Cristina's - Barking

We frequently order from this restaurant because it has some of the best burgers in the area. This time, we had the pleasure of dining in and enjoying a delicious steak. The service was excellent, with a rating of 5 out of 5. The atmosphere was also top-notch, receiving a rating of 5 out of 5. Overall, a great experience.

The new lunch menu isn 't great, I loved the old one where you could get a smashed cheeseburger and fries for £7/8. I ordered recently, had the chicken thigh burger, which there were several issues with unfortunately. The menu states that your meals will come with fries, they don 't, everything comes with croquette potatoes/tater tots. Whatever you want to call them, they are not fries, and Christina 's fries were one of the best things about the place before! Also, half of mine were cold and slightly stale after obviously being kept in the new warmers they have out front. Your new style of service is very strange, where the person is out front and all the food is pre-cooked and kept in pots. The fact I was there for nearly 40 mins and saw the server never change his gloves and touch multiple meats and containers was strange too, especially when he 's also preparing vegetarian options alongside the meat. Unfortunately, my chicken was dry in places and although the flavours were good, it wasn 't hot. The burger was also drowned in coleslaw, which although I like it, doesn 't have to be heaped on the burger so much. Also, sorry but at £11 £4 higher than the previous lunch deal) I think I would go elsewhere. I don 't mind paying that much if I feel I am getting fresh, hot food and good value, but with food that isn 't hot and isn 't as described, I wouldn 't pay that much. It 's a shame, as Christina 's has been somewhere I have enjoyed going to in the past. Seen the reply below, sorry I should have been more explicit, the food was mostly terrible and mostly cold. Why would I give it another go when you couldn 't even get the basics right, like ensuring food is hot? The server didn 't change his gloves, but agree that he wasn 't preparing the vegetarian dishes out front, so I was wrong about that. However, £11 isn 't competitive at all, when I can literally go to Ripple road for a sit in Turkish grill for £7... ‍

Atmosphere was nice and staff were friendly. But the food was disappointing. The brisket was so dry and the bun was hard and crusty, just fell apart. The fries were just basic tasting and such a small portion. If you want something soft, juicy and succulent, this is not it. £11 for that, supposed to be a cheaper lunch menu, oh and they want a service charge for that too! Sorry but I cannot recommend. Service: Dine in

Great and tasty steak perfectly cooked. Not cheap, but reasonably priced for the quality, and nice having such a restaurant in Barking for that special occasion. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: £30–40 Food: 5 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 4

Travelled from outside of London, been meaning to try this joint for a long time. Had a wonderful evening with friends and great food. Staff were attentive, service with a smile by Catherine. Steaks were excellent and cooked to perfection medium. One of the best steaks I’ve had. Did ask for rib eye I think I received a fillet but that is ok I enjoyed it and will be coming back again. Creamed spinach was delightful. Cheeseburger spring rolls could’ve been bigger but it was delicious.