Cicada

We arrived for their lunchtime deal advertised a £6.95 in front but somehow ended up with a service charge which automagically put the total up to £8 and the server had the gumption to keep the change. The food was average at best so if you're planning on eating here, don't go for lunch. They treat you like scum!

Cicada is my kind of restaurant.. relaxed, very efficient service, comfortable and ace food!
Each time I go I can't resist ordering a selection of starters and dim sum's. I recommend a mixture of hot and cold dishes such as gyoza, chilli salt squid, sushi & sashimi, rare thai beef salad, tiger prawn tempura. This does the job for 2 people, and what's even better is that you can casually order extra bits throughout the evening.

What I also find very special about Cicada is I went on a Friday night and wasn't asked to leave the table for the whole evening. They were very busy in the bar and restaurant but I felt very comfortable, whereas other places I have been in the past I have felt pressured to leave after a couple of hours so they can turn the table.

The waitress recommended a cocktail, listing all of the ingredients including wasabi.. I think it was called an Emerald Yakuza? An excellent cocktail!

Highly recommended, as are the other Ricker Restaurants.

Green curry for £11.75 which was disgraceful and portions are small. Steam rice was inedible was too stodgy. Singapore noodles was horrible no wok taste, noodles was wet like wet mash.

Black cod was very expensive £28.10 and once again portion are small 4x4 inch square. Salt and chilli squid is dried over cooked like eating leather. Duck & watermelon salad is nothing more chunks of watermelon toss & shredded duck toss in Hoisin sauce with some salad leaves.

Pad Thai was even worst catered for the European palate. It comes in a starch ball of rice noodles, dry & sweet. No Chinese chives as authentic recipes call for. A tiny bit of garlic would help.

Garnishing for each dish is great but would you pay for crushed peanuts, picked coriander and julienne of chilli?

I would rather eat out in a authentic Asian cafe then a restaurant trying too hard to cook Asian food. Save your money and eat else where as there are better place to eat REAL Asian food.

I dined at Cicada for the second time last week, both of which were exceptionally good.
Me and my partner started in the bar enjoying the selection of cocktails which is apparently new. My favourite was probably the wan chai margherita (crazy combination of tequila, watermelon & coriander- and of course lime).
Before too many we took a seat on a booth in the restaurant. Immediately I felt it was the exact atmosphere we were in need of- comfortable & relaxed but perhaps a little quiet (it was a Tuesday).
The food- wow! I'm very used to eating out in China Town as my father is half Chinese- I must say there's a couple of dim sum (such as the chilli salt squid) that were suprisingly much better at Cicada. It was very tempting to order more dim sum but we stopped ourselves before our mains… mmm…! The lovely waiter recommended of course the black cod which we were inevitably going to have since reading reviews, and we also selected the beef fillet with asparagus and black pepper. All I can say is that if you ever decide to eat at Cicada then order these dishes!
I'm looking forward to returning!

I have dined many times at Cicada and have always liked the food, and service has been consistently good – however I went with a friend last Friday night and the service was appalling – topped with attitude and disingenuous apologies. I wont be returning. London has enough nice restaurants with decent service – no need to go to Cicada.

I am amazed that Clerkenwell favourite Cicada has no review attached as it offers the finest Asian food in the general area including the square mile. The bar seems to have lost some if its appeal amongst locals and office workers which actually means there is more space and its generally quieter than it was in Clerkenwells heyday some 10 years ago.
The salt and pepper squid, large variety of dim sum and tempura dishes (particularly the crab tempura) are in Michael Winners word “historic”.
The service is good and the price, albeit on the higher side, still make this place a must go to for lovers of Asian food.