Royal China (Canary Riverside)

Featured reviews

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  chan rich

  ·2 months ago

  “I don't like leaving bad reviews but I have to be honest. Some dishes were good, others were not. The service was poor, it was hard to get help from staff, some did not seem as though they wanted to help us, the food also came out surprisingly fast which may not be a good sign. The biggest problem came when it was time to use the soy sauce and I found tiny dead flies had been sitting in the bottom of the jug, this then made the food inedible. Staff seemed not to care much about this, they acted like us asking for this to be rectified was an inconvenience. After a back and forth we were able to get the price of one starter dish removed.”

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  Nikki J

  ·2 months ago

  “I don’t think this restaurant likes when people of colour dine inside. I dined here twice within the same week so my review is based on both experiences. The first time I dined at this restaurant it was with a group of 6. The second time I dined alone because I wanted to see if I would have a better experience on my own. I was disappointed. I thought the food was really good but the service is really bad. My party of 6 was first seated outside. I was the last to arrive and after 20 minutes of waiting I had to go ask the staff if we were invisible because they were tending to everyone except us. Someone finally came to take our orders and while we were waiting it got very windy and got a lot of flies so we asked to be move inside and they said sure. Despite being a party of 6 they tried to seat us at a small table (despite many bigger empty ones around and it wasn’t busy) when we insisted on a bigger table they reluctantly agreed. However once again we felt so ignored. I had to signal to the black waiter for help because everyone else was just standing around blatantly ignoring us. After the black waiter took over things flowed smoothly. 4 days later I returned alone. I stood at the entrance waiting to be seated for 5 minutes. Many many staff looking at me and ignoring, finally one man approached me and took me to a seat, handed me the menus then left. Seated alone, it took 20 minutes AGAIN before someone came to take my food or drink order and I had to signal the same black waiter from before to come over. Mind you while I was waiting 3 other tables near me got seated, orders placed and drinks within quick succession. I also noticed that they gave all the other tables proper linen napkins but they gave me a single use paper napkin, I had to ask for a proper linen one. Once the waiter took my order everything flowed better. (I wish I could remember his name) My food was hot, tasty and I have nothing bad to say about the meal, that is until the bill came. Prior to placing my order I wrote down the price of each item I wanted on the menu(not something I usually do but I had a gut feeling). When the bill arrived the prices didn’t match up. Some items were between 10-20 cents more which is not a big deal but still. I also asked for 3 takeaway boxes as the portion sizes were large and I couldn’t finish everything. They charge 50pence per take away box so that was an additional £1.50 added to my bill. I didn’t like that, this was my first time having to pay for a takeaway box at a restaurant. Customers are already paying for the meal and service charging for the takeaway box feels nefarious. Add to that the service charge the bill for 1 person came to £97! I genuinely feel like they don’t appreciate people of colour at this restaurant because the way we (and other tables of people of colour) were ignored compared to Asian and white people is so in your face and disappointing.”

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  Missy V.

  ·4 months ago

  “I was hoping they still served authentic Cantonese food here (cause in the Netherlands those chefs have left the scene) and I had some high expectations therefor I got utterly disappointed. We chose the House dinner set menu, the only thing I liked was the mango dessert. The hors d'oeuvres were all fried stuff, nothing to commend about. Had to ask them for the next courses because it took a long time after the hors d'oeuvres were served. Crispy duck was utterly dry, does not deserve to be served at all, let alone be made into a pancake. Had to put a lot of sauce to make it less dry. Veggies were just veggies, nothing special. The chicken in the black bean sauce dish was the only meat that wasn't dry. I was so upset about the food that I didn't tip. But in hindsight I regret not tipping for the service because they were nice people and service was good. Sorry. Not their fault the food was not to my liking. I would come back to try their dimsum (since it's what they're best known for) before I write them off completely. And if you do come for dinner, do not choose the (items on the) House dinner menu.”

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  Charlotte

  ·5 months ago

  “Royal China London offers solid dim sum with most dishes standard in both taste and quality. The selection is good, and the overall dining experience is enjoyable. The staff are friendly, attentive, and helpful, making the meal even more pleasant. A reliable spot for Cantonese dining in London.”

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  Albert Wu

  ·5 months ago

  “Great dimsum. Friendly staff. Prices are not unreasonable, though not cheap. 12% gratuity added by default. Much better than the expected tips in the US. Prices are at the higher end of similar places in San Francisco Bay area. Recommended.”

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  Nick C

  ·6 months ago

  “I’ve been a frequent customer of Royal China Canary Wharf Riverside for over 15 years, and it remains our favourite Chinese restaurant—truly a place we keep coming back to again and again. The food is consistently exceptional. The dim sum at lunchtime is always fresh, authentic, and full of flavour—easily some of the best in London. In the evenings, the beef and seafood ho fun and the black pepper fillet steak are absolute standouts and never disappoint. What really makes this restaurant special, though, is the service. It’s always warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. A special thank you to Jenny, Vicky, Yan, Jan, Kenny, Fong, Ollie, and Chris for always taking such great care of me, my family, my partner, and my friends—we always feel incredibly well looked after. Highly recommended—this place is a true gem and will always be our go-to. Best regards and wishes, Nick”

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  Jingjo Sarita-Smith

  ·6 months ago

  “Royal China at Canary Riverside offers one of the best dim sum experiences I’ve had. The quality is outstanding — every dish is freshly made, flavorful, and perfectly executed. The dim sum, in particular, is exceptional. Delicate, well-balanced, and beautifully presented, making each bite truly enjoyable. The overall dining experience is elevated by the attentive and professional service, creating a refined yet comfortable atmosphere. Highly recommended for anyone looking for top-quality dim sum in London. I will definitely return again.”

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  Azvyll

  ·6 months ago

  “A good dimsum place 10mins away walk from Canary Wharf station. Place was clean and spacious, lots of tables but also very busy lunch service. We got a pram and the disabled bathroom has baby changing space, so child friendly. Portions are good sized and food was decent. Siumai was really good. Duck was tasty but a tad too oily, and a small portion of it was over-seasoned so very salty. Staff could be more friendly, but were polite and professional. We had a good time though, both a la carte and dimsum menu feels fair for the location.”

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  Marie Taylor-Morrison

  ·6 months ago

  “The restaurant is conveniently located, especially if you’re arriving by boat, which adds a nice sense of occasion to the visit. It’s an impressively large venue, making quite a statement on arrival. That said the experience was a little mixed. While the staff were polite, the service was extremely slow, which did take away from the overall enjoyment. The food itself was decent, solid familiar Chinese dishes you might expect from a good takeaway, but nothing particularly stand out. There was also a mixup with our order despite clearly pointing to pictures on the menu the wrong dish was brought out. Fortunately, it turned out to be enjoyable anyway and the restaurant handled the mistake well by offering a 20% reduction on the bill which was appreciated. Overall a well located and visually impressive restaurant, but one where the service and attention to detail could be improved. We ordered the sweet-and-sour pork and the mixed vegetable noodles.”

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  Killa

  ·7 months ago

  “Food was ok I would give a 6/10 they are popular as they were very busy, good summer spot for sure the view is probably amazing, food could have been hotter but the portion size is good and is worth the price. The service could have been better I feel they weren’t very friendly but they were polite and well dressed with great grooming standards. Would go again with a large group as I think that’s what their speciality is, also I think they could play some nice music at a low level”

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