Cafe Mandalay

Delicious food. The portions are a bit smaller but then I could order more stuff. Really enjoyed the fish noodles soup (mohinnkha) and love the crunch with the tea leaf salad

First time eating Burmese food and very impressed, so different to other Asian cuisines. The tea leaf salad was so tasty with a mixture of flavours and textures. The hot pork curry, with a rich thick gravy. English food also available. Only 5 mins walk from Old Street station. Friendly owner. Highly recommended.

We went to London for a couple of days. We stayed close to this place and as we were working remote, didn’t have much time to go lunch. We found this place and was a great surprise. Food was delicious (homemade taste) the people there were very friendly, is a small and simple place but with a great staff, fast service and delicious food. Thank you for having us!

Super authentic, small and cosy Burmese place! Love their ginger salad and curries!

Cafe Mandalay is possibly the only place in London for Burmese food. Located in a residential part of London, it is interesting to see them blend in by offering English fare as well like this other caff which serves Chinese and English. There is a separate menu for Burmese food while the caff menu is on the board. The Burmese menu was impressively comprehensive with three pages. I had the tea leaf salad, mohinhga noodles and Burmese tofu and black eye pea cakes. The tea leaf salad was to my liking, it is normally spicy but I had it without chilli so I was able to appreciate it better. It had a nice crunch with cabbage, tomatoes, fermented tea leaves, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, fava beans, etc. You have a nice savoury taste with lots of fish sauce in it. The mohinhga noodles were fishy with blended mackerel but had no bones which was reassuring. It was topped with lots of grassy coriander, crispy garlic slices and lentil fritters. Also tried the Burmese tofu and black eye pea cakes which were both fried. The tofu was interesting as it was yellow and starchy because it contains lentils in it. Overall, I am glad I tried this place because Burmese fare is a rare find in the UK.

Delighted to find this authentic Burmese Café serving laphet (tea leaf salad), ohno kawswe, mohinghar, sanwinamakin (coconut semolina cake) and cassava cake as well as many other Burmese dishes. Delicious food. Happy friendly service.

Best curry ever! I really enjoyed it.

A hidden gem is quite the right expression for this place. I bought my lunch here recently. The food, including the cakes, is all self-made. There are vegetarian options available. The atmosphere is very homey which is emphasised by the warm and friendly service. Did I mention that the food tasted amazing?