The delightfully named Munchkins is firmly geared towards tourists. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but hardened Londoners may not be so easily impressed.

The Venue
For a ‘tourist trap’ like Munchkins, its location couldn’t really be better. Situated in the heart of Bloomsbury, opposite the British Museum, they must be the envy of many other restaurants located further afield. Still, they don’t do themselves many favours in terms of aesthetic. The signage is a little tacky, although it does get the point across, declaring TRADITIONAL ENGLISH. That’s all they need to say, right? Also, rather strangely, there’s a large coke machine just outside. Hmmm. Inside the large venue, the decor is purely functional with a few comfortable chairs and tables, a neutral colour scheme that won’t offend and… well, that’s about all.

The Atmosphere
This is a restaurant that really does thrive on its multicultural collection of customers, almost all of whom are tourists. With menus in a range of languages, including – impressively – Japanese, the upbeat atmosphere is filled with the sounds of words you’ll probably not recognise. It’s a happy mix of people who are on holiday and checking out some of London’s cultural sights. It’s just a shame, then, that the staff aren’t quite so chirpy.

The Food
Is it any wonder that the rest of the world believes England to have awful food when this is a showcase of our cuisine? Although there are a few sandwiches on offer with ‘exciting’ fillings like ham and, um, cheese, the menu mainly centres around fish and chips and burgers. Strangely, the international choices include a non-descript ‘chicken curry’ and chicken nuggets. How very continental. English hotpot, roast beef, steak and kidney pie… is this the best that English cuisine has to offer? The fish and chips – of course the most popular choice – are almost a tenner and aren’t the best example of the dish. The fish lacks flavour and is rather lacklustre, and the batter is less crisp and more stodge. The chips, however, are good – fluffy, crisp, best served with lashings of vinegar and salt, just like us Brits like 'em.

The Drink
Impressively for a restaurant of its type, Munchkins has a good choice of beer (how very English), including (not very English) Peroni, Holsten Pils, Guinness, Budweiser and Becks, amongst others. Unfortunately, if you prefer the grape then your wine choice narrows to red wine or white wine. Yup, that’s your lot.

The Last Word
Although it's not bad by tourist restaurant standards, let’s just hope that this isn’t the only taste of English grub that our international friends enjoy.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (3)