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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Oxford Circus (Bakerloo, Central, Victoria)
Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly, Bakerloo)
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern)
Mon-Sat 12:00 - 23:00
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This is definitely one of my favorite places to eat when I'm in London... It's walking distance from the Soho Hotel which is a plus for me as well. The dim sum here is very good but my favorite dish here has to be the duck egg rolls.
It is not traditional Dim Sum, which is one of the reasons I think I find myself craving it when I'm back home. This is a must eat before I leave restaurant for me every time.
I was intending to visit this place for the umpteenth time again the other week for tea and cakes possibly followed by a cocktail when I realised the amazing cake counter had disappeared.
Anyone know where it's gone? Will it be returning?
I don't think I'll visit again if they don't have the macaroon platter still :(
After a long flight , and navigating out of the madness that is London Heathrow, I looked forward to my first hot meal. At Yauatcha. Getting in was half the fun, since on the outside, all one saw were blue glass walls. The space inside (the upstairs tea shop) was hip & fun and ready for the lunch crowd. After settling in and given the complimentary Chinese pickles, i poured over the long list of items on the menu. At Yauatcha, I really like their particular format for dim sum. No one is pushing carts and hawking dishes, so you're not sitting there just waiting for stuff to come by. You can order whatever you want from the menu. Spend more time with your company, and again, just enjoy the surroundings.
For the 2 of us, we had a pot of tea, 7 dim sum items, and a rice dish. The roasted Anxi Tie Guan Yin was very subtle, but had a mild smoky taste. Some of the standout dishes included the Wild Mushroom Dumpling. Oyster, shimeiji, and shitake in a chive-flavored dumpling skin, dotted on top with euryale seeds. Perfect starter. The Prawn Cheung Fun had the added crunch of brunoise of zucchini (or I suppose I should call it courgette as I was in London). ;-). The Pan-fried Turnip Cake had a whole mess of herbs and dried shrimp, a far cry from the bland affair at a lot of dim sum places. The Sesame Prawn Toast was a throwback to my childhood. Except here, there was a whole prawn, aside from the prawn paste. The last dish was the Egg White & Salted Fish Fried Rice. Typically, this dish could get bogged down with being too greasy, and too salty ingredients. Here, it is very mild and perfectly seasoned. A perfect finale to a perfect lunch.
Why 4 stars? This is dim sum kicked up a few notches. The dishes have been enhanced to make them more special. It is in a modern, cool room that provided a lot of the usual convivial vibe at dim sum houses. Perhaps purists might scoff at the Westernization of it all, but i simply loved it.
I've been here twice, once for a nice lunch - and last week for dinner. The latter definitely suited the place, which is dark, seductive and framed by blue neon lights.
Yautcha does tea well (on street level), complete with great cakes, but this place comes alive at night. Each time I've been there, I've sat downstairs, where the tables are packed in, but it still doesn't seem crowded or uncomfortable.
The best food on the menu is the dim sum (the steamed mushroom dumplings are to die for, and I love the venison puffs), though there are larger Asian dishes and curries if you fancy something more hearty. Make sure you have a dessert as well. I had a ginger and white chocolate cheesecake that knocked me for six for a while as I floated away in a pudding-induced daydream.
The waiters do a fantastic job of recommending dishes if you're unsure (the first lunch I had here, one of the guys just brought us a selection of their best dishes and man, it was good).
Not exactly cheap (I could probably get just-as-good dim sum at Ping Pong - which I prefer as a destination), you're paying again for the place itself. The swanky designer decor, the attentive service and the oh-so-hip atmosphere. That said, I think it's worth it as the food is yummy and it's the sort of place you feel happy having a long conversation-fuelled dinner in and not being rushed.
I'll definitely be going back, if anything just to try the cocktails (the list looked intriguing, but my dinner guests weren't drinking). Next time gadget.
Yauatcha has become a must everytime I visit London. The menu is very diverse but I end up ordering the soup dumplings, sticky rice and pork and shrimp dumplings every time I come.
Brother-in-law mentioned this place has a Michelin star, so why not? Decor and atmosphere was on the too painfully hip side of things, especially in the loungy downstairs room where we were seated. Low tables and low padded chairs felt a bit like sitting at the kiddy table. Otherwise, I suppose you are getting your money's worth, as the tab will reflect the quality of the surroundings ;)
The large menu of overly flowery, fruity, asian-themed cocktails seemed to highlight their mixologists' importance, but didn't interest me much, especially at 9 quid a drink, but what do I know, the young gals at the other tables were having quite a few.
Well, the eats - dim sum and other Chinese dishes were executed quite well, with authentic, distinct and varied flavors. A number of interesting and unique variations on dim sum were pretty good, especially fried and pastry items, like duck pumpkin puff. Haute dim sum, I suppose. Didn't have dessert, but after reading other reviews, glad I didn't, as it seemed they used to do much better sweets. On the way out spied some plated asian BBQ short ribs in the kitchen that looked tasty, we missed out perhaps?
Almost 4 stars, but quite average service and the steep prices keep me from getting all the way there. Plus, I was getting such a pre-recession posh vibe from this joint, for dim sum and Chinese food, of all things, but maybe that's just me.
A nice restaurant which is decorated contemporary in style. For example, the sink in the toilet is like a garden water feature!
The food though was just "OK". Nothing special to the normal dim sum you can have in any Chinatown whether its in London or elsewhere.
Also, its very expensive for what it is. Luckily when I went I didnt pay and the person who paid had a voucher he got for his birthday.
Make reservations and try this place at least once if you like Dim Sum. A good friend of mine recommended this place and we tried it at the beginning of the New Year. I didn't think to make reservations but luckily my wife and I was seated strait away. Get ready it is expensive here but the service is wonderful and the food is brilliant (it was 50pounds for the 2 of us). This is quite possibly the best Dim Sum in all of London. My favorite is the very popular pumpkin puff, venison puff, and the jasmine ribs. The environment has a modern design but comes with classy service.
The reason I only gave 4 stars instead of 5 is I didn't have a chance to try dessert. And this would be a splendid restaurant to bring a date but it is in Soho.
About a year ago I was at Yauatcha with some friends, and someone got to wondering whether Yauatcha had ever had a Michelin star. There was some disagreement (some thought it still had a star), so we eventually asked a waiter who, after leaving to consult colleagues, eventually returned with the news that at that moment, Yauatcha was still the holder of one star, but that it was uncertain whether this situation would continue for much longer! Evidently the fate of the restaurant did not rest with that curiously pessimistic member of staff, for the 2010 list is now out, and Yauatcha still has its star.
I revisited a few days ago, and whilst Yauatcha is perhaps not the restaurant is once was, it's still got some pretty good moves. The dim sum is some of the best in London, and whilst not cheap, it can be surprisingly good value: it's very much possible to drink tea and eat well for £25, which is perhaps £10 more than an acceptable dim sum you might get somewhere else. (I've only ever eaten dim sum at Yauatcha; other dishes will be more expensive.)
The food is recognisably traditional, though with a few twists--venison might replace beef, for example. The presentation is pretty good, even for menu items that sound uninspiring. Dim sum is not for the truly timid, but although chicken feet are on the menu, there's plenty of safe dumplings and ribs and buns, etc. to be had. The mushroom cheung fun (mushroom wrapped in a loose noodle sheath) is close to twice the price of the meat and seafood variations, but well worth it. The deep fried squid was also excellent.
The decor is nice and staff are pleasant. Neither is intimidating. It can be noisy, and isn't suited for long, lingering meals. As other reviews have mentioned, the dramatic cake display upstairs has disappeared--a loss.
Four stars--I'm a fan, and I'll be back.
Bad news - Yauatcha has shifted their focus away from desserts! That means no more display of yummy desserts, no more macaroons... sigh. Don't ask me why because I can't understand it either. There is now a limited dessert menu. I tried the chilled mango soup with tiny pearls of tapioca which was fantastic but I'm still bummed about the new change.
There were also some changes to the dim sum menu but nothing major.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in London. The decor is quite modern. I prefer sitting… Read more »
This place is "contemporary dim sum." I said contemporary because the servers do not push the carts around and the decor and prices are "modern/pretentious." The dim sum has a refined quality though and taste is excellent. There are also unique cocktails and beautifully crafted desserts that taste scrumptious. However, I heard that the portions got smaller since I have been there.
I would give it a five, but becase the dessert section disappeared, I'll only give it a 4. The desserts were just too damn good! :) I remember a passion fruit soupy/ice-creamery dessert that was heavenly yummy!
Anyway - the dimsum are fantastic. Quite surprising for a posh place like this. I am used to eating dimsum in shabby, dark chinese places ;) But here you have the glitter and the taste all at once. A must-visit if you are around.
If you can, choose to sit downstairs. With the aquarium bar, and the soft lights, it's really cosy. Good place for a date actually :)
Listed in: Top Restaurants
So I went to London and was offered a free place to stay by my friends who were working there. Everything in London is expensive. They say Tokyo is worse, but definitely not when I was there. Every time I bought anything it was like I was getting hit by a football in the groin. Even McDonald's was expensive. Now the exchange rate is much better at least.
Apart for the UK pricing, this was a really good restaurant. All the food we had was excellent, and they made some interesting cocktails as well. I definitely liked all the fish tanks. All the decor was well done. We had made reservations so there was no wait. There were some people waiting though who had not.
After all was said and done it came out to be about $80 a person. Of course my friend I was traveling with and I paid for the two friends who we were staying with so it became a cinder block to the groin night, and not in a good way.
Yauatcha isn't located in the most salubrious part of London - it's in the heart of Soho and right next door to the Berwick Street market.
It has 2 distinct personalities. The most obvious one is a sophisticated tea house, serving the most elegant and amazing cakes and macaroons, which you can see from the big windows opening onto the street. They just look so perfect and colourful and full of flavour. These are served on the ground floor and many people come for takeaway.
The other part to Yauatcha is a high-class (and expensive!) dim sum restaurant on the ground floor. Routine dishes are given a lift with exotic ingredients like venison and even gold leaf. Lovely to eat. Expensive ingredients make it better? Debatable I think.
So a solid 4 stars - lovely experience but heavy on the wallet.
For a world class city, London has some pretty dreadful dim sum venues. Fortunately Yauatcha is one of the good ones. Yes, you end up paying a lot more for the food than you would at some of the other places in London (and certainly more than you would at most places in Hong Kong, San Francisco, Vancouver). Yes, you pay for some of the attitude and decor. Yes, the chairs are pretty uncomfortable.
In the end, it's all about the food and you have to admit that some of the dishes are pretty darn good. The har gau are excellent with clear skins and the right amount of bite. The venison puff (cha siu so) are excellent versions with a nice hint of black pepper and a fantastic flaky crust. I especially like the shrimp and beancurd cheung fun; it's their version of zha leung but instead of a chinese donut inside, they use a shrimp and beancurd skin roll. Fantastic. Save room for the black sesame dumplings. Some of the best I've ever had anywhere with a truly handmade taste and texture.
I agree that some of their dishes (especially the non-dim sum mains) are overpriced. If you can avoid those, you can have an excellent dim sum deal for not much more than you would spend in London Chinatown.
My biggest pet peeve is that they only make one pot with each order of tea leaves. Some of the teas, especially the oolongs, actually taste better with the second brewing!
My favorite restaurant in London!! Yauatcha tends to draw mixed reactions from people, but the great majority agree: Yauatcha rocks!!
My absolute favorite dishes are the Shark's fin Hot & Sour Soup (just the thought of it makes my glands flow), the Shitake & Duck Roll, the Spinach Cube (stunning. stunning.), and the hand pulled noodles with shimeji mushrooms. Give me three of each of these and I'm happy and stuffed.
Bear in mind, this is not a traditional dim sum or high street chinese restaurant. The dishes are, for the most part, variations of the oldies. A lot of the dim-sum dishes would be familiar to you, but this is a menu worth taking time over and trying as many of those that appeal to you. Chances are you won't be disappointed with the flavors of the dishes. The ingredients are obviously of the highest quality and kitchen consistently produces the same high standard every time we've been there.
Added to which the restaurant (downstairs) has a very smooth decor; subtle, warm and inviting. The bathrooms are pretty slick too...
Be sure to try the delicious teas (white tea... mmm-MMM!).
SETTING
Trendy but muted restaurant in Soho.
FOOD
Dim sum fare, absent the trollies. Sampled baked venison puff, Jasmine tea smoked ribs, Peking duck spring rolls, crab and caviar soup, hand pulled noodle with Shimeji mushrooms. Fresh ingredients, fine craftsmanship, and delicate flavors.
Dessert was spectacular. Had the "Victoria", Glazed donut with chocolate mousse and blackberry compote filling, and "Tendance Cannelle" a half dome of chocolate mousse enrobed in caramel with a cinnamon crème brulee center. Colorfully tempting selection of macaroons also available.
SERVICE
Gracious. Lovely waitresses in stylish, white uniforms with decorative straps (of unclear function) strung around the derrieres.
WILL I BE BACK?
Pricey. Dessert worth a return visit.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Located in the Soho district of London you will find Yauatcha, another one of Alan Yau's masterpiece restaurants. One of my mates who resides in London was nice enough to intro me to the restaurant by meeting me there for lunch, it was no doubt THE best dim sum restaurant I have EVER been to in my life, thanks Si. The décor of this restaurant was simply stunning, so much so that I can not even do it justice explaining it here, I'll have to leave it at that, seriously.
I started with a bowl of Hot & Sour soup with shredded chicken for $6.50 quid. It was truly what I expected, a smooth sweet medley of flavours with a slight hint of tartness (doubt that's a word), one of the finer soups I've tried. They also had shark fin soup which immediately put a foul taste in my mouth althought I didn't even order it, I HATE everything about shark fin soup and that is a completely different discussion. I am glad to know that Alan Yau has removed his 40 pound shark fin soup dish from his world famous restaurant Hakkesan.
Next from the menu I tried the Pork & Prawn Shumai. It was delectably different from the traditional Pork Shumai that I am used to in the GTA. The texture of this particular dumpling was just perfect with the right amount of meat. It didn't blow me out of the water, but it was damn good.
Next I had a dish which re-shaped my discerning palette for good. It was a baked venison puff, the best dim sum item that has ever graced my mouth. The texture of this puff was perfectly flaky, the filling was of a richer darker meat, and the sweet taste was so good I thought I was dreaming. The puffs came x 3, but I could have done x 25.
Aside from Yauatcha there is also Alan Yau's Hakkesan which I briefly mentioned above. Hakkesan is considered by many to be one of the best restaurants in the world, and I am somewhat disappointed that I was not able to hit it up while I was in London. However, I really can't picture the quality of food and décor being all that much better than Yauatcha, at most I can see it being on par which says a lot! I just wanted to mention Hakkesan because if you are in London I would highly recommend both of these restaurants if you are a Dim Sum enthusiast. I will warn you the prices are very high averaging at least $6-7 quid per dish, a big change for me because the dishes here in the GTA run for $3-4 CAD, but more than worth it.
Only after I came back from my visit to London did I come to learn that Yauatcha had gained 2 Michelin starts since its inception in 2004. If you don't live in the UK, book your vacation now.
Listed in: Top Restaurants
I've now been to this restaurant twice and I've never been disappointed. My first experience was for dinner. A co-worker had highly recommended the dim sum and it was absolutely delicious. My favorite were the ribs. Being from Chicago, I'm a huge fan of ribs and these were amazing.
My second experience was for lunch with girlfriends. Three hours later, 12 dishes ordered and 2 desserts -- we called it a successful outing. Their cakes are beautifully made and as tasty as they look. I recommend the violeta (sp?).
This place is a fantastic dim sum style Chinese restaurant and tea-room. It is pretty funky and trendy in here which means it is on the more expensive side but the food is certainly worth it.
I have visited a couple of times now for special occasions, and the place is perfect for cosy dates! I would request to be seated downstairs in the main room if you are looking for a bit of atmosphere as they have a beautiful sky effect with gorgeous lighting.
There is also a fabulous range of oriental inspired cocktails but they tend not to taste very alcoholic (even though they most certainly are!) so it is worth keeping an eye on how many you order! Upstairs there is also a patisserie which is lovely to visit for tea. I would definitely recommend booking in advance as the place can get very busy.
Listed in: The Places I Go Out
How can one resist a dimsum place with a Michelin star? Well, you really can't.
The dimsum here is the best I've ever had. My sister and I ordered an entire meal, then saw that our table neighbors had some yummy stuff that we didn't get, and ended up ordering another meal.
The restaurant is very hip. The upstairs is a patisserie and tea shop. The downstairs is dimsum. The decor is very minimalist and modern.
Everything here is very high quality and it shows in the price - £60 for lunch for 2. Though admittedly we did not need to eat until our tummies hurt.
Do make reservations as it is very popular.
If you've been to Hakkasan, the dimsum is just like the incredible dimsum starter there.
Great place. Great food. Good atmosphere. (no I don't own shares in the place). I would recommend this place.
This place has a Michelin star? Ha thats freakin funny. I wonder if people really understand Chinese food. I've had a lot of Chinese food in some of the most heavily populated immigrant communities and across several continents. This is not even the best Chinese food I've had in UK. The food isn't bad but worthy of Michelin star. Pretty funny is you ask me. This place is gorgeous and the layout is absolutely gorgeous as far as restaurants go, especially for Chinese. The macaroon display at the front is beautiful but I didn't especially like them, a bit too sweet for my liking. The other reaon why I think I didn't enjoy the meal as much was the price tag for dim sum. It was on the corporate card so I shouldn't care but it's the principle damnit.
Food was good with a bunch of hit and misses among the bunch. The har gow was nice, well made, good texture to the wrapper. Har gow was ok. Some of the other shrimp dumplings we had were also very nice. I also enjoyed the duck rolls. There were definitely some low points with the noodle and meat dishes. Did any of the people who reviewed the restaurant actually review based on food or the fact that this place is Michelin rated or that the space is stunning? Come on people let's do better. This is not a 5 star restaurant, maybe 4 if you order smartly and get their good dishes.
Though not really 100% authentic dim sum, I really did appreciate their efforts to blend east and west cuisine. The food is pretty good, but also very innovative with some creative twists on the classic cantonese style of dim sum.
If you're looking for somewhere that's different, or perhaps an introduction into real authentic chinese food, this is the place to go. It has a nice ambiance and the wait staff is very friendly.
The only slight problem I had was that I believe they charged for tea? That's quite unheard of for a dim sum restaurant.
Otherwise, it's a good place to unwind and eat some dimsum.
When this place first opened-up, I wasn't sure exactly what it was! All you see outside are blue, blue walls. So one day, we decided to venture inside!
The amount of dim sum on offer is stupid! There is such a gorgeous, varied selection, it's unreal and each little piece tastes like heaven.
The amount of speciality / herbal teas they have here is also really great. We aren't made of money so couldn't afford the ones we *really* wanted but the Champagne Green Tea is one I definitely want to go back for and try out!
What a great dim sum place, I really couldn't ask for more at a restaurant like this. It's awesome!
Good not great dim sum. Restaurant has a pleasant buzz but the seats are uncomfortable and the service is slow when crowded (which is most of the time). Stick to the simple steamed foods.
Yauatcha was recommended by a friend of mine as the informal version of London's well known restaurant Hakkasan. Alan Yau won Britain's first Michelin star for his Chinese cooking at London's Hakkasan and has opened Yauatcha a couple of years ago.
Placed in middle of Soho my first trip there was in a rickshaw straight from a musical. We did not have a reservation and we also risked to miss the last order at 11pm at Saturday. After several left and rights in a labyrinth of narrow streets we arrives safe and sound.
Friendly greeted we entered the ground floor of a modern decorated restaurant having our eyes drawn to gold fishes swimming in the display windows. The waiters all are dressed in a uniform designed by Tim Yip, who won an Oscar for art direction in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. During peak hours this restaurant is packed, lucky for us, we did not have to wait for a table and were seated in the chic teahouse and patisserie.
I prefer it to the restaurant in the basement as I have to my front colourful patisseries displayed and to my back direct view into the kitchen, where Chinese chefs prepare the dim sums. Ordering several starters to share and some jasmine tea I finally get to try my prawn and date dumplings, which literally melt in my mouth. These Chinese dumplings were among the best I have ever tasted. For those who want to have a little bit more work I recommend the duck wrap.
We finally have time to relax and recover from a rather busy and packed Soho, the musical and the bumpy rickshaw ride.
Yauatcha is yummy. Desserts are to die for, french patisserie with asian influences, like kiwi tiramisu. A lot of dim sum varieties for a pretty reasonable price although if you add in a few main courses it can get a bit expensive. Upstairs has a more casual feel while downstairs is dark and suitably trendy. definitely worth a visit or two
Yauatcha, part of Alan Yau's growing restaurant empire, is an ultra hip tea house and dim sum eatery. It is my favorite place for dim sum and drinks. The stunning interior reminds me of something out of Tokyo. Upstairs contains a cozy, relaxed environment to enjoy with friends and a pastry counter which has some of the best sweets ever as well as teas, candles, and other treats. Downstairs is dimly lit with the kitchen overlooking the crowded space, best for an intimate dinner. I dream about Yauatcha's dumplings, pork buns, and desserts. You will to after trying this Soho hot spot.
We went on Sunday... After me not being there for 2 years. Much different vibe on a Sunday afternoon versus a Friday night during much better times! I was pleasantly surprised with the families there. Sure its not authentic dining but I am one for a beautifully designed restaurant, excellent service and yummy food which this one does. I think our waitress persuaded us to order a little too much, which we were happy to eat but still a little too much. Duck salad and prawn toast very recommended. What I have been doing there for the last year is buying their sweet macaroons as hostess gifts, they look great and the packaging is original.
A stunning tea-house and restaurant, I've been here a number of times and have never failed to have a wonderful meal. Which is great because this is one of only a few London hotspots that is both oh-so-trendy and consistently worthy of its price tag.
I love being delighted by food, and Yauatcha gives a lot: I fondly remember the venison puffs and shitake and duck rolls... and you'll write home about the ostrich dumplings.
My only negatives: (1) some items, like the duck pancakes, are no better than you can find elsewhere, (2) the service - kind but they often strictly enforce the 2-hour table rule (they once slapped our receipt down before we could order dessert).
Yoatcha is a plush place to have a meal. Booking a table is advisable as both floors are packed, though if you go for lunch, it will still be busy but you will get a table. My first visit a few years back, I booked a table and still ended up sitting on a large round table with a few other couples, which was fine, but I did want my own table, especially as I booked.
The décor is modern with massive fish tanks and black marble floors. The service is typically first class by the Japanese and the food is exquisite, on my last visit I had venison puffs, which were great, Ostridge dumplings, great! I didn't like the whole fish I ordered, which was haddock, at £30! The spicey squid and rice sticks were delish. They have a great dim sum too. Everything is expensive but you will definitely attentively waited and the food will be great.
One downside is that on my last visit, me and two friends booked a table, but we still had to wait 20 minutes or so, they gave us the menus so we could get ahead of the game, and I didn't really like that, they really are so busy.
On leaving the restaurant, you can buy some goodies or teas and herbs to take home, the shop is right next to the exit as if it were a museum, but they do have some nice deserts to take home.
very good food, good service, a bit on the expensive side but not too bad. book in advance or wait a long time even late at night to get a table. it's still worth the wait though :)
Neighborhood: Soho
Neighborhood: Soho
Neighborhood: Soho
Neighborhood: Soho
Neighborhood: Soho
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