Whilst in london for a weekend, a friend took us to yauatcha in soho. When we walked there, she stopped and said we are here... We just looked and thought really?? It doesn't look like a restaurant outside though through the window we could see it was a bakery. We hadn't made a booking so they gave us a table for three people and said we had two hours. We ordered various dim sum, which are quite expensive and only really a treat, rather than somewhere you would go every Sunday like we normally have done in Birmingham!! The waitress told us we had ordered enough as they don't do take out boxes! Okay we got told lol Some of the dim sum was nice and some were too unusual for my taste. It is stylish and an Instagrammers heaven ! My friend paid so I don't know how much lunch cost! But must been expensive though we only drank water and green tea. The toilets are downstairs and the sink is like a Japanese garden with slate steps. See my photo!! There were only two out of I think six toilets working which I think isn't acceptable especially as they didn't put up a notice on the doors. There is a bakery with some gorgeous desserts which I wish I had tried but couldn't walk round london with them as takeaways. There's always next time!!! read more

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Michelin stars aren't just handed out to those who ask for them, and while i only sampled a few dessert offerings at Yauatcha as opposed to their flagship Cantonese dishes, I certainly see why they get the attention that they do. Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere? From their super high end dessert bar to their very chic and contemporary formal dining area (with light that's oh so conducive to taking photos of your dishes), Yauatcha absolutely oozes class, and you can immediately spot the similarities to their mother ship Hakkasan (neon blue ring a bell?). Service is fast, friendly, and formal. Star Granted. Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost? Macarons are expensive these days, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that my macarons at Yauatcha, where were notably large, only priced out to be $2.10 USD each once I did the conversion from pounds. That's notably cheaper than (smaller) macarons that I've had at Pierre Herme in Paris, which is certainly a win. I also ordered a signature 'Chocolate Pebble' that was a staggering six pounds, but I really can't fault the prices of flagship specialty desserts. Star Granted. Stars 3 and 4: How was the food? One thing I'll point out is that the macaron flavors were just a tad bit limited at Yauatcha compared to some other shops that I've been to. Sure they had salted caramel and coconut and orange, but missing were classics like vanilla and rose or fun contemporary options like apple pie or banana. That's not really a fault (Pierre Herme has the same issue), but it was note worthy. The macarons themselves were excellent. Outside of the coconut all six of my macarons had excellent and more importantly consistent contrasting textures with powerful flavors on the back end, and the salted caramel in particular was divine. Arguably most surprising was the Chocolate Pebble, which was a symphony of truffle and liquid chocolate that had me appreciating chocolate like I'm not sure I ever have done. Dual Stars Granted. Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could? Yauatcha has earned all of the acclaim they've received, but their macarons fall ever so short compared to my all-time global favorites at Miann (Auckland) and Pierre Herme (Paris). I will certainly be back for the food though to give Yauatcha a proper and more thorough look. No Star Granted. read more

Yauatcha - Macarons (6): £9.70 - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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The prospect of posh Chinese food in London didn't seem positive. But after sampling one (or more) of nearly everything on the menu over the course of two visits I gotta say: Yauatcha is legit! I've eaten both upstairs and down: I prefer upstairs during the day and downstairs at night. Regardless of your seating position, order the venison puffs! Also their French macarons are more than just pretty to look at: they're delicious. read more

Yauatcha is a 1 Michelin starred dim sum tea house. Definitely upscale and posh, but didn't give it a 5 stars due to the service. They try to be very upscale in service, so they literally whisper at you...this only works if you're in a very quiet restaurant. This place is more happening and upbeat which naturally turns into loud in volume. You must speak up people! They also need more training in being more observant...there were more than too many times they walked away without looking. They probably solely get the Michelin for their food, because food is absolutely stunning in its presentation, quality, and taste. The desserts are so pretty here too! The two of us ordered the set menu for two people which came with the following: Blue swimmer crab salad with sesame dressing and Asian vegetables Venison Puff - flaky pastry filled with yummy venison. Seafood dumpling in supreme stock - Fish maw dumpling! So good! Great broth and exciting texture of the fish maw in the dumpling! Poached Peking chicken dumpling - Excellent Har gau - very nice skin with excellent shrimp inside Pork and prawn shui mai - Excellent Three style mushroom cheung fun - clean and woodsy mushroom taste with excellent skin! Fried chilli squid - So yummy!! Perfectly fried and little Thai chili peppers mixed in the loose batter gives it a good kick!! There were also toasted coconuts which made it so fragrant and yummy! Crispy aromatic duck 1/4 - Quarter of a duck fried to perfection with inside meat juicy. The server shreds the meat for us so that we can make our own wrap. Chinese vegetable - crisp, sweet, excellent baby bok choy. Then two of my kids ordered additional from the a la cart menu: Lobster Dumpling - Lobster dumpling with tobiko caviar with ginger and shallot. Yes! They're yummy! Pork and preserved egg congee - really nice and well cooked. Great flavor! Char Sui Bao - So good! First note, you smell a fragrant but subtle rose. Then you bite into this fluffy bun and taste the amazing char sui inside! I asked why do I smell rose, and they told me that the flour they use is "rose flour!" Amazing!! Scallop Siu Mai - Whole entire scallop per dumpling! WOW! After all that food, we were stuffed, but we had to try the desserts, because they're sooooo beautiful! Raspberry and lychee rose - velvety and amazing! Looks like a beautiful hat with a edible silver leaf on top! Mmmmmm Green apple cake - so tangy and yummy and lovely! Gelatin on top and buttery pie bottom. The apple looks real! Chocolate orange macaron. OK this is the only item that's not out of this world...only because I'm used to the finest...Ladurée and Pierre Herme. But still good. We also had 4 pots of tea (there's no refill on water) and their pots are personal size, as well as 4 bottles of still water. The bill was US $233, which's pretty steep for dim sum...but it was an experience to remember! read more

I was very excited to try this restaurant, but was unfortunately let down. I was personally not a fan of the restaurant's setup. The chairs that we sat in were uncomfortable and really low to the ground, and the tables were so close to each other that any movement to the side results in you rubbing against the person sitting next to you. The service also leaves much to be desired; it was really slow, and it took forever to get a waiter's attention. Some of the dishes we got were pretty good. The pork and prawn shui mai and the prawn and beancurd cheung fun were our two favorites, and we really enjoyed them. The crispy duck roll was pretty mediocre; you could get something better at other dim sum restaurants. When we ordered the chicken cheung fun, however, the dish came out very soggy and the chicken was really bland and dry. The edamame truffle dumpling had a weirdly crunchy texture, and the flavors didn't blend well at all. I probably would've given this restaurant a 3-star rating if it did not have a Michelin star and was less pricey. I don't think that the restaurant is worth the star or the price, and would not go back here. read more

Yauatcha - Prawn and bean curd cheung fun, crispy duck roll - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

For Chinese people, the concept of expensive fusion dim sum is a bit strange. Not to mention in general £5 for an order of crab siu mai is a bit ridiculous. The idea of venison puff pastry/pie at a Chinese restaurant is a bit strange, but we went for it. We also ordered the standard dishes - cheung fun (rice rolls), fried rice, siu mai, har gao etc. Some of the dishes were standouts such as the har gao/siu mai/turnip cake, but we were definitely let down by others. The noodles were greasy and bland, and the fried rice was burnt. Service here is...unique. Transport Chinatown service to Soho and that's what you get. Not a single smile, exasperated looks thrown at me...not really sure what our table did to warrant it! We ended up having to send back the fried rice because parts of it were actually black at the bottom. We also had to wait over 20 minutes to get our dessert of glutinous rice balls covered with peanuts. When I asked one of the servers how long it would take, he told me it takes time. No kidding, I realised it takes time. Then I told him that we waited over 20 minutes for the dessert. He then gives me a quizzical look and questions me, unconvinced that I was telling the truth. By this point, I was a bit fed up, so I just told him to cancel the order. I guess we attracted enough attention because five minutes later the manager comes up with a plate of macarons for us, "on the house". With the exception of the chocolate macaron, the four of us all agreed that they were too sweet, stuck to our teeth, and we couldn't even discern what the flavours were supposed to be. I've been to Yauatcha on previous occasions, and there was not a single occasion where the service was acceptable. Really good quality dim sum but I have no choice but to take points off for burnt rice, and the repeatedly rude servers. read more

Yauatcha - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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Quick glance: + delicious food + good selection of wine, including English - pricey - small portion (on set menu) Full review: I had a team dinner with work here one evening and from the hustle and bustle it would have been hard to guess it was a weeknight. The place was swimming with people, as well as fishies in an enormous tank that stretches across the bar downstairs, stylishly decorated for a nice ambiance. As a group, we had the Yauatcha Signature set menu. As a Cantonese person judging an upmarket Cantonese restaurant, I found the food was tasty and delicately prepared, but the portion size was not particularly generous at £60 a head for 8 people. At that price I had expected perfection but was disappointed by the two plates of desserts (one per group of four) dishing up slightly different sweets. (It looked like an error that one plate had duplicated chocolate pudding while the other plate had four distinct offerings - small things, but alas I have high expectations!). The restaurant offers a good selection of wine, including Camel Valley from Cornwall, and the a la carte menu looks alluring and attractively priced. If I come back again I would definitely stay away from the set menu, but then again I would probably feel more at home in a less grandiose venue... read more

Yauatcha - Shui Mai starter from the Yauatcha Signature set menu - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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Yauatcha always makes for a special experience. We went for dinner after a show at the theatre. We had a nice table in the centre of the basement restaurant, so we had great views of the brilliant decor and fish tank, that runs the length of the bar. Our server was full of smiles and details about the menu. We had a selection of Dim Sum, stir-fry rib eye beef, baby Pak Choi, rice and a few beautifully made desserts all from the 'Harmony Menu'. A place I can highly recommend and is versatile to suit every occasion. read more

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There's a lot of talk about this place and it's Michelin star. On eating there, you would only imagine it's there for the service as the food isn't anything special. Well apart from the fabulous Beancurd and Prawn Cheung Fun. Whilst it offers al the usual dim sum fare that you'll find in Chinatown on the a la carte menu. There are more special and better presented unique Dim Sum such as the Shanghai Blues restaurant in Holborn which offers similar fare with live music Also value is pretty poor. The tea is by the pot and super pricy. Don't expect refills here. Dishes start from around £5 upward. Service aside, there are much better options when it comes to food quality and wow factor. Expect £30-40 per head. read more

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Really disappointed with this 1 star Michelin, which is a joke to me. Maybe a bib. First of all they bill their self as dim sum, but its a tasting menu or by order, not the carts walking around. The space was huge, but so much so that you just seemed lost. We got stuck by a huge pole where everyone walked by so we had lots of servers and non at the same time. It was too loud to have a good conversation, (the music, not overall crowd noise). Service was horrendous. We had to constantly ask for things. The food sounds amazing, but lacked in execution totally. They nail sauces, but I don't like the choices of meat. For example, the truffle pork belly tasted amazing but would have been better on chicken or a loin vs the belly. Really didn't enjoy my visit, can't recommend. read more

Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Decor & Style: 5/5 Ok yes, the food is amazing, but it is pretty expensive. It is not true authentic Dim Sum, however it is still very good. Michelin 1 star rated? Definitely. Shui Mai & Har gauwas great, however not true Chinese taste, had a modern flavor to it. Char siu bun, Wagyu beef puff, Roasted duck pumpkin puff with pine nut, crispy duck roll all very, very good. Again, come here for the amazing food and nice modern environment but don't expect true Chinese dim sum flavors. read more

Yauatcha - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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This is a must visit if you can, this is just an absolute experience that is hard to compare to anything i have ever tried, the quality of the food, the craftsmanship, the flavors so delicious and delicate is almost overwhelming! And when it comes to service this is second to none, you feel just whiskered into another universe where attention to your meal and enjoyment is the sole purpose. The only thing with this place that I regret is that i am not there right now. read more

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I was really excited to try a Michelin star restaurant. We came here to try their set menu "Taste of Yauatcha". The food was kind of a disappointment honestly, I expected better. It was nothing special at all. I've had better dimsum at other places. The service was good, our waiter was really nice and attentive. The atmosphere was different and cool. read more

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Avoid avoid avoid! The least authentic Chinese food I have ever had. It's very expensive and the food is so bland. I have no idea how it's still in business. read more

Hands down the best dim sum in London. You pay for the food for sure, but it is totally worth it. The ingredients are super fresh, the flavor is authentic and the presentation is elegant. This is not your stereotypical dim sum place where people hustle for food. Don't get me wrong, I love that atmosphere. Yauatcha is more posh and proper, you get tiny baskets of food brought your table with a smile. Shrimp dumpling is served at every dim sum restaurant and it is my litmus test for authenticity of a dim sum place. The Shrimp dumpling here among the best I have tasted. They are juice and fresh and you can taste the subtle flavor of the bamboo shoots inside. Everything is really good here, but I particularly like the Xiao Long Bao, turnip cake, shrimp cheung fun, fried chicken chive dumpling, and we can't forget the congee! The pork and preserved egg congee is out of control tasty and perfect for a cold and rainy day in London! No meal is completed without good desserts, and apparently this rule applies to dim sum as well. The desserts here are beautiful, delicate and mouth watering. If you are too full you can bring these lovely babies home to enjoy and prolong the whole experience. You already figured this is not your typical dim sum place, so don't expect they to top up water for your teapot! They charge you for each pot of tea, which I think is not cool. Oh well, nowhere is perfect! read more

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When this place first opened-up, I wasn't sure exactly what it was! All you see outside are blue, blue walls. So one day, we decided to venture inside! The amount of dim sum on offer is stupid! There is such a gorgeous, varied selection, it's unreal and each little piece tastes like heaven. The amount of speciality / herbal teas they have here is also really great. We aren't made of money so couldn't afford the ones we *really* wanted but the Champagne Green Tea is one I definitely want to go back for and try out! What a great dim sum place, I really couldn't ask for more at a restaurant like this. It's awesome! read more

Yauatcha - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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A Michelin Chinese restaurant in Soho London that specializes in Dim Sum. It opened in 2004 by Alan Yau who also created Wagamama and Hakkasan. Rated as one of the top restaurants in London plus multiple locations worldwide.....I was excited to try this place. But what a shocking disappointment in regards to the food. This place was highly recommended by some friends. They said this place offers some of the best Chinese food in London......I would 100% disagree. Maybe for non-Chinese people (which is all I saw in the restaurant). The inside is a cool and sexy contemporary vibe. The ambiance with the bright floor, star-lit ceiling, neon lighting, and aquarium bar in the basement is a clever refreshing way to bring light to this otherwise dark and cave like space. When we arrived the hostess took our coats and bags and seated us at the bar downstairs for a few drink while our table was bring prepped. It was at that minute I noticed not one other Asians were eating here..... At the bar downstairs the drinks were divine. My husband got cognac and me some tropical lychee non alcoholic drink. The bartender was excellent. Drinks were delicious. Dishes are colourful with strong flavours and texture contrasts according to the website with dim sum as the highlight. Once are table was ready they brought us to our table to start ordering. Here is what we ordered: Scallop shui mai Char siu bun Crispy duck roll Prawn cheung fun Wagyu beef puff Stir-fry rib eye beef in black bean sauce Every tasted off. The stir fry rib eye and crispy duck roll was the closest to authentic...even that was a far stretch. I looked straight into the kitchen and saw only Chinese chefs......I should have asked to speak to a chef and asked him to cook me something off the menu. My husband ordered so much because he was simply hungry. But I asked him to stop ordering, grab the check, and let's head to Chinatown to eat after here. I was not about to waste precious macros on bad food. Service was pretty standard and could only get so good as it was super busy. The bartenders offered great service though. Definitely deserve a mention. I can see how this would get a Michelin Star for interior design, service, and playing/presentation. Food though no offense reminded me of PF Chang's in the states. I don't see how it get a Michelin Star. But that must be why not one Chinese person was seen here eating when I visited. Go if you want a sexy and fun dinner. But not if you want authentic dim sum. read more

From the outside, you'd think it's a modern/contemporary restaurant, but it's actually a dim sum and dessert house. The food is more authentic than not. I love baked goods and pastries, so I actually enjoyed that more than XLB and siu mai. The green tea cake still is my favourite. read more

Yauatcha - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

Walking into the lounge, you're greeted with a lines and lines of beautiful desserts. You think: What kind of dim sum place this is? And you're ushered downstairs to a star lit dim room. Yauatcha is more a fusion sort of dim sum. Everything we had was typical chinese dim sum but they were just presented so clean and tasted mediocre. My parents remarked that we could get better dim sum for way cheaper back in San Francisco. I enjoyed all of the dishes we got, but I believe that there was nothing special about any of them. All of the plates were remarkably tiny sized for the amount we paid for it. The only dish I thought was worth checking out were the Prawn & Beancurd Cheung Fun. Oh and this place is the slowest service I have ever experienced before.. It takes forever to get anything done. Food comes out slow, waiters never seem to see you, water takes forever to come to the table. Oh and make sure you ask for tap water or they'll charge you for still water. I would recommend just coming here for drinks and desserts. We tried the Raspberry Delice. It looked better than it tasted. The lychee ice cream that came with it was much more delicious and unique. read more

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"A Taste of Yauatcha." £28.88 for 2 people, from 2pm until 6pm, Monday to Thursday, includes 8 type of dim sum and tea. Everything is delicious and amazing value! After dim sum, my eyes were glued on beautiful cakes. When I ate the cake, it blew me away. That was fabulous!! You must try their cakes!!! read more

Yauatcha - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

I have actually booked here 4 times over the past couple of years and had to cancel each time for various reasons. Finally with the family over from Australia it spurred to try one last time and am I glad I did! The dim sum was some of the best I have had anywhere! My father originally born in China agreed! Of particular note the Chueng Fun of any variety - There is something about a perfectly cooked battered prawn inside a warm blanket of steamed rice noodle that is ecstatic to the senses. Also the steamed lobster roll and Venison puffs and spicy pork wonton were incredible. I would love to say we made it through to some of the delightful looking main course dishes on the menu but we simply couldn't get past the Dim Sum menu. Next time it's a promise! Oh yes I failed to mention the desserts but sometimes pictures tell a 1000 words. read more

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I didn't believe fine dining dim sum could be done until I popped the shrimp & chive dumpling in my mouth and was immediately taken by surprise by its balance of texture and taste. With this particular dish, the green wrapper was delicate but held its own against the sweetness of the shrimp and distinct flavor of the chives. One bite of this little parcel didn't take me back to a different time or place, instead it created its own unique experience. Yauatcha describes itself as a dim sum teahouse but I have only known it for its beautifully designed desserts (it's hard to miss their display of carefully lined goods that welcome you into the restaurant as you enter). This time around we came for lunch as I was curious to sample Michelin star dim sum. It came at a price. For £125 we also sampled lobster dumplings with tobiko caviar, king crab dumplings, striploin beef with enoki mushroom cherng fun, spicy pork Szechuan wonton, sweet potato mushroom mei-si rolls, two pots of tea and sake. I have to say I was impressed, not just by the creativity of the pairing of the food but by how well it worked. It certainly isn't a place where I can frequently dine but I'll be coming back when I want to try a fusion of something old and new done right. read more

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Book early, tables are difficult to come by. Make sure you have plenty of disposable income too, because it wont be cheap. But, by golly, this is the best contemporary Chinese in town ! read more

Yauatcha - desserts! - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

This restaurant was recommended by concierge of the four seasons at park lane. Quite good dim sum restaurant. xiaolongbao (eastern Chinese steamed bun); soup dumpling was very good.Another We orderd a Gōngbo Jīdīng(little bit too sweet) and singapore fried noodle.Noodle is quite good.I recommend this restaurant to any body. read more

Their "Taste of Yauatcha" menu is such an awesome value (£28.88 for 2 people) and a great way to taste a variety of their dim sum items without breaking the bank! The vibe and decor at Yauatcha is slick and modern, but the service is still really friendly and accommodating. The food is delicious and the cocktails are well made and tasty. Of the items that came with the pre fixe, I think the baked venison puff and sweet potato mushroom mei-si roll were my favorites (pictured). read more

Yauatcha - Baked venison puff and sweet potato mushroom mei-si roll - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

Oh Yauatcha, you had me at spicy szechuan wontons.... My friend sent me a list of restaurant recommendations for a quick trip to London and this was at the top of the list. I was skeptical that any dim sum restaurant could be michelin-rated. Dim sum is dim sum. Boy was I wrong... We arrived early for our reservation. After standing around for a few minutes, they took us to a table downstairs. The place was packed. I started with a peach tea smoothie. Yummy, but nothing I haven't had before. Then the food started arriving. First up, spicy szechuan wontons. One bite into the thing and I was convinced. Dim sum is not just dim sum. After we ate the wontons, my husband proceeded to lick up the spicy sauce. Next was the pan-fried turnip cake. I didn't even order this - I ordered the pan-fried taro cake but my American accent must have tripped them up. Oh well, I ate it anyway. And boy was I glad I did. This thing was awesome! It was pan-fried with eggs and chives (or scallions?). Mmmm...best mistake ever. While everything was good, those were the two dishes that really stuck out at me. Other things we had - crispy duck roll (kind of disappointing), prawn cheung fun (good but not that different from other dim sum places), sticky rice in lotus leaf (good but, like the cheung fun, it was similar to what you'd get at other dim sum places), poached peking dumpling (spicy but delicious), spring onion puff (good, not great). I can't remember what else. Then came the egg white and salted fish fried rice. This was a bowl of deliciousness. I still crave this. After all of this, we were stuffed. But we ordered some more szechuan wontons anyway. My husband complained about being too full but drank all the sauce again anyway. I'm kind of bummed we didn't try more stuff from the menu. I love dim sum and Yauatcha was a nice surprise. read more

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We ate at both branches Soho and City. Both had amazing food. I would give the City branch the win on service although both were good. We ended up at the Soho branch after trying with out success to talk to anyone next door at Duck and Rice (I believe under the same ownership). Working on the principle of if you cannot say something nice do not say anything at all. You can see how Yauatcha got its Michelin. Amazing food served beautifully. The desserts were incredible maybe not very Asian but beautiful to the eyes and mouth Prices are a value but higher than you would pay for Dim Sim in NYC or Toronto read more

Yauatcha - Dessert - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

Is memory playing tricks , or are standards slipping here ? A recent Saturday lunch here was marred by a few things. First, the reduced size of the menu ( relative to days of yore, circa 2009), means that some of the "wow" factor dishes have disappeared. I lament, in particular, the passing of the salt-and-pepper quail. The venison puffs , which used to be so ethereal, are now merely nice. Worse still, some dishes I swear could have come from any one of a dozen places in Chinatown - pleasant, but wholly undistinguished. The drinks, as has been noted, are something of a stitch up - no mid-range sake, for example, only the cloudy version ( which comes in an effete pink bottle fit for Barbie and Ken, and can only be drunk cold). Brief discussion of the situation with staff suggested that they were pretty clueless on this score - not actually their fault if the leadership is not educating them. Saving graces ? Well the macaroons are still gorgeous, and the (much reduced) dessert menu does offer delights such as the Coconut Charlotte, so light and otherworldly I'd imagine it's the kind of thing angels eat as a holiday treat. The people inside are much prettier than in your average central London dim sum factory. It's not the place to come, perhaps, for a slap-up feed, but you'll be aware that you could have had something 75 % as good for 50% of the price elsewhere. read more

It may not look like much from the outside but as soon as you enter Yauatcha you're in for a treat. As you wait for your table to be set up you can see all the luxurious dessert available from their dessert counter; this is surely enough to heighten up your anticipation of what's to come. My party of 6 was led downstairs into a sparkling underground dining area lit up with life-like (but actually fake) candles and twinkling lights on the ceiling that mimic stars. Yauatcha achieves what Hakkasan and Hutong fail to do, which is to create a special twilight-like atmosphere without plunging the restaurant into darkness; testament to this is that photos can still be taken with the utmost clarity whereby all the natural colours of the food are proudly visible. So, the first impression Yauatcha achieves is certainly promising, but what of the meal itself? Well the menu is an issue...the issue is, there are so many fabulous options to choose from! Plus you are mindfully conscious of the fact that you want to leave enough space in your stomach to consume at least one of the delightful desserts you've just seen and etched into your brain. However, one of the fabulous benefits of dining with a group of friends is that you have a greater capacity for ordering more, feasting your eyes on more and trying out more. The Duck Roll had a suitably crispy but light exterior with a satisfyingly meaty filling. The Scallop Shuimai was delicately soft with a quality offering of roe on top. The Siew Long Bun dumplings were tasty but easily split, letting out the juice of the dumpling - which is one of the cardinal sins of this type of dumpling; but it is hard to get these perfect. The Wheat Squid was so very well flavoured with dried shallots, garlic, spring onion and chilli peppers that I found myself lapping up all these extra bits until my tongue was burning from all the spice (- so be warned not to get carried away with polishing this dish off). The Beancurd and Prawn Cheung Fun had a beautifully smooth exterior around a crispy beancurd layer encasing a juicy prawn filling. The Crystal Pumpkin Dumplings were an attractive orange colour and delicately handcrafted to give one of the most original versions of dumplings that I've ever seen. The Seafood Asparagus dish was another fantastic creation, with sweet scallop and prawn amongst crunchy carrot and asparagus, all spilling out of a beautiful rice cracker shaped like an oyster. Probably the only dishes that were unexceptional were the seafood noodles and vegetarian noodles which were satisfactory but indistinctive and Yauatcha's attempt at vegetarian duck which was a good effort, with the texture of the duck and seaweed being a nice touch but the overall taste being a bit too salty. The meal and experience of Yauatcha would not be complete without trying their dessert. As mentioned from the offset, the dessert on offer is enough to make your mouth water and your eyes widen. At this stage of my indulgent meal I was still able to spoil myself with one and a half desserts. The Exotic Pandan Dessert is a remarkable construction of thin layers of pandan cake, cream and mango filling with a shiny delicate gel on top that exhibits an intricate design. The cake is also accompanied by a dollop of smooth mango sorbet and the whole dessert is decorated with delightful titbits. The pear almond dessert was beautifully put together with the a smooth pear-flavoured layer on top of a quality biscuit base alongside a helping of nuts, a dashing of cream, a couple of pretty petals, a dollop of coffee-flavoured ice cream and a musky dessert sauce on the side. Needless to say, the desserts that Yauatcha serves up are truly a treat: with intricate designs, great colour combinations and a creative combination of textures and taste.  As you can see, the whole dining experience at Yauatcha was exemplary and to top it all off, our waitress, Marjorie, was the most patient, accommodating, efficient and genuinely friendly waitress that I can ever remember having at any restaurant. The only mini-annoyance I have is that we were billed for the still water (one bottle of Still Water = £3.90) and not forewarned about this (which unfortunately can happen in restaurants if you don't check beforehand when they ask you if you want water). So, this aside, Yauatcha is for sure a restaurant to visit if you desire excellent quality Chinese food with original ideas and authentic Chinese recipes complementing each other at every turn. The desserts are sublime and the array of drinks well concocted. The location convenient, the atmosphere positive and the service as perfect as you could hope for. read more

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This place is a treat if you love dim sum. I was skeptical of places with fancy shmancy titles and michelin stars, but now I'm a believer. The dim sum, drinks, desserts here are amazing. The food is high quality, well made, and not greasy. It's definitely far above your typical Chinese fare. I'm in love with the food here! Perhaps the best dim sum I've had yet. I saw every single table order the bbq ribs, but I personally didn't find those worthwhile. While they were very delicious, they're overly salty and not the most amazing I've had. Hey, I am from the south after all. :P The service was absolutely impeccable. The atmosphere was perfect as well, beautiful place. read more

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WOOHO! This is now my favourite place to get dim sum! they are extremely delicious and they have a nice combination of dim sum on the menu going on. Also if you are crazy for sea food and veggies you can't go wrong there! I did not have the chance to try they drinks or dessert but I'll be coming back from it! they looks so tempting ! read more

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Only came here for dessert but they were really incredible. On the expensive side but definitely worth it for something special. The only downside in my opinion was that the whole place felt very pretentious and the waiting staff were all very well presented but not overly friendly. read more

Yauatcha - Amazing desserts at Yauatcha - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

I'm not sure why, but I enjoyed Yauatcha a lot more the second time around. We sat in the basement area again which has a dark and NYC-type of feel (if that makes any sense?). Two dishes that blew me away... 1. Venison puffs: Outrageously amazing. The pastry is light and flakey and the filling is sweet, savoury, and just perfect. 2. Chili fried squid: Coated in slightly sweet, fried oats... It sounds odd, but it was such a delight. I will certainly be returning for these two dishes! read more

Yauatcha - The venison puffs were so good we seriously considered asking for a second order! - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

A beautiful display of cakes enticed us into the Chinese style restaurant. There were so many to choose from and I was grateful that we weren't being rushed into a decision. We settled on a citrus based cake, which was made with grapefruit and lemon. When the server brought it over it looked almost too beautiful and intricate to eat. We also ordered a pot of jasmine tea which tasted just so perfect. It was light, floral and fragrant. As we weren't eating a main meal they seated us at the bar, which was fine. The place is beyond stylish and feels like when you're at your best friends parents house and they've seated you in the guest living room, and your kind of too frightened to move in fear of breaking some expensive antique. I digress! Visit the toilets, the basin is a piece of art work in its own right. read more

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I am not sure I felt comfortable at this restaurant, the interior is cold and not very cozy, plus I find the decoration a bit on the tacky side. Yauatcha is very popular so be ready to share your experience with hundreds of other guests and to occasionally rub elbows with the customers at the neighbouring table. Anyway, I was happy with my dim sums and the service was kind and attentive. It turns out that Yauatcha has a Michelin star and maybe it deserves it, but if you're looking for dim sums there's a couple of similarly good (non-starred) options in China Town. read more

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Very hip and modern restaurant that featured pan Asian and dim sum food. The restaurant seemed like it was geared towards both drinks and food so it's a good place for either or. Dim sum dishes were roughly £4-7 and featured 3-4 shui Mai or dumplings depending on what you order. Noodle and meat dishes can range for £12-16 so the restaurant's food is a little on the pricey side. Overall this is a good place to take your date, get together with some friends for a drink, or to get some dinner with friends. There's something for everyone. read more

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In addition to the dim sum restaurant downstairs, I would also highly recommend coming here for the ground floor tea room. There is a big selection of teas to chose from, hot and cold ones and the cakes are divine and colourful. You might even hesitate before eating them, but the taste is not disappointing. My sister brought me here for some tea and catch up, and I was pleasantly impressed. It is a bit pricey, but a great location for a treat. read more

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Yoatcha is a plush place to have a meal. Booking a table is advisable as both floors are packed, though if you go for lunch, it will still be busy but you will get a table. My first visit a few years back, I booked a table and still ended up sitting on a large round table with a few other couples, which was fine, but I did want my own table, especially as I booked. The décor is modern with massive fish tanks and black marble floors. The service is typically first class by the Japanese and the food is exquisite, on my last visit I had venison puffs, which were great, Ostridge dumplings, great! I didn't like the whole fish I ordered, which was haddock, at £30! The spicey squid and rice sticks were delish. They have a great dim sum too. Everything is expensive but you will definitely attentively waited and the food will be great. One downside is that on my last visit, me and two friends booked a table, but we still had to wait 20 minutes or so, they gave us the menus so we could get ahead of the game, and I didn't really like that, they really are so busy. On leaving the restaurant, you can buy some goodies or teas and herbs to take home, the shop is right next to the exit as if it were a museum, but they do have some nice deserts to take home. read more

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Dim Sum is good but it's too pricey. Amazing and excellent desserts: Jasmine Honey and Macarons read more

Yauatcha - Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

I visited this restaurant for the second time in September 2012, after my first dinner back in 2008. The food is still as tasty as I remembered. We ordered: Jasmine tea smoked ribs Scallop shui mai (steamed) Venison puffs Crispy aromatic duck (half-duck) Everything was delicious, especially the ribs. Many other dinners also ordered the ribs, it seems to be a favorite. read more

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