Yauatcha Restaurant, Soho, London

When Yauatcha first opened… I didn’t understand the hype. And then, I went for dinner one evening.. and ended up going back so often(4x within 2 weeks) I got heartily sick of the food..! ;)

But that’s not a criticism of the dishes, because.. had I not loved the food, I would not have gone back time and again, bringing different groups of friends there.

These days, I still visit.. but less often. I usually bring friends from out-of-town there for “dim sum with a twist”... if they fancy having Chinese.

I like the fact that chefs at Yauatcha have come up with an inventive dim sum menu (and unlike other Chinese restaurants, continue serving dim sum past 5pm).

Although, to be fair.. these days, it’s not so uncommon to find innovative dim sum dishes at other Chinese restaurants, still.. I go back to Yauatcha specially for some of my favourite steamed baskets: enoki mushroom & prawn dumplings, shitake & duck roll, shanghai spicy dumplings… just to name a few. The mango spring roll is sweetly delicious - just be careful not to burn your tongue in your haste to get in a yummy bite.

I’d recommend the Singapore Fried Noodles (altho there’s no such dish in Singapore!) for back up, just in case you’re not full by the end of the meal.

Be prepared to pay at least 20% more for dim sum at Yautatcha. In fact, some of their prices are exorbitant… but, if you fancy a treat, then by all means, tuck in! I wouldn’t recommend ordering ordinary dim sum dishes at Yauatcha (e.g. Har Gau, Siew Mai aka prawn & pork dumpling, Char Siew Pau etc)... because these, you can get at any other Chinese restaurant, and at cheaper prices too. Always go for something special and different at Yauatcha, because.. after all, you’re paying for it!

I adore their tea cocktails (non-alcoholic).. and always order a Plum Cut Larrisa when I’m there. The Mama-Zhao is nice too, if you fancy a thicker smoothie sort of drink. But everyone who’s ever tried my Plum Cut Larrisa insist they want to order that on their next round. So there you go, quench your thirst!

I’ll have to save my review of Yautcha’s dim sum for another day because… I’ve yet to try any of it. But what I have had, quite a few times actually, is the macaroons from here.

They sell them at the counter as you walk in, and they come in a variety of mind boggling flavours and colours. They make a cool present if for some weird reason you don’t want to eat them yourself.

The dim sum here are in a league of their own, as are the cocktails. Creative alchemy seems to be in full force with the imaginative infusions and hybrids of flavours dreamed up and merged together with those cocktails. They are expensive but they are so worth it.

I am yet to sample the cakes, but I plan to when I can afford to go!

Yauatcha does the most fantastic generous afternoon teas. I highly recommend ordering one to share between two as an alternative to late lunch. They always serve a small selection of dim sum (including venison steamed buns which they are famous for), along with demi versions of their cakes, macaroons and truly wonderful scones. Quite often I taken friends there on a Saturday at about 3 for a late lunch. I usually order a couple of other plates of dimsum and then share the tea. Otherwise, if you haven’t tried it, the cactus lime truffles are heavenly.

DIM SUM fans your temple awaits, on wandering Londons soho we came across this gem after making good our escape from a cutpurse loitering in the quieter parts of Soho, which was lucky for him as we were not the lost tourist fodder he took us for. On entering the ground floor we were shown downstairs to our table. The decor is an ultra modern take on Buddist calm, hundreds of pin point lights in the ceiling and candles in recesses in walls. The food? simply the best I have tasted, prepared by artisan chefs, and as fresh as you’ll find anywhere, particular favorites are the venison dumplings, although the whole menu is mouth watering and making your choice is not easy, so allow time to enjoy and savor the experience. Being in Soho, as one would expect, the waiters are groomed and runway thin, and the service is attentive and informed. Love it. Bill: £150 inc drinks, two covers.

If you are looking for a dim sum experience beyond the usual Chinatown stuff, then Yauatcha is one place to go (Royal China Club is another good one). Like other Alan Yau creations, you’ll find chic decor, plus well-dressed waitresses.

For around 3 to 5 pounds, you’ll get a serving of dim sum. My favourites include the pork and prawn shui mai and the simple chive dumplings. There’s also a number of different types of teas on offer, unlike other places.

One problem we had was the 2 hour time limit, though it was partly our fault as some of us reached late. But otherwise, we had a good dim sum experience here.

Even though this place is known for its dim sum, it definitely brings a few twists to the entire experience. The atmosphere is so much more different to those you’d find not too far away in Chinatown, a combination between dark wooden panels, bright blue colours and a very colourful fishtank (I’m assuming filled with tropical fish).

The dim sum is definitely of a much higher standard with some different twists including a number of dumplings with game meats in them. Of course, you will end up spending a little bit more on dim sum compared to other places, but it’s great for something out of the ordinary.

Their tea selection is also significantly different for those that want something other than the standard Chinese selection.

Yauatcha is well known for it’s dim sum. In this review, I would like to share my 'Afternoon Tea @ Yauatcha’. Went there with a friend on her birthday and we decided to give Yau’s Afternoon Tea a try. It’s interesting to see the afternoon tea set comes with a char siew bun! Of course the tea selection are mainly chinese tea with some english teas variety. Recommended for a refreshing afternoon tea.

We went to Yauatcha with another 6 friends last night. It was a wonderful experience. Food quality is unquestionable high in quality, and the bill comes to about £30 per person (with careful ordering). One thing worth mentioning is their selection of dessert. The dessert menu changes every day and you will find each time you find some of the best dessert.

This is the place to go if you love dessert. They have a wide variety of dessert to choose from and they are all very delicious. I am only giving this place a 3 star because of its poor service. I went there with another 2 friends on Saturday night for drinks, and some dessert but was refused entry. The waitress told us, unless we are having meals as well, they cannot give us a table. I am disappointed as the restaurant seem to focus on 'main meal’ customers and not dessert lovers. Shame.

The thing I really like about this place is the variety it offers. The dim sum is amazing, but there are a number of other dishes on its menu that really are beautiful - for example, the baked cod, which was the best fish I’ve ever had. And yes, the Venison Puffs are unique!

The venue itself is just on the right side of pretentious. It was relaxed, yet bustling and the decor was really chilled. However, it won’t be long before it needs a refit, as I’m sure it will begin to look a bit dated over the next year or two.

So, you may not want to believe the hype, but give it a go. I had an amazing meal and will be going back for yet another visit fairly soon.

Highly recommended dim sum style Chinese restaurant. Have visited a couple of times for special occasions, and it’s perfect for intimate dinners and dates. I would request to be seated downstairs in the main room if you prefer atmosphere, they have a lovely lit ‘sky’ of darkness with little lights. Great range of orientally inspired cocktails and not that overpriced if you watch what you order! Good service, occasionally patchy at busy times though. Lovely atmosphere and I hear the patisserie upstairs is very good too for tea! I would definitely recommend booking in advance however, especially if for a weekend.

Yauatcha remain to be my favorite place to have dim sum in London. Although it’s a little pricey but rest assured the quality does match up. I have been to all chinese restaurants serving dim sum in Chinatown and Yauatcha remain to be the best. Highly recommended

this is pretty decent place but I dont think it warrants the (q)hype that people have been giving it on this site. first of all the room is fairly average and there’s nothing disitinctly exciting about the dim sum. beyond the venison puff pastry i dont think there’s much on the menu that is truly unique. also the room is fairly dingy and the noodles come in fairly small portions. that said i really do think there’s something special about their cooking of vegetables. but i really dont rate their desserts upstairs. They’re pretty boring in my opinion.

My friend took me here as a birthday treat and i was pleasantly surprised. The dim sum dishes offered are quite innovative and the noodle dishes were nice and a good size. There is a wonderful selection of teas also.

The only thing I didn’t like too much was the slightly rushed service during the meal.

Other than that I would probably go back again for a special occasion, and even more so just to visit the shop upstairs that sells the wonderful macaroons. Lots of different flavours, the Pandan flavour is awesome!

A fantastic selection of cakes, teas and juices. A nice place to enjoy “high tea” in a different atmosphere to the traditional english one.

I went with friends and we enjoyed a cake and a drink eah, Staff were courteous even though we weren’t dressed up to the nines, and the cakes were amazing. So much thought had gone into the ingredients of each one.

Yauatcha is a real treat when you are out and about in London, even if you just stop by to look at the cakes in the window because you don’t have enough money to stop in on that occasion!

I haven’t tried the dim-sun but I imagine it is as well polished as the rest of this chic cafe/restaurant.

Nice to find a place that serves good authentic Cantonese dim sum in London. Though it could be a bit overwhelmeing have it in such a chic western surrounding (as contrast with some place like Shanghai Blues). There are a great variety of dim sum and the bill can add up quickly but with some care, one could have a great meal and escape without a paying a ransome. The upstair pastry shop a terrific range of not necessarily Chinese desserts. Some were great and others looks better than they taste.

great food but pricey, when you enter i was asked to go to the basement where I literally felt claustrofobic. is not the greatest place to chose as a location for a restaurant

With its alluring, sultry nightclub-style decor, Yauatcha remains one of London’s chicest restaurants & is also one of the few to serve dim sum throughout the day. The crowd is glamorous & well heeled & the shrewdly conceived menu knows its audience perfectly, showcasing luxurious ingredients such as lobster, Dover sole & Wagyu beef in ‘truly delicious’ dumplings that fans say are ‘the best outside Hong Kong’.

Hot on the heels, okay well two weeks after, of Yauatcha being sold by creator Alan Yau to a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority I decided to finally check out the dim sum on offer by the restaurant. The premium price tag on the dim sum has previously prevented us from treating this place as an every day dim sum dining experience but we thought we better get in to check it out before there was any change to the formula that has so far proven to be a major success for Alan Yau.

Blue is the overriding colour when you first behold the sight that is Yauatcha. Upon entering the restaurant you will see before you an elegant brightly lit modern and cleanly designed room. I’m not sure if bookings are still essential but today at just after noon we were able to dine as walk-ins. We were actually taken downstairs today where there is still a theme of blue from the frosted glass that covers the kitchen and the chefs to the long aquarium running across the front of the bar filled with bright colourful goldfish but suddenly we were plunged into darkness - a Ping Pong-ish style of decor.

The service is as you would expect in a restaurant of this calibre - efficient, friendly and accommodating. Upon first sitting you are presented with the drinks menu which is an almost overwhelming list of teas and wines. You won’t find bottomless pots of simple tea here - not like the pots of tea you get at regular dim sum places at any rate. There’s a large variety of blue tea, black tea, green tea and flower tea on also. Not to mention they also have a wide selection of iced teas amongst which I can recommend the Lime and Passion Ice Tea which is my dining partner had and the Melon Ice Tea - both of where were extremely refreshing.

The dim sum menu features some of the regulars such as Har Gau, Shumai, Cheung Fun, and Steam Pork Bun. There were also a number of items I’d never seen before on a dim sum menu a couple of which we tried out including Ostrich Dumplings (quite delicious and self-saucing) and Baked Venison Puff (very similar to Barbecue Pork Puff but obviously with venison.) As the prices were quite high we couldn’t be too adventurous but it would have been interesting to try other dishes such as Chilean Sea Bass Mooli Roll, Native Lobster in Black Bean Sauce, Wagyu Beef Cheung Fun, and Box Dumpling. We couldn’t resist the Jasmine Tea Smoked Organic Ribs, which we also sampled when we went to sister restaurant Hakkasan. They weren’t too bad but not nearly as tasty or fall off the bone as the ones from Hakkasan.

The price tag for our one meal today would have bought us two meals at any other restaurant but it was worth it to check out the hype that is Yauatcha.

Decent enough dim sum in soho. The service is a little dismissive but generally ok. I’ve been around 6 or so times and I love the venison puff but I can think of better places in town to be honest.

cj

With cakes I think presentation is one of the most important factors in making it 'wow’. And who wouldn’t be tickled by a cute little box wrapped around a perfect, chocolate-dusted, rose petal-toppped chocolate round of delight? Exactly. If you want to make a friend’s day at work, grab one of these babies and slip it on their desk. Voila.

I dropped by here today on my way through Soho to marvel at the cakes and macaroons in the window - they are works of art. They are immaculate and look like you could never put a fork in for fear of ruining perfection! Each cake is an individual masterpiece and you can take them away in individual boxes, but not just white boxes, even the free packaging is designed with cool bright pink, green and grey detail. Fantastic for gifts and surprising that special someone. The chocolate/jasmin cake I chose looked beautiful and tasted devine.. quite bitter chocolate, light as a feather, and sweet enough to be a dreamy desert. And we must not forget those little macaroons, these brightly coloured gorgeous creations waiting to be gobbled up one by one. I didn’t though, but I’ll sure we going back or getting a box for an upcoming birthday or treat occasion. Well worth a visit, even if just to stare at these edible miracles…

Great place for a variety of tea’s and cake in an upmarket surrounding.

They used to do three scones in a cream tea style that was really good value for money, but alas I believe that’s no more.

Downstairs hosts dim-sum and is good, well portioned, good flavours although you are paying for it.

Really good surroundings and decor though!

It is a strange day when I find myself reviewing a bit of cake, but needs must.

If looks dictated the flavour then this cake could well be the best in all the kingdom, but they don’t, so it’s not.

It’s deceptively heavy looking from the outside, however, once inside it has a surprisingly good mixture of light textures and flavours which left me wanting another fork full. A sophisticated fusion of tastes and textures. Very good indeed, but still not the best in the kingdom.

The shop itself is a delight. A huge array of incredibly good looking cakes. It’s a photographers dream (as well as a foodies).

A favourite. Posh dim sum sums it up. The food is fresh - you can see it being made and then cooked. The decor is superb - sleek and sophisticated. The service is really efficient and pleasant - never pushy, always attentive and precise.

A huge range of green, blue, and smoked teas are available and the staff are always happy to recommend something that goes well with the food you’ve ordered. The food is classic Chinese fusion but steers clear of the outlandish or merely sensational. Quality and flavour is the keynote.

To finish, select gold leaf topped violet and rose flavoured cakes or light chocoloate mousses topped with lime flower and candied cinammon. Just looking at the cakes makes you think you’ve gone to some kind of food heaven.

Innovative cocktails and soft drinks complete the 'event’ that each meal here inevitably becomes. It’s a treat.

Wonderful dim sum (and tea room) restaurant in the West End. Although I didn’t sample the cakes on my visit, they are fantastic to look at. Macaroons come in about 20 different colours and fillings, other cakes are perfectly designed too and I hear delicious.
I had the delicious dim sum. Everything was absolutely delicious and although we had quite a bit to eat, we left feeling quite light. The restaurant is on two floors and very attractivaly bathed in dim blue light. Service was a little slow (we had to wait 20 mins to be seated despite having reserved a table) but they were very busy and did their best to keep everybody happy. Not a cheap venue, but judging by the quality of the food, cheap it shouldn’t be.

Oh….sweet… lord…. Baked venison puffs, shanghai dumplings, prawn and chive dumplings, and a Club Paya tea smoothie with papaya, guava and oolong tea. Now that’s what I call lunch! The long list of steamed, fried and baked dim sum, stir frys, congee, tea smoothies, Asian-inspired cocktails and shocking wine list (Rosé Cristal at £490 a pop) make for a potentially hazardous bill once all is said and done. You can go budget friendly with a couple of the less pricey dim sum dishes and a pot of tea for £12-15, OR you can walk away wondering how you spent £50 pp, on lunch!

Either way, it’s a beautiful, modern Chinese restaurant that’s great for an occasional treat or a business lunch, as evidenced by the many suits in the house when I visited. For dinner I hear the place takes on a much more vibrant character with the help more fashionable clientele and fewer suits & ties. And if you have room for dessert, the macaroons on display at the entrance are amazing! Well worth a visit. In fact, it’s now been placed on my must-visit-in-London list!

Oh my goodness I’m soooo in love with Yauatcha. I don’t think I was a fan of dimsum before I ate here and now I love. Love love love. Even if i can’t pronounce the name.

I let my friends order whatever the felt was right and they did a damn good job. Highlights were Salt and Pepper squid, Deep fried Quail (it was like posh KFC - fatty and sweet and brilliant) and the sea bass and crab dumplings were pretty amazing too.

This is the best Chinese food I’ve eaten in London. There’s a great atmosphere. It’s buzzy enough to be fun, but dark and quiet enough to be romantic if you wanted to come here with your other half (and it would impress on a date as well - take note people).

Cocktails are amazing. Huge. With flowers in and stuff. But you don’t get drunk. You drink them because they’re yummy. They do a ginger mojito thing which is great.

I love it here. I really love it here. It’s not cheap - drinks and dinner will set you back about fifty quid a head (although I reckon if you were a couple it would be much less as you wouldn’t order so many dishes between you - maybe about £30?), but it doesn’t matter once you’re here. It’s all worth every penny.

Can someone please take me back there?

The best dim sum in London, I discovered this when I got turned away from my favourite London restaurant Hakkasan one day as they were full and I had not booked, but they said Alan Yau, who owns the restaurant, had just opened Yauatcha, a sister establishment. You can have dim sum to your hearts content as I do, and they also have the option of full meals. You can sit downstairs in the restaurant but I like upstairs as that is where you get the best patisseries ever; like a coffee and absinthe cake to die for. I also love the iced tea; the melon variety and the strawberry and vanilla are my favourites. You can also buy macaroons, teas and chocolates to take away. The tea menu is extensive and has some very rare inclusions.