced. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the staff was always friendly and helpful.
They also seem more than accommodating: there was one day where friends and I were there, not sure if anyone else would join us. The waitress went ahead and took our orders, etc. A few of our classmates showed up, and she was quick to pull up chairs and make room for them, and get them served asap. It was nice!

Gorgeous porridge, gorgeous bacon sandwich and lovely bright location. Staff could perhaps be a little more attentive, but I really wish Giraffe would come to Edinburgh! Set in the very nice shopping centre just across from Russell Square tube so a stepping off point for a quick out of the centre browse or a food raid on Waitrose.
And they have wifi…

For a restaurant chain that has quite a varied menu, the food is pretty good. The lamb burger was tasty and filling. The brunch looked huge and the sausages were yummy. Service was slick and the prices reasonable.
Informal atmosphere makes it good for kids.
Relatively speaking the milk shakes are overpriced.

The husband is out of town, the babysitter is out of town, and so I am stuck exploring the gastronomic stylings of two young children until Saturday. Help! I’ve been cooking at home for a couple of days now, and I needed to get out. After watching the kids playing for a while at Coram’s Fields, the siren song of Giraffe was too strong, and I decided to check it out.
I had been advised/​warned about Giraffe before moving to London. My friends with kids said that the food wasn’t too bad, and that the children would love it, but not to expect too much. Nonetheless, when I saw that they had Huevos Rancheros on the menu, my Tex-​Mex longing went through the «have some sense!» meter, and I ordered that for myself. The kids, unshockingly, ordered the crispy chicken strips. (I’m actually selling the kids too short here — they do like a range of food, but everyone opts for comfort food sometime.)
In addition to the chips and chicken, the children’s dishes also came with some corn, adding a bit of nutritional value, which was nice. Meanwhile, my huevos had, what? what is that? pepperoni? WHAT? (It was actually chorizo, but still.) Rather than rolled on the side, for maximum customization of every bite, the tortilla was splayed flat, with cheese, beans, eggs, and meat on top. If I had ordered the eggs fried rather than scrambled, it would have been very similar to an Florence-​style pizza, in fact. Lesson learned — no more Tex-​Mex style food at Giraffe for me.
That said, as long as I pretended I wasn’t eating huevos rancheros, the flavor wasn’t that bad, and the ingredients were clearly fresh. They also had tabasco on the table to spice things up a bit. The children loved their food, crayons, plastic giraffes, etc. The service was fast and super-​friendly, and the prices were reasonable. For a treat (or a bribe) for the kids in the future, I would probably go here again.

Wonderful place to have breakfast. Everchanging menu allows a person to never get bored with what the place has to offer.

From the first sight of Giraffe I fall in love with the concept of the place. And have been trying since then to enjoy the food as much as the atmosphere. But to be honest, the food failed to make me feel so. it is hardly average.
The only thing that make them a 3 stars spot for me is the ‘stacked pancakes’ (the only American style pancake I found in London) for breakfast, plus they have a very good latte to start your day with. Lunch and dinner is not their thing though, except their beef burger which is is quite good too.
Oh yeah. and I like their choices of music. it’s really cool and very funky and international (and you can buy the CDs if you like them). so enjoy!

I like this place. I’m not completely blown away by it, but here’s what I like:
decent food, not fantastic, but the greek lamb burger is pretty good (although the burger is a tad overcooked to my liking), and the barbecue chicken quesadilla is also decent (the chipotle aioli is good, the salsa is interesting with a hint of masala or something, but the bbq chicken is pretty bland).
I love the free wi-​fi, and if you sit by the corner not too far from the looks, you’ll find a table with access to 2 sockets, great for those long work sessions.
I’ll come back here, as the music is really nice (world music), and the coffee is pretty good (especially the espresso noisette!).

Un des établissements de la franchise, tenu par une équipe jeune et dynamique. La carte est variée, on peut manger des burgers, des pâtes, des plats végétariens et des desserts assez sympas (je recommande les gauffres+glacé+coulis de cocolat: p) !
Les prix restent corrects, comptez environ 15 livres, pour plat+dessert.
Ambiance décontractée, déco et intérieur agréable, à dévorer ;)

I’ve eaten at this location a number of times for breakfast and have enjoyed their selection ranging from breakfast sandwiches to porridge to the full English breakfast. The 4-​star is for consistency and service rather than for outstanding flavor but it’s nice to just have regular food for breakfast.

Giraffe is a cute concept that, at least at this location, doesn’t entirely meet its potential. I’ve eaten twice at this location, and both times been sort of blah about the experience. The burger was pretty average on the first visit, and the pizza was better than average on the 2^nd. The wait staff are a little overly casual at times. One waiter pulled up a chair and hung out with us for awhile when it came time for us to order, and was perhaps overly flirtatious with my friend. But friendly is better than rude, so I can’t spend too much time complaning.
I do love the location, though. Right off of Russell Square in the Brunswick Center which is always hopping when the weather is good, lots of students and eye candy milling about which gives the place a fun fresh feeling. I like that the restaurant has outdoor seating and always makes and effort to keep the doors open for a fabulous cross-​breeze to come through.
Not bad, maybe a little underwhelming for the price.