Imperial China Reviews Summary

Food Quality

Pros:

• "The food was excellent - classic dishes beautifully prepared and the freshest, crunchiest stir fried vegetables I've ever tasted."
• "Amazing dim sum, very authentic experience."
• "High quality Chinese and fantastic dim sum."
• "Food is always good quality and very competitively priced."
• "Definitely one of the best dim sum places outside of China Town and we have loved coming here for their excellent food."
• "The food is of superior quality and is clearly prepared and cooked by highly skilled and professional Chinese specialist chefs."
• "Wonderful dim sum, high quality and perfectly fresh, cooked and executed."

Cons:

• "We had our first takeaway from here tonight it was tasteless and dry...worst spring rolls I've ever had."
• "Most dishes not as expected and inedible."
• "They served us with stale lobster. It really smell horrible."
• "This was simply INEDIBLE. Simple dishes too, Chicken chowmein, spring rolls & crispy chilli beef…."
• "Absolutely terrible food. Worst sweet and sour I have ever tasted."
• "Used to be a good place for dim sum but it is now very expensive and not that great."
• "Over priced basic and tasteless food."

Service

Pros:

• "Staff are knowledgeable, helpful and family friendly."
• "We were fortunate to have a member of their team named Jack as our main waiter because he was very amiable and helpful."
• "To be fair to them, service was good and with a smile."
• "The service is really fast, the waiters are courteous and polite."
• "The waiters and waitresses were attentive, friendly and smiling. The service was fast and they accommodated our special requests."
• "Staff helpful and friendly 10/10."
• "The service is friendly, polite and quick without you feeling rushed."

Cons:

• "The staff were nice but slightly unprofessional as they gave my friend apple juice when she ordered pineapple juice."
• "Service is OK but prices are very similar to central London."
• "Very slow service at first, our waitress wasn't very reactive, unwelcoming and unhelpful."
• "Service isn’t great, it feels like you’re putting them out asking for something."
• "The waiting staff rude and dismissive."
• "Poor food and one waiter was very rude!!"
• "Staff didn't explain process and dishes properly and ordered incorrect food, which they wouldn't take back."

Ambience and Cleanliness

Pros:

• "Awesome dim sum restaurant in the area, don’t need to travel Chinatown."
• "The decoration was nice, but there was only 1 different wallpaper on the walls."
• "Not too price and really nice decor."
• "Fantastic decor and a range of mouth watering dishes to choose from."
• "The decor was unique and incredible."
• "Lovely authentic restaurant, yummy food and amazing interior too."
• "The restaurant itself is very well appointed and booking in advance is advised."

Cons:

• "The only let down I have is the ambience which is dull and uninspiring."
• "Certain areas of the dining area are not kept very clean."
• "The only thing I would say is that the decor is a little dated and therefore it feels kind of gloomy inside."
• "Slightly disturbing how grubby the upstairs looks from the road. Dirty unkempt curtains in full view from road."
• "Not to mention they have an incredibly overstocked & dirty fish tank."
• "Like in many other Chinese restaurants (a tradition??!), the man toilet needed a bit of cleansing."
• "It's also cash only on the weekend and they don't take Scottish notes."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "It is not cheap but also not expensive for what you get."
• "Comfortable seats, well priced, extensive menu and what we ate was delicious."
• "Very good value for lunch dimsum."
• "Personally I don't mind waiting a few minutes longer when the food is so good, and very reasonably priced."
• "Great value for money!"
• "Price was not cheap but not too expensive as well, just right."
• "Absolutely lovely. Worth the money, great quality for Chinese food outside central London."

Cons:

• "The food prices are on the premium end."
• "Compared to other dim-sum restaurants, it is a bit high on the price."
• "The prices are slightly higher than in China Town."
• "The main reason for two stars is they only take cash. Which is weird and inconvenient in post covid 2022."
• "The quality of the food was poor, and the prices were on the higher side."
• "Expensive compared to other local options, so was a disappointing experience."
• "Two small fried starters, two mains and a shared bowl of rice + 2 cokes amounted to over £60, with service charge on top."

Payment and Booking Policy

Pros:

• "They did kindly point me to the closest cash point."
• "Booking advance for weekend specials."
• "The restaurant itself is very well appointed and booking in advance is advised."
• "Reservation is an absolute must as the restaurant gets very busy due to its popularity."
• "Booked at very late notice for a dinner for 4 on New Year's Eve."

Cons:

• "Probably will avoid this place from now on - Shame, as I have been going religiously over the years but their new 'cash only rule'."
• "Be aware that they only take cash on certain days so it is best to call beforehand to avoid paying ATM fees at the off license across the street."
• "Not to mention ‘cash only’ policy is odd and inconvenient."
• "They only take cash. Which is weird and inconvenient in post covid 2022."
• "Only got as far as the entrance. Waitress looked at my chinese wife and decided to tell us it is cash-only."
• "But the booking time slots were very strict on the weekends. And you cannot stay more than 90 mins."
• "It's a tad pricey, but the quality and overall experience are worth it."