Reviews - Hai Ha
Reviews summary
Hai Ha, a Vietnamese café on Mare Street, has garnered a reputation for its affordable and flavorful dishes, offering a diverse menu that appeals to both newcomers and regulars. While many diners reminisce about the restaurant's previous charm, recent experiences reveal a decline in food quality and service consistency. Some customers report cold, greasy meals and frustrating online ordering issues, while others praise the welcoming atmosphere and fresh ingredients, particularly highlighting the goat noodle dish and barbecue ribs. Overall, Hai Ha presents a blend of delightful offerings and disappointing moments, making it a place to approach with cautious optimism.
Was Anonym at Hai Ha a mag?
I was eating yesterday and eating was amazing. the staff was efficient and polite and the price was not too bad. this place strongly recommend and will definitely go back. View all feedback.
What Anonym dislikes about Hai Ha:
clearly bad eating. I have eaten here tonight and had a really terrible eating breast, gloopy and ingredients of poor quality. I went last year to vietnam and eating in hai ha is so far away from authentic as they can get. Steer! View all feedback.
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Reviews from various users
Last update : 31.08.2025
Been coming here lately, fried rice dishes (special or egg) slap, and...the pho and summer rolls always hit right, love this place Meal type: Dinner Price per person: £10–20 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4 Vegetarian offerings: Vegetarian menu or section, Clearly labelled vegetarian dishes
I was here last night. Food was a 2/5 and the host/waiter went round with a headphone in his ear. None of that would warrant me to have to write this review, but then I found a piece of thin metal wire in my food. It looked like it was used to hold the raw meat in place before cooking, and wasn’t removed. It was quite long and if I had swallowed it, it would not have been great. When I told the host/waiter he apologised and said he would go and speak to the chef about it. Then went and hid in the kitchen. We waited for the bill for 20 minutes and he didn’t come back. Presumably because he either didn’t want to talk about it, couldn’t be bothered or didn’t want to give us a discount on the meal. Which had it been my business and someone found a metal item in a dish I served I would have been mortified, not vanished. Was there some kind of Hackney portal he fell into? We had to get up and go ask someone for the bill in the end. All in all not worth it guys. Maybe we’ll never find the host/waiter again, who knows. Price per person: £40–50 Food: 2 Service: 1 Atmosphere: 1
I went for dinner with my family last night and I couldn’t recommend it more. It was probably the best Vietnamese food I’ve had in London. The atmosphere was authentic, the staff really helpful and friendly and the food was absolutely delicious. Thank you for creating such a beautiful memory for my family and me — a definite 10/10! Service: Dine in Price per person: £10–20 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Vegetarian offerings: Large vegetarian selection
Last update : 23.12.2023
Got a take away and the portion was very small which I didn’t realise till I came home. Staff are nice but when I called up to explain about how small the portion was the lady who must be the manager I assume was extremely rude and hung on me. I’m not saying I expect a big portion but for £10 three bits of meat and barely any sauce compared to all the other Vietnamese on mare street it’s no comparison. I wouldn’t go there again.
I just ordered £64 worth of food for me and my family via Uber Eats, and it was cold, greasy slops! The crispy pancake and softshell crab were so hard that we couldn't chew them. So shockingly bad was the quality of the food that, for the first time ever, I've actually asked Uber Eats to refund my money. Everything is now in the bin! Why should I have to throw away my money like this? It shouldn't be allowed. PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY HERE!!!
Whenever we are in Mare Street, Hackney my partner and I make a beeline for Hai Ha. It is a Vietnamese restaurant with a big smile and a warm welcome. Our waiter suggested that we order different main courses from our usual choices and we took his advice. We are very glad that we did. To start with, however, we shared our usual the Ground Pork Meat Wrapped in Betel Lalot with vermicelli salad. It is always scrumptious, the juicy meat is complemented by the luscious leaves in which it is wrapped. The salad is fresh and zingy, especially the fresh bunches of mint. Our main courses were, for me, Slow Cooked Duck in Tamarin Sauce. The duck was succulent and moreish and the sauce had the lovely tang that you get from tamarind. It was a really good foil for the rich duck meat. My partner enjoyed his choice, Wok Fried Sliced Beef with Chili Lemongrass. We washed it all down with tap water and a bottle of their reasonably priced but very quaffable house red wine. Our waiter was, as always, friendly and welcoming. We cannot wait for our next excuse to eat at Hai Ha.
This restaurant in Hackney has been around for years and used to serve amazing food. However, my recent experience was terrible, indicating a possible change in ownership. It was my first time dining in after the pandemic, and I had high hopes. Unfortunately, before our food even arrived, a cockroach fell onto our table and my partner had to kill it. Despite this, we decided to stay as we were hungry. The food looked good, but ultimately disappointed. The catfish hotpot had a gravy that tasted like microwaved jelly, the PHO broth was lacking in flavor, and the noodle dish was dry and had two hairs in it. When we brought this to the attention of the server, she dismissed us and made excuses for the cockroach. We didn't end up paying for our meal, but we also didn't finish it. It has been two days since this incident and I am currently feeling sick. I will not be returning to this restaurant.
We have dined at Hai Ha countless times, both in the restaurant and for takeout, and it never disappoints. The staff is always friendly and the food is consistently delicious. The chili salt and pepper tofu is a standout dish, perfectly crispy and never greasy. The Hai Ha Special vermicelli rice bowl, featuring cold noodles, salad, and three kinds of pork, is a must-try dish that always impresses our friends. The tamarind prawns are also outstanding. We recommend ordering these three dishes and thanking us later! :D
Last update : 16.12.2022
I was eating yesterday and eating was amazing. the staff was efficient and polite and the price was not too bad. this place strongly recommend and will definitely go back.
We ate here yesterday can not mistake the food, beautiful atmosphere will return definitiw
Pho-king great! You don't have to go to Kingsland Road to get a decent bowl of Pho. Right here you can BYOB and slurp away on a tasty soup. I like this place because it gives you options. Large or small and a variety of meats. I struggle to finish a huge bowl of Pho that they normally serve out, so being able to get a smaller size was perfect. Everything is made fresh so it doesn't come out super fast but that's cool because you can open up you're wine and nibble on their soft shell crabs while you wait. Not quite the standard of some of the other places I have been but indeed it is tasty!
Been here three times in the past couple of months and loved it . Food fresh and delicious and service very efficient
Hai Ha is a great Vietnamese cafe serving good food at very good prices. The restaurant's exterior and interior is not spectacular but the bench seating combined with circular tables makes it a relaxed place to eat. You are able to bring your own wine which is good news for the off licence next door. There are a few Vietnamese restaurants scattered on Mare Street but Hai Ha is definately my favourite. The barbecue ribs and the rice with mixed meats is so delicious and the portions are very generous. The staff are usually friendly but the odd occassion where someone has been a bit abrupt has been quickly forgotten when the food arrives.
