The Diner Shoreditch

A «does what it says on the tin» (and does it well) diner and frankly an oasis of predictability and reasonable prices for slightly fraught tourists like we were (on a rainy night, with a small baby!). They were busy but the friendly staff worked hard and the food is just what we wanted — deep fried and big portions. Not somewhere I’d take someone I wanted to impress, but would definitely go with mates to relax or with a bunch of teenagers.

Rarely Leave bad reviews but have never left a restaurant feeling so agitated and bemused by the service. I would never eat here ever again, would recommend you all to walk 1 minute further into Hoxton square to eat at the breakfast club. The Diner food is absolutely horrendous with incredulous service to match.

The kind of food you need after a partying night!
I went there the 1^st day of 2015, hangovered, and after ’ Hungry Man breakfast’ I went out stuffed and full of strenghts! ;-)

I didn’t know this Diner was even here, and we needed a place to eat and fast. Well, mainly we needed cocktails and fast. But, who’s judging here? I’d had a mediocre experience at The Diner in Spitalfields fairly recently so I was a little hesitant. However, this Diner was much better. Service is definitely the weak point of this chain of restaurants — I think they need to up their game to be on top of drinks orders and the like, however I will say the cocktails were fab, and the food was delicious. Of particular note — the mac n cheese, as well as the sweet potato fries. I currently have a sudden detest for pulled pork but a few of the others had the pulled pork burger and LOVED it.
We had tried to eat at Blues Kitchen where they told us we’d have to wait an hour, so this was our second choice. Really glad we went here. Sometimes all-​american calorific food is just what the doctor ordered.

So glad I discovered this place!
Basically, The Diner is really simple, comfort food, burgers, and wait for it… ALL DAY BREAKFAST.
I ordered the vegetarian breakfast and the food was delicious, but still a little bit hungry after that, I ordered two sides so the total came up to 11£ for all that food… cheap if you ask me!
A great place with comfortable booths, good food and reasonable prices and well… if you feel like eating pancakes anytime… come here!

I walked by and I smelled the place and had to go in really nice burgers but so overpriced

The worst!
Firstly the delivery driver arrived with not only the wrong order but a half drunk drink with slimy saliva all around the neck of the bottle!
When he returned with our actual order we were greatly underwhelmed. For £8 I got the driest, most bland burger of my life. Literally a dry bun with one lettuce leaf, an over ripe floury tomato and some badly sliced red onion with a boring slab of mince meat. My partner got the Meat Loaf Hoagie, another disappointment; a sad looking piece of meat & a bit of pickle & cheese slapped onto a dry bun. And to top it all off the whole lot was COLD!!! So COLD in fact we had to microwave the meat and chicken wings to actually eat it.
Finally the milkshakes everyone bangs on about. Firstly, not a milkshake at all– actually a thick shake. I needed a glass of water to chase every sip I had it was so thick. Way too much chocolate flavoring and way too many chucks of chocolate throughout it
The biggest waste of £30 I’ve ever spent. Never again.

I would say ‘The Diner’ restaurants are OK in general. Not to good, not too bad. If you’re quite hungry and want some comfort food, it is your place. You can find burgers, fries (with melted cheese, hot beef chilly, smokey onions…), sandwiches, hot dogs and some salads. Kind of American Dining style!
I like the fact they do ‘All day Breakfast’, so you can order eggs, pancakes or full breakfast dishes for the entire day. It is quite convenient if you feel like having pancakes for dinner hehehe
Regarding the drinks, I have to say I love their Milkshakes, specially ‘Oreo Shake’. Delicious!
We went yesterday night for quick dinner. It was OK. Burger+fries. I ordered ‘California Burger’. It was good enough but I have to say that the guacamole that comes with the burger was quite dry and tasteless. Fries were OK (we got the one with cheese on top)
The waitress was lovely, even for a Sunday night. Really nice :)

Very disappointing experience. The food took over 30 minutes to arrive even though the restaurant was almost empty. When it arrived the waitress had misunderstood our order and look surprised when we complained about it.
The burgers were very disappointing, the meat felt tough, flavourless and over-​cooked.
Won’t go back again considering there are several other better burger joints in the area. The restaurant feels tired and like it’s catering mainly to tourists who just want a quick bite to eat, but won’t necessarily go back to the same restaurant again — which makes it quite a disappointing experience if you’re looking for a nice meal and friendly staff.
So disappointed with the experience, I’m writing my first review on Unilocal

Always busy despite the new (sort of) competition from Byron and Red Dog Saloon round the corner in Hoxton Square. We use this as an occasional takeaway after a long day out and a need for comfort food. We usually grab the chilli plus some hot dogs better than average but not great. The shakes are good. Bit pricey for what it is but not enough to stop us returning. Have always found the service friendly and efficient.

I’ve been here a few times and find the place to be ok, not fantastic.
Some things on the menu are excellent, like the hard (alcoholic) milkshakes and desserts.
Otherwise, the food is decent but the prices a bit absurd. £7.50 for a burger with no fries? About the same price for a small vegetable burrito without a proper side of refried beans or a decent salad, but a few leaves thrown on the side as a ‘garnish’? On the positive side, the guacamole was quite good.
I found the service to be good, polite and attentive.
Bottom line: acceptable as a standby if you want some basic diner food but keep in mind this is very much the British version of American.

I really like The Diner! You know exactly what you are getting when you go there — good old, traditional American cuisine — and as long as you keep that in mind rather than expecting a Michelin star feast then you will never be disappointed. The desserts are amazing (try the peanut butter and blueberry sundae if you fancy something that looks like its only served in roadside diners in the Deep South) as are the pitchers of cocktails which are priced at a reasonable £30.

I’m glad I didn’t read any reviews before I went to the Diner, or I may never have gone in. And what a meal I would have missed out on! We came here on a whim, looking for brunch food and curious about the thought of milkshakes. We had to wait 10 mins to get a booth (as we’re used to in most places in Shoreditch, so no big deal). The service was absolutely fine in my opinion. Maybe Sundays are less crazy? Certainly the waitresses had a full house to attend to but we never had to wait, and everything came as it should have.
(For the record, those complaining this is not an authentic American diner… you’re right it’s an American-​diner-​themed restaurant in East London! Jeez, most Mexican places are nothing like authentic Mexican food and yet everyone still loves to eat there. Let it go).
We started with fries and milkshakes while we waited for our friend to arrive. The fries were fries — nothin’ special but just what we wanted — and the milkshakes were heavenly! I love the fact that in addition to your tall glass of milkshake they give you the rest of the shake in the stainless steel cup so you practically get two whole milkshakes! Thick, creamy, lots of flavour… Love love love.
Our friend arrived, and ordered macaroni cheese (tasty, although not life changing, but then — it’s mac & cheese), as well as chilli fries; my other half had the Mexican Breakfast and demolished it (he said he’d get it again); and I had the huevos rancheros with the eggs poached. Which was spot on, and only £6.20. Ordering took a lot of deliberation as the menu has so many enticing options. Love that you can also get every side dish you can think of, from hash browns, to french toast. If you like a build-​your-​own breakfast you can totally do that here.
Despite the place being full and people always coming in looking for a table, we never felt rushed and were there for an hour and a half all up. I was surprised to come home and read the rubbish reviews, however, despite that I will still be going back to The Diner again. I guess I don’t expect much from a casual, diner-​themed restaurant. Fun, tasty meals for £6-£8, lots of choice, and great milkshakes will do it for me.

Atmosphere /​Einrichtung ist schön kitschig und der Service o.k.
Ich kann nur das Frühstücksangebot beurteilen — was sehr groß und abwechslungsreich ist. Es gibt diverse Pfannkuchen, Omlettes, Wraps, etc. Ich hatte Blueberry Pancakes und Kaffee (mit kostenlosen Nachschlag). Meine Pfannkuchen waren nicht schlecht aber wirklich nichts besonders. Die Preise sind für London normal — das heisst für eine Berlinerin ZU TEUER!

I’m a little surprised by the sheer number of bad reviews. I didn’t eat here, nor did I spend that long here, so perhaps that’s how I escaped thinking this place was terrible!
I came here on Sunday night, some time close to 8 pm, and was surprised at how full the place was. We were just looking for a place where we could grab a couple of drinks, and, if possible, get a little snack to eat.
As there was just two of us, we got a half-​sized booth. It felt a little squeezey, and I sat with my back to the partition dividing us and the other booth, and my legs sticking out into the corridor just so I wouldn’t keep bumping knees with my friend.
After ordering our drinks, the waitress came back and asked us if we wanted to order, which confused us mightily given that we’d just ordered, and wasn’t that the very same waitress who had taken our order?
After a while, I figured it wasn’t the most intelligent thing to be drinking on an empty stomach on a school night, and ordered a serving of chilli fries. They turned out to be quite enjoyable — better than the fries I had that same day at Guerilla Burgers.
The bill for two drinks (one house white and a beer) and the fries came up to about £13 inclusive of service.
All in all, not wonderful, but not horrible either.

The idea of this place is much better than the reality. The menu screams comfort food: all day breakfasts, burritos, piles of nachos and cheese, substantial burgers. There’s even a tempting boozy milkshake menu!
The first time I ate at the Shoreditch branch I was reasonably impressed with the huevos rancheros and the Choconaut milkshake (rum and chocolate) made me pleasantly giddy, thought the whole endeavour was too expensive to warrant regular visits.
Last week I returned for a sad veggie burrito — bland and impossible to hold — and a very watered down Choconaut — all chocolate, little rum. The cheesy fries were a welcome side addition to my meal though they were pretty saggy and the only flavour was in the cheese. At least I had food — my friend’s burger looked tiny… while the bill remained big!
To add insult to injury the cheeky automatic addition of the service charge on the bill made me vow never to return Either you meekly pay it regardless of what you thought of the meal, or it causes a big fuss if you don’t want to pay it. Service charge is optional, remember! Grr.

I dont understand how hard it is to get simple dumb Amercian food done right?
The manageress was a serious cow who acted like she was doing us a huge favor taking our order and messing it up twice without any apology. I am so sorry and I fee; I shouldn’t of done whatever it was that I had done to you in a past life.
The chilli con carne was soo spicy they should call it vindaloo.
Then she had the nerve to put service on top of it all.
The Camden venue is much better and I recommend the huevos rancheros without the concentration camp hospitality.

I’m surprised by the last reviewer judging this place as expensive, as I was surprised how cheap the food was here.
Hmmm, perhaps I’m spoilt — definitely feel cheated for not having a lovely little place like this around the corner in Notting Hill
The diner has a lovely retro feel to it, just as you would expect a good-​old-​times diner somewhere in imaginary America.
Staff and punters look the part, too. Glad the music wasn’t authentic in that is was a good mix of 80’s rock.
I love the way the burgers are served up in little plastic baskets. And that they have veggie choices, and the greatest selection of different types of fries I have come across.
Shame about those nasty loos, though.

It’s quite expensive in here, but the food is really, really tasty!
There’s always a queue on those sat/​sun lunchtimes but if you grab a coffee it’s worth the wait!
There is a wide selection of foods from breakfasts to tasty burgers and they a vast array of side dishes to add onto your order.
Great burgers, great breakfastm, great milkshakes and refills on filter coffee. Score.

I’m always amused at how American food is presented in other countries. The menu is typical diner, though my bite of a bacon cheeseburger wont pass for American without bacon being served up ‘our’ way. The fries and milkshakes were tasty. The music was full-​on 80s, which I ate up more than the food.
Diner in American means greasy spoon. Burgers, fried foods and sugary pies are staples. This place serves them up, but it’s not as good as the real thing.

Great American diner in London.
Has all the favourites including hash browns, homefries, french toast, milkshakes.
You can usually get a table even on a weekend, no need to dress up everyone is doing the Ditch, just out of bed look after being in a cool indie club all night look.

Les burgers feraient changer d’avis n’importe qui Oui un burger peu etre bon! Oui il peut meme etre tres bon.
Il y a tellement de choix que c’est un dilemne de choisir mais c’est vraiment tres sympa. Le décor est assez funky et les prix raisonnables. Parfait a n’importe quelle heure, pour le petit dejeuner, le dejeuner, le diner, a 4h, il y en a pour tous les gouts.
Juste une petite reclamation, on attend quand meme beaucoup.