I was there several times with friends of mine.We enjoy our meals every time.They are very good at cooking one of the tastiest dishes ever.You should try the duck meat,for sure:) If you are going there for the first time-be prepared that the atmosphere is kind of unusual.For me,personally,the atmosphere when I step inside was like I am entering a night club.May be this was an effect of the dramatic dark wooden decor. But when you get used to it..you will enjoy it :) read more

Horrible experience. Food was great (fish especially!) but -ultra-strict reservation start time was delayed 40 min as table "was not ready" -Our waiter was obviously a trainee (had to spell out a top shelf liquor to him, brought a wine glass with cork inside it) -When adressing the above with the manager all he said was that he was a trainee...no attempt to rectify Save your money, head to any old chinese restaurant in Soho. The service will be the same. read more

Tried dim sum for forst time in my life here. I am not much of a person who likes to experiment, but was dragged in here by a group of friends. Liked the place very much, liked the dim sum very much also. read more

When my boss heard that i had actually called up Hakkasan this morning and had got a reservation for tonight, he became all gloomy ... effect of the recession maybe, he says, gazing in the distance beyond me ... otherwise in the good old days you had to wait for days at least. Reminder : Will tell him on monday not to worry too much. The place was packed with people. The fact that i was alone must have helped (why don't i have a friend in London who likes chinese food ? boo hoo). I start with a crab meat starter. Tastes good ... a bit like calamari ... but nothing too special. But the main course was very good (i am proud of my choice). Mongolian venison ... soft, and very well cooked meat. It was lovely. Had it with the egg fried rice, which was rich and tasty. Is it my imagination, or was the light (rather, the lack of it) playing tricks on my eyes ? It seemed to me that they cook the fried rice only with egg yolks ... it was all yellow ... and did i mention that it was rich and tasty ? The bowl contained a lot of rice, as the sweet lady serving me had warned. When she came to clear the table, she said "wow !!! you ate all the rice !!!". I spent exactly 6.2832 seconds trying to decide whether to feel proud or embarrassed. But i was too full to do much thinking. I would have finished there and then. But those evil people going on around serving food and clearing the plates ... one of them sweet talked me into asking for the dessert menu. Can't give Hakkasan credit for the glorious sweet red sparkling wine that i ordered (didn't even know these things existed) ... but full credit to them for the sweet talk though :) One star less because the place was too loud. I doubt if one can have a decent conversation here. P.S: There were a group of arabs in a table nearby. Their glasses were being continuously refilled with wine without them even asking. If this can happen in a michelin starred restaurant, my boss has nothing to worry :) read more

If I could give negative stars, then I'd happily award this place a -5 review and I feel that's even being nice. So I went to Hakkasan for a birthday dinner with 6 of my friends (party of 7) and what was shaping up to be a lovely night with friends quickly turned to a disgustingly despicable evening. The food prices weren't as astronomical as expected but still quite high (as to be expected.) The general consensus regarding the food was that most of it just wasn't good, and that which was, merely passable, definitely not the world class Chinese food advertised. 3 of the party ordered the jasmine rice, but when it arrived we were told it was a sharing bowl for some reason. Although not written as such anywhere on the menu, we would of been fine with that, if not of the fact that between the 3 of us, we had maybe about a serving spoonful of rice each. When we asked a server why we didn't a bowl each he somewhat rudely said it was a sharing bowl for 2 (bearing in mind 3 people ordered rice.) Needless to say the rice wasn't going to suffice. What really had us tickled, was that 2 other members ordered special fried rice l, and were each given a rather good portion each, so I guess your uncle bens rice needs to be slathered in oil if you want it just for you. Subpar food aside, our server for the evening wasn't really the best, and it seemed he was quite deliberately avoiding serving us. We sat there hoping to be served for around 20-30 minutes, just sat with our dirty dishes. Now as for the cake,I provided my own cake, and a note for anyone who chooses to have a birthday dinner at Hakkasan, they'll charge a cake fee. Now what does this cake fee entail; after the night I couldn't give you an answer. The cake fee is £5 per head (£35 for me) and I was under the impression that they'd light the candles, maybe a worker or two would sing happy birthday. Out of a pack of ten candles, they lit one, the lady looked like she was about to drop the cake, and they just placed it on the table. So I'm sat there with my cake with one candle and nothing to cut it with. After waiting a bit in hopes they'd give me something to cut the cake before the lone candle leaves a wax puddle, I finally have to ask them to bring me a knife. They proceed to bring me a measly butter knife for a this fairly towering 6inch cake. I ask them can they give me a better knife to cut the cake to which the server just takes the cake back to the kitchen. I couldn't tell you what purpose the cake fee serves other than being purely extortionate. So after a disappointing birthday dinner (with which no pics could be taken because the lighting is that atrocious and abysmal) I request the bill. I most definitely had the £60+ service charge taken of. I'm not one to remove service charge just cause I wasn't given a perfect experience but absolutely nothing about the night deserved even a penny quite frankly. With a steep £350 deposit requirement (£50 per head) I thought I'd be in for a night to remember; in all fairness Hakkasan did deliver on that front, just for nothing positive. If it was up to me, this restaurant would be shut down; too many people have negative experiences. How this restaurant is so acclaimed is beyond me, and the only justification is that the reviews are paid and fabricated along with a Michelin star acquired from the local market. The dark lighting cannot hide how abysmal the overall restaurant is, and I wouldn't even send my worst enemy here. A positive I will say is that the lady at the reception was quite nice, which stands out more when everything else is utterly awful. To end this, I'd say if you fancy some poor to mediocre at best food, with shoddy service and a room so dimly light you feel like you're descending into the bits of hell or the sunken place, then this is the perfect spot for you. read more

Fantastic interior, food very good to fantastic, wine list very good. The bar and selection of spirits and cocktails is particularly fine. Good number of front-of-house staff, so service is superior too. Can I say the exotic fruit platter dessert is worth the trip all by itself. read more

It was difficult for me and my husband to justify paying as much as we did for Chinese food, when we are so used to getting the real deal in Chicago's Chinatown (and for free from our friends back in Detroit) for the past five or so years. However, the innovative cocktails menu, the high quality of the ingredients in the dishes and the posh vibe made up for some of this hesitation. We were pleased to see not only the long list of options for drinks but also very unique combinations of flavors, so we ended up splurging by ordering two each and sipping on each other's. My husband, fellow Yelper Eliter Michal, has an obsession for cocktails with egg white. The U.S. mostly shies away from using it except with the New Orleans Ramos Gin Fizz. However, at Hakkasan there were at least four or five options that had egg white. He got one with a "jasmine egg white foam" that had pomegranate. Afterward, he went with a whiskey drink for contrast - "Smoky Negroni." I got a not-too sweet but very zippy martini called the Thea and was happy to see it was mixed with one of our fav Polish vodkas (Michal grew up in Poland!) - a hard-to-get bison grass variety. With a blend of sharp ginger, slighty sweet yet tart apple and lime juices, this drink was smooth yet strong. My second was a very refreshing Kumquat Mojito, a fruit I rarely see and never with mint and rum. I'm grateful for our server's suggestions! Now for a quick run-down on what we ate: We decided to forego the preset menu because all the dishes looked too familiar yet too expensive to us. Instead, we opted to do family-style sharing/tapas-style with all appetizers (in order of what we liked best to least). *Crispy duck salad- Props to our server for suggesting this, as it was our fav dish of the night. Duck has always been my fav protein and Chinese preparation (usually Peking BBQ) is my jam. I enjoyed these tiny fried morsels mixed with bright microgreens, which was just the perfect fresh complement to this decadent meat. *Soft shell crab - amazingly tasty with right amount of crispies and seasoning, devoured quickly with hit of spice from red chili flake and curry leaf *Turbot soup with mushroom (AKA wild fungus and goji berry) - flavorful broth with wild mushrooms not used to seeing. *Fried aubergine (eggplant) and mushroom - surprised at how crispy yet light these were! A bit larger of a portion than needed though. *Dim Sum Platter of shumai and dumplings (one with lobster, another with caviar/scallop/shrimp, another with crab and chives) - seems overpriced until you consider the filling but this one was not worth it to me because I'd rather just eat the filling if I'm paying that much. For dessert, I was excited to see calamansi as that lime-like fruit reminds me of Filipino food, so we got the calamansi and chocolate ganache. It wasn't too sweet with the perfect balance of tart and rich, but it also was not too heavy or big to end the night. Ultimately, go for drinks and a few apps to share for a special night out that won't break the bank (too much). read more

I always make a reservation at Hakkasan when in London. The food is excellent, the wine list is phenomenal, and the crowd is sexy. It's a Michelin-star winner and deserves all the hype it gets. My favorites include the sesame prawn toast, salt and pepper squid, and stir-fry black pepper rib-eye. Remember your veggies! You won't go wrong with the pak choi and gai lan. read more

Hell's Kitchen or simply Hell? Gordon Ramsay's head would have exploded. My friend and I decided to use our hotel $$ savings from the Hoxton's £1 Sale to splash out at London's first Michelin starred Chinese restaurant. Huge mistake and we knew it the minute we walked in to face a row of sullen Robert Palmer 'Addicted To Love' zomboids. The people of Hakkasan appear to be the most irritated species on the planet. Not only do they begrudgingly take coats and hold open loo doors, they also forcefully remind you (for the tenth time since making the reservation two months ago) that you absolutely must be finished with your table after 90 minutes, no exceptions. (And a hearty hello to you, too, oh irritated ones!) But it doesn't stop there. If you can open the menus without assaulting your closely situated neighbors, you are then tasked with divining the ingredients in the title sans descriptions dishes. We saw three duck dishes and made the mistake of asking our ill-humored waiter how each was prepared. Instead of waxing rhapsodic on the virtues of each, he snapped, "They're all duck, that's all you need to know." Hmmmph! It went further south from there, but at least it was consistent -- consistently awful to the point of hilarity. Spare yourself the scorn and scolding, unless of course, you're into that kind of thing. read more

One of the most intense dim sum experiences I have ever lived. The setting here is truly amazing and a special place to eat a dim sum like you have never experienced. read more

Awesome. I hate the word but credit where credit is due. V Good food. V Good atmosphere.....and the cocktails....Take the Hakka cocktail - a fine beverage- I dare you to drink 5 hakkas and make it out the door without wanting to be amorous with the bouncer on the door (mate in case you read this please note that I am straight), the door, the lamp-post outside. It's not an aphrodisiac but it sure puts you in a good state of being... all that without the Yoga exercises. The price for the dining experience.... mmmm...bite my head but I did nor find it that bad. Less classy joints have cost me more even with vast amounts of alcohol I ordered. This place is my current favourite in London. read more

Very sexy restaurant. Service was great - told the server to pick about 6 dishes on the menu for me and my date to share. His choices were great: crispy duck salad was my favorite, along with a spicy prawn dish. The lychee martinis were fantastic so I had a bunch of those. Main downfall for me was our seat. We had to both sit on the same side of the table and there was a couple right next to us doing the same thing. It was a little close for comfort. A lot of business dinners but also a lot of dates and party groups. Versatile restaurant with good food and service. read more

Don't even bother going here if you are allergic to anything. They do not make any effort to accommodate any allergies. Extremely disappointing experience. Terrible service. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

I was not entirely blown away, and it was not the best chinese food I have EVER had... But it was pretty good and I still do recommend it. Maybe I was expecting too much. It is also not as pricey as you may expect. With cocktails, appetizers and main dish each, it was about 50 pounds. read more

This is essentially overpriced Asian food off Tottenham Court Road. I've been to both branches of Hakkasan in London and this is pales in comparison to Hakksan Mayfair in terms of service, food quality and also general decor. Even walking to HHP feels a little eerie given it's at the end of a dark side street. Unfortunately, the inside also suffers from the same poor lighting. This is based on two different experiences from around two years ago as well as one last year (for the sake of clarity) and there are some good dishes on the menu but I've always felt underwhelmed and hungry when leaving. The drinks are average and truthfully, the first time I visited the waitress pretty much turned up her nose at two of my friends who are strict Jains and do not drink. For a Michelin starred Chinese restaurant this is disappointing both in terms of food and service. I live in Hong Kong now and have been to many other dim sum restaurants in London and although some of the dim sum on the weekend menu at Hakkasan are creative they do not justify the price tag in my opinion. The ambience at the other branch is much nicer and I've had better experiences with staff as well as enjoyed the food a little more. A quick tip - don't bring your own birthday cake unless you plan on also ordering dessert here, you will be charged a cake cutting fee per person. read more

Turn the lights down low enough and everyone in the restaurant looks beautiful and mysterious. The lighting here is dark, but to be honest, the strategically-placed spotlights work well. And it all adds to the atmosphere, which is most of what this cool restaurant is about. The food was a bit pricey for what it was, but it was also unique and memorable, as well. read more

I was positively surprised to find the setting, the food quality and variety are better than what I expected. Of course, there is a price tag for this. Avg nearly $80 person after currency conversion, without any alcohol. Three downsides: -no high chair for kid, so not suitable for toddlers -no designated servant, it feels like everyone serves every table. So some request may be lost -no leftover take-out: we first under ordered and then over-ordered. At the time we get the check, we were told that there is no left-over takeout. So be careful when you order read more

The food is awesome and it has a great ambiance. The drink menu works as well with the food as vine. No matter which way you go you need to try the Hakkan. Best drink I had all year! read more

Dim Sum Sampler was amazing and so was the sea bass. I will definitely be going to one of their other locations once I return to the US. The desserts were especially amazing. Food is like art here. read more

I always enjoy the food but it comes at a premium due to the name. It starts with white tea priced at £7.40 more than a cocktail in most places. The nice thing is that it's great for an extended lunch as you can order more dishes as you go and they are never in a hurry to get you out the door. The dim sum platter is great to share and leave room for the chocolate ganache desert. read more

This is all about the scene. Can't remember a single thing about the food. Cocktails are good and wine is on the more expensive side. Dark, red interior, lots of glass, quite noisy, but great for people watching. read more

Named one of the 50 best restaurants in the world by a respectable survey, this place is another of Alan Yaus burgeoning and incredibly popular outposts of Asain gourmet cuisine, Hakkasan must rate as one of the best eating experiences in London. The style is opium-den decadent and the food, although expensive, is mouth-wateringly good and worth every penny. A fun extrovert crowd adds to the allure. The cocktails are out of this world, get any that has lychee, as are the extraordinary desserts. Hard to find, tucked away down a back alley, but once you're there you won't regret it. read more

In the centre of London the theory is: the better the quality of the food, the more recession occuring in your bank account. And Hakkasan most definitely keeps that theory alive! The food is Incredible [kindly note the use of the capital 'I' for emphasis!] The restaurant itself is beautiful - with the lighting transforming the joint into an almost intimate, high-end night cub by the evening. Perfect for dinner with the person you wholeheartedly adore and would rightfully spend a fortune over. Though I suggest large group of friends or students go for the cheaper alternative and head down to Cape Town Fish Market - equally delicious but a little more affordable and a little less high-maintenance [I mean that in the best way possible....I do - hence the fifth star! hehe] read more

The restaurant is beautifully decorated. Our server was very attentive. The cocktails are strong yet still taste good. Everyone says this but they have amazing dim sum. The crispy duck roll is really tasty. The grilled Chilean sea bass in honey was the best fish I have ever had. The stir fry Australian lobster was good (but maybe not quite worth the hefty price tag). All in all great experience. read more

Went here a few years ago with family while we were in town. Amazing food, and even made a dish without soy sauce for someone in our group who was allergic. I think I had the mango duck and it was great. read more

Best meal of my recent visit to London. Like some of the other yelpers , being from the west coast and living in NY, I was skeptical of an Asian fusion spot in London. I was pleasantly surprised from the moment we pulled up into the small back lane entrance and walked downstairs into a fabulous underground lair. The decor was beautiful asian-style and contemporary plus the place was packed with a great, upbeat ambiance. The food surpassed my expectations - it was adventurous chinese mixing a nice balance of authentic flavours with new flair. Served family style, it made for a great group meal and I kept eating long after I should have put the chopsticks down. Not to mention the delish lychee cocktails which were more creative than the usual lychee martinis you'll find at so many asian fusion spots. Only downshot, cocktails were a bit slow to be offered and then delivered to the table and after our allotted dining timeslot, we were politely but firmly asked to leave rather than enjoy another drink. Understand this is a reality for hot tables in London, NY etc but I prefer a subtle request versus the pointed ushering towards the door. All said, I would absolutely return! read more

Excellent...Extraordinary food, great service..They also make great Manhattans.

When I called to make reservations, I was a bit baffled: the lady wasn't really that friendly and we could only have a table for 2 hours in total (in our case from 7 till 9 pm). What are they going to do? Tell us to spit out the last bit of food in our mouth and show us the bill? Made the reservations anyway, because one of my friends told me that the Hakkasan is a must. And he was right! To begin with the tight schedule: I don't know how, but we never had the feeling that we had to rush. It was very crowded, but we still enjoyed our privacy. The Asian food was very high-level. We were a party of 5 and the waiter recommended us to all choose something different for starters and main course and share. That worked out fine. It gives the whole evening (oh no, 2 hours) a very communicative and cosy touch. The service was very good anyway: very accurate, not at all obtrusive and very friendly. And somehow they really know how to get you out after 2 hours, without being pushed. Prices are fairly high, but for us tourists in London it was a one-time experience that I would not want to have missed out on. The combination of the perfect food, the one-time atmosphere with floral arrangements, without daylight (the restaurant is in a basement) and a very nice combination of hip and stylish elements without forgetting the need for cosiness, makes it to this one-time experience. Although, not that one-time I hope: I will definitely visit this restaurant again! And to be honest: you might want to leave after 2 hours anyway, because otherwise you might be broke by the end of the evening ;-). read more

Hakkasan makes Chinese food fashionable. With its sexy black decor and amazing food and cocktails this is a place to take people to impress or be impressed. The food is genuinely very good, I would go so far to say the best Chinese in London. The atmosphere is buzzy and lots of fun as well for a group night out. It doesn't come cheaply, but hey you are in London read more

The restaurant is tucked away in an alley just off the Tottenham Court Road/Oxford Street junction. One's name is checked off on a list by a doorman; a back slate-lined stairway leads down to an incensed-perfumed reception hall and the restaurant. The decor is mostly black with backlit blue walls. Laser-beam spots punctuate the gloom, and geometric Chinese screens divide the tables. It manages to reference an art-deco Shanghai opium den while being very modern, luxurious and comfortable. Waiting for Liz at the bar, I had something called a Purple Emperor: a wonderfully smooth, but actually yellow mix (a base of rum and sake). The purple was supplied by a massive orchid the bartender popped on top for decoration My preconception was that a Michelin-starred trendy restaurant would offer small portions: however the opposite was very much the case, with every dish seemingly sized for two hungry eaters. A starter of Sechuan chili crab was enormous and completely fabulous; my dimsum selection was pretty good too and contained 8 large dimsum. My main of jasmine tea smoked chicken was amazing (but must have contained at least half a chicken). Liz had another massive pile of ribs this time. Side orders were a very generous plate of pak choi and and a canister of steamed rice. Neither of us actually fancied the rice but our waiter insisted. He was a funny one all the staff were charming and friendly except our waiter, who was quite aloof and dismissive and really couldn't be bothered to answer questions (all the staff are very beautiful the restaurant could double as a modeling agency). We got complete fireworks when we asked for a doggy bag for the large quantities of leftovers. We don't do takeaway! We don't do takeaway! our waiter insisted emotionally, as if the very suggestion was mortally insulting. OK, this is a very smart restaurant and obviously they want to distance themselves from fast-food joints: point taken (and obviously, Hakkasan is a world away from a takeaway). But there were HUGE amounts of leftovers of very delicious food I was loath to leave behind. However, I am completely averse to making a fuss in restaurants. Not so Liz, who made them very aware that on this occasion they would be doing a doggy bag! So, eventually, I climbed the stairs out clutching my precious hamper of leftovers (much admired by an American tourist). Even our waiter seemed to find the funny side at last. read more

This place has been very good for years. Not cheap, but fun and young, stylish atmosphere.

Update: We enjoyed our meal on our second visit, but this time at their Mayfair, Berkeley Square location. Much nicer people, and good service and not rude door bouncers. Perhaps the Hanway Place staff should take note. read more

I was really looking forward to this place, and the food was definitely good, but it was incredibly expensive for what we were served. My husband and two kids spent $300 on lunch (lunch!) and the food was good but didn't blow me away. I don't spend that kind of cash to have a decent lunch. read more

Very Sexy place! I would go for a special occasion. Enjoyable dinning experience. Fun drinks to enjoy at the bar with friends or a date. Food is great, but kinda pricy. If you just want to enjoy some delicious, quality Chinese/Taiwanese food, go to Taiwan Village!!! read more

Excellent food. Excellent atmosphere. Excellent service. The tasting menus are very good, with a great variety of foods all with high quality. The dim sum is great, the ribs and peppered steak is juicy and has great flavor, and the prawns are outstanding. The desserts are good, but not exceptional. The very cool atmosphere is the icing on the cake. Highly recommended. read more

Love this place. Cool Asian fusion. Upscale ambience. Get the multi-course option. You won't be disappointed.

This is a very fashon restaurant, is a meeting place for celebrities and it boasts of a superb design, inviting cocktails and a very sophisticated Chinese food. The dishes are well decorated and food is exquisited. The restaurant has soffused lights that create a night atmosphere, I find it very romantic! Maybe the atmosphere is too formal and staff are great! I go there once a month and always experiance a good service! read more

I really loved this upscale Chinese joint. Posh and classy deep underground near Tottenham Court Road. Lovely food and drinks. I had a lovely cocktail peppered around the rim and all the dishes we ordered were flavourful and spiced carefully. Ambiance is perfect and overall a very nice expreience! Must go to if you're in need of a posh fun place with good food and booze! read more

There is a reason this place is always packed and that is great food and equally great ambiance. Try one of the fresh juices with a shot of vodka if you drink. The vegetable dumplings are divine and, lastly, the service is wonderful and elegant even under pressure. read more

Amazing restaurant, the athmosphere is great and the food phenomenal. It does not just taste great but it looks amazing.