Jinli Reviews Summary

Flavor and Authenticity

Pros:

• "The flavours in each dish and quality of ingredients are worlds apart from what I have been used to."
• "Their dishes capture the true flavors of Sichuan, reminiscent of the delicious tastes from our hometown."
• "The fish hotpot was slightly too salty but really hit the spot with the amount of chilli and sichuan peppercorn."
• "Authentic Chinese Sichuan cuisine, they make very good dry pot (干锅)."
• "The dry hotpot has alot of flavour and the seasoning are always on point."
• "Delicious Sichuan cuisine, perfect for those seeking an authentic taste of this region of China."
• "Had a great time at JinLi. It’s always consistent in delivering high quality food."
• "Authentic sichuan cuisine. The service is actually better than usual for an authentic Chinese."

Cons:

• "Didn’t seem to have much flavor but was still good."
• "The noodles lacked flavor, the beef and boiled rice were good."
• "However, it becomes tasteless at some dishes than before including both Jin Li."
• "The food quality was just bad. The Sichuan beef was EXTREMELY salty."
• "The menu looked very appetising and you’re welcomed very nicely by the front of house staff."
• "The taste of baby vegetables in soup is very ordinary, rather bland and flavorless."
• "I’ve had lots of sichuan food in my life, and this place is 100% NOT AUTHENTIC."
• "Not authentic. Just salty and greasy."

Service

Pros:

• "The service was attentive, not very usual among Chinese restaurants."
• "Absolutely loved this place in Chinatown. The staff was extremely sweet and helpful."
• "Recommended by a friend to try this restaurant. The service was just so so."
• "The staff were so very accomodating with my group of girls with suitcases and helped us find a place to store it."
• "Great service, consistent food, amazing atmosphere and super friendly staff."
• "Service from staff member Miyaki was top class, he was lovely and welcoming and made our visit memorable."
• "The service was great, but the food was too salty. But it was delicious so we kept eating."
• "Authentic Chinese restaurant in the hub of central London. Food excellent and friendly staff."

Cons:

• "The restaurant itself is nice but the food wasn’t that good in the end."
• "Service was a joke considering the compulsory 10% Service fee."
• "Went here with a friend today and ordered Ho Fun and chili oil dumplings, my friend got sweet and sour chicken."
• "Avoid this restaurant if you want to eat nice Chinese food."
• "The restaurant was almost full but thankfully we got a table. The food was nice!"
• "The service felt a bit rude."
• "If I had to summarize my experience with this restaurant in one word, it would be an absolute scam."
• "I'm quite a fan of Sichuan food and I have to say, while the food they served was tasty, it is very easy to go blind-folded and find a restaurant with better food and much cheaper price."

Ambiance and Environment

Pros:

• "Old Jinli in London is a hidden gem for authentic Sichuan cuisine. It's the perfect place to satisfy your cravings."
• "The decor is nice and atmosphere is ok."
• "The vast majority of diners were of Chinese extraction: always a good sign."
• "After a busy day we decided to try one of China Towns restaurants. Jinli is a very modern Chinese looking restaurant."
• "I loved their main larger restaurant just around the corner next to the Q Car Park."
• "Wonderful Chinese restaurant tucked away in the corner of the square."
• "We had waited for about 1 hour since we ordered."
• "Restaurant cannot keep up with customers, no expediting, and overly salty food despite asking for lower salt."

Cons:

• "The environment was a bit crowded. We went on a weekday but it was still quite packed."
• "There's currently a 12% discount until the 25th, adding to the festive experience."
• "This place has been my sister’s and my favourite place to get dry hotpot."
• "The restaurant was not bad, but the fact they accept only cash and they still count service charge is just too fishy."
• "This was my 4th visit here. This visit round food is sub par compared to previous visits."
• "Jinli Chinatown was truly enjoyable the manager was superb and always coming to check if we were ok during our dining in."
• "@jinli_chinatown_restaurant is one of the most famous authentic Chinese Sichuan restaurant since 2015."
• "I like their service for customers."

Price and Value

Pros:

• "Nonetheless, the food was pretty delicious and reasonably priced."
• "Must-try dishes include the Fish Fragrant Shredded Pork/Kung Pao Chicken, prepared with authentic Sichuan flavors and reasonably priced."
• "Their dishes capture the true flavors of Sichuan, reminiscent of the delicious tastes from our hometown. The best part? You can enjoy unlimited rice with just one order, a great value compared to other London Chinese restaurants."
• "Food 7/10, service 8/10. One of the famous restaurants in Chinatown London."
• "The food tantalized my taste buds. Absolutely in love with it. It's a pity I was traveling alone so couldn't have more than one dish."
• "Their food is tailored to all European healthy standards but has kept the traditional taste Chinese cuisine."
• "I have only tried Ma La Xiang Guo (Spicy Numbing Stir-Fry Pot) and is really tasty."
• "Very nice selection of dishes, some of which are impossible to find in 'mainstream' chinese restaurants."

Cons:

• "Small to Medium food portions with a Quality worse than that of a Fastfood chain for the price of a fine dining restaurant."
• "The food was nice! The grilled fish is crispy and more like fried than grilled but it tasted good."
• "Got the Mala hotpot. Produce used was really good and yummy, with medium spice level hitting the spot just nicely."
• "The food quality was just bad. The Sichuan beef was EXTREMELY salty, the lamb was low quality and chewy as hell."
• "Make sure you go to this place (near the M&Ms and not the one in the middle of chinatown)."
• "It's the perfect place to satisfy your cravings for grilled fish, hot pot, and spicy stir-fry."
• "The hot and sour soup was really nice, needed a little more vinegar to my taste."
• "Their dishes are obviously overpriced considering the quality and amount of the ingredients!"