Park Chinois

Chinese, Dim Sum·
££££
·
Gold Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Park Chinois

Gold Award

Brace yourself for some big-money special-occasion dining at this opulent OTT take on a 1930s Shanghai speakeasy, where swathes of red velvet, sultry lighting, ostentatious trappings and nightly live music provide the backdrop for some “absolutely stunning” Chinese cooking presented in western-style courses.

At lunchtime, we suggest exploring the line-up of superior dim sum, which runs the gamut from steamed Japanese squash and pine nut dumplings or sea bass and lardo rolls to stir-fried XO mooli cake with snow crab and Chinese chive or Wagyu beef and bamboo charcoal bao. There’s nothing workaday about this “exquisite” selection.

Our top picks from the equally progressive carte range from the showpiece ‘duck de Chine’ (roasted-to-order Peking duck accompanied by pancakes, baby cucumber, shredded leeks and duck sauce) to crispy turbot and crab with dried scallop broth – although nothing can trump the stunning Park ‘carbonara’, an extraordinary twist on the Italian pasta classic involving udon noodles, 65-degree organic egg, guanciale and sea urchin.

It’s also worth saving room for some equally show-stopping European-style desserts such as a glitzy take on lemon meringue pie topped with gold leaf or the luscious nougat glacé embellished with pain d’epice, lime sauce, yoghurt espuma, candied cherry and cedar.

“Unbelievable” service matches the “beautifully refined atmosphere”, the drinks list includes some rare Chinese teas as well as plenty of big-ticket wines, and there are more risqué thrills to be had in the decadent Wave Bar & Club Chinois downstairs.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
Chinese, Dim Sum
Eat at Home
Deliveroo, Home delivery, Takeaway service, Uber Eats
Ambience
Glamorous, Lively, Luxury, Unique
Food Occasions
Dinner, Late night dining, Lunch
Special Features
Live music or dancing, Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Birthdays, Celeb spotting, Celebrations, Dates, Group dining [8+], Romantic, Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

Prepare to step out of modern-day Mayfair and into Golden Age Shanghai as the concierge at Park Chinois welcomes you with a tip of a hat. This glamorous spot is dedicated to celebrating the romance and etiquette of yesteryear, alongside the thrills and luxury of the present. Park Chinois, which comprises the elegant Salon de Chine and indulgent Club Chinois, is a unique dining experience popular with the well-to-do, so have your credit card at the ready.

The lavish décor within takes inspiration from a 1930s Shanghai speakeasy, so prepare to be ensconced in red velvet upholstery and flashy frills, as you take in one of the venue’s live shows and get acquainted with some seriously special Chinese cooking.

There’s a menu for every occasion at Park Chinois, from light lunches to long, luxurious dinners. For an all-round taste of what’s on offer, try the two- or three-course set lunch menu. The restaurant’s more expensive dishes won’t feature, but you’ll still get to try the likes of bang bang chicken salad,  Cantonese roast duck with Champagne and orange sauce, and an 85% chocolate fondant.

For those looking to make a serious dent in their bank accounts though, the sky is the limit. You’ll find rare caviars, prime cuts of meat including Japanese Hida Wagyu rib-eye, premium fish and shellfish, and other dishes containing the likes of foie gras, black truffle and venison.

Exquisitely-crafted desserts are a must for the sweet-toothed as they include creations such as the Granny Smith apple cheesecake served with vanilla and apple cream, apple gel and crumble, and a decadent dark chocolate fondant made with sweetcorn and Rémy Martin Cognac Sauce and decorated with gold leaf. Drinks are similarly glamorous whether you opt for a cocktail, a glass of Champagne or a pot of rare Japanese tea.

This venue also offers

Park Chinois
Private Group Dining

Park Chinois

Park Chinois
Event Party Venue

Park Chinois

Park Chinois
Christmas Parties

Park Chinois

Videos and 360 tours

Park chinois

Location

17 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 8EA

020 3327 8888 020 3327 8888

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon Closed
Tue 12:00-15:00
Wed 12:00-15:00
Thu 12:00-15:00
Fri 12:00-15:00
Sat 12:00-15:00
Sun 12:00-15:00
Dinner
Mon Closed
Tue 18:00-02:00
Wed 18:00-02:00
Thu 18:00-02:00
Fri 18:00-02:00
Sat 18:00-02:00
Sun 18:00-00:00

Reviews

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8 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Anon

20 December 2022  
Food & Drink 0.5
Service 0.5
Atmosphere 0.5
Value 1
Very disappointing venue for food and entertainment

Extremely disappointing, over £650 for 4 people, very average food that you have to eat in the dark , lip synching to tunes is not my idea of live entertainment , poor service, shouting at each other to converse because of extremely loud music and very expensive drinks that were served in glasses so small they were gone in 3 sips
Never again would I or my guests return and never would I recommend to anyone

Fi C

29 June 2018  
Opulent, decadent surroundings, beautiful refined atmosphere to sample exquisite Chinese food.

Natasha A

27 March 2018  
Small plates. Beautifully created. Well designed and absolutely stunning value for money. My favourite find of 2017..

bianca A

21 March 2018  
Top class Chinese, wide choice, excellent dim-sum.

Tristan M

28 May 2017  
Amazing decor, very high quality and authentic Chinese cuisine. Excellent service too.

Alex G

04 May 2017  
It was all just a bit too serious. As I sat waiting for my dining comrade to arrive on a recent lunchtime visit to Park Chinois, my first instinct was to rebel, perhaps do something naughty or to cause some sort of minor disturbance. I know this sounds horribly childish, but my hackles were raised from the moment I walked in. Diners may be used to swanky affairs in this part of Mayfair (the restaurant is a couple of doors along from Nobu on one side and Sexy Fish on the other, with Novikov almost opposite), but after having laboured past an immensely heavy red curtain, I was greeted by an exceptionally snooty and supercilious gentleman. The suggestion seemed to be that I should consider myself privileged to eat here, rather than having chosen to do so of my own free will. Such an attitude was perhaps all the more outrageous given the restaurant was not even close to being half full. Although Alan Yau has tried to model Park Chinois on the decadent atmosphere of 1930s Shanghai, the ambience felt more like that of a semi-exclusive airport lounge, albeit one with some heavy, expensive and old-fashioned furnishings. The volume of chatter was kept to a fairly low level; when one did hear conversation, it was about deals and bonuses; and a couple of mobile phones rang abruptly loudly (yet no-one intervened). Somehow, the attempt at being grown-up doesn't really work and Yau seems much better at creating a 'good' or 'fun' atmosphere in places such as Hakkasan, Yautcha, or Duck & Rice. My resentment grew as I flicked through the wine list. The premise here seems to be on quality, but at a clear price. Less well-off diners be warned; it is almost impossible to find a bottle at Park Chinois for less than £50. And, if you're keen on something other than wine from France, Italy or Spain, then forget it. When we got round to ordering, we opted for Dim Sum, which was priced broadly competitively, at around £4-8 per item. Mains, however, were more eye-watering, with some coming in at close to £50. The dishes we sampled were, for the most part, pretty good. The Sichuan dumplings stood out, and packed a punch of spicy intensity, but others, such as the pork ribs and black bean, were pretty forgettable. Furthermore, what I remember more than the food was just how agonisingly long it took for the dishes to arrive. Given the relative emptiness of the place, this was all the more surprising. I am told Park Chinois gets better in the evenings, when there is live music (perhaps more evocative of the Shanghai scene they are trying to create), but based on my lunchtime experience, I certainly won't be rushing there again anytime soon.

AmyM

07 July 2016  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 4
Value 4
Sumputous Speakeasy
I love this place! It has all the things that Hakkasan has surrendered. Style, sophistication, decadence and a hint of the exclusive. But not impossibly so. Reminiscent of an Opium Den or a Peking speakeasy of the 1930s the richly furnished upstairs room is warm and enveloping with lots of red velvet, especially as there are no windows. Downstairs has a more caberet, Chinese theatre-type feel with black and gold, accented with purples; all beautiful and clearly expensive. I was taking daddy for Father's Day and had to wait for my parents; the barman (do NOT call him a mixologist) was charming, with the right amount of chatter for a lady on her own and most importantly, makes a killer classic martini. Once at the table our waitress was attentive without hovering and wonderfully smiling throughout our meal. We are dim sum fiends, so nothing else got a look in and we had a fabulous feast. Incredibly juicy Har Gau, spectacular Siew Long Bao and amazing Scallop XO dumplings to name a few. We went in for seconds and the waitress recommended that we try the Beancurd Prawn Cheung Fun, which was probably the most delicious thing of the whole meal. Once again, a very expensive, very adult place is allowing in BABIES. Yes the witch (or substitute whatever consonant you prefer) is back, however, I am just unhappy paying £75 a head in one of the hottest restaurants in town to share my environment with something that uncontrollably screams at volume. We recently ate in the Hakkasan Mayfair, switching from Soho, in the vain hope of recapturing the specialness and left reasonably underwhelmed with both the food and experience. At Park Chinois, the staff were lovely; happy to let us poke around the (closed) room downstairs with a guide, charming and beautifully attired wait staff. The food is exquisitely executed it is a glorious place to be. This place really does deliver on fine Chinese dining and an experience worth paying for.

Alex G

29 March 2016  
Food & Drink 3.5
Service 2
Atmosphere 2
Value 2
Growing up is not always fun
It was all just a bit too serious. As I sat waiting for my dining comrade to arrive on a recent lunchtime visit to Park Chinois, my first instinct was to rebel, perhaps do something naughty or to cause some sort of minor disturbance. I know this sounds horribly childish, but my hackles were raised from the moment I walked in. Diners may be used to swanky affairs in this part of Mayfair (the restaurant is a couple of doors along from Nobu on one side and Sexy Fish on the other, with Novikov almost opposite), but after having laboured past an immensely heavy red curtain, I was greeted by an exceptionally snooty and supercilious gentleman. The suggestion seemed to be that I should consider myself privileged to eat here, rather than having chosen to do so of my own free will. Such an attitude was perhaps all the more outrageous given the restaurant was not even close to being half full. Although Alan Yau has tried to model Park Chinois on the decadent atmosphere of 1930s Shanghai, the ambience felt more like that of a semi-exclusive airport lounge, albeit one with some heavy, expensive and old-fashioned furnishings. The volume of chatter was kept to a fairly low level; when one did hear conversation, it was about deals and bonuses; and a couple of mobile phones rang abruptly loudly (yet no-one intervened). Somehow, the attempt at being grown-up doesn’t really work and Yau seems much better at creating a ‘good’ or ‘fun’ atmosphere in places such as Hakkasan, Yautcha, or Duck & Rice. My resentment grew as I flicked through the wine list. The premise here seems to be on quality, but at a clear price. Less well-off diners be warned; it is almost impossible to find a bottle at Park Chinois for less than £50. And, if you’re keen on something other than wine from France, Italy or Spain, then forget it. When we got round to ordering, we opted for Dim Sum, which was priced broadly competitively, at around £4-8 per item. Mains, however, were more eye-watering, with some coming in at close to £50. The dishes we sampled were, for the most part, pretty good. The Sichuan dumplings stood out, and packed a punch of spicy intensity, but others, such as the pork ribs and black bean, were pretty forgettable. Furthermore, what I remember more than the food was just how agonisingly long it took for the dishes to arrive. Given the relative emptiness of the place, this was all the more surprising. I am told Park Chinois gets better in the evenings, when there is live music (perhaps more evocative of the Shanghai scene they are trying to create), but based on my lunchtime experience, I certainly won’t be rushing there again anytime soon.
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