Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar

4.5 (61)

£25 and under

Malaysian

171 Holloway Road, London, N7 8LX

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 12, 2025

June 2025

7:30 PM

Booked 11 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Vegetarian-friendly
Good for groups

Mandy Yin is one of the few Malaysian chef/owners in the UK, having founded Sambal Shiok in London in 2013. She is a Malaysian-born Chinese of Peranakan Nyonya heritage. "I take inspiration from everything I ate in my childhood growing up in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Then I mix it up and put a new slant on it.

After a series of sell-out runs for her pop up laksa bar across London, Mandy opened her flagship restaurant in in 2018 to critical acclaim for her signature Peranakan Nyonya curry laksa.

Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar has gone on to achieve cult, award-winning status – Ching He Huang’s Best Innovation Award 2019 and Timeout’s North London Best Loved Restaurant 2022.

Book in for our off-peak 20% food discount:

TUE, WED, THU 5 to 6.15pm

FRI, SAT, SUN 4 to 6.15pm

*Offer does not apply on matchdays. Full food order must be placed before 6.15pm. 90 minute time limit on first person of party being seated.*

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
Malaysian
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
020 7619 9888
Website
https://www.sambalshiok.co.uk/
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
171 Holloway Road, London, N7 8LX
Neighborhood
Holloway
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Nearest stations are Holloway Road and Highbury & Islington

Experiences

Off-peak Discount - 20% off all food
Multiple dates available
Come during off-peak hours for a 20% discount off food. Early dining has never tasted this good so make sure you add this when booking your table. Offer available : Tuesday - Thursday 5pm - 6.15pm Friday - Sunday 4pm - 6.15pm Full food order must be placed by 6.15pm to qualify. A 90-minute time limit on the table will apply from the first person of the party being seated. Offer does not apply on matchdays.
London Restaurant Festival: Malaysian Summer Feast
£45.00 per person
Jun 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025
Enjoy an exclusive 5-course menu of our best selling dishes! Gado gado salad Malaysian fried chicken (vegetarian alternative - fried cauliflower) Nasi lemak - coconut rice, soft boiled egg, sambal tumis chilli sauce, toasted peanuts, cucumber, fried anchovies (vegetarian alternative - cassava crisps) Tasting bowl of signature curry laksa with prawns (vegetarian alternative - charred broccoli) Strawberry and coconut pudding, Sarawak pepper, toasted coconut
Father's Day: Malaysian Summer Feast
£45.00 per person
Jun 15, 2025 only
Treat your dad / granddad to a 5-course menu of our standard-bearer dishes this Father's Day! Gado gado salad Malaysian fried chicken (vegetarian alternative - fried cauliflower) Nasi lemak - coconut rice, soft boiled egg, sambal tumis chilli sauce, toasted peanuts, cucumber, fried anchovies (vegetarian alternative - cassava crisps) Tasting bowl of signature curry laksa with prawns (vegetarian alternative - charred broccoli) Strawberry and coconut pudding, Sarawak pepper, toasted coconut

What 61 people are saying

Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.7Service
4.3Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

North London
Gluten-free-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar offers a "delicious and unforgettable" dining experience with authentic Malaysian flavors. Signature dishes include the "amazing laksa" and crispy chicken. The "friendly and attentive" staff enhance the cozy, cafe-style setting. Be prepared for spice and vibrant atmosphere, especially on game nights. A must-visit for laksa lovers!

61 Reviews

J
Jeff
London5 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
If you like Malaysian, Singaporean or general Asian food, you will absolutely love Sambal Shiok. The staff are attentive, friendly and helpful. The food is heavenly and it is also such good value. I took my sister and grandaughter there for a special meal. We shared the fenugreek crackers and chicken with peanut sauce for starters. One word... Yummy! My grandaughter had the Chicken Lhaksa (and selected it being spicy). Boy, was it good. My sister had the lemongrass chicken, which was also incredibly tasty. I, though, had gone there for the Beef Rendang. One of my all-time favourite far-eastern dishes and I was not disappointed. Superb flavour, the beef melted in the mouth, and it was just heaven to eat. This is definitely a place to try and I will visit again soon.
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M
Margaret
London3 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Delicious food (quite spicy!) and great service. Would definitely return.
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r
robert
London9 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Big on flavour ! The usual warning “hot” is hot! Very knowledgeable and friendly service. Cafe type setting gives the whole place a wonderful informal vibe.
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A
Ash
Wisconsin2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Went for a small birthday dinner with friends. The food was so lush and flavourful with some mild and spicy hot dishes! The portion sizes are amazing as well. The music is always spot on, the seating is comfy, and the service is top notch. Couldn't have asked for a better place to kick off turning 30!
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r
richard
Lancashire3 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 20, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Superb place for authentic Malaysian cuisine. The laksa is the signature dish and it is so flavourful and balanced. Gado Gado salad is cucumber mostly with a peanut dressing. I would recommend the place highly if you are interested in sampling these far east dishes.
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P
Peter VIP
London1 review
5.0
Dined on May 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious and interesting food and drinks, with friendly and speedy service. (Vibrant but calm before Arsenal matches.)
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L
Lester
London4 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service , food always tasty and they are very welcoming
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k
ken
London4 reviews
3.0
Dined on May 9, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
Basic 'diner' style restaurant. Very nice people serving a limited menu in an uninspiring site. Overpriced for what is being served. Avoid the 'hot' spicy option unless you are a veteran.
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Y
Yvette
London1 review
5.0
Dined on May 3, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I am new to this type of cuisine, but my server helpfully explained the menu
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K
Kate
London3 reviews
5.0
Dined on April 26, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious meal - we had the fried chicken and fenugreek crackers to start, followed by the signature hot laksa for mains and a pandan almond cake for dessert. Everything was delicious - good spice and flavours throughout. Best laksa since Kuala Lumpur! The staff were incredibly attentive and friendly too - overall an excellent experience that we must repeat!
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FAQs

Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar is rated 4.5 stars by 61 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Booked 11 times today

Experiences are available.

171 Holloway Road, London, N7 8LX

Additional information

Neighborhood
Holloway
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 12:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
Malaysian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Nearest stations are Holloway Road and Highbury & Islington
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa

Website
https://www.sambalshiok.co.uk/
Phone number
020 7619 9888

Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Experiences

Off-peak Discount - 20% off all food

London Restaurant Festival: Malaysian Summer Feast

Father's Day: Malaysian Summer Feast

Menu

What 61 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar restaurant rated?

Is Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat