Royal China (Canary Wharf)

I have been a loyal customer to Royal China in the past in Canary Wharft and Queensroad, but I'm afraid I will for the first time give a negative review - just to warn other customers how deeply dissapointing the restaurant has become. I agree, it used to be good, but now the service is abyssmal. We arrived on Saturday the 4th September with 3 adults and two children. We were made to wait for over 10 minuted despite free places, and once seated did not get a menu for a further 10 minutes. When we asked, one of the ladies threw one! menu on the table - she did not speak to us, did not make eye contact or smile, in fact, she treated us as if to make it quite obvious that it is below her to do such tedious work as to take our orders. We also asked for a child seat for our younger son and were given a little wooden bench which was fixed to the adult seat via two strings. This proved so unstable and dangerous (he could easily fall forward or backwards off the chair) that I decided to keep him on my lap. After a further wait of some 15 minutes without anyone taking orders, we decided to leave. I am not sure if we were treated like some disease because we had children with us, but we did ask if children were welcome and were reassured this was the case.

Very dissapointed - they will seriously have to improve the way they treat their customers before I will consider going again.
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Christine
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, September 05, 2010

We had dinner there on Sunday night. Whilst it was not busy it took over ten minutes to refill the boiled rice. One would have thought the rice is ready awaiting in the steamer. We also ordered Taro Birds nest Seafood, to find out that the birds nest was infact spring roll pastry - dissappointing.

Service was extremely poor and lacked enthusiasm, as waiters chatted amongst themselves.

The pricing is on the high side and the size of the servings is well below average. Not only that, rice per person was £2.50 and chinese tea per person was £1.20 -this is extortionate.

I would not go back there again.
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4 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 1
Sunday, August 08, 2010

I found the restaurant to be terrible. Absolutely no sense of service and bad quality of food. We ordered for a vegetarian spring rolls and dumplings. After quite some time the waitress comes to inform us that it is "finished" (imagine). After another long wait the rolls come: they were refried, rubbery, dripping with oil and stale. Their chinese tea tasted like detergent. The second order was still not there. On enquiring, the waitress was rude. I simply asked to be given the bill so that I can go, and I was charged 10 pounds as that is their minimum charge. Paid and left, but I have never had a more worse experience in any restaurant. So guys, save your money, mind and health, simply avoid this terrible place.
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Saveen Kumar
2 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 0
Sunday, August 08, 2010

I agree that the food is extremely overpriced and the service is truly awful (which should not be the case given the pricing and mandatory tip that they add to the bill). They are only surviving due to the lack of competition nearby.....
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Not too happy customer
2 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Thursday, July 22, 2010

Royal China has been a favoured restaurant for many years in the Wharf. However, my recent visits to the restaurant do not impress me.

We ordered dinner take away from the restaurant to find the chicken dish contains no more than parts of wings and very few pieces of random meat (which we paid for 13£). My friends and I decide not to touch the chicken at all as it looked nothing but left over only appropriate for pets. I was convinced that it must have been a mistake by the kitchen(although the order was not placed in particular busy hours). Next day I showed the picture to the manager at the restaurant with all my goodwill hoping they will correct the obvious mistake. To my disappointment, there was not sign of apology or correction. I couldn’t help thinking if this is the quality and service I shall expect from the Royal China, I will not bother to return

I saw discussion on the pricing of Royal China. The restaurant raised price across the menu by a quite large percentage about a year ago. Since then it is clearly at the high price end in Canary Wharf. Given the location and lack of completion it is not understandable. Accompanying the raised price though there has been little improvement on menu or services.

it is not hard to notice though that the restaurant is trying to cut cost. The nice solid bags with square bottom for take-aways are replaced which white thin plastic bags requiring great technique not to spill the sauces over.

To be fair, it is a nice place in the wharf for Sunday Dim Sum, if you are fine with long queues for sitting and ordering. If you have the heart to go away from the wharf though, for the same price, there are no lack of better choices.
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6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 4
Thursday, October 08, 2009