Fabulous service! The manager William was very attentive and good with recommendations. Great lunch specials!! A treat while waiting for our car repair a block down. Highly recommend!! Dim sum is yum some!! read more

Poor service, food was mediocre. Chinese food in San Francisco, CA is so much better. No free hot tea refills; if you want another pot of tea, you have to pay the regular price and what was very upsetting was they did not put a fresh bag of tea (I was watching them). They threw away the original tea bag and filled the pot with only hot water. Our second pot of tea tasted like hot water with small traces of residual tea from the original bag they discarded. That was highway robbery. I also ordered dessert when we placed our dinner order, they never brought it, so no dessert. I made them reverse the dessert charge from our tab. Lastly, it took 20 minutes to get someone's attention to bring us our final bill so we can pay. I don't know what all the hype is about with this restaurant, but I am giving my unfiltered, honest review based on my experience. read more

I have been quite disappointed as I had seen this place always packed and I thought it would be better. I had some Dim Sum but I think it was just average. Furthermore, service was a bit lost. It took a long time to start receiving our food and staff was keep asking if we had already received some of the items we were missing. It is relatively cheap but not worth the price I guess. read more

Dragon Castle - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

12/04/2018: WOW~My circadian rhythm is so out of sync with all UK Residents; I'm eating dinner at 10:15 PM at night when it's 3:15 PM PST, i.e., NORCAL time zone, i.e., 12/03/2018! One of the Dragon Castle Staff gruffly commented-a man a little older than me, " . . . why are you eating so late?! You taking out??!" "I'm on California Time Zone!" "Besides . . . No-I want to eat at your table." The man's jaw dropped! "You should take out." I replied I want to eat at Dragon Castle. The man shrugged his shoulders and I followed him to a table setting: "How long will you be here?" "I'll be eating fast before you close at 11:00 PM, ok? By the way, what type of cuisine do you serve? Szechuan, Mandarin, Cantonese . . . ?" The man was surprised by my questioning answering, "Cantonese . . . "-he began cocking his head side ways staring at me. Within a minute, I quickly scanned the menu, ordering my meal; five to ten minutes later, my order arrived: I ordered roast duck (The man questioned-"You eat roast duck?" looking shocked!), barbecue spare ribs, congee, and oolong tea. My food arrives-the man lists the order proclaiming, "That's it!" I began inhaling the moist, mouth-watering, roasted duck, the tenderly cooked bok choy, the barbecue spare ribs were crispy and sensationally delectable laced with Housin sauce, and the rice was perfectly steamed. The restaurant staff watched me eat my meal from a distance~tick-tock-it's 10:40 PM: I guess the restaurant staff recognized I'm familiar eating with chopsticks and commented, ". . . YOU MUST COME EARLY FOR EATING DIM SUM TOMORROW, OKAY?!," the man began cheerfully smiling at me. Okay-maybe I return tomorrow-I guess? I must admit I was again, taken aback: I'm literally surprised, no-shocked the man hands me Dragon Castle's business card! I informed the man that Dragon Castle's cuisine is 1000% better than the Chefs who cooked for me in MACAU AND KOWLOON, HONG KONG! The man began beaming from ear to ear thanking me for dining at Dragon Castle and I bowed 90-degrees thanking him and his restaurant staff cooking my delicious meal! Again, the man beamed, "See you tomorrow for Dim Sum, okay?!" Whoa~Impressive! read more

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Large Chinese restaurant on the Walworth Road, close to Elephant & Castle mainline station. It serves Cantonese cuisine and Dim Sum, and comprises a large single room divided by screens, with a raised stage-like eating area at the end. There's an extensive menu comprising lots of familiar favourites, with a smattering of spicier Szechuan style items. There's a small but interesting choice of vegetarian items and a large number of vegetable dishes suitable for vegans (there was one in our group). Portions are generous: even the spring rolls were larger than usual. So think twice before ordering too many side items. Service on our visit was efficient, but slightly brusque (they got one item wrong but replaced it without fuss). The food was good - better than average - and good value too, given the portions. Worth knowing about if you're in the area. read more

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Wow, where has Dragon Castle been all my life. Attesting as a Hong Konger their dim sum menu is legit and as is their rice and noodle selection. The lobster I ordered was less than impressive: it was much too small and possibly previously frozen. Admittedly I was silly to have ordered that on a Sunday afternoon. Walking down from my apartment on Bermondsey Street wasn't too much of a chore. The restaurant is also just a few minutes from the E&C tube station. read more

Dragon Castle - Lobster - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

Not bad for a dim sum & cantonese restaurant at Elephant and Castle. As good as those good ones in the north. read more

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This place is really good and very authentic. The service was really good and very friendly. The food was one of the best ever during Dim Sum. Totally recommended. Loved the ambience and the whole experience! read more

Dragon Castle - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

OMG, for a whole bottle of Prosecco, we only paid £20? What a steal! Great menu with a variety of seafood, meat, noodle, soup, and rice options. Will have to come back on the weekends for their famous dumplings :) read more

Really high quality Chinese food. The sweet and sour chicken was a pretty small portion- it looked like they just forgot to finish putting the rest on the dish. The other dishes though were a good amount of food and all were delicious. read more

If you're REALLY into dim sum (and to be honest, what kind of person are you if you're not excited by an endless parade of fried, baked and steamed meaty treasures) then it might be worth a trip to Elephant and Castle, home of Dragon Castle. I've been nudged about this place for several years by Hong Kong Cantonese foodie friends who describe it as a home from home. Despite its unpromising location, surrounded by condemned tower blocks situated off the bleakest roundabout in Zone One, it is where a lot of expats go for their fix. The grander than expected entrance opens out into a pleasant space. Location and swift customer turnover aside, they've made an effort to go to town on the interior. Lazy fat carp swim in an ornamental pool reflecting the boarded up walkways of the Heygate estate opposite. It's a hell of a lot of feng shui to lump on a couple of fish, but they stalwartly shoulder (or fin?) the responsibility. Arriving in traditional plates of three or four items, this is a meal best served family style. If there's not an argument about who hasn't had enough of what, it's not proper. Take a table with the slowly revolving 'lazy Susan' and order a lot: you'll eat it... At around £3 a portion, Dragon Castle is cheaper than most of Chinatown and for a full dim sum blowout washed down with the traditional Jasmine tea, you'll be lucky to top £15 a head between a decent sized group of you. There's always been debate around whether Dragon Castle has a 'secret' Cantonese menu of local treats, rich in flavour and texture, that they won't serve to Westerners. I've heard this several times, mainly from Cantonese clientele, though on thorough investigation, I've put it down to rumour and the fact that many Chinese won't order from a menu here, they'll simply request their favourites and those will get made. Those that do hit up the menu will find it vast. Well over 40 assorted dumplings, buns, puffs and braised bits of tendon to work your way through. To get to the good stuff, I photocopied the menu, took a straw poll of several Cantonese team mates, and gave their recommendations to the waitstaff, asking simply for two portions of everything (there were a few of us, 16 to be precise, a lot of mouths to fill with dumplings...) The steamed dumplings, particularly the prawn varieties, went down swiftly, as did the various baked pork puffs, hot from the oven, sticky glaze attaching to teeth. Various roast pork buns also proved a success, sweeter than expected. Silken mixed Chung fun and belly sticking turnip cake provided a smooth break to the textural proceedings and from the cryptic end of the menu, Crab Pork Little Lanterns were a marmite call. Deep-fried hollow egg-shaped shells with an almost mucous paste inside, sheltering an umami-rich pork filling. I could have eaten them all afternoon, though a fellow diner paused between his mouthfuls of textured chicken foot tendon to describe them as pointless clag. We both looked at each other's bowls and laughed. It's the joy of good dim sum, everyone has their favourites and there's (almost) something for everyone. read more

Haven't been to this restaurant in a while but I had better times there. Certainly anything is better then today. The staff was a little behind with our order and forgot to put in two of our dishes but this didn't upset us. We at least had eaten 4 plates already of dim sum. When the final two dishes arrived my husband noticed a FLY in my bowl. I thought ok I can handle this- it's prob one off and it could of just landed. I took another bite and looked down and saw a second FLY. Then we looked inside the covered soy bottle and saw many dead flies floating inside!!!!! I was disgusted, couldn't eat any longer. The wait staff sent over this overly nice waiter to try to smooth the situation but my dinner was ruined! They gave us the last two played for free, 15% off and two glasses of champagne.....I was so disappointed that none of it sufficed. I didn't drink any of it. The meal was already lost in my opinion. I'm grateful for the one nice waiter but this isn't the quality I was looking for. Beware of this restaurant. I left hungry and grossed out. I hope I don't get sick tonight. read more

One of the best dumpling experiences I've had since living in London. On Sunday's it opens at 12 and it pays to get there around that time of you don't want to wait. They don't take bookings... There is pretty much all of the yum Cha goodness that you would hope for and a couple of interesting bits too. The seafood based dumplings were all excellent especially the standard prawn and the scallop one too. I really don't think you can go wrong with these dumplings unless you are allergic to shellfish and gluten free all at the same time. The staff have service down to a fine art and it's hard to eat slowly because the food is too delicious and it comes out all at once. And they want your table back. The chilli isn't all that hot and fresh chilli will cost you. Tea is refilled extremely fast and the bathrooms are immaculate. Suitable for big and small groups. Warning: many badly behaved children likely to be present on Sunday's. read more

I wish I could magically relocate this restaurant and put it right by my flat but alas I have to get the tube here but it's definitely worth it everytime. Fantastic choice on the menu, a friend of mine is very pally with the head waiter and he seems to be able to order off the menu! Dim sum is excellent here too. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Great for groups of people as you are able to sample more dishes at a very reasonable price. Please go here to experience really great Cantonese! read more

Just four words that are so rarely associated: really good Chinese restaurant! service was freat, food was great and plentiful and prices were decent! I strongly recommend the pork with black pepper and honey, delicious! read more

I am not sure if it was just because I was having an off day but the one and only time I went to Dragon Castle, I was NOT impressed. I live in the area and after a long day I was a little hungry and went to Dragon Castle with a friend. When we went in, the interior was pretty nice, but very empty at the same time. It seems like they have a huge space but no one really goes in? There were a few people that came and got Take Out (take away). I ordered the West Lake Beef soup and my friend ordered the duck over rice dish. My soup was super salty and to me, it was VERY small. But then again, it was just a bowl of soup. My friend was stunned to see the duck had all the bones still intact, silly. Anyway the duck looked decent but if you're not one to eat and then spit out the bones then I suggest you order a different dish. I don't know if I'll go back. SoCal & Taiwan spoiled me. Chinese food just doesn't taste good here. read more

Incredible rude staff. As soon as we walked in from doing some groceries shopping on the Walworth Rd, they looked at my and mother up and down as we were scum. I over looked it as i had always wanted to try it and didn't feel like walking to Borough, where I always go for Chinese and Dim Sum. We were sat, looked over the menu. First thing, the menu is incredibly outdated and hard to find things in. Once we finally decided what we wanted, we could feel eyes staring (from the waiters and talking about us) my poor mother was mortified. Once finally 1 waitress got to us, another stepped in and took over in a very abrupt and disrespectful manner. I finally had enough and gathered my belonging and left. Never have i been so disrespect and insulted by such a cheaply made, outdated and snooty place. Mind you i been to Sexy fish, Hakkasan, Sushi Samba. Even the greasy Chinese in the E&C shopping center is more welcoming than this place. 100% do not recommend! Do not come here, the wait staff are absolute brutes and incredible rude and disrespectful. I was shocked by such bad customer service, acting as if their establishment was in Chelsea when they are in Walworth road in the ghetto. read more

Quite poor. Restaurant was quite cold and very smelly from the off. Starters were fine, and wine was delicious but main courses were gloopy and not particularly tasty. To top it off, a cockroach crawled across our table towards the end of our meal. Whilst this can happen anywhere, it completely put us off the rest of our meal. Place needs cleaning up. Would not return. read more

Imposing and traditional, very high ceilings and popular, this is a good choice for those in a hurry. Which we were on this occasion. We were served, fed and handed the bill in 30 minutes. The food isn't standout, but it's fine. I ordered a Satay beef with rice sticks. I imagined this to be dry jenga-like blocks of rice. It was more fat, glutinous noodles. Vegetable spring rolls were chunky and tasty. I wouldn't rave about it but it's a good option considering Walworth Road isn't exactly heaving with decent eateries. Top tip: the huge red doors at the front? Not the entrance! It's the smaller nondescript door to the right of it. read more

If you don't live in Elephant & Castle, aren't visiting the market, or don't have a pressing need to get the Bakerloo line, there are few good reasons why someone would find themselves visiting this somewhat careworn part of South London. Except, that is Dragon Castle; it's authentic and excellent value. On my last visit with a similarly fearless trencherman, a spread of a good ten or so dishes, washed down with copious quantities of tea and Tsingtao beer, came to somewhere under 30 pounds a head, probably no more than 2/3 of what we would have paid for the same in Chinatown. This probably explains why it is heavingly busy, catering to a mixed clientele of Chinese and in-the-know South Londoners, If you're thinking of going for a pint before or after though, my serious advice is to get back on the tube and go somewhere else, as the Walworth Road is very sparse when it comes to nice places. read more

I don't eat Chinese food often in London, but overall I've been disappointed with my prior dim sum experiences compared to what you find in the US, and having lived for a bit in Hong Kong. My first two tries were in Chinatown at New World (terrible quality) and Joy King Lau (extremely expensive), but I read about Dragon Castle, a random authentic Chinese restaurant by Elephant & Castle, and decided that it was worth a shot. We arrived at 11:45 AM, only to discover that the place does not open until 12, so we waited for a few minutes and it was not a big deal. People joined us soon after and the restaurant was reasonably full, but it would not be difficult to just walk in and get a seat. In Chinatown, I have always had to queue and the restaurants are packed, so it was nice that this place was calm and less stressful. It's also well decorated and pretty elegant, and there were families dining with well behaved young children, just an overall good environment. You order off a menu, not a cart, and the food comes out fairly quickly. I ordered most of my favorites, like the soup dumplings, turnip cake, chive and prawn dumpling, and sticky rice in lotus leaf. Everything was very good but what stood out was a prawn dumpling that came in a green spinach wrap. There is also a scallop option that we didn't order, which I would very much like to try in the future. In the end, the bill came out to about 13 pounds a person, which is nothing like the sub-10 dollar prices you will find for dim sum in the US, but very cheap for London standards. I would definitely recommend this for authentic dim sum and look forward to coming back in the future. read more

The hardest part is getting here, but it's surprisingly worth it. I like the menu system, where they have a "brochure" of pictures, and the numbers match the numbers of the order sheet. So people can call out what numbers they want, and one person can do the writing. Pro tip: use the E&C northern line exit. It's much closer than the Bakerloo line exit and you don't have to do the wandering around or under the roundabout. Pro tip 2: they only seat complete tables, so make sure everyone in your party has decent directions, not just the address. read more

Cold waiters (no hello nor smile) but food is fine, lot of choices and decent prices. Lots of places and huge tables. Was fine.

This large, garish Chinese restaurant opened in 2006, and is one of the first symbols of Elephants regeneration. Well, we're still waiting for the rest really but are assured they're coming. We'll wait and see. Back to the point, this restaurant is really huge with the typical Chinese dragons welcoming you into the elaborately decorated eating area. It would be very easy to write this place off as another tacky Chinese wannabe, but the thing about Dragon Castle is that the food is genuinely fantastic. The menu features many traditional Cantonese dishes sitting aside Anglo pleasing favourites. They also host special, amazing Chinese New Year celebrations with special menus and events. Check it out before Elephant becomes all trendy and Dragon Castle gets spoiled. read more

Food does not have to expensive to be enjoyed, sometimes the simplest ingredients can make all the difference to a dish. At the Dragon Castle the head chef Felix Yu has perfected this art to such an extent that it has become one of the best eating houses in Elephant&Castle. Other than the food, the service is really good because the waiters are knowledgeable and will happily guide you througha vast menus which is full of surprises. We started of with a cold platter of jellyfish done in sesame seeds and garnished with raw garlic. This was followed by crispy pork with golden crushed garlic which was meaty but not overpowering;the squid was soft and not soggy;the steamed corn-fed chicken in ginger stock was intense accompanied by a sauce containing whitepepper and star-anise. For lovers of authentic chinese cuisines a trek across London is certainly worth it,but be prepared to look for the DragonCastle amidst some council estates. read more

It's a good find, this, considering it's not in the most prepossessing of areas (opposite a petrol station, just out the other side of that concrete wonder that is the E&C roundabout) and looks more than a little gaudy-meets-lacy through the windows. However the atmosphere inside puts paid to any doubts about the place - it's often full (though not quite - it's huge enough for there to always be space for a few more people) and buzzes with a totally mixed crowd. The food is very fresh and the tea is good, all tied together with speedy and efficient servers. I was assured by my partner in crime (that one below me that spent quite some time in China) that it is some of the best he's had in London. I was in a fit of hangover at the time so wanted something comforting and simple - I went for sweet and sour pork. I appreciate this is the equivalent of ordering a chicken tikka masala, but if somewhere can get the basics down, they're doing it right. It was great. The dumplings we had were also very good, with a superb texture which held the szechuan sauce very well. Yes, I was pleased with the Dragon Castle, not just another Chinese restaurant, and intend to return with a stomach (and budget) set for more of an adventurous meal. read more

Dragon Castle is a bit of a pain to get to, but once you get there, it serves an impressive selection of Chinese food. Considering they actually had a lot of space, they surprised me by not having carts constantly pushed around to let patrons pick and choose that only a handful of restaurants can do in London. The quality of the food is consistently high although I have to admit that it's not so exceptional for me to want to make the trip out there all the time. I think it'd be a great compromise if you need to find something between north and south, but for now, it's just not for me. read more

I went here for a dim sum lunch which ended up lasting over 2 hours and including over a dozen dishes. The quality varied - the soup dumplings didn't actually contain soup (which apparently they're meant to), and some of the items were a bit too greasy, but the XO sauce and the wind dried glutinous rice are excellent. Apparently the dim sum chef changed last year, so perhaps not as great as it was, but I still enjoyed it a lot and it was only £13 a head for loads of food. Lovely atmosphere with a pool full of koi carp at the entrance. We were accompanied by a baby who was made very welcome by the staff, who acted as an impromptu creche service, carrying him around and entertaining him. I would like to visit again and try the evening menu. read more

The entrance to Dragon Castle is rather grand, featuring a waterfall and koi carp. Step through into the main restaurant and you are greeted with a large open room with chandeliers and a classic chinese style interior. We visited on a Friday night and the restaurant was busy but there was still plenty of tables available. Food was some of the best Chinese that I have had in London, with the Szechuan beef stew in particular bringing back memories of time spent in China. I must mention that I didn't find Dragon Castle to be quite the super cheap bargain that some of the other reviews had led me to believe, although it is not overpriced by any stretch. A starter and main each, with boiled rice and green tea, came to £20/head with a tip which I think this is good value for the quality of the food. Overall I would highly recommend Dragon Castle to anyone in this area of London. It is also worth a trip from further afield, as I would rate this above the restaurants I have tried in China Town. read more

I'd walked past Dragon Castle many a time on my way to Longdan, my favourite Asian grocery store. It's bright Chinese decor caught my eye, but it's massive menu of dim sum was what drew me in. Secondly, I have watched the people going in and out of Dragon Castle. The majority of its customers are Chinese, and judge me but I want to eat where they are eating. I came one night in hopes of dim sum but be warned, it is only for lunch!! So I settled on pork dumplings and Sichuan chili chicken. Dumplings for me are a key indicator of a good Chinese restaurant. I live and die for good dumplings. Service wise, the waiters are decent. I didn't want to get something like sweet and sour chicken, so I told my waiter that I wanted his recommendation for what he thought was best. My only requirement was that it had to be spicy. He mumbled for a bit and then we settled on the chili chicken. Not horrible but not the best assistance from a waiter. The pork dumplings came out pretty quickly. They were quite large for a dumpling, 3 large bites for each. The breeding was more doughy than I prefer, but the filling made up for the lack of crisp that I like. The pork was juicy and salty, with juices oozes out with each bite. They do not have soy sauce on the table, but they bring some mix of soy and a vinegar. I asked for a chili oil and it was actually excellent. Not too spicy, with a great flavor. Next came the chili chicken. Okay, I have a love/hate relationship with this dish. First off, flavor wise it was great. Spicy, salty and crunchy. BUT, and a huge but, there is something (bones/ligaments or tendons) in the chicken bites that are not visible and very off putting while eating. Overall, I would definitely go back! My entire meal with a drink and tip came out to around £23. However, I will be returning for lunch next time around. read more

Well, I have to tell you about this place! The Dragon Castle is a huge Chinese restaurant in Elephant & Castle, South London, complete with glittering fountain and tasteful lighting, serving a wide choice of vegetarian food also. Very easy to find - park in Larcom Street, nearby. Concentrating on the vegetarian menu, the food was extremely good, great-tasting and imaginative. We like their plentiful portions. I would also like to add that I have had cashews a thousand times but never as good as in this place, they literally melted in the mouth. They even serve the rice in whatchamacall-it stacks that keep it warm. We used their expensive chopsticks and found it all very manageable to pick up, except the aubergine. If you want a fork, ask for it at the beginning because this place gets really busy. We enjoyed just sitting there in that huge dining hall, with its elegant high ceilings. The waitresses were authentically dressed. Plates, service, ambience were all really positive but you know me, it has to taste good for me to write about it. The food in this restaurant is excellent. We'll be taking lots of friends there, especially business contacts from out of London as its impressive dining at roughly £20 per head for a la carte, which includes 3 courses, no dessert. There are 2 vegetarian menus, we chose the more expensive, as it was only about £4.00 more, with masses more variety. read more

Pleasently surprised by this place. I was expecting bad food hidden by good décor but the dim sum was better than average and staff and service was good. Good value on the dim sum too read more

Went there for a quick afternoon meal, two hours later we have 3/4 meals, an extra appetizer we didn't order, and 2 bottles of 16 dollar water that we didn't ask for. This is so disappointing to say the least. The server was nothing short of rude and barely attended to us at all and we were offered no discount. Will never be returning here again. Food was average at best even when it arrived cold. read more

The fried noodles with seafood are good. The portions are very big and are served nicely. I wanted to eat dumplings as well but they serve dim sum only until 14h read more

AVOID!! Went here expecting a lovey Chinese dinner and was put off right away. They offer Guinness on draught so I ordered that. Except it's from a can and less than a pint. So I told the waitress I ordered a pint and it's well short so she took it back and I heard the bartender open another can and fill it a little more. Draught and a can taste completely different. If they are this dishonest with the drinks I don't want to eat their food. I paid my bill (which they tried to charge me a service fee on) and left. read more

If you have Celiac's disease: the ONLY thing you can order is the half chicken with homemade seasonings (salt, pepper, ginger, MSG), steamed veggies, and rice. They marinade everything else in modern soy sauce. Surprisingly difficult to communicate dietary restriction for gluten, even though they have an extensive allergen list in the back of the menu. They were accomidating none the less and it was delicious! Best authentic Chinese food in the Elephant & Castle/Southwark area hands down! The service is extremely prompt and commendable. Even though I only had one option, I would definitely eat there again!!!! A fantastic and affordable unoaked chardonnay on the wine list too! read more

Authentic, tasty Dim Sum in the boonies. It was really clean too. I've never had bbq pork buns that actually had more filling than bread. Minus one star since I prefer to have Dim Sum on those rolling carts (which they didn't have). read more

The food was really good and the portions quite generous. The atmosphere was not as intimate as could be wanted but decorations, napkins and tableware felt very nice and of good quality. The staff was very attentive and provided good service, however we felt somewhat overwhelmed after being asked if we wanted to order by three different waiters within three minutes of sitting down. Same scenario again later when three different waiters asked if we were done eating during a five minute period (we weren't, the portions were just so big that we had to slow down). Can recommend for the food and surroundings. read more

For me, it's the best Chinese resto at this price point in London. Try their chao fan ( served up to 3pm), sweet spicy pork ribs and crispy seafood noodles. read more

Great dim sum here. Also very reasonably priced. Service is decent and you'll be hard pressed to find any dim sum in south London that is better. read more