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Barshu
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Bar Shu is a shining example of a regional Chinese restaurant (in this case Sichuan) that hasn’t compromised on authenticity yet is highly successful.
Inside, faux Ming Dynasty furniture, dark stone floors and decorative wood carvings convey a classic teahouse atmosphere, while a bar lit in neon-blue adds a modern contrast.
The menu contains photos that simplify ordering. Staff are knowledgeable and friendly.
We started with ‘man and wife offal slices’: thinly sliced tripe, heart and tongue, slicked with spicy-hot chilli-oil and sesame sauce, topped with crushed toasted peanuts.
Another starter of crunchy ribbons of jellyfish and cucumber, dressed with sweet-sour dark vinegar, formed a perfect accompaniment.
Main courses also delighted our taste buds: boiled pork slices in a dense, rich chilli-oil sauce; tenderised beef in a hot, numbing broth of fresh green sichuan pepper; and aubergines glazed with ‘fish fragrant’ sauce (sweet, vinegary, salty, garlicky, hot).
Crushed dried chillies gave the pork a deep, savoury heat – entirely different to the fragrant, almost flowery numbing sensation imparted by green peppers in the beef.
Plentiful rice and tea are recommended to ease the spicy assault. This is food for the brave, with great rewards.Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Details
- 28 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 5LF
- Area: Soho
- Tel: 020 7287 6688
- www.bar-shu.co.uk
- Category: Chinese
- Travel: Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road tube
- Times: Meals served noon-11pm Mon-Thur, Sun; noon-11.30pm Fri, Sat
- Price: Main courses £8.50-£28
- Credit cards: AmEx, MC, V
- Services:
- Available for hire: Separate room for parties, seats 15
- Child facilities: Babies and children welcome: high chairs
- Disabled: toilet
- Function room: Separate room for parties, seats 14
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Check you bill.
Went with a friend after hearing this was a good restaurant. The food was tasty, although pretty salty and quite a bit overpriced. The place feels nice and quite fancy, but the service isn't nice or fancy. Both courses were taken away while I was still chewing.
When the bill came we were overcharged by £16. This was hard to establish as there is no proper breakdown in Bar Shu, just a set of numbers scribbled down on pieces of paper and stapled together. For a restaurant whose staff wear microphone headsets this low-fi approach to billing seems a bit out of place.
After questioning the charge, another piece of paper was brought for £10 less, but we received no explanation. The waiter simply brought it and walked off. After a very difficult conversation trying to establish why there was still £6 too much, we managed to extract from him that it surprisingly included a service charge! Getting the figure without the service charge meant another long wait, after which the waiter became impatient and rude: the card reader was snatched out of my hand after I'd entered the pin, and he wandered off with the reader and my card in it, while we waited. My card and final receipt were handed over to another waiter to bring to me.
Nobody explained why we were overcharged and nobody apologised.
The food was excellent, have been there quite a few times and must say it is one of the best chinese restaurants in town.
Agree with some of the comments below that the bill errs on the pricey side, would have loved it whole lot more if it were a little cheaper ;-) That said I'm not entirely surprised by the price -- they can fill their tables full with a queue at the door, I doubt they feel the need to cut the price any time soon.
We really disappointed.
taste is fine but not special.
It is very pricy. soft drink are £3.50.
We asked bill and the bill just show that "MEAL £65" fro 2 people. We culculated ourselves and It was included service charge for £8 but it does not show on the bill. Be aware...I think its tourist trap place..
be aware, bill just said "meal"
went to bar schu for a friends 40th birthday. the occasion was ruined by the eventual cost of the meal and that a lot of it had to be left (we had to stop for take away on the way home) the service was attentative but we felt that were being duped slightly by things that were being offered as free but which werent. If i was I was you I d go to one of the restarunts in china town were you can eat at half the Cost (our bill worked out at £50 per head) and have a much more satisifying meal
Agree with the review by Jade. We had our Xmas party at Seventeen. The food was amazing, and so was the service. Perfect as a venue for a date...
I like barshu very much, But there is a new restaurant just opened in 17 notting hill gate and called Seventeen. It is also serving Sichun dishes, it is really delicious, the venue is very beautiful, they have different variety of cocktails availbale as well. open till late, should go and check it out...
I ate before the re-opening. It was cramped but the food was yummy and a little pricey.
Now, it is more spacious. The food is still yummy but the price has sky rocketed (18-20 quid for main courses). They have a little alcove sitting place downstairs which feels private where we sat. We ate a soup, a chicken dish and a lamb thing. All amazing. There were three of us and we barely finished it all. So their portions are huge. But unlike the mouth tingling food I had earlier this time it was a little bit oily and I couldn't get over how expensive it has become. Bring back the old Bar Shu!
Disappointed unfortunately, we had been really looking forward to going to the newly opened Barshu, but thought it was very expensive and not remarkable. A chicken and dried chilli dish was spicy without taking your head off but the chicken was just fried little bits of bone and fat. Won't be rushing back.
The food was excellent but the service was rushed, especially toward the end of the meal when they evidently wanted us out. It is expensive by Sogo standards and our bill wasn't itemised so we had no idea if service was included. I am unfamiliar with Sichuan food and intend to try again but not at Barshu.
I ate there on 9/26/09. It was the best Szechuan food I have ever had. The service was very courteous and reasonably prompt (perhaps one of multiple courses took awhile). I give it five stars.