Imperial China

I've been to this restaurant several times in the past year as you stand a good chance of getting a seat at busy times. Each time the service has got worse with long gaps betwen courses, plates being taken away while some of the party are still eating and cold plates to eat off. I refused to pay service charge at the most recent visit and got no reaction from the staff. Don't go there unless you have no other choice!
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3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

I went to this restaurant for years. I always expect to be treated casually as Chinese restaurant are known to have a quick and sometimes rude service.

Sometimes I leave a tip, sometimes I don't... as my wallet isn't too big at the moment, I asked if I could pay the amount without the 12.5%!! Discretionary service charge, and leave whatever coin I had left in my pockets. Immediately the waitresses started conversing in Chinese giving my partner and I evils! slammed the credit card reader on the table while staring at us in a defiant manner... This is the rudest I have ever been treated in a restaurant, they were trying to be intimidating... although they did not know that we spoke Chinese.

Don't go if you are not chinese. Don't go if you are not rich. Don't go if you care about respect and human decency.
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jim sutton
3 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 4
Thursday, October 06, 2011

I usually visit on weekends with chines friends for dim sum at lunch. But went in evening with white friends and got terrible service, cold food, and the courses came 20minutes apart, and in the wrong order. it was dreadful and don't think I will return. The also refill your tea, but neglect to tell you each pot is £2.50.
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Neil O''Keeffe
4 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Saturday, July 16, 2011

It was so bad, we got beyond being annoyed we haf to laugh at it. Faulty Towers has nothing on this place.

- Food was late (if delivered at all)

- Drink & Coffee glasses & cups were only 1/3 full when served

- The waiter refused to accept our order for 4 boiled rice (we were a table of four), she kept saying: Noooo too much food. You eat, you finish, then order more!!!

- & they added a 12.5% service charge to the bill!!!

- oh, quality of food was bad. definitely over priced for what it was!

Never again!!!!
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a londoner
2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 31, 2011

Went there on Saturday for dinner & karaoke and it was fantastic fun. We found the food really good value for money and the service withuot fault. I would truly recommend the place for a good night out.
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Catfish
8 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Monday, January 10, 2011

I visited this restaurant as the ambience is very pleasant with the water gardens offering a serene setting on entering the restaurant.However the food was overpriced and of inferior quality to most other places in Chinatown. The soft shell crab was slightly burnt but adequate. The Taiwanese chicken was described as "on the bone" but was served boneless! At £12.95 it was a sticky sweet overcooked mess! The seafood noodles were also overlooked and too salty; usually this is served Ho Fun style with a corn flour based sauce but this was simply stir fried. Finally the service was incredibly rushed and our plates were cleared too quickly.At £60 for 2 with a couple of beers this was a total rip-off and I will never go again.
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Global Foodie
4 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Saturday, November 20, 2010

Imperial china restaurant in chinatown, london, seems very luxurious at first. But looks can decieve. After sitting down at a nicely made table we are asked what to drink. I had something to celebrate and ordered a sangria. The waitress looked funny at me and checked the menu. She didnt know they had that. Anyway, 15 minutes later we get our drinks. At least the others do.. I didnt get my drink but was charged 7.50 for a drink that costs 6.20.. So i asked why it was that.. She said: service charge. £1.30 service charge for one drink?? what did she do, fly to spain to get the sangria?? I was getting agrivated and said if thats the case then i'll have a simple orange juice in stead.. She looked very annoyed and said: but you already ordered it. Which me and a friend replied with: but it's not here yet! And we also asked what the percentage was for the service charge: 17%. And my friend calculated it on his phone that my charge was 21%. Rip offs..

Anyway, i never got the orange juice i asked for, the waitress never came back. It also took them an hour and a half to get us the starters.. Which was only duck on pancakes.. Which was ok. But very little. After that we got some other food which the waitress put angrily on our plates.. My piece of rib was all muscle and not eatable. And after that some other food which was ok but i don't think it was worth 32 pounds.. Also i think service charge should be earned, not expected! They were incredible rude and i was glad to get out of there. Never go there!
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Anna
1 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, March 22, 2010

I have just got back from this restaurant and never before have I been compelled to write a review for a place. In a word - appalling. The food was your standard sweet sticky over fried British rubbish, as someone who has lived in China it was the usual disappointment. What really made this place stand out though was the shocking level of service, the waitresses ranged from useless to offensive. If you wou want to eat sub standard British style Chinese food then I would urge you to try any other place in Chinatown, I was very upset coming out of here, and on the way out was vocally angry, and ran into another couple who were equally stunned by the appalling service. Avoid. At all costs.
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Imperial hater
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, March 21, 2010

In short summary: Three cups chicken = cashew chicken without cashews

Beef stir fried with scallions = beef with meat tenderizer + curry powder (wtf?!?)

Stir fried morning glory leaves = boiled veg + sliced chili and garlic

Pipa tofu = Doughy meat(?)balls stuffed with scallions and chopped carrots
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Janet
0 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, February 27, 2010

Celebrated early Chinese New Year with a group of friends at the Imperial China last night. We had a private dinning room which was absolutely lovely and came complete with Karaoke facilities which was so much fun that even the most serious of us sang and sang. The service was very attentive. And the food was authentic and excellent. We had Peking duck to start which was outstanding in taste, crispy skin and succulent meat. For mains we had slow braised sweet and sour pork (melt in mouth and unusal); spicy stir fried chicken with young ginger and shallots (what a wow way to eat ginger!); slow braised beef in ouster sauce (deep flavours and the beef had a bit of bite); stir fried venison with baby leeks (gorgeous combination of a heavy meat with sweet young veg); steamed sea bass (simple and lovely but I must say a couple of mins over cooked); and stir fried pea shoots with lotsa garlic (aromatic, crispy, tasty). We had chicken and salted cod fried rice to accompany the meal which was so tasty it was a meal in itself. We had a GREAT time at the Imperial China. Yes, it is a busy restaurant. The whole place was buzzing and we loved it.
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Rittie - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, February 07, 2010