Vietnamese restaurant review take 1- Hanoi cafe

Little Vietnam take 1- Hanoi cafe

Walking along the lower end of the Kingsland road by Old street you are faced with an array of vietnamese restaurants dubbed pho mile by visitors. Reading previous reviews and surveying the restaurant menus I can see you can opt for a more upmarket more costly restaurant or simply for an informal cafe type affair with rows of tables and BYO.
Which ever restaurant you choose this is a popular area and queues are expected in the doorway. A group of 4 friends, we wanted a quick bite after a drink and before we headed on for more drinking. We walked into one restaurant expecting to be turned away but surprisingly were whisked downstairs to an area which on first sight look impressively plush and newly done up. Fresh tables, bare walls, a sunken bar/grill in the centre to watch the chefs work and a mini grill in the centre of each diner’s table. Practically empty we were delighted!
Ten minutes later, perhaps Fifteen and no one had asked us what we would like to drink, let alone given us any eye contact (Hurry up and bring us a bottle of wine I thought!). Some people were eating and one couple were having their dinner grilled for them at the table. (It looked impressive.)
The wait gave us time to survey surroundings and, on closer inspection, one friend declared,  ‘It is a concrete cave’. Barren and lonely I thought. Another humorous friend Hannah said her poor bottom was getting very cold on the stony seats and may not survive the meal (if we were ever given menus).
Conclusively we all agreed to leave, feeling a little embarrassed at vacating the restaurant. But again no one noticed, not one person, from chef to waiting staff. Once the upstairs and bustling restaurant is full I can only assume they do not care for the overflow into the newly done dungeon. Alternatively, the new chef display restaurant was not ready and this had not been explained to the staff.
I can say nothing of the food. Maybe I will try again but unlikely. If I had stumbled across a gem (which maybe this will be one day) I would go back . However, in the interest of eating I will just go to one of the many restaurants it competes with.
Food- who knows other reviews say good , service- erm ?. I suggest you sit upstairs if you want to eat!
www.hanoicafe.co.uk