Love The Stow

Sarah Trivuncic

All Star Lanes, Westfield Stratford

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American diner with ten pin bowls

Interior view of the bowling alleys at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London. Lighting is pink and purple upon light wood bowling lanes with white bowling pins stood ready to play; lanes are marked with the branding "A*" and numbered one to four.

The All Star Lanes bowling alley was a flagship feature of Westfield Stratford City’s food and entertainment offering and remains popular for birthday parties and group meal bookings today. The venue serves hearty American diner style meals and cocktails to enjoy before or after your bowling game. Originally reviewed in 2012, this page has been updated in 2024 to remove some out-of-date information; old prices have been removed and menu items may have changed. 

I visited All Star Lanes with a group of friends. Stratford City is their largest branch boasting over twice the number of lanes of their smaller alleys in Bayswater, Holborn or Brick Lane.

All Star Lanes is a completely different bowling experience to what I remember growing up; this is no echoey cold fluorescent strip-lit cavern with the ambiance of a badminton court. With a warm, lively ambiance, fourteen lanes sit alongside the restaurant. You’re far enough away from the alleys not to be bothered by noise. The atmosphere is truly American, but the dark wood furnished booth seating was more luxurious than the 1950s Grease movie pastiche you find at “Eds Diner”. 

A tall slim glass of red lemonade mocktail with slice of lime, as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London. A bar menu is shown behind on the dark wooden table and red upholstered seating is shown as a soft focus background.

There is a cocktail bar; as I had driven to Westfield that day, I chose a tall lemonade-based non-alcoholic mocktail with raspberry and lime. As a starter I ordered a short rack of ribs that were joyfully sticky, juicy and tender.

Salt and pepper squid as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London; Battered pieces of squid are tipped out of a cardboard American style Chinese take-out box onto brown paper upon a wooden serving board. A steel dish of dark sauce and a lemon wedge lie in soft focus behind.

Dining companion Michelle had salt and pepper squid presented in a cardboard Chinese take-out container.

A trio of tostadas topped with swirls of refried beans, guacamole and chopped red onion and tomatoes lie on a white plate branded with the letter "A" upon a dark table. Some cutlery and a glass lie in soft focus behind. As served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London

Jeanne’s appealing trio of tostadas came with refried beans, guacamole and coriander.

Classic bacon burger, presented open with patty and bacon on one half, salad and criss crossed gherkin on the other, as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London. Some metal serving pots stand in the background containing a mayo sauce and sweet potato fries.

Surprisingly Louis’ overdone bacon burger turned out to be dry and disappointing. An odd thing to mess up as it’s their signature burger.

The hands of a server in dark top and red apron presents a blackened chicken burger with French fries upon a wooden board; as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London.

Conversely, my blackened chicken fillet burger with portobello mushroom was perfectly juicy. 

Various side dishes in small white or metal bowls as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London; from left to right, brocolli, coleslaw, French fries, macaroni cheese. Some bottles of condiments including HP brown sauce and Colman's mustard stand in the background.

Sides included broccoli with almond butter, which we all deemed very ordinary. Overly heavy with mayonnaise coleslaw, French fries and mini mac ‘n’ cheese. The latter was the best which would be a meal in itself alongside a dessert.

Main course of rack of ribs as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London; a golden "hush puppy" fritter, some green salad leaf garnish and a pot of orange sweet potato fries are also on the plate. Some condiments including yellow jar of Colman's mustard stand in soft focus behind.

Michelle ordered the mains version of the ribs, served with sweet potato fries. I felt my starter ribs had had the edge sauce-wise but it was nevertheless the same dish in a larger size. Jeanne opted for one of her all-time favourites, pulled pork, served with rainbow slaw, and wasn’t disappointed.

Salmon fillet as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London. Criss-cross grill marks have been made on the fish fillet, some green watercress leaves, a small sauce boat of white horseradish sauce and a steel pot of French fries lie in the background.

Margot had grilled salmon with candied beets and horseradish cream alongside cornmeal fritters endearingly known as “hush puppies”.

Golden "Hush Puppy" fritters, round cornmeal fried side dish item served on brown paper with a stainless steel pot of brown dip in the foreground; as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London.

After lingering over our mains, it was time for our bowling slot. If you weren’t eating at All Star Lanes, they also sell imported American candy bars. We had to wear hired bowling shoes, these were nicer than I remembered too!

Red and black bowling shoes with white soles and white laces, as hired at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London. Some bars of American candy lie in soft focus behind.

A game between five players took nearly an hour. Jeanne was the most skilled player scoring several lucky strikes whereas I was hit and (mostly) miss. Games are priced per person and vary in cost for daytime in the week or a peak evenings on Thursday to Sunday. A special rack is available for younger kids to roll their balls down the lanes with ease

Sometimes big-name DJs provide the sounds; posters were advertising Huey from the Fun Loving Criminals being on the bill soonafter.

Chocolate whoopie pie dessert with piped icing, sprinkles and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream zig zagged with caramel sauce; as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London.

Despite the food break spent bowling, we were really too full for dessert but nevertheless investigated. Dessert portions were huge with whoopie pies the size of small birthday cakes.

Brownie dessert in chocolate sauce adorned with scoop of vanilla ice cream and zig zag of caramel, as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London.

The brownie was moist and pudding-y drenched in chocolate and streaks of caramel and ice-cream. Desserts were all superb value.

Light brown peanut butter milkshake with clear plastic straw in a tall ridge glass with foot, as served at All Star Lanes bowling alley, Westfield Stratford, East London. A tall spoon is sticking out of the glass.

Instead of dessert, Jeanne and I each had sweet and nubbly Reece’s Pieces flavour deluxe milkshakes. These tasted great but could have been served colder. Alcoholic milkshakes such as Baileys or Rum & Raisin are also available, although I think I’d have needed to be rolled home after one of those.

Hugely enjoyable and atmospheric, All Star Lanes makes an excellent venue for a birthday party for any age. As nights out go, it’s not cheap but a meal and game will stretch out all evening. Servers are friendly and helpful; portion sizes are state size so do beware of eyes-bigger-than-stomach over ordering. You need to be mobile for your game! The weeknight deals with two course meals and a game are good value. I’d highly recommend a visit to All Star Lanes and can’t wait to take someone else.

For alternative takes on our visit read these other reviews by Michelle, Greedy Gourmet, Margot, Coffee & Vanilla, Jeanne, Cook Sister Visit hosted by All Star Lanes. 

All Star Lanes
Floor 2, Westfield Stratford City
Montfichet Road
London E20 1ET

Cabana, Westfield Stratford

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Brazilian barbecue restaurant with cocktails

Interior showing printed Portuguese words on posters and various types of lighting as seen at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London.

At Cabana, like Brazil, restaurants have red STOP and green GO signs at tables. These indicate to servers whether you want meat, meat, and yet more meat, to be served. We visited Cabana at Westfield Stratford when it first opened in 2011. Cabana have three Brazilian style barbecue restaurants in London with further branches at Covent Garden and North Greenwich. This review has been updated in 2024 to remove out-of-date content; menu items and prices may have changed. 

Pale yellow pineapple colada cocktail with black plastic straw, strawberry and mint garnish, as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London. A red drink is shown in soft focus behind.

Cocktails are recommended to start; there are mocktails too. This is Cool Colada; fresh pineapple blended with coconut cream, coconut water and citrus. It’s not the most photogenic drink, but enjoyable even without the optional spiking of cachaca.

A trio of golden rectangular cheese pastries served on brown paper on an oval white dish with a smaller dish of red dip in soft focus behind. The pastry dish is upon the menu with colourful typography shown underneath; as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London.

We chose appetisers from the “Street Food” menu followed by barbecued meats and a side order each. Crispy Pastels were three tasty deep fried pastry pockets served with organic smoked peppers. Sadly, the promise of being “stuffed with four cheeses” was broken: the insides of one was hollow and smeared with droplets of cheese on the sides and the other two were not exactly bursting. Nevertheless, they were moreish and one of our favourite starters. Imagine how great they’d be with more cheese!

Salmon ceviche, chopped pink fish in white sauce with herb, lettuce and lime wedge garnish on oval white plate as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London.

Two of my dining companions had chopped salmon ceviche. To see what everyone else thought of their dishes visit my friends’ reviews at Greedy Gourmet, Cook Sister, Pebble Soup and Coffee & Vanilla.

Thick golden Cassava chips in a white round dish, as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London. The menu, in soft focus is shown under the dish.

Above top right: Cassava Chips promised much on sight but the texture wasn’t to my taste. They look like big fat chips, but cassava has a drier texture, similar to chestnut,  making them hard work to eat. Far better were the Sweet Potato Fries (not shown). Sweetcorn Pamonhas, grated sweetcorn steamed in coconut milk with a hint of cinnamon served wrapped in a corn husk, were an intriguing dish but sweet enough to have as a dessert.

Butternut and feta salad, in a white ceramic bowl, as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London. In the background of the shot, a steel cylindrical tin with brown paper (containing chips) and two black wooden knife handles are shown.

Roasted pumpkin and avocado salad made a satisfying accompaniment, generous quantities of pumpkin and feta cheese. Relishes and pesto were served in side dishes.

A metal skewer of eight barbecued king prawns on skewers as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London. The server is partly in shot with a turquoise t-shirt. In soft focus, a woman in patterned jumper is seated behind with colourful posters on the wall.

And on with the skewers! With a theatrical arrival came Spicy Malagueta Tiger Prawns (spicy indeed), Chilli and Cumin Lamb, and Honey and Date Chicken on colour coded skewers. Portobello Mushrooms with Halloumi or Corn-on-the-Cob are vegetarian options. Skewer choices are served at the table and a card stamped with how many you’ve had from which colour skewers. As in Brazil, you have a STOP and GO beer mat to flip over depending how hungry or full you are.

Vertical metal skewers of blackened barbecued chicken as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London. The server is partly seen in shot with a bright blue Cabana branded short-sleeved t-shirt. A man in a scarf is partly seen in soft focus behind with a wall displaying posters with large block letters of Portuguese words. The meat is red suggesting it is marinaded in spices.

The interior and branding of Cabana is a similar style to neighbouring Mexican chain Wahaca, although here you get scaffolding and posters over the walls attempting to mimic the vibe of a Rio de Janeiro favela. Even the toilets are done out like a corrugated-iron shack. It feels fun, but to my husband, who has been to Brazil, it’s a Hollywood version of the real thing.

As an alternative to the pizza/pasta dominance of the UK chain-restaurant scene, Cabana, like its Latin-American cousins, Wahaca or Las Iguanas, is a joyful change. The tender, juicy, barbecued meats were a strength of Cabana, the side dishes and street-food choices were hit and miss. Meat being the centre stage ingredient, you may rack up a steep bill.

Clear plastic dishes of swirls of frozen yogurt with vertical pink plastic spoons sticking out of them, as served at Cabana Brazilian barbecue restaurant at Westfield Stratford branch East London. The server is partly in view holding the dishes on a black tray, their hands visible and flat under the tray. They are wearing a green short-sleeved Cabana t-shirt with a long-sleeved black t-shirt underneath. Poster signage from the restaurant interior is shown in soft focus to the side.

However, do, do, do, save room for dessert. The frozen yogurts available in natural, peanut butter or caramel flavours, with a dozen toppings to pick from, were awesome. I hope in the summer they start selling frozen yogurt from a kiosk outside. I’d go back for the Peanut Butter Fro-Yo alone.

Meal hosted by Cabana

Cabana Stratford
Unit 5, Chestnut Plaza
Montfichet Way
London E20 1GL