Chef Peking in St Albans

Where have all the Chinese restaurants gone? We travelled from Berkhamsted to what is now probably our nearest Chinese. Service was excellent and the food was amazing. We ordered set meals and the variety of the dishes was spectacular. I won’t enumerate all the dishes but suffice it to say they arrived piping hot, well presented and were delicious. My favourites were the Kung Po prawns, and the chicken with cashew nuts. Although, thinking about it, I also loved the satay chicken, the crispy beef, the duck, hoi sin and pancakes, the prawns with green pepper in black bean sauce and the sweet and sour pork. The special rice was great and I loved the fact that we were given bowls as well bc as plates. We washed it all down with a tasty Sauvignon blank. There were four of us eating the £35 set menu but we probably could only eat just over half of what was served. Without hesitation our server packaged up all the uneaten food for us to enjoy later. The only downside is that because the food is so good and varied I eat far too much and my bathroom scales groaned at me the following morning.

Had an amazing evening here the other night for the Elvis/Neil Diamond tribute. The combination of beautiful Chinese food, exceptional service and live music made it a night to remember! Will definitely be returning, especially if they hold another night soon!

First time at Chef Peking and it won't be the last! Staff were so welcoming and attentive, food was delicious and so fresh! A brilliant Chinese in Harpenden.

Not great at all. Typical British Chinese food not done particularly well. Go into London if you want half decent Chinese food.

A bit of a hidden gem. Such old school Chinese restaurants are a bit of a thing of the past outside of China Town. Yes, the decor is a touch dated, but the food is brilliant, especially the sizzling dishes. Well worth a visit. Best Chinese I've had in a very long time.

Always a great place to eat. Everything is always suburb.

This has blown up in price. £7 for crispy seaweed, £9 for special fried rice. Be finding another weekly Chinese spot

Found this place through top rated trip advisor finds for best Chinese restaurants in Hertfordshire and Chef Peking didn't disappoint! Service was top notch from my phone call to book the restaurant to leaving the restaurant that evening. Food was hot, tasty and arrived really quickly. Lovely first time experience, would definitely recommend and visit again! X

Visited due to good trip advisor reviews . We were quickly seated mid restaurant. The decor was dated/ tired with office ceilings and wood chip wall paper . The entrance mats were grubby. We found the food to be over priced and tasteless . The staff were friendly but overly keen on removing our dishes when we hadn’t finished. We were extremely disappointed and will not return. I would have expected a far better restaurant with the central location in lovely Harpenden

Great service, fantastic food and lovely atmospehere. It had been a few years since I last visited and the food was as fantastic as ever and I cetainly won't be waiting another few years before coming back

Amazing food a little slow in service

Beautiful meal and excellent service..we will definitely return

My sister arrived late for Sunday lunch with a friend and her daughter who has Downs Syndrome. My niece was so upset and in tears as they had missed lunchtime opening that the staff provided a wonderful lunch after they should have closed. The food was delicious as always and thoroughly enjoyed by my niece as this is one of her faourite places. Our whole family is so touched by this kindness and are really grateful and would like to express our gratitude...thank you!

Lovely sit down Chinese! Definitely Recommend! It was my birthday, we didn't tell them until they asked if we was there for an occasion. They brought out icecream in a bowl with a candle sung HB, gave me box of chocolates! We went on Thursday evening was very quite, maybe more busier Friday, Saturday...

Great food and portions, staff nice and attentive. Venue simple and minimalist. Food quality and price are decent Highly reccomanded

The staff at Chef Peking were warm and welcoming immediately and made the evening extra special for our birthday celebration. The food was delicious and the service was amazing - they even took time out to look after the children in our party. We all had a delightful evening :)

5 star all round. Impressive quick service. Good menu for vegetarians too. Great food Will definitely go again and highly recommend

It’s been a very long time since I ate here. It will probably be a long time before I return. My memory was that it was always very smart, well decorated, had very typical Szechwan menu. How different it is now. Decor is poor, run down, nothing matches, even the flat ware and cutlery were odd. The service was attentive and cheerful and not overwhelming. Food was OK but very ordinary, but the prices were not. I paid about what I would expect to pay in a good London top notch China Town eatery. Shared starter, 2 mains, 1 side 1 bottle of wine £110 plus service charge! In fact I have paid less for much more in Town.

Had a wonderful family lunch here. Excellent food at a great price.

Very out of date , hugely over priced with none clearly advertised prices , staff so rude , shocking

Went here for a birthday meal with a party of 8. An amazing Chinese with stunning food and the best customer service!! Such friendly staff, very attentive and funny. We were very well cared for and will be going back. Can’t recommend enough⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wonderful night for combined 60 th birthday and Chinese New Year . Thank you to Tian & Jun for great service and excellent as always

we had the set menu and we were pleasantly surprised how much food there was. Staff were great food was delicious. would come again

After COVID the quality of the food dropped significantly, pleased to report it is back to its former glory. No disappointments in what we ordered, service was good, even though the restaurant was full. Recommended as a place to go in Harpenden.

Lack of atmosphere, expensive, 12.5% service charge, Needs a face lift blank walls no decorations staff over attentive

The extremely serious faced man who was at the door who was supposed to meet and greet customers? He glared at us like we were from Mars, looked my husband up and down and did not have a good energy or good customer service skills . We sat down to order and my husband felt so uneasy he said let's leave. This was our first visit here and a treat for the weekend after a hard week at work. The place was empty at the time of our visit so the staff were not busy. Not friendly or a great first time impression of the place , The older man,who came out to serve later on was lovely, jolly chap and made an effort to make people smile ,The food was fresh but rather expensive , perhaps the prices have increased? The staff need to make more effort and at the very least SMILE and make you feel welcome as we are spending our time and money here. Not impressed at all

Consistently good quality, tasty and fast food as always - not inexpensive but good quality. BUT Sunday menu: we ordered a great combo of dishes, my sons and I couldn't quite finish all of the food. I asked if we could take the left overs home and they said no, I asked where in the menu it stated that - and it didn't. I pointed out no one was in the restaurant, we'd ordered honestly and with every intention of eating at the table, and clearly hadn't over ordered - yet they said they'd throw the left overs away and that we couldn't take them. Furthermore, they don't understand the their own UK alcohol license responsibilities; I asked for a beer for my 17 year old son, they brought it to the table then said he couldn't drink it as he was only 17 - yet in uk you can be bought (by an accompanying over 18yr old) beer to drink with your meal from the age of 16yrs and upwards. Shame, as it has been a lovely, infrequent, local bolt hole for 20 yrs for me, but with what's verging on a criminal/deliberate waste of food that a customer has paid for, and then charging the customer for beer but not letting a family member consume it (despite them being and proving that they are of a legal age), it's our last trip to Chef Peking in Harpenden. Peter

Just held my husbands 60th birthday here. Service was amazing and May who was our waitress for 17 people did an amazing job. The staff were friendly and attentive and food was excellent. We all had a fab time and nothing was too much trouble. We had the room at the back to ourselves but could still feel part of the restaurant. Would 100% recommend it. Thank you fir making the evening for my husband.

We had a lovely family meal at this place last night and couldn’t have been happier. The food was all delicious and the service warm and friendly. We ordered a set meal for two, a couple of extra mains and 1/4 duck and it was more than enough to fill us and our teenage boys. We are not particularly local, but will definitely make our way back here again.

Best Chinese around , the food was just like an old fashioned Chinese. Staff are very friendly.The restaurant was very cold

Fantastic evening out for my fathers birthday. The food was tasty. The staff were very attentive and happy to help.

Came here this evening for my mum's birthday as she fancied Chinese and we didn't have any local favourites. As of tonight we now do - atmosphere was great (our daughter loved the fish tank and the tree inside is a nice touch), incredibly attentive and friendly staff who went out of their way to welcome us and ensure we were looked after, as well as great tasting and fresh food. They also dimmed the lights and brought out ice cream with a candle to sing happy birthday to (and a box of chocolates) - all on the house! We will definitely be coming back

1st time visit. Beautiful food and good service. Prices a little expensive, but worth it. Highly recommended for an evening out.

Usually the food and service is good. Today for a change my family opted for take away lunch. We were disappointed. We shall avoid takeaway particularly early lunch but will try again as we always felt Chef Peking are a good Chinese Restaurant. We are not sure what might have led to drop in the quality 🤔

I went here to try as I’ve seen good reviews (half of them is their staff) I ate in & had special fried rice with curry sauce which they served at my table less than 5mins being there! They also gave me coke cola which was warm & flat! I asked if it’s from the can , the waiter said it’s from the bottle! I asked for a new coke which was still flat & warm which I didn’t drink overall -£17 was not worth it . I do not recommend save your money go elsewhere

Food was outstanding with excellent friendly service. Always a pleasure to dine at Chef Peking, worth a visit if in Harpenden.

The food was amazing We were celebrating my husband's birthday. This is the best Chinese we have ever been to The food is presented so well.We loved the food. The service was brilliant ,the staff so attentive. The staff sang happy birthday to my husband ,when we left my husband was given a birthday gift. It made his birthday so special.

Not the cheapest and a hefty service charge on bill.

Overall very good . Food nice . Ordering drinks need to be specific they won't repeat serve large drinks if you don't ask . Staff very nice and welcoming. Nice to see the customer service for tables with birthday parties

Delicious food, best Chinese restaurant in Harpenden. Highly recommended

Food was incredible and staff were lovely and accommodating - will definitely be back!

I used to visit this restaurant regularly back in the 1980s and it was really good. Finding myself in the area again, I visited with my son and was curious to see if it was as good as I remembered. It is! The restaurant is quite large and is beautifully set out inside. The staff actually speak very little English but we had no difficulty in ordering what we wanted. I had the Chicken with green peppers in a chilli and black bean sauce and my son had the crispy chilli beef. We shared a bowl of egg fried rice and some Singapore noodles. The flavours can only be described as mouthwatering and the chicken was meltingly tender. The crispy beef was just that and not bullet hard as I've been served before in some Chinese restaurants! To finish my son had mint ice cream and I had apple fritters with ice cream, followed by coffee for me and incredibly nice Chinese tea for my son. The main meal was washed down with the House White Wine - a Sauvignon Blanc that was beautifully clean and fresh tasting. The perfect accompaniment! I really couldn't fault the experience. It isn't cheap - our bill came to about £95 Inc VAT, but for a special occasion it really is an experience to try. Top marks from the two of us!

We had the most wonderful evening here. The food was delicious and the whole experience was utterly delightful. We were made to feel very welcome and a special mention to carrie who was so warm and lovely with my daughter :) 5 stars!!!

Delicious food and excellent service. Would definitely recommend it.

Good location, easy to find. Parking off road. Good service however, food is very poor. We tried both set menus and separate dishes. Most dishes on the set menu was sweet and sour dishes that were so sweet that the group stopped eating. Would not recommend. Egg fried rice was good, only recommendation.

Lovely staff, nice food. Pricey but I guess we can understand that given the state of the economy.

Having recently moved to the area, my Husband and I are slowly trying out the local restaurant. We’re super pleased with our local Chinese restaurant. Dined here this evening and thought the food was delicious and the service was great! We’ll definitely be back. Would have been nice to have a little back ground music…but not essential.

Sunday lunch buffet is amazing. Quality food abound, salt n pepper squid, crispy duck, noodles, crispy shredded beef...etc . Pretty much everything we'd normally order, yet you can order as much as you like for set price of £25...loads to choose from, excelllently done

Overpriced and the food in my opinion was awful. To the point where we cancelled the main and walked out. £14 for a portion of ribs that were fatty and lacking a lot of flavour. I don’t see why there are so many good reviews. I honestly can’t get over the prices they are charging for their below average food 😳😳😳😳😳

Very tasty food served surprisingly quickly, also the staff are attentive and some occasion quite chatty.

Very friendly service, good banter with the owner. Food decent too. First visit since20 years. Will be going back sooner

Very very strange ! Arrived in an empty restaurant, witnessed a manager having a go at the member of staff, had a little fly in my vine... A set menu for 2 is ok, but underwhelming... Everything is slightly falling apart- needs an urgent makeover too... Terrible value for money

Just the best Chinese food in the area. Always a friendly welcome and food served quickly, hot and delicious. Not the cheapest place to eat alone as I tend to like to have a starter and two mains plus noodles but it’s well worth it I promise!

Incredible service, delicious food. Will definitely visit again!

We have had many takeaways from this restaurant and we finally decided we would like to actually sit down and have a Chinese meal in a restaurant . We had the set menu e for 2 with the duck included ordered a bottle of wine or 2 . The service was immediately on hand and throughout the meal and the food was as always superb . Wine a nice enjoyable Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand . We will be returning to dine in and also takeaways . Well done chef peking see you soon.

Had a banquet meal as part of an organised event - 130+ people. Great food and great service

We dined here on Sunday evening. There were no curry choices so ordered Sizzling Chicken with spring onions and ginger, along with egg fried rice. Plenty of rice but the chicken was very bland, hardly any ginger and no flavour from the spring onions. When the waitress came to check if everything was OK, I said that my meal was flavourless, and that there was very little ginger. She offered me some salt! I heard her telling the other waiters of my comments, basically that was it. We finished our drinks, and asked for the bill. It came with a service charge of almost £7.00. No mention from the waiter of our dissatisfaction of our experience. Simply a case of smile and take your money. We could not wait to get out of there.

Nice food but very pricey. I wouldn't mind if I felt there was something special about visiting the restaurant, but having eaten there twice, the service/attitude has been poor both times so won’t be returning again.

1) Food Quality (3/5) - Pretty average fare; lots of dishes taste samey; rubbery prawns, spongy chicken, flaccid vegetables. Steamed sea bass is a notable, delicious exception 2) Food Range (4/5) - Broad enough but fairly unimaginative. The usual Cantonese cuisine that has been on offer for decades. Its 'Szechuan' offering is paltry 3) Service (4/5) - The front of house owner/manager is very welcoming. Staff are pleasant but service can be very slow; feels understaffed when busy 4) Atmosphere (3/5) - Attractive storefront. Interior feels dated and a touch congested; could do with a refresh 5) Value (3/5) - It falls down here because the prices are quite steep for what is essentially takeaway style/quality food. Portions are a little stingy 6) Overall Verdict (3/5) - This restaurant has a lot of loyal customers, perhaps due to nostalgia and a friendly manager. However, it really is a very average, yet expensive, offering. I hope its potential can be unlocked in the future 7) Got to try... Steam Sea Bass with Ginger and Spring Onions, Lamb with Cumin

Visited Chef Peking and enjoyed a great buffet birthday meal. Recommend.

After paying over £30 for the basic chinese food rice,curry,chicken balls and noodles I got to say this is the worst over priced meal I have ever eaten, bland, tasteless, and gone off despite the size of the golden chicken balls which looked nice and heavy, they were actually gone off, they tasted sweet and left a lingering taste I thought maybe it was the curry sauce but having a second bite revealed the true taste, NASTY, I HOPE I DONT GET ILL. The supposing chow mein was actually made with totally different noodles compared to every other take away in the country these also lacked flavour. I would rather of gone to a 1 star fried pigeon outlet than to waste my cash here so my advice to anyone desperate for food keep on walking you will find better and cheaper else where.

I had to share the incredible experience we had last night at Chef Peking for my son's 18th birthday family gathering. The staff couldn't do more to make us feel welcome and the food was exceptional. Everyone had an brilliant time and it is obvious why this restaurant has survived in Harpenden for decades .....They just always get it right! Thank you again for making the evening so special and we will be back ☺️

Very friendly staff and great food

First time back for a few months and the Sunday menu has got smaller. But when we ordered a dish that wasn’t on the menu they had no problem making it Very good food and excellent service, but starting to get rather expensive But as they say ‘you get what you pay for’ Plus 12’5% still the best around Pgeorgi

We used to come here all the time but haven't been for a while. The Sunday buffet has changed and is now a menu buffet which I really liked - all the food was cooked to order but I felt like the portions were to big and a lot of food wasted. (We asked to take away 4 small ribs so they didn't go In the bin and we're told we couldn't) I liked the idea of trying new items which the old buffet offered, also alot of items were no longer on offer. The food was very nice but now very expensive and the restaurant seemed very quiet which is a shame as we used to struggle to get a table as it was so busy. I think £25 per person is alot for a Sunday buffet lunch. There is also a 12.5% tip added to the bill which when asked we were told goes into the staff wages!

We had a great experience today. The food was clearly freshly prepared, the batter wonderful on the sweet and sour prawns and chicken, and my husband felt the prawn toast were the best he had ever tasted - generous and cooked just right. The staff are very kind and accommodating and the restaurant felt nice and warm inside. I can definitely recommend.

Over price Bad food Bad service Small dishes Not real Chinese food Total robbery Very disappointed DO NOT PAY FOR THE SERVICE FEE, even they printed on the menu and force you to pay, you don’t have to.

I only gave it one star as I can’t give zero stars Over priced, small portions, and not authentic Chinese dishes , they even force you to pay the 12.5% service charge. Felt robbed do not go here😬

Great food for a family Birthday

Beautiful food and very clean. Great night

Great Chinese food with a ‘feeling home’ service I’ve been there with my partner, we had one starter and one main each. Dumplings and the duck pancakes were good. Singapore style noodles were delicious, the chicken and the pork were flavourful I’ll give six stars to the service, if I could. The waiter was really friendly and they were really kind throughout the service

The food was ok……. Nothing special and menu very limited and overpriced, especially the starters…… very disappointing experience

Amazing customer service. After being turned away from The Fox Harpenden at 2140HRS by a host who said that the kitchen was closed- on Friday night when the restaurant closes at 2300HRS- came to this restaurant and was quickly given a table (also closes at 2300HRS). Every course came separately, unlike in other restaurants, which was amazing. Staff was making sure we had everything! Food was delicious! Except the spicy/sour soup! Was too thick. Everything else was amazing including the sharing platter for two!

Found on Tripadvisor. A nice enough place, pleasant attentive staff and food was good. Nothing negative, but nothing of note either that would encourage a return. Felt expensive & portion sizes were modest at best.

Very small portions and very expensive!! Was still hungry!!

(Western) Chinese food does not get any better than Chef Peking.

My sister in law had been told by a friend that the Chef Peking was a very good Chinese restaurant. So she said we should go and try it, so the four of us went over this evening and parked easily outside the restaurant. What a lovely greeting we received and then Rachel came to our table and introduced herself, what a charming lovely lady, all the staff were great. The food we ordered arrived quickly and was just delicious, every plate was outstanding and easily the best Chinese food we have tasted for a long time, to say we will return is an understatement, we will be back soon. Many thanks to Rachel and all the charming staff.

Beautiful food and friendly service, we will be back for sure

This used to be a reliable takeaway, but the food was terrible last time.

Our goto for Chinese, haven't been disappointed yet.

We are so stunned by our bill which came to £100 for an average Chinese for 2 people. This is an expensive choice and there is nothing exceptional about the food at this restaurant. On the menu the sharer platter bolds £13.00 and then unbolds...

As my recommendations go, Chef Peking in Harpenden now ranks above Memories of China in Belgravia which for many years was the high temple of Cantonese cuisine in England. Today’s lunch was sublime, astonishing and completely flawless. Every element of every dish was perfection.

I had the most amazing birthday meal with my family. The food was sensational, but best of all was the dining experience. The team couldn’t do enough for us. They brought out a birthday dessert and got the whole restaurant singing happy birthday to me....

We are from neighbouring St Albans but decided to visit Chef Peking with our family for a meal. The staff were very welcoming. The food was piping hot and very tasty. We also had crispy duck which was shredded at the table the traditional way....

Chef Peking beats most London Chinese restaurants for quality and levels of service. The food is always outstanding, consistent and full of flavour. Attentive friendly service means dining here is always a pleasure. Take away collected has never been longer than 15 minutes even on...

Great food. Very friendly and attentive service. A family run restaurant that makes you very welcome. We have had excellent meals at this fantastic restaurant. I would recommend this for any occasion.

Rachel gave me 10 fortune cookies and made me a very happy person thank you Rachel ! we love visiting wish to come more often :)

Our go to Chinese takeaway in Harpenden, been going for years and always very consistent. The crispy duck is particularly good!

The staff are welcoming and friendly, also paid attention to my daughter which was nice. Food is amazing! Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs but it all made a brilliant late night snack.. Certain things I wanted were not on the menu but they...

This is one of our favourite restaurants in Harpenden. It was our friends birthday and as always everything was perfect. We started with the crispy duck which was delicious and various tasty mains followed. The staff are friendly and professional nothing is too much trouble....

What a smashing evening I had with my friends. A traditional Chinese restaurant with all the trappings the staff were very attentive and efficient, the owner made us feel very welcome we had a round table so made it easy to have a good chat...

Cold plates and food a served in cold bowls ( except sizzling dish). Good service and food but the cold plates etc knocked a point off.

Having visited several times. The food is consistently excellent. Customer service 5 star. Staff and management very friendly and helpful. Nothing is too much triouble and they go the extra mile to ensure everyone has an enjoyable meal.

Went for a birthday meal having not been there for almost 2 decades. Owner very friendly and informed us that they can prepare authentic cuisine on request (being from a Chinese family, this is always great to know). They found out during the meal that...

Went for a family Double birthday last night, From walking in the door to leaving I can only say WOW, Amazing Food, Amazing owner and staff so friendly,Couldnt do enough for us and also every other table in there, has to be 10 out of...

Fantastic experience from the booking to the food. Cannot fault it. The menu is excellent and all the good we had was beautifully presented and tasted amazing! Service was spot on, attentive but not intrusive. Highly recommended

Food poisoned in here last night They opened at 1730 and I’ve called at 7pm. My friend and I shared a dish, there was 3 of us on this table but only two ate the beef in fruit sauce sizzling dish: At the time I...

Our visit was a party of 5. Absolutely delicious food and super friendly staff. Wide selection and fast service.

Went for lunch with lads and the service was just great. Management very friendly and food just great, fresh and perfect

Always a great experience and our go to place for decent Chinese food...the food is always consistently good here and the service to match. Best hostess in harpenden and a bit of a celebrity in the area. Well worth a visit.