1814 Restaurant in Mendip

Overpriced rushed service very loud music……no customer care asked for the music to be turned down as it was going thump thump and very noisy with big parties of people.at no time were we asked if everything was ok only if we required more drinks.ordered a banquet…the starters and crispy duck all came at the same time. And we had to ask for a break before the main course came……the only redeeming feature was that the the actual decor was beautiful .we will not be returning

Visited Monday lunchtime, were pleased to find it open, as last time we tried on a Monday it was closed! Beautiful restaurant, service was ok/good depending on who served us, manager was very welcoming, and a young guy who served us was also very pleasant. Pleased to see many Chinese people eating here, always a good sign! We had soups followed by a chicken sizzling dish and a prawn dish which were both really good, also special rice, large portion, plenty for 3 or 4 people! In spite of being a former bank with very high ceilings, it was warm, and had a lovely atmosphere! We will definitely be back! Yes, it’s on the expensive side, but one of the better places for Chinese food!

we had a meal for 4 people and i was very ill that night. After talking to the restaurant they flatly denied it was the food and my problem. I strongly recommend not eating here.

Service 5/5 can’t fault the service / staff The food was disappointing. Portion was small for £50 a head. The food quality was good but not much better than a good takeout. Over all have had much better experiences at all you can eats in town and at local takeout In Southampton. Also the cocktails are Silly expensive £12-£18

Certes la décoration est magnifique surtout les lustres mais cela ne doit pas permettre aux serveurs d’être si peu attentionnés voir même très désagréable le tout servi avec une addition digne d’un tres bon restaurant. Bref A fuir !!!

We had a wonderful night in this beautiful restaurant it was immaculately clean and the food amazing thanks we hope to come back in June🙂

You need to book a table at the weekend. The decor is impressive and the service was good. the food was excellent but expensive.

The food is ok as any other chinese resaurant nothing special but is totally overpriced . We went for the most expensive set menu so the expectations was high but was very disappointed as the starters was the same in other restaurant ie spring rolls and prawn toast blah blah blah.

We really like this restaurant. Been there a few times. This time, Menu choices were limited. Quality is good. Very expensive though

First visit today and we will certainly be back. Wonderful attentive service and the food Is out of thsi world... I thought some of the Chinese food I have had on my travels, including in New York and on cruise liners was good... this surpasses them all. The ambience is second to none too.

Excellent experience. Went Sunday lunchtime for my daughter's 21st. Decor sublime, ambience relaxing, attentive without being overbearing, polite, food excellent - as good as any Chinese food as I've ever had. Would definitely return!

Excellent food, Excellent service, highly recommended. Will definitely go there again. Hope to get a seat near the fish tank.

I went with my partner and a friend (three of us in total). The booking was under my partners name if 1814 choose to respond to this review. This place used to be called Shanghai 1814. It’s now slightly changed. New management? The food has gone downhill by a mile. It used to be hot, well seasoned and well presented. Now it’s your typical Chinese takeaway food but for the price of an extortionate restaurant. In fact it’s worse than my local Chinese food because at least they used soy sauce in their fried rice… There is no seasoning in the dishes which is sad. The staff were either very nice or in a rush for us to leave (our waitress in particular) which was made abundantly clear. We didn’t feel like we could enjoy the meal. When we still had food on our plates they started clearing up?? The decor is amazing. The drinks from the bar are nice. It looks stunning but that’s the only good thing about it. It’s also a lot more expensive now. Will never return, spent £100 for three of us excluding their service charge but would rather have had dinner at home :( such a shame.

Haven’t been in Southampton for a couple of years but remembered a previous really good visit to Shanghai 1814. We were surprised when we walked in and were escorted to our table - a terrific example of changed interior design. Faux trees with blossom and enhancing lights. Difficult to describe how this modern, tasteful and comfortable refurbishment enhances the historic, traditional marble column architecture. But I guess you get what you pay for and the prices are not cheap. Decor like this has a price and if you appreciate it you’d be willing to pay for it. The food was wonderful. Hubby adored his sea bass and my chicken satay starter was excellent (plenty of tasty dipping sauce) and the Mongolian beef was gorgeous and plentiful . Good wine selection fairly priced. And we were so looked after (especially our young Chinese waitress with whom we had a good giggle about our watches, oh yes and the young lad in training who cleaned our table scrupulously - you did well my man !) Overall a terrific experience and we’ll certainly be back next time we’re in 1814’s neck of the woods.

We have been coming to this restaurant for years, and were previously huge fans of this restaurant. We've had birthday celebrations here, come here to toast new jobs, and for romantic dinner dates. When we last visited on 7th of August the whole party of six people were distinctly unimpressed. The music was unnecessarily loud as if we were in a nightclub (not the vibe you should be going for with those menu prices!) and the staff were completely uninterested when my mum politely complained. The mixed platter, which was approximately £50, had pathetic amounts of our favourites such as the seaweed. When we raised this, the waitress advised us that is the amount that is given! Wholly unimpressed with this place since they have reopened, which is such a crying shame as it was always a family favourite before. The prices are beyond ridiculous for what you get and they can't seem to work out what clientele they want to appeal to.

We have been visiting this restaurant for some years, but were very disappointed on our last visit. On entering we were immediately aware of the ‘club’ style music, with its incessant beat, which impacted on our ability to hold a decent conversation; this was not the ambience we had enjoyed on previous visits. The other aspect of the evening that jarred was the parsimonious amount of accompanying items with both the duck (£48) and mixed platter (£44 approx); the paltry serving of sauce & spring onions was remarked on by the whole party and although we highlighted this issue with the staff, it was met with very little interest. Unsure if we will return!

Yes the food was nice and lovely venue, but over priced for what it is portion sizes too small , would never come again had to pay five pounds a person service charge absolute rip off.

The menu here has changed and not for the better, it is now limited and prices have risen - not good value for money Food overall was OK but far too much salt in the dishes Wines also overpriced for what is offered What really...

excellent food and service. i have been to few other places but have to say here food was really nice and prices were reasonable . staff was polite . my apologies my kids shown little tantrum but staff made us comfortable. hospitality was excellent.

Came here with my friends for a celebration. The food was really lovely. Good value for money. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Very modern restaurant. I would come back again

We were staying in Southampton for the night before getting a ferry across the channel the next day, so had no real plans or expectations, but a quick Google pulled this place up and it made for a great start to our holiday! The food...

Was a lovely meal, delicious food, great cocktails, beautiful restaurant- staff were lovely and accommodated us having to move back our booking time due to hotel cock up making us late. Will definitely go back again.

i loved the interior design. foods is good. and good service. can’t wait on 17th and book the table again...

My partner and I visited Shanghai1814 just before the 3rd lockdown started. We had a wonderful experience with very friendly staffs services. We had vegan and vegetarian dishes, it was amazing in terms of the taste and presentation. Can't wait after this lockdown, definitely will...