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Restaurant inside department store Selfridges
Decorate nothing special for food e.g. dumplings, noodles to be more expensive than Chinatown. Nevertheless menu much cheaper than Harrods new Dim Sum place. Service was O.K. and staff in nice uniform but nothing special. Harrods DS place service was much better. DTF in Selfridges you have to wait to be seated although there was no queue on a weekday.
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Old fashion deco, good food, bad service
We make the reservation at 21.30, when we arrive, the waiter says that the kitchen was almost closed, the food was good, but they brought everything at the same time, at 22,30 the waiter come with the bill and the pay machine, this is unacceptable, if they accept reservations at 21,30 they have to give a good service. Bad decoration, good food.
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Pricey dim sum but came here with my partner as they
Pricey dim sum but came here with my partner as they haven't been before. Got the XLB, dan dan noodles, and lava buns. It wasn't as good as I remember but the quality of food is still pretty good and for the price point as well.
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Is this the best Dimsum in London?
A taste of Taiwanese Dimsum at the heart of London, their HK branch has won a Michelin star and its good to see that the quality hasnt dropped across international branches like the one in London 🔻 Fairly priced for the quality and range available. Mid range and wont break the bank, if you are with a group of friends, seeing relatives or a date night this is a good spot to go to especially if you like sharing! 🔻 I had: Xiao long Bao (Soup Dumpling), Crispy Wonton, Chilli Chicken, 🔻 Food: Their Xiao Long Bao is incredible, Absolute star of the show here and a must-try. Their Pork Chop with Egg fried rice is amazing too! Generally the dimsum quality is great and we havent tried something here that we didnt like. 🔻 Ambience/Service - Good. Very professional and friendly staff, generally the food comes in waves/when its ready so you know its freshly cooked and not waiting under a heat lamp. Great service overall. 🔻 Summary Really good Dimsum at an appropriate price range. This is definitely one of the restaurants i suggest when someone wants quality Dimsum.
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This is the 6th DTF that I have visited (3 in Taipei, 2 in
This is the 6th DTF that I have visited (3 in Taipei, 2 in Seattle) and I rank this place as a top contender. Decor is actually the best of them all. Service was top notch as usual. The DTF management has the system down. Service quality is excellent throughout the system and this one did not disappoint. Food was excellent as usual. Signature Soup dumplings, drunken chicken, sweet spare ribs, pea shoots all prepared to the usual standards. The only knock is price. What can you do, you are in London. If you want cheap DTF get on a plane and go to Taipei.
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Consistent Service and Excellent Food
It has got to be the prettiest Din Tai Fung there is. Beyond the excellent food, the whole ambience of it made the evening meal lovely. Service was both warm and efficient. Food kept to the Din Tai Fung standard you would get in Asia. Consistent. An excellent choice for a meal.
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Food is really good and the price is reasonable, the place
Food is really good and the price is reasonable, the place is nice too, close to many shops and underground station. Highly recommend this place
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One of the best dim sum eateries in the world
5/5 by
kim r on 02/23/2023
We didn't have a reservation, but the line moved pretty quickly and we were allowed in in less than 20 minutes. Xiao Long Bao is also delicious and what they are known for. The restaurant is huge with and upstairs and a downstairs. A full bar with amazing drinks.
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Delicious dumplings, Efficient service
Delicious dumplings and buns. Tasted a selection of savoury dumplings and buns, including excellent truffle dumplings. Dessert selection was also very good, especially the sweet taro. Efficient and friendly service. Highly recommend.
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If you have a chance to eat at a Din Tai Fung, do it!
If you have a chance to eat at a Din Tai Fung, do it! There are many soup dumpling places in China town area but this is what I consider the original!Favorite flavor is the classic pork soup dumplings. You can easily eat a whole order per person but if you have more people, order this one as your go to and then sample others flavors in smaller quantities. This is a must visit place for me wherever they have a location!
Service and quality are undisputed but prices went up to levels that we found unacceptable compared to last year. It has become one of those places where you leave still hungry
Delicious dumplings but not a lot of meat choices without pork in them! It’s also definitely not cheap for the amount of food - so choose wisely between being full and paying a lot!
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Rating Service and Attitude. Did not get to try the food.
One of the worst day out experiences. Had a wonderful day out for the opera at ROH and subsequent dim sum lunch (which my kids adore and would be a good balance after first ever opera experience)! I prepared well in advance- somehow from central booking website I erroneously booked centerpoint (I guess my mistake but I would say system is misleading as I went on website and clearly intended to book the Covent Garden one!!). After waiting in line to the restaurant with very hungry kids- and losing time - they sent me to centerpoint stating that was what I booked and it was only 10 mins away. As I walk there in particularly cold, windy and rainy weather - I called to say that I was 10 mins late, explained the circumstances, the person on the call confirmed I can still come if I come within 10 mins (which I did!) and upon arrival we found out that our table was given away! There was no communication between person taking the call and whoever was allocating the table. This is not acceptable service! To turn the kids away this way after all the advance communication! The rare carefully planned day out for the family was nearly spoilt until it was gracefully and deliciously saved by a wonderful restaurant (Punjab! in Covent Garden which I will gratefully review. We will never try to visit this chain again.
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Don’t understand the bad reviews
Great food and friendly staff, and really cool to see that many chefs making everything by hand. We had wontons with a spicy sauce, fried gyoza and braised beef soup - which was my favorite because of the deep flavor in the broth, with perfectly cooked noodles. Would recommend :)
I had very last minute request for the client and Ellis was the most helpful girl in the world . The customer service was just amazing and she she made me feel like she really cares !!! Thank you Ellis!
My partner had been here previously and said he'd never go again, but seeing it listed in the Michelin Guide I managed to persuade him to give it another try. I wished I hadn't. This place was so disappointing! Great space with a good atmosphere but the dim sum was so average. For a start the steamed buns were really watery - the steam is supposed to stay on the outside and the pastry on the pork buns was dense and chewy (not light and fluffy). But the main issue was that all the food was tasteless! It was all bland and insignificant. We even struggled to taste garlic in the garlic cabbage. We were so disappointed. Finally, for the quality, the food was very overpriced. There are far better alternatives in Soho and we definitely won't be going back.
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Yes it's expensive and the only reason it's docked a star
Yes it's expensive and the only reason it's docked a star is the price point. But that said, the quality is absolutely there, even for the simplest of things. I've been to other DTFs in Singapore, Taiwan and the US but considering we just moved a couple blocks away, had to try this out on a rainy Sunday when feeling too lazy to walk to Chinatown.Two of us ordered:* Pork XLB (5 for £8.80, 10 for £15.50): perfect thin skins with enough elasticity not to break. Lots of juice with a subtle porky flavor, but a bit too plain for me to justify the price. 4/5 but I wouldn't order this again as the price isn't worth it* Chili Crab and Pork XLB (1 for £3, 5 for £14.50): Wow a lovely crab flavor with just a hint of spice. I slightly preferred this with just plain rice vinegar & ginger instead of their standard soy/ginger sauce to not dilute the crab flavor. The best dish of the meal and absolutely worth going to DTF for. 5/5* Truffle and Pork XLB (1 for £5, 5 for £23): in Taipei this was our favorite (but we didn't try the chili crab there) so had to order a piece each just to see if it was as amazing as we remembered. Delicious bite but not as spectacular as we thought, and not worth £5 for one bite (but I would encourage truffle lovers to try it regardless to decide for themselves). 4/5 due to the price * Truffle and Mushroom XLB (5 for £9, 10 for £17.50): vegetarian version of the truffle and pork. While truffle and mushroom always are a nice combo, it just wasn't satisfying enough for this meat lover, even though, like the others, there was nothing wrong with it. 4/5* Minced Pork and Glutinous Rice Shao Mai (4 for £8.60, 8 for £15.50): the waitress recommended this which I have fond memories trying for the first time on the streets of Shanghai. While quite tasty, the DTF wasn't as satisfying due to the extremely thin skin holding the rice; I prefer this with a thicker skin to get the contrast of the skin and the sticky rice. 4/5* Cabbage with Garlic (£8): another waitress recommendation. When the plate arrived, I felt a bit disappointed as it looked so plain, just a small plate of super simple cabbage with a few cloves of garlic mixed in, nothing else. However after a couple of bites, I had to acknowledge the mastery in cooking this dish. The cabbage was absolutely perfect, very subtle but rich from the chicken and bone broth used to make it. 5/5 but I'm going to see if I can make it at home to save the £8Reservations are recommended and can be made via Google. Service was polite and overall we had a really nice time. If it was just a bit less expensive it would be 5 stars all the way but you do need to reward quality.
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One of the many Din Tai Fung restaurants I've been to world
One of the many Din Tai Fung restaurants I've been to world wide. The food is good and brings back memories of the Din Tai Fung in Singapore. The menu is smaller and some dishes tasted slightly different than I remember. Great Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings and fried rice.
This was my first Din Tai Fung visit outside of Taipei. Absolutely loved the deco, the bar, the seating design. We were fortunate to be seated in the back, top level, under the skylight, against the wall, with the best view of the restaurant. I have to say, service was 2 stars. It took a while for us to flag someone down to order our cocktails and food after we ordered tea. Also, the tea wasn't hot at all. And I was told they didn't serve just hot water, even though they poured hot water for our refill in the teapot. Regardless, it was hard to find someone to order and then no one checked in on us after our food came. We had to flag someone down for the check, etc. The food. Sweet & sour pork baby back ribs were excellent (served cold FYI). The pork XLBs were good, crab XLB were not my favorite. Braised beef noodles soup was subpar - the beef was tough. The pork chop noodle was pretty tasty. Green beans could have been crispier and hotter. Loved my signature cocktail which was beautiful and delicious.All in all, I would go back for cocktails and the XLB if I was really craving them and around the area.
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It's wonderful all around-good.
service,ambience. Excellent fishes not found elsewhere.
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I've been to various Din Tai Fung locations including
4/5 by
D Y. on 12/11/2022
I've been to various Din Tai Fung locations including multiple LA locations, Singapore, Japan, etc. This was also good. And while the newer locations are fairly consistent in quality, it does seem like they slightly miss the mark as compared to earlier ones. Although I thought Singapore was outstandingly good (haven't been to the original Taiwan locations). The XLB had thin wrappers and pretty good soup (maybe slightly less than I recall) and good flavor. Disappointingly, they were not piping hot as usual. I think the star was the spinach with garlic. While simple, it was well-executed. It was well-cooked, fresh, and nicely infused with garlic. I also had the shrimp/pork wonton noodle soup. The won tons were not bad. Good mix of shrimp and pork, fresh and good flavor. First time I've had it here. I know the noodles are their house-made ones, but it didn't pair well with the wontons (for my taste). They probably pair better with the beef noodle soup. I think I'm too accustomed to the traditional Hong Kong won ton egg noodles. Overall, pretty good.
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Fun place to have an evening.
First found in Seattle, London is also fantastic retreat from the usual fares
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I've had consistently good experiences at DTF, whether that
I've had consistently good experiences at DTF, whether that be in London, Tokyo, or Dubai. They're most famous for their soup dumplings which didn't disappoint and the chili crab one is worth the money. The biggest downside is the price for the quality/size, which may be hard to justify with their regular pork XLB. However, if you're looking for a consistent XLB chain with good side dishes then this is a decent choice.
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The best food & service
I love to come here with family, 5 star food, restaurant is sparkling clean and relaxed environment, great service, even the toilet is so clean. Totally different like other restaurant in China Town. We prefer to come here with kids, eat quality food not quantity. Thank you so much to the staff for working so hard! Just the queue is bit long and we are not allowed to book table on line for under 6 people. That's a strange policy for family.
At the end of our meal we found some egg shell in our egg fried rice, and our party member noticed this because it cut his tongue. A very nice waiter asked how we found our meal. We had enjoyed everything apart from this. He was very apologetic and said he would go and try to have the price of the rice removed from the bill. It was a small amount on a bill of £160 but the gesture was really appreciated. A few moments later a blonde Caucasian lady approaches our table. She asks 'what was the problem', slightly startled we weren't sure what to respond as we had made no actual complaint. She said 'you found shell, but still ate the rice?' She then ran the shell across the table with her finger and flung it on the floor and said , 'so there's no problem.' The attitude spoilt the whole meal! She offered no apology and considering how much we paid we left feeling utterly disappointed.
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Awful service from manager
1/5 by
ken p on 08/06/2022
We went for a meal for our friends promotion , food was good but my friend was eating his egg fried rice and there was a egg shell inside, which nearly cut his tongue, when the friendly staff asked if everything was ok, we told the staff and he was understanding and said he will try to remove the dish from the meal, which was cheap compared to the £160 we spent, but the Caucasian lady manager came and was rude, she asked if there was egg shell why did we eat all the rice , then slammed the bill down and walked off, awful service from here when the actual staff who served us was nice, never coming back here again
Great vibe here. Tasty food and great selection. Dim sum was a little watery inside but very filling and full of flavour! Despite it being a Friday night, with a queue half a mile long we were goven our yable promplty. The restaurant gave us our table even when we were 10 minutes late which was great. Service was also really good with staff happy to give their advice on good dishes.
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Great dim sum but menu rather limited
4/5 by
Alan on 07/22/2022
It’s very easy to be ripped off in Covent Garden so this restaurant was a great find. We didn’t want the walk to Chinatown then stumbled across this place. We were struck by the army of chefs preparing dim sum and had two as starters. We probably didn’t order the best food and the restaurant is very dim sum centred. We wanted dim sum as starters but they arrived after our mains. All food was different and delicious. More and better advise from the staff is required. However, we will visit again better informed
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More suitable for a business meal or break than an evening to enjoy with friends or relatives
I was recommended this place but I was expecting something different. The service and the decor are very sterile, the food is ok but it took me forever to digest it (very garlicky and I don’t mind garlic but that kept on coming back to me til next day). I would go back for a quick lunch or dinner but absolutely not to spend an evening with friends. You get in and out very quickly so I feel it’s more suitable for a lunch break or a business meal/meeting.
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Very disappointing at this branch
2/5 by
Jane on 07/12/2022
First time here at the London Covent Garden branch, only booked it because it was for a special occasion only to be very disappointed, standards are nowhere near the ones in Hong Kong! We ordered several dishes, food was lukewarm the dumplings weren't very nice at all taste wise and the steamed buns were worse. The Chinese tea was mediocre and when we asked for a top up of hot water, the waiter grabbed the top part of the cups which is wrong, health and hygiene wise they should never have done that! Food was expensive for what it was! Shame, because I was expecting a much better experience from Din Tai Fung.
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no enough waiting staff to justify high price even though the buns and dumplings are A1
Staff run off their feet so service was awful. Had to work really, really hard to catch the waiting staff eye rather than them coming to us. Management need to help them out with some hiring of take less bookings. Ruins the experience and it ain’t cheap! Buns/dumplings very good but rice and noodles came cold though - again a service issue. It's a shame. If you do go you must try the custard buns for dessert.
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The same amazing quality everywhere around the world
If you eat DTF in Beijing or if you eat it in London, you will have the exact same delicious taste and service. The dumplings are out of this world and I am so happy 2 locations have opened up in London. Don't forget to reserve as it can get very busy!
5/5 by
KJE61 on 04/07/2022
Probably best to book here, we did and walked straight in past a long queue of walk-ins. The dumplings are delicious and quite filling so don't order too many initially. We had our table for an hour & a half which was enough time to stuff ourselves with lots of dumpling yummyness. I don't think we could choose a favourite as they were all very good indeed. The service is attentive and the food came promptly. The dumplings are prepared in an area surrounded by glass so you can watch the chefs make them. A visit is recommended.