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Royal China Club

40-42 Baker Street, W1U 7AJ Full details & map

Restaurant: Contemporary

Royal China Club © Rob Greig

Time Out says 6 Users say 3/5 Rate it

By Time Out Editors Posted: Sep 27 2011

Dim sum doesn't get any classier - or better - than this in London. The sleek brown dining room, lined with gold leaf embellishments, is as serene and stately as the giant lobsters that promenade in the central fish tank. Friendly waiting staff glide by the elegant tables.

The kitchen produces perfectly executed versions of classic Cantonese cuisine. In particular, this is a wonderful place to splash out on seafood, as the ingredients are top-notch. The delicacy of xiao long bao (soup dumplings made of balls of pork or crab, encased in a wrapper that holds the soup inside) typifies the lightness of touch; attempts at this eastern Chinese speciality elsewhere in the capital tend to be leaden.

Cheung fun - of the unorthodox duck variety, or the more typical prawn - are similarly delicate and just as delectable. The à la carte menu features seafood not often found in London (sea cucumber, shark's fin), as well as the occasional instance of creative flair (lobster balls in mixed fruit juice with puffed rice).

A dim sum meal here is the ideal Sunday afternoon treat - but it's probably best to book ahead; the queues can be extensive.

Tags: Asian, Chinese, Contemporary, People watching, Something different, Wow factor, Central, Marylebone, Mid-range, Restaurant

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Royal China Club details

Address

Royal China Club

40-42 Baker Street W1U 7AJ

Transport Baker Street or Marble Arch tube

Telephone

020 7486 3898

Royal China Club website

Meals served noon-11pm daily. Dim sum served noon-4.45pm daily

Main courses £9.50-£120. Dim sum £3.80-£7

Credit cards AmEx, MC, V

Facilities

Babies and children admitted, Booking advisable ( Sat, Sun ), Separate room for parties ( seats 24 ), Takeaway service

Royal China Club map

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Comments & ratings 3/5 (Average of 6 ratings)

By Ghislain - Nov 21 2011

I've been a regular visitor for the last 3 years, and this is still my favorite dim sum in London with Yauatcha, just in front of Pearl Liang and Hakkasan. I've always been especially impressed by the diligent service and the tea menu.

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By DW - Jul 29 2011

1/5

Food so-so but service atrocious. First of all, there was very little service during the meal--our water was not refilled, no one asked us how the food was, etc. The waitress brought us the wrong food item and then when the bill came, we were charged for both items. Finally, when we tried to pay at the end, we asked to pay the "recommended tip" in cash while the meal was put on our credit card. The manager, Eddy Ho, came over and started berating us, saying we MUST charge both the meal and tip on the credit card. He REFUSED to let us pay the tip by cash. He said that if we charged the meal only on our credit card and paid the tip separately, we were not allowed to come back to the restaurant! It was unbelievable. I have never seen such complete lack of customer service in a manager. He obviously did not care about keeping customers (or there is some scam going on).

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By AB - May 23 2011

Dinner was 2 star and the service needs some work. The wine list is outdated so be careful of the year/vintage that you are actually getting. Many customers may not realize what year is in the menu compared to what you have been served. you will be paying more for less. Stick to Hakkasan or yautcha.

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By Monica - Feb 27 2011

1/5

I can't believe that this restaurant gets such high ratings. I'm Chinese and I think the food is pretty average if not mediocre, and the service is anything but Royal. When we ordered the scallop asparagus, there was not one tip in the stir fry, only the middle waste. The prawns in the fried rice were microscopic. When it came time to split the bill, the waitress insisted that we were 3p short and needed to pay the FULL 13% percent. A combination of stinginess with ingredients and a disproportionate sense of entitlement to service charges spoiled what would've otherwise been a nice evening out. Time out: Please raise your standards. There are plenty of better Chinese restaurants. If you want attitude in your service, save your money and go to Wong Kei's.