Hammer & Tongs

The restaurant layout is simple: a huge braai at the back of the restaurant with tables and chairs set up at the front, a bar downstairs and a separate area in the basement that is dedicated for groups to about 22 people. I started off with a glass of wine from South Africa. Their wine list and cocktails have South African influence. Price was £7 - £9 for a glass of medium level wines. I was recommended the prawn skewers, cous cous salad and a lamb with apricot skewer. My personal favourite was the prawn skewers. The chefs have peeled the bodies beforehand but left it's head and tail shell intact. It was served with some rocket salad and two difference sauces (in a separate sauce plate) to complement the heat and spice from the prawns. I did not think the separate sauces were that important as I did enjoy the prawns and rockets together. I do like sucking prawn heads, and oh boy, it was juicy. The prawn was well cooked. Loved the combination of chilli in it. It was very tasty and spicy. I must say that £12 for 4 pieces of prawns might be a little steep for a lunch meal. The lamb skewer I had apparently was something new they are about to add their list of sosaties. It definitely smelled good as it was served. On the skewers were about 8 chunks of lamb meat, 6 pieces of apricot and 5 pieces of onions. Juices from the apricot burst into your mouth as you chewed on the fruit. The lamb was also juicy, well seasoned and succulent. It didn't have any bad smell to it, so I thought it was a dish well done. Cous cous salad was refreshing. It came with generous serving of rocket leaves, raisins, pine nuts, cheese and some slices of freshly baked crusty bread. The dessert was fantastic although I must admit I did not see the South African influence in it. I had the dark chocolate mousse served with blackberry compote, yogurt and pumpkin seeds. I spoke to Mark, person in charge when I visited, about this and was told the dessert will be taken off the menu. So the restaurant is definitely taking some positive steps to serving better food and improving the menu. Overall happy with my food here

We really enjoyed Hammer & Tongs. Tried all three appetizers (curried fish, biltong, bread); had the Baby Braai (chicken, pork belly, lamb, chips, couscous salad, and braaibroodje, all great except the pork belly which was just fair), and chased with the Malva pudding (sponge cake with apricot syrup and a scoop of ice cream, really good). Was good and would definitely come back again. Was dead on a Tuesday night: no problem getting a seat. Server was helpful and friendly. Only bad point: clothes now smell like a bonfire--but totally worth it!

South African food menu. Nice basement bar with good service and interesting drinks menu. Upstairs restaurant area very causal. Location needs a cab or Uber service as it is a bit out of the way. Did not eat so cannot comment on food other than it looked bloody delicious !!

I've avoided this place since it opened for 2 reasons. 1. It got some bad reviews 2. My ego isn't comfortable admitting that someone else can cook this kind of food as well as I can, for far less money. Tonight taught me two things: 1. Food critics can get it badly wrong at times 2. I'm not the undisputed braai master - other people can do this too The food was loads better than Zulus and while they don't have as big a space or as fancy a setup, I'll definitely come back here again. If I had once complaint (read my other reviews - complaining is what comes naturally to me!) it's that the side plates you eat off of were cold. That can be fixed by leaving food on the serving platters until you're ready to eat it, but I don't always trust my fellow diners not to steal the good bits. The wine selection was good and advice was freely given by the lady who served us. She was right too! The food is actually cooked over wood fire as advertised and which adds to the flavour and gives the place a great smell. The food was fantastic. My wife has been nagging for lamb ribs for ages and I was blown away by them. We had the smaller Baby Braai platter and augmented it with a few other dishes. Everything was consistently good - tasty, tender, well cooked. The beef cap was probably my favourite - it slid easily off the skewer, wasn't over cooked and tasted just wonderful. Honestly, the best meal I've had out in many months !

Very tasty, and generous servings, of South African styled grub... Everything was excellent, but the braised pork cheeks with pineapple were divine... Simple decor, friendly service -- well worth a visit.

Was traveling in the UK for business and had dinner with some colleagues here one evening. Very good quality meats and nice service. I recommend trying it out if you like a selection of meats.

Hammer & Tongs was my first experience with braai and has me hooked. I can't think of a single thing we ordered that wasn't amazing. Every offering was so uniquely flavorful and well prepared. All of the great food was accompanied with exceptional service and clear dedication to making sure everyone has a delightful experience.

We had the Lamb, Chicken and Beef skewers with sweet potato curry and greens. Food was amazing, loved everything. Staff were friendly and tentative. Love this place.

One of the best meals in London. The pre-configured meat set is the way to go, you can try a lot of food and it's quite filling. All the meats were extremely well cooked and flavorful. The Malva Pudding is delicious. A great meal for a special occasion.