Giles Coren's review of Yauatcha (The Times)
Jay Rayner's review of Yauatcha (The Observer)
Yauatcha reviews
Great food but I've had better service from the Vietnamese restaurants I frequent in Hackney. It took nearly 30 minutes to get our order in, and one waitress was quite rude in telling us that she wasn't ours - fair enough, but it had gone so long since sitting down we didn't know who our service was. Took another 20 minutes to get the bill. Poor service really took away from the quality of the meal.
by waterliliesss, 23 Jun 2009
by waterliliesss, 23 Jun 2009
Best restaurant in London, without a doubt. It has the best dim sum I have ever tried and the service is excellent.
by ernesto.plevisani, 27 Mar 2009
by ernesto.plevisani, 27 Mar 2009
All I can say is, this is the best place for dim sum. Order the prawn and date dumpling, venison puff, shanghai dumplings, crispy duck roll...
It's a bit noisy if you're going with friends to have a chat, as you'll probably have to shout to be heard. But other than that it's fine and - most importantly - the food is great. The service has slacked a bit since they opened many years ago, but its popularity has perhaps affected this as it can get really busy.
by Lamis (4 reviews), 10 Mar 2009
It's a bit noisy if you're going with friends to have a chat, as you'll probably have to shout to be heard. But other than that it's fine and - most importantly - the food is great. The service has slacked a bit since they opened many years ago, but its popularity has perhaps affected this as it can get really busy.
by Lamis (4 reviews), 10 Mar 2009
Went last night and the service wasn't good at all. Having had to call over waiter service after 15 minutes and insist they take our order, they were then rude and we had to wait a further 20 mins for the drinks to arrive, which was after the first lot of food.
Having said that, the food was great. We had cocktails, plenty of dim sum and dessert for £40 a head, which didn't seem bad for Soho. The venison puffs were fantastic, as was the roasted pineapple with peanut icecream - delicious! In spite of the service, I would definitely go back.
by rebeccae, 01 Mar 2009
Having said that, the food was great. We had cocktails, plenty of dim sum and dessert for £40 a head, which didn't seem bad for Soho. The venison puffs were fantastic, as was the roasted pineapple with peanut icecream - delicious! In spite of the service, I would definitely go back.
by rebeccae, 01 Mar 2009
Absolutely no idea why this venue has received such negative reviews?!?
We booked in for lunch upstairs (which in my opinion is preferable to sitting downstairs, but each to their own) and were treated with EXCELLENT unobtrusive service throughout our meal.
The food was absolutely superb and used delicious fresh ingredients, a real treat in London - especially when such quality of food generally comes with a rather hefty price tag! As mentioned, the food was very reasonably priced and we enjoyed our selection of tea. Average price of dim-sum was between £3-£5. Definitely order the salt & pepper squid - divine!
I would have to say that the wine list is very pricey and I would not go there expecting to have wine with my dinner unless it was a super special occasion (eg. glass of wine starts at £12). However, there are plenty of fantastic bars around the corner on Wardour St where you can easily get quality £5 cocktails.
Overall: the staff and service are excellent; VERY impressed, will return again and I thoroughly recommend to all!
by sweetpea_suki, 15 Feb 2009
We booked in for lunch upstairs (which in my opinion is preferable to sitting downstairs, but each to their own) and were treated with EXCELLENT unobtrusive service throughout our meal.
The food was absolutely superb and used delicious fresh ingredients, a real treat in London - especially when such quality of food generally comes with a rather hefty price tag! As mentioned, the food was very reasonably priced and we enjoyed our selection of tea. Average price of dim-sum was between £3-£5. Definitely order the salt & pepper squid - divine!
I would have to say that the wine list is very pricey and I would not go there expecting to have wine with my dinner unless it was a super special occasion (eg. glass of wine starts at £12). However, there are plenty of fantastic bars around the corner on Wardour St where you can easily get quality £5 cocktails.
Overall: the staff and service are excellent; VERY impressed, will return again and I thoroughly recommend to all!
by sweetpea_suki, 15 Feb 2009
We had excellent food but incredibly rude service. I mean really rude. We were seated and given menus and it was a full half hour before anyone stopped by to take an order for tea. And we had to wave a server over at that point. Once we had the waiter, he walked over to our table and stood silently until we just started telling him our orders. At first I thought he was mute, but apparently not. The family next to us had the same problem, and they seemed to be regulars.
by teamschwartz, 01 Feb 2009
by teamschwartz, 01 Feb 2009
Look, ultimately, one doesn't come here for the sparkling service, one comes for the food. And as a Chinese person who is quite discerning (read: snob) about Chinese food, I can attest to the fact that Yauatcha serves top quality dim sum. My only criticism was that a couple of our dishes were warm rather than piping hot, and at one point the individual I assumed to be floor manager began pacing around the restaurant checking out tables in circles, which was quite bizarre (I likened the experience to being on a plane). When she noticed our empty plates, she quickly swooped down and asked "Dessert?" I squeaked a "Yes, please" out of fright rather than desire, but was so glad I did - the gorgeous cake we had was sumptuous.
by bigestivediscuit, 19 Jan 2009
by bigestivediscuit, 19 Jan 2009
We've eaten here several times and it was always good. Good food - we tried something new each time - and the service was friendly and fast.(To the person who wrote that all 150 teas tasted the same: how did you find that out?)
by reinierb, 01 Jan 2009
by reinierb, 01 Jan 2009
The service is horrendous. The staff are rude, arrogant and extremely unfriendly – and this starts from when you make the reservation. It took almost 10 minutes just to make the booking on the phone, including asking us to pre-order our meals! How am I going to guess what 6 people will order 5 days in advance? It was a confusing, draining and frustrating experience from the very start. Food is average, service is awful and the 150 types of tea all taste the same. Nothing there justifies the price.
by Elise, 31 Dec 2008
by Elise, 31 Dec 2008
Very expensive, poor service and the wine not chilled. 10 of us and the bill was £1300+. Would not have been an issue if we had all not been still hungry after we were rushed off our table. Will not be returning or suggesting people visit.
by bennelsey, 20 Dec 2008
by bennelsey, 20 Dec 2008
I don't know where they got their star from... must be from the Woolies clearance sale. We dined with 9 and had to sign a 3 page contract. 2 hours max stay. Was the table ready on time? You can guess the answer: no. Eastern European charm was also difficult to find, which leads me to believe they recruit them straight from the Gulag. The food is nothing special, and make sure you check your credit card statement as they took a deposit initially that they conveniently forgot to add back on to the final bill. Conclusion: if you want the 'Michelin' fine dining experience, this is not the place to waste your money!
by thomaslorenz, 19 Dec 2008
by thomaslorenz, 19 Dec 2008
We turned up for our booking and were met by a sour-faced Eastern European female who informed us our booking was only for 4 people and not 5, but that they could squeeze us onto the table. We were then handed menus and instructed that the waiting area was "over there"! All done without even looking at us. We left immediately.
by rich.moore, 08 Dec 2008
by rich.moore, 08 Dec 2008
Been there twice. I am Chinese and would say the food is just average. The service is really poor - the waiting staff are just cheap labour with no grace or elegance. I wouldn't say it is a top restaurant at all. It relies on the decor to attract customers but feels like a pretty shell with nothing in it.
by foolonfool (5 reviews), 30 Oct 2008
by foolonfool (5 reviews), 30 Oct 2008
Went there for a family birthday. The food was great, especially the mixing of seafood with lychees and mango. Very interesting dishes, none of which you would ever see at Royal China. Decor was very modern, service was very attentive. Highly memorable experience.
by wondergurl8765, 10 Aug 2008
by wondergurl8765, 10 Aug 2008
Mixed. Unlike some, I didn't find the food expensive at all, in fact I thought the value was excellent (wine maybe a bit pricey though). Service was reasonably good but unspectacular. General ambience was OK but not perfect - the layout is crowded, the decor is dated and uninspiring (especially downstairs). Remarkably for a teahouse, our tea was overheated - it seemed to have been boiled rather than heated only to sub-boiling point as it should be, which was surprising.
The key thing here is to go for the food, which is excellent. Apart from that, there is not a huge amount to recommend the place, although I must say that this is not a negative review at all. It's just tricky to see what's so special.
by bubbles, or john smith (2 reviews), 19 Jul 2008
The key thing here is to go for the food, which is excellent. Apart from that, there is not a huge amount to recommend the place, although I must say that this is not a negative review at all. It's just tricky to see what's so special.
by bubbles, or john smith (2 reviews), 19 Jul 2008
My only regret is not to have had a table on the ground floor and time to taste the gorgeous desserts. I think the dessert display is a welcoming addition to a traditional teahouse and our waitress was great news in helping us take our order in Cantonese - that extra touch for a bit of homesickness!
All in all, great food and atmosphere (but a somewhat challenging seat if you are on the sofa end!). Will definitely be back for more whenever possible.
by weia (2 reviews), 11 Jul 2008
All in all, great food and atmosphere (but a somewhat challenging seat if you are on the sofa end!). Will definitely be back for more whenever possible.
by weia (2 reviews), 11 Jul 2008
I don't know why some people are suggesting that the food here is expensive and the staff rude. For me, Yauatcha is one of the best restaurants in London (and I have visited a lot of restaurants around the world).
They always make you wait around 10 minutes before they seat you, therefore I always turn up about 10-20 minutes late so I can be seated straight away. I think the staff are amazing - they take your order promptly and they aren't excessively chatty, which suits me well. Regarding the prices, I think they are very fair considering the quality of the food and given that this is London after all. The food is certainly very tasty... a must for all dumpling lovers!
by ghaaloyouni, 08 Jul 2008
They always make you wait around 10 minutes before they seat you, therefore I always turn up about 10-20 minutes late so I can be seated straight away. I think the staff are amazing - they take your order promptly and they aren't excessively chatty, which suits me well. Regarding the prices, I think they are very fair considering the quality of the food and given that this is London after all. The food is certainly very tasty... a must for all dumpling lovers!
by ghaaloyouni, 08 Jul 2008
For those that miss the culinary treats of Hong Kong, don't give this restaurant a miss. I read an uncomplimentary review but neverthless decided to give it a try. I disagree with the original review, in as much as I have only encountered good service and pleasant staff. Unfortunately I live four hours' flight away, which impedes me from being a more assiduous guest. When in London, however, this is my first port of call.
by fiesta, 18 Jun 2008
by fiesta, 18 Jun 2008
A bit cramped but the food is great and reasonably priced. Had no problems with the service, they were really helpful. I'm vegetarian and found this place catered really well for my dietary requirements, offering plenty of choice.
by love_food, 11 Jun 2008
by love_food, 11 Jun 2008
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