Royal China (Canary Wharf)

My friend and I were looking forward to a nice meal after work and generally just to relax. I ordered an aubergine with shrimp which I didn’t like. When I asked to change my meal, I was told I couldn’t in a very rude way with no regard for me as a customer. At the end of the meal, we decided not to pay for the service charge as we were not impressed with how they had handled things, we only paid for the food.

The waitress that was serving us shouted at us saying that by us not paying the service charge, she would not get paid! This is ridiculous as the service charge is OPTIONAL! She made the payment and rudely handed me back my card. She went to her boss and we were asked never to go back there.

I would not recommend this place to anyone. They are rude and do not know the meaning of customer service.
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Disappointed Customer
0 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Another nice meal in Royal China last night. We had crispy aromatic duck; Schezuan prawns, special fried rice and satay chicken (main), plus a bottle of wine for £70. Service was nothing short of excellent, and they asked us if we wanted a break between courses. Staff very attentive, and the place was packed, as always.
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Sunday, September 30, 2012

Regularly have Dim Sum here for Sunday lunch and always find the food delicious and the service friendly. Yes, it gets very busy and you will likely queue if you don’t get the timing right but it’s still one of the best restaurants in London for Dim Sum.
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Mike
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Sunday, September 16, 2012

Me and my friend were so exited to go there it looked amazing from the outside and we had high hopes as the place was almost full. However as we entered we were somewhat rushed to a table which already gave a stressed appearance. The service was so bad that I at times wondered if they even understood what I was saying or just didn't care.

The food was terrible. I normally eat up anything I order and considering it was expensive I really tried, I even asked for sauces (an order which they forgot the first time cause they seemed to be chatting casually to other Chinese people) to try to mask the terrible taste of the meal. It was like a really bad take away. In the end I had to leave the meal half finished cause my taste buds just couldn't take any more. I had ordered a vegetarian meal but it surely tasted of some meat or was it just something stale, it was hard to tell cause it was just so bad. My friend who ordered meat was not too impressed either.

As time went on we were starting to feel that they wanted to get rid off us as they were closing, not that they said it but you could sense the vibe. Not a single time during the meal did they asked us how our meal was or if we were ok and when I complained at the end and said "thank you" which made me wonder if they at all registered what I said.

Nowadays, we use Royal china as a joke and always when we think about were to eat we say Royal china and then laugh, cause there is no way we would ever, ever eat there again.
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Cic - View all reviews by this user
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Sunday, July 29, 2012

I agree with other reviews. Service is a 0/10. It doesn't hurt to be a little more polite to your diners whose money is paying your wages. Food portions are small, much smaller than last year. We ordered a prawn dish. It turns out that we are entitled to one prawn per person. Very disappointing. I shall not be returning here again I'm sorry to say. shame when it used to be so good.
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3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Monday, July 16, 2012

Excellent Chinese meal, if a little on the expensive side. The service was very good, and they even asked us if we wanted to take a breather between courses, so we did not feel rushed in any way, even though it was a busy Saturday night.

Good selection of dishes, and the food seemed to be freshly prepared.

I would definitely go again. We had read some very negative comments online, but visited the restaurant due to its location, close to Thames Clipper. The restaurant was packed, so it seems that the negative comments have not hampered it in any way.
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8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Friday, July 06, 2012

Food is good but the service is absolutely awful. The staff could do with learning some basic manners. When you have such a choice of restaurants in Canary Wharf that offer equally good food and considerably better service I wouldn't recommend.
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3 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, March 28, 2012

keeping it short: the food here is good. no complaints. however the service is remarkably poor. when planning a family dinner one night, i called ahead to check what time they closed. i then arrived well in advance of the last order time. having been previously told that they would be open, and having driven to get there, i was then informed they were closed (again, well in advance of the stated time). this in itself was not a problem, however when i mentioned to the manager that i had been told they would still be open, his reponse was equivalent to a curt "f - off". was not impressed, and it is a shame to see that a restaurant with very reputable food has such poor service.
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5 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Sunday, January 22, 2012

I went for lunch with my friend on a weekday. We were offered a table promptly with menus and orders taken without having to wait at all. Drinks were served soon followed by starters and main course. The restaurant became crowded soon and we observed that all the tables were pretty much occupied. The food was good and the service overall was efficient.

Reading from all the negative reviews in this site, I think that they have made some improvements to their service.

Overall we were pretty satisfied with the food and service although the waiters could do with a bit more smile on their faces.
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Mayukh
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Thursday, August 18, 2011

I have actually gone back there after some friends recommended it. I have to say the service was good, the food was much better and the selections had improved.

Well done - I will definitely go back there.
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Joyce Pramanik
7 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Thursday, July 14, 2011