Heard so much about this place. Heard it was best Chinese in London. Well. Ambience was great. Music was repetitive and loud. Food was salty. No way the best Chinese I have had. Average at best read more

I love this place. I hadn't been here in 3 years but it was just as enjoyable. The design/atmosphere really can't be beat. The cocktail list is exotic and everything I tried was good. I loved the vegetarian dim sum platter, you get to try a little of everything. I highly recommend the roasted silver cod with the champagne/honey sauce. Yum! Also got the tofu claypot which had a really good sauce. Ok so things are overpriced but you're paying for the experience, which for me was worth it. read more

Big, loud, gorgeous, delicious. A bit pricey, but I wasn't paying. And they let us stay late.

This was a bitter disappointment. Had heard good things about the restaurant, however on arrival we found the place over booked. We were ushered into a cramped corridor of a bar, where aside from not being able to hear ourselves speak, we were unable to get to the bar as it was so crowded. The disappointing thing was that the bar was full of dissatisfied customers waiting overly long on their tables. Our 9 o clock table came at 9.40, after a huge amount of pestering of the overworked staff. The table we were given was so near the DJ that we couldn't hear, and the table was so dark we couldn't see. Typically, a second after opening the menu, a waiter impatiently asked if we has chosen, and we told him that with our senses so deeply inhibited, it was fairly difficult to discern your a** from your elbow, let alone chose food. In the end we left the restaurant without eating, as the place had the all the charm and character of a reversing dump truck with no tires on. It was a typical restaurant that was greedy- and overbooked hugely, and tried to be too cool. One doesn't go to one of the most expensive Chinese restaurants in the world to listen to repetitive and shoddy music from a low end DJ- in fact a DJ has little place in a restaurant at all. Put a candle on the table, and stop thinking your a hip place. You're not. read more

I should get two points for this place, because i went to both locations on consecutive nights. Yes it is that good. Yes i am that addicted, committed to the dumpling. This place is chic, modern and dark and swanky. It is crowded at night on a weekend. The cocktail menu is extensive and after having quite a few all were amazing. I tried to compare the lichee martini to nobus and it may have won. It is such a weird dichotomy...ancient london street, quintessentially narrow and cobble-stoned...then you walk into this modern chinese food mecca and are accosted, though pleasantly by the smell of incense. The dumplings, short ribs and crispy duck rolls are all amazing. The shrimp dumplings a favorite. And at the end when you go to leave...there are three people holding an umbrella over your head while they hail you a cab...please...its midnight, my curls came out ages ago but I'm flattered...and i will be back... read more

A friend and I went here for the Sunday three course special. The service was impeccable, and all of the food was perfectly cooked. However, the dishes lacked imagination and complexity. The flavor profile was pretty flat. We're from Indiana and joked that their bland dishes would be perfect for the Midwest. Do not expect anything here like the creative dishes of, say, a Gymkhana or Buddakan. read more

Hakkasan is a Michelin star rated Chinese fusion restaurant located down a back alley in Central London. You would not know it was there unless you were specifically looking for it. Hakkasan is not reliant on pedestrian traffic and yet it can be difficult to get a reservation. There is actually a dress code and formal shoes are required. If you are going to spend this kind of money on a meal you should dress up and make an effort anyway. Do make sure to bring the credit card with you because this is an extremely ridiculously expensive restaurant. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is romantic. If you work it right you will be too drunk at the end of the meal to care about the price. It is rated number 19 out of the 50 best restaurants in the WORLD not just London. I think going to restaurants you can't really afford makes for a memorable and more appreciated night reserved for birthdays and anniversaries. When was the last memorable meal you had at Nandos? read more

We did the set menu with Peking duck and dim sum. Caviar on top of crispy duck skin. Our local spot will never hold a candle. Rest of meal was spectacular -scallops, lamb, grrnbeans I will dream about. Great atmosphere. Very kind staff who gave us macarons since we were late for our theater performance. Five stars. read more

The dim sums were good, but the main course was just average. The ambiance and drinks were good. Have been at Hakkasen at other locations, but the food is always a hit or miss. read more

This place is chic to be sure. But I had doubts about the food as we walked in. The dimly lit, sexy feel of the place echoed Mr. Chow's or some gimicky Chinese fusion place. And in a way, it IS gimicky, but it's still damn good. You won't come here just for the food - you'll come here for the "scene" as well. But we were surprised that this place had the authenticity and deliciousness to back up the scenester vibe. Every dish on the menu is almost as good as the real thing served in Chinatown or Paddington or Bayswater, or even Vancouver, NYC, or LA. The dishes are well presented and tasty, and they should be, because you're paying an arm and a leg for courses that should cost half the amount. The steamed dim sum was pretty good, as was the stir fried morning glory vegetables, but our favorite was a dish of chicken braised in a clay pot with dark soy, ginger, and vegetables. The flavor of the dish was deep and hearty and very, very satisfying. read more

trendy chinese restaurant, great food, great decor, great cocktails at the bar, quite pricey though, 200 pounds for dinner for tow must be the norm, the food is beautifully presented on the plate and melts into your mouth read more

Expensive but food it great. However i like to see the food i buy as presentation is really important so gear up the lights a little or we could end up eating something not so pleasant. read more

For photos see Greedy Diva @ http://greedydiva.blogspot.com/2010/10/hakkasan-fitzrovia.html For his birthday this year, The Peanut Gallery chose to be taken to Hakkasan. I can only guess it is no coincidence that the papers announced the next day that it is the most expensive restaurant, per minute of dining, in London. Uncanny. Hakkasan seems to be one of those places you'll either love it or you'll hate it. I'm firmly in the love camp. Soaring ceIlings, dim lighting and dramatic, dark wooden decor reminded me of Buddakan in New York. Unlike in New York, where great grub and a spectacular setting often go hand in hand, it's so rare in London for such a fabulous fit out not to mean the food is complete rubbish. I have heard rumours of too cool for school service and door bouncers there's NOTHING I hate more. Although they're glamorous with some gorgeous kit for uniforms (I'd wear those blue dresses on a night out) we found service at all times to be efficient, but quite friendly and helpful. I suppose the area when you first walk and face the line up in could be a tad intimidating. It feels like entering a night club and you have your name ticked off a list before you even step inside. But we quickly warmed up to it with a few martinis at the bar (lychee for me, classic for the birthday boy). It's fun place for some great cocktails, even if you don't stop for dinner. Once seated (for our strictly 2 hour time slot of feeding we arrived early to linger at the bar for a while first), we started with prawn toast and a duck salad. The large, bulbous sesame prawn toasts are in a different league to anything I've had in a long while. They're fleshy and sweet, topped with sesame and served with a side of fried seaweed and enoki mushrooms. (£13.50) The crispy duck salad mixes moist strips of duck with crispy fresh greens, pomelo, pine nut and shallots. Very nice, if a tad forgettable. (£19.50) Our main serving of roast duck with Chinese herbs is soon pronounced by TPG, serious duck addict, to be the best he's ever eaten. It's full juicy, fatty flavour is spiced up by some generous seasoning, and the texture of crispy skin against moist juicy meat is spot on. (£21.00) Moist chunks of peppery, stir fried, rib-eye beef with merlot come spilling from a delicate, spindly nest. Again, big flavours and execution is just right. (£18.80)Desserts are artistic creations. Naturally, TPG has the warm coconut rice pudding with mango caviar and black sesame crunch. I have the gorgeous buttermilk bavarois with blood orange jelly and fresh blood orange. (£8.00 each). Both are stunning, with interesting, indulgent flavours a party in your mouth. Hakkasan, under chef Tong Chee Hwee, has held a Michelin star since 2003. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is buzzing. Yes, Hakkasan is expensive expect to upwards of £50 per head for food, and prices can of course soar if you get stuck into the cocktails or the wagyu (there's pair of £58 wagyu dishes). However, you can experience the glamour and some great Chinese food for a fraction of the price if you go for dim sum. It's fresh, interesting and the flavours pack some serious punch. I'll be back. read more

Modern Chinese restaurant (think Mr. Chow). *not allowed to take pictures here* oops! Directions: You can't get dropped off right at the entrance of this restaurant because its a very skinny alleyway that leads to it. If you get dropped off of Oxford St., walk down Hanway Place and when it forks stay to the left. Go all the way down and the restaurant will be on the left at the end. Go down the flight of stairs and be greeted by a bouncer. The inside of the restaurant is all trendy asianed up. It is actually huge downstairs. I came here for dim sum. All the items were a modern version of the traditional dim sum (no chicken feet here :( . The best dishes to order are xiao loan bao (I don't know the english name, but if the server doesn't understand you they are steamed pork dumplings that come with the ginger and vinegar sauce on the side). *Also when eating these dumplings, you need to let the soup inside drain out before you put it in your mouth or you will burn your tongue.* I'm not really sure what I ordered, I just asked the waiter for the most popular dishes. Here is what I didn't like: chicken soup and duck egg rolls. The pan fried chicken and shrimp dumplings were okay. I had this sea bass something dish that was interesting and would have been better if there was more sauce. If I go back I would probably skip the dim sum and go straight to their main dishes. Okay, again with the desserts in London. Amazing! I don't know what my friends dessert was called, but it was soooo good. It was shapped like flan, but was more like ice cream and came with something similar to peanut brittle on the side. It seems like every place I try, the desserts get better and better. I decided to go the healthy route and ordered an exotic fruit platter (warning its huge!) If you come here, please save room for dessert, its the best part. www.anitaeat.com read more

Just returned from this restaurant. This is a fun upscale place with mostly quite good Chinese food. Close to 200 pounds for a rather light meal for 3. We ordered drinks and food. Was slightly taken aback when soup and appetizers arrived before our cocktails--but didn't think much of till our mains arrived before the rest of the appetizers and grew cold before we got to them. The dim sum plate was above average and very pretty to look at. The taste was good, but no where near as good as you'd find at a place catering to a primarily Chinese clientele. The reviewer who said the har gau were the best ever has probably not eaten many. The cocktails were quite sweet even tho the waitress had told us they weren't. The duck salad was very good; the sweet and sour Berkshire pork was so-so: the pork not crispy an the accompaniment heavy on the onions with a few bell peppers. When we finished they offered us dessert. We chose some tea and while we were drinking it, we were asked to vacate the table-another party was waiting for it and there was a 2 hour limit! So that was the reason for the slapdash service--they wanted to turn our table. When I complained to the manager he said this was a policy of the restaurant, that we had been informed of when making the reservation (I didn't make so perhaps) and that we'd been called to remind us of that (an absolute lie). The crucial point is that at no point when in premises were we informed of this and we were offered tea and dessert when we didn't have time to drink it. Also, I couldn't help but notice that many of the people seated near us had been there when we arrived and didn't seem to be under a curfew. The manager did English Officiousness very well; giving a sh-t, not well at all. As much as I enjoyed the classy, fun atmosphere and some of the food, I would never go back. Food 3.5. Atmosphere 5. Management 0. read more

Please get the Duck Salad when if you get a chance to come here. I still dream about it....

Best dim sum in London hands down. Everything is good and it has a great bar with lots of cocktail options. Trendy vibe for sure as well. A must. read more

Delicious food, great atmosphere and very professional staff. The dim sum is ridiculously good... Highly recommended.

Just amazing. Crowd down to earth, lively, service is perfect and food is THE best. Not cheap but at least you get what you pay for.

I tried this out on a Friday night. We had pre-booked a table but still had to wait 20mins at the bar until one was ready which was a bit annoying. The food (asian) is fantastic. The duck, which I am not normally a fan of generally, was really tender and tasty and I would definitely recommend it. Best to get dishes to share on the table with your friends so you get to try lots of things. Had heard previously it was riduculously expensive so was surprised when it came to about £40 a head (I thought it would be double). The items on the menu really vary in price - you have some mains for £15 and some for £60 so I guess it depends on what you order. read more

No hype this is the one. Consistant quality. Impecable staff and terrific Ambience. Some say it's too dark but my take is the dim light gives you more chance to savour the flavour of the cuisine. This is what I think they are trying to acheve and I believe they succced. Bar staff are terrific and seem to get it just right even when you take clients and try to impress ( I admit my Vodka knowledge is lacking..OK Jake its crap.) Top Dishes : Silver Cod, Vggie Chicken (love regular but this is terrific. No1 's Dish Tofu and Beef. Loved the Miami branch but it's just not London! read more

Great for groups. Modern, underground space. Long bar. Sexy feel with a very Asian sense. A bit like Spice Market in New York, but less kitsch. Food was tasty. Not the best / most authentic Chinese, but everything was full of flavor and nothing dissapointed. Will go back. read more

I am a regular and i could not compliment the staff / food more. I have been going there for years i honestly don't know why i haven't reviewed it until now... I have a 16 months old the restaurant has always tried their absolute best to seat us at a spacious and comfortable table. The staff have always been extremely friendly and accommodating, my little one says hi to everyone there! And of course the food, we love everything. I would highly recommend this restaurant read more

delectable dining, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of w1. dark, delicious interior with fantastic lighting, professional service, sleek design and, most importantly, divine dishes that will raise the bar when it comes to 21st century chinese cuisine. read more

Although a little off the beaten path, this is one of my top 5 dining experiences. This is one of those restaurants that you will crave going back to. Both the food and the drinks were delicious. I am so glad we heard about this place. My husband and I were so tempted to go back the following night. The only reason we didn't was because we knew we had to try other restaurants while in London. This one ended up being our favorite. Will definitely visit again. read more

The Dim-sum, Duck Salad and Black Bean Beef are the best i have tried. This place isnt cheap but for special occasions this place is a must. Its a place that any foodie would appreciate. That said on my second visit there, we felt a bit rushed as they wanted to sit a new table.(Normally I wouldn't mind but five of us had spent £750 and another 15mins to digest would have been welcomed) that a side I will be heading back in the near future read more

great drinks, great food, great service with the onset of non-smoking rules, this place has no flaws from my point of view, it is well worth the money when it was a smoking ok place, it was pretty hard to tolerate, being underground with no air circulation read more

amazing food and great service - were very helpful when catering for my dietary requirements. great cocktails too!

This is a very trendy restaurant to go and be seen. I didn't see any celebrities (though my British celebrity knowledge isn't that great) but this is definitely somewhere you can expect to see a sighting. A guest list lady is at the door, don't even think of walking up without a reservation (unless by chance you are a celebrity reading this awesome Yelp review) and I hear that tables often need to be booked quite well in advance. The ambiance and decor is trendy and reminds me of the upmarket restaurants that are adjoined to Las Vegas nightclubs. The food was good but tbh not as spectacular as you'd think given the high price - I think you are very much paying for the wealthy and fashionable vibe rather than the quality of the food. If you want to impress your significant other with a trendy night on the town this is a good place to start or if you're a tourist consider this as a good example of a fashionable London restaurant. read more

great bar, food too heavy and too expensive, service not bad. used to be a regular , once a week almost when it first opened, had somethign special back then but now... read more