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Hakkasan

8 Hanway Place, W1T 1HD Full details & map

Restaurant: Contemporary

Time Out says 1 Users say 3/5 Rate it

By Time Out Editors Posted: Sep 27 2011

Once the hottest ticket in town, the Hanway Place branch of Hakkasan is in danger of being eclipsed by its shiny new Mayfair sibling, where staff are notably friendlier.

For now, the original continues to play to packed houses - primarily City slickers, cosmocrats and special-occasion dates - drawn to the high-end modern Cantonese cooking and the sexy subterranean setting.

The kitchen still comes up with flashes of brilliance, but overall standards have slipped. High points include the smouldering sweetness of jasmine tea-smoked pork ribs; a signature dish of roasted silver cod, the moist flakes of fish offset by a silky, delicately honeyed champagne sauce; and the simple, clean flavours of a blood-orange sorbet.

Yet our basket of steamed dim sum was woefully inadequate, with poorly balanced luxury ingredients and pastry that was both too thick to showcase its expensive contents and too brittle to remain intact when handled.

The other disappointment on our most recent visit was the service. Good-looking they may be, but the door girl was frosty, the reception team aloof, and our waiter well meaning but witless. Excellent people-watching opportunities and exotic cocktails help compensate, but only if your pockets are extremely deep.

Tags: Asian, Chinese, Contemporary, Business, Cocktails, Fine dining, Hip factor, Late night, Romance, Something different, Wow factor, Central, Fitzrovia, Expensive, Restaurant

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Hakkasan details

Address

Hakkasan

8 Hanway Place W1T 1HD

Transport Tottenham Court Road tube

Telephone

020 7927 7000

Hakkasan website

Bar Open noon-12.30am Mon-Wed; noon-1.30am Thur-Sat; noon-midnight Sun. Restaurant Lunch/dim sum served noon-3pm Mon-Fri; noon-4pm Sat, Sun. Dinner served 6-11pm Mon-Wed, Sun; 6pm-midnight Thur-Sat

Main courses £9.50-£58. Dim sum £3-£20

Credit cards AmEx, MC, V

Facilities

Babies and children admitted, Booking essential ( 6 weeks in advance ), Available for hire, Disabled ( lift; toilet ), Entertainment ( DJs 9pm daily )

Hakkasan map

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Comments & ratings 3/5 (Average of 1 rating)

By BQ - Sep 23 2011

sw1 4Had the most unpleasant experience. What we got was an unpalatable slop completely lacking in flavour. We were confronted by an aggressive Russian waitress who told us they were fine and that it just wasn’t our preference. No apology was offered and he continued being rude when we got our bill and found the offending items were still charged. Avoid this restaurant at all costs.dp

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By Mr Jim - Dec 4 2010

Well, I had an enjoyable evening at Hakkasan. The staff were helpful, and the food was great. The three of us didn't go wild, but had three courses and drinks, and paid £50-£60 per head. I'm looking forward to my next visit.

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By richard goldstein - Oct 22 2010

be under no illusion that Hakkasan will be an experience to savour and remember - or at least not in a complimentary way!

from the moment you book a table - if you are lucky - it will be made apparent that they (grudgingly) want you in, take your money and get you out.

the cocktails are good, though the bar is standing only and cramped, the wine list is expensive but interesting, and the food is pretty good, though scarcely good value.

however, once you have spent some money at the bar and been shown to your table, the pressure is on to get that table vacant again.

no leisurely ordering of starters and main bits after you've eaten those - it's order NOW!

you may well be spending £75-100 a head or even more, but once your allotted 2 hours is up, the bill will be thrust under your nose whether or not you are still eating and spending money.

Hakkasan has an attitude problem and we shall not return.

Interestingly, Zuma, which in many ways has a similar set up, never puts you under pressure to leave - or at least not on nthe 5/6 occasions that I have eaten there

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By Mying - Oct 17 2010

For those who are familiar with the chinese cuisine, the food at Hakkasan is mediocre. Nothing seemed memorable on the two occasions that I visited the place. You also do not get the same "Wow" factor that you associate with restaurants held in similar esteem.

I got the £55 set menu the second time around and I must say, I was equally as dissatisfied as the first. The Pork ribs were dry, the Chicken did not blend well with the satay sauce, and the rice was hard. The remaining part of the meal, the dim sum, silver cod, vegetables, and the duck were of a basic standard. For the price that I paid, I did not receive the quality of food that I had expected. Given the authentic chinese food that Hakkasan is trying to promote, you are best served eating elsewhere. I will definitely not be returning to this establishment for the food.

I would only recommend it for those who value service and ambience at the expense of quality food.