Mandarin Kitchen

We have been here on several occasions and familiar with having to wait despite booking.

Last night took the biscuit.

We had a chaotic 45 minute wait after which new guests (who did not have a booking, we were the last on their written list) were made up a table straightaway next to us. The manager then went to take their order despite knowing our plight. When we protested, he smiled a knowing smile, took our order first, then ensured that all the other table's food arrived immediately, before a single dish had arrived to ours (they were a foursome as were we, and had ordered lobster noodles like us).

This restaurant's deliberate show of arrogance and shockingly bad treatment of guests this night (19/4/13) makes it one to avoid at all costs.

If you are looking for a lovely evening out with friends and family, give this place a miss at all costs.

This place was awful, awful, awful.
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Jane
2 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 2
Saturday, April 20, 2013

Who ever has said a bad word about this restaurants quality has a controversial agenda or has had a one off bad experience because this is outstanding Chinese. The soft shell crabs, lobster, ginger dover sole are fantastic.

The service is what you expect from a traditional Chinese, they work hard fast and are not very personable, this is not bad service, it is not good service, it is efficient Chinese style service .

The clientele is majority Chinese families, this says something, around Christmas time and Chinese new year you will find it very difficult to get a table.

If you are looking for a very nice Chinese restaurant with good quality produce, you can not look past this.
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Boyd
7 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Wendy is spot on, had lunch there today it was expensive and pretty poor, will not go again, still waiting for the Royal China to open after their refurb.
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Barrie - View all reviews by this user
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, December 09, 2011

Did we go to the same restaurant that the seriously negative reviews blasted? All I can say is last night 5 of us went, and FEASTED on smoked chicken, prawn crackers, and crispy squid to begin. Followed by 3! lobsters in black bean (with EXTRA garlic) sauce over noodles. Then some sort of yummy beef dish, and a prawn dish. We loved everything, and not one of us was disappointed. I had looked on this sight to get the phone number, and was alarmed at the negative reviews. It was a misplaced worry.

Oh, and I went to see the loo as the reveiwer was hysterical. The only thing I can say is it is tiny, and the sink is v tiny, so that when you wash your hands water gets everywhere. Did the reviewer think it was something other than water from the sink? I'm Mrs Bleach at home, if I didn't think it was dirty, it wasn't dirty.

And the service-absolutely fine, prompt and friendly.
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k kalaway
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

For many years this has been a favourite restaurant of family members visiting from abroad as well as living in London.

Times have changed, though. As the Chinese say, when travelling upstream on a river, lack of progress results in lagging behind. Their "signature dish" of lobster in ginger and spring onion on a bed of al-dente noodles is now widely offered in Chinatown. Competitors abound with innovative menus and vivant atmosphere -not least the upmarket chain across the street.

Nevertheless the Mandarin Kitchen on a summer weekend evening remains choc a bloc with clients lined up at the door. Perhaps they are the victims of their own success, as waiters dash around trying to complete several requests and in so doing keep everyone waiting.

On this hectic day, the green vegetables were also somewhat overcooked, which is almost a cardinal sin in Chinese eyes.

The bill for three (drinking pu erh tea) came to a reasonable £60. They have dispensed with the usual oranges, mints or hot towels.
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Feroshus
5 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 5
Monday, June 27, 2011

we stayed a week in london in HAPIMAG lancastergate. Six evenings we took the bus to Queensway to the Mandarin Kitchen. The food was excellent,the service very friendly and the prices were more than okay. We loved the place and going back to London we shall certainly spend a lot of time in this very kind restaurant.. We hope, that they will continue the high standard of qualitity and service for a long time. Family Sanders from The hague in Holland.
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e.sanders
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Sunday, May 29, 2011

My husband and I have been eating in this restaurant for the past 10 years but will definitely not go back again. The quality of the food was not like what it used to be; the lobster, deep fried squid etc are definitely overpriced now and rather 'average' in standards; one can think of many places doing better than that and offering better value for money. Service was very appalling. While the restaurant was less than half full, the food took a long time to arrive and waiters/waitresses were unresponsive. Worst of all was the toilets, dirty and crammed!
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Wendy
0 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Friday, April 15, 2011

Visited Mandarin Kitchen on 26/11/10 after recommendation, and was extremely dissappointed. Staff after taking our order never then communicated with us at all !! At no time did they ask if the food was okay or if we would like any more drinks. Waited ages for food to arrive and had to ask what was happening, was told in a very abrupt manner it was cooking, when it did eventually arrive, was very staggered from the first main dish arriving until the last took approximately 30minutes and even at that one dish was missing, eventually arriving when we had finished all the others so had to be sent back.The plates were cold so you can image the food by the time we completed our meal was cold. On asking for our bill one staff almost pushed my daughter aside and said it was coming. The toilets were absolutely disgusting and not fit for purpose. The whole experience I found to be totally unacceptable and have never ever been treated this way before while dining out will never return, staff appeaed to me to be rude and were definetly not interested in our custom. DEFINETLY NOT RECOMMENDED.
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Andrea Mcfarlane
2 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 4
Sunday, November 28, 2010

My husband and I absolutely love this place. We try and go there once every two weeks or so and whenever we have to entertain guests- it has never failed us! Food is amazing, especially the lobster in ginger and spring onion, and I can honestly say that we have never not liked a dish that we ordered over the past few years that we have been going there. The quality has been consistent throughout. The staff are absolutely fantastic and really make us feel welcome.

The place has always been busy and we often see big tables of Chinese and Japanese customers which in itself is a huge seal of approval to the quality of the food served. It may be slightly more expensive than some other Chinese restaurants, but everything is fresh, cooked to perfection and presented in a very professional manner, so it is absolutely worth it.
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Christofi
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, June 06, 2010