New World

Really disappointed in Time Out for recommending this place. Awful food, bad service. Just a total waste of time and money.

This was the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my life. I read some reviews about where to go for Dim Sum, and the Lonely Planet said New World was it. So my brother, nephew and I set off for our New Year's Eve dinner in Chinatown. When we arrived, we were seated at a filthy table. Of course, no one was available to help us in order to move. We had like five different people during our time there as our staff person. We order appetizers and three dishes. THEY WERE AWFUL. My beef dish tasted like soap. We tried to leave but no one would wait on us. I threw up on the front steps. It was expensive, the service sucked, and I puked and went home early.

This restaurant is an allergy sufferer’s nightmare and I would advise anyone with a food allergy to AVOID AVOID AVOID! The service was… different. Bowls and a handful of chopsticks were LITERALLY THROWN onto the table and arranged with such speed that all I could do was sit there gob smacked. It felt almost like an assault! I laughed it off and was then offered tea. I declined, but was served it anyway. I had to repeat myself and the tea was taken away. As I have a shellfish allergy I opted not to take dim sum from the trollies and instead order from the menu. I not only very clearly said that I have a shellfish allergy, but also asked the waiter to tell me exactly what was in the dish and the ‘XO’ sauce it was served with. It was confirmed the dish did not contain fish. The meal came. I took a bite and then noticed there was squid in the dish. My allergy is mostly to prawns, crab, mussels etc. so I wasn’t sure how I would react to squid, but having to sit and wait and hope I didn’t react was so terrifying I almost burst into tears. It was a HORRIBLE experience! I called a waiter over and in a panic explained the situation. I was told that if I had an allergy I should not have ordered the ‘XO’ sauce as it contained fish!! My friends and I all supported the fact that I had indeed asked if the dish contained fish and they agreed to give me a new plate of food. I asked if I could have sweet and sour sauce instead of ‘XO’ sauce. For the THIRD time that afternoon the waiter did not listen to my request and I received the same meal (Not the EXACT same one I had sent back just to be clear) minus the squid and NO sweet and sour sauce. I cut my losses and ate the meal. When it came to the bill I expected to be offered at LEAST a 50% discount or even my meal for free. Instead I was told that I would only be charged for one plate of food instead of two as if this was a generous gesture! I had to ASK if I could have a discount and was offered a measly 10%, lots of excuses and finally an apology. Our waiter’s priority was speed. SO much so that he did not pay the slightest bit of attention to anything I said with potentially very dangerous consequences. I would strongly advise any allergy sufferers to avoid this restaurant.

Went there with friends. DimSum was much better than before. Front house stuff was friendly. We ordered several chef special dishes according to stuff's advice, that was good. Will come back again.

This is currently my favourite Dim Sum restaurant in London. Precisely because it serves from the rolling carts, it reminds me of all the dim sum that I ever enjoyed in the USA. I have had Dim Sum from a menu, but it is a less appealing experience, even if the food is good.