The Lotus Chinese Floating Restaurant

Ahh a restaurant that splits opinion right down the middle. No flouncing and giving it 0s for everything on account of bad service here. Popped in at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon to find myself the only non-chinese person in there - a very good sign, or so I hoped.

Char siu cheung fun and prawn har gau were spot on, the pastry char siu parcel was too sweet, but the fried dumplings (chinese gyoza equivalent) were crispy, not greasy and with a well-seasoned dense pork filling. I'll save the best remark for the pickled radish and pork dumplings - three large, yielding balls (!!) containing a crunchy, punchy five-spice seasoning. A new one for me and a real winner.

Just to reflect on the comments below - service quick, perfunctory but nonetheless polite despite it being 90% full. 5 dim sum plates plus orange juice and chinese tea - £17. Well worth a visit if you happen to be (find yourself?!) in Canary Wharf of a weekend. I have luckily moved in across from this place for a month so will undoubtedly be back.
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Richard - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Cannot agree more with comments regarding bad service and I would add that I found the food less than ordinary. When I complained that service was terrible I was told thats what I should expect when a restaurant does not demand a service charge! Is that the way things are done in UK? I think not as everywhere else I have been does not want a service charge and 95% of places are polite. Also, staff were very aggressive and ignorant when I complained about the starters being terrible and when I refused to pay threatened me with the police! So embarrassing for me, my guests and other people around us who were trying to enjoy their dinners.

Thinking about going here because it looks good from outside? Think again!

Food - Bad. Service - Very rude and slow. Atmosphere - Nice outside, very tired inside. Value for Money - Cheap but get what pay for! Big time!
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2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Monday, October 25, 2010

had a wedding there over 260 guests, it was so horrible, they served my guests very little food which i have paid £380 for each tables, bad services and slow only had 3 waitress while rest of them downstairs not doing anything as it wasnt busy. bad management had no support for her all i get was bad attitude from her, i used to love this place that's why i chose to had my wedding there. we never go back there again. it have gone very downhill. i warn you not to go there. as many people have agree this place is getting run down.
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0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, October 20, 2010

First impressions go a long way. I wasn't impressed after my first visit.

I got served port in dirty classes. I had to return the glass to be washed on two occasions.

I was also appalled with those burners they use to keep your food warm. It was like the staff just picked one from a previously used table and dumped it on my table, rice, sauces and other bits sprinkled all over it. I had to get it replaced twice.

I had lost all appetite by the time food was served. Then again, I was dying of hunger as I had to wait for over 45 min for my food to be ready.

I definitely wouldn't recommend this.
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Ted
4 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Friday, July 16, 2010

What are these bad reviews and negative people on about?? my husband and I have been going to this restraunt for nearly 20 years! The food is out of this world! not your typical e. numbers you get from most chinease restraunts, Fresh Fish galore! there mixed platter starter is fab!! the prawns are the size of a small lobster! everything is so fresh, we journey up from Kent and its worth all the effort! as we stay at least 3/4 hours, and are made so welcome, and are always fussed upon, we have NEVER! had a bad meal here, and to be honest it gets better every time, all the staff are so freindly and are alays so welcomeing, Its the BEST!!! GO!!
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GREG PIKE
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, February 21, 2010

I booked a table for 10 people on the 10th of January 2010 but I had to move the date to the 30th of January instead. So I called up on 30/12/09 and I spoke to one of the staff to change the time to the 30th of Jan instead.

He was being very rude and was demading for a deposit of £10 per person and would refuse to change the date unless this is paid!! Then he eventually hanged up the phone on me!!

So I called back to see if I can speak to a manager but instead the same guy hanged the phone up on me again...I just couldn't believe it!! Not very professional and would not recommend this place if you are looking for a better service!‎

Apparently there is no manager to complain to in this place!
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2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Thursday, December 31, 2009

Good value for money. I am Chinese and the food is very good. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to everyone. It's well woth the visit.
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happy customer
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Friday, September 11, 2009

My family and i have been going to the lotus chinese restaurant for the passed 12 years or more. The food is excellent, best chinese ever, we have never been to another chinese restaurant since going here. The prawns are large and succulent, everything is made and cooked fresh. Nothing else tops the food here. The staff have always and i mean ALWAYS been very polite and friendly, i find that chinese people are the friendliest of all race. We will carrying going to this restaurant all the time it is there. The people who have wrote bad reviews must be off their head and don't know what their talking about. I have been to all different kinds of restaurants, but The Lotus is my favourite and always will be. We will continue going there, WELL DONE YOU GUYS at the Lotus you all do a really good job, keep it up. See you all soon.
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Janet
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, August 20, 2009

Great dim sum at budget prices!

We live walking distance from Lotus and are so glad we have finally found a place for authentic cheap dim sum without needing to go to Chinatown! From the nondescript appearance and tinted windows of this boat we always assumed it was either failing miserably or completely abandoned, until we walked in and realised it was buzzing especially with the office crowd from Canary Wharf!

All the steamed dim sum classics are well executed- fluffy white char siew bao (BBQ pork buns), har gau (prawn dumplings), siew mai (pork dumplings), beef tripe with ginger etc, and we were surprised to find good Ma Lai Koh (Malay steamed sponge cake) on the menu too which is the first time I've encountered it in London! We ordered two varieties of cheong fun (steamed rice sheet rolls)- char siew and fried dough- and loved both, highly appreciating the fact that the sauce for the fried dough version was served in a separate saucer for dipping instead of drizzled over, to ensure the filling remained crispy.

The fried/baked dishes also got the thumbs up all round- gorgeous little egg custard tarts with a flaky pastry, light and not-too-greasy wu kok (yam puffs with meat filling) and crunchy salad har (fried prawn dumplings with salad cream).

The only thing we regretted ordering was the plate of dry-fried beef hor fun, which was rather bland and oily and not worth the £6.50 price tag. Although I haven't tried any of their other noodle dishes, I would say it's a safer bet to stick to the dim sum classics.

Service was typical of a Chinese restaurant (none too friendly, civil but indifferent), but with most of the dishes priced at £2 (the most expensive ones being £3.50) and a lovely waterfront view to boot, I will definitely be back at Lotus over and over to satisfy my dim sum cravings!
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Samantha Tan
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Sunday, March 29, 2009