China Water in Aylesbury Vale

Such a shame that Charlie is giving up. Have enjoyed his food for 30 years in harpenden then Aston Clinton. It has always been good. I understand Charlie's brother may continue in the kitchen for a while, as a handover to the new owner. I hope the new restaurant will be supported as good chinese restaurants are far and few between.

Food average overall, the atmosphere was poor as the restaurant is dirty, tired and scruffy. Felt lifeless. Waiting g staff doing their best, which is appreciated.

Ordered food the rice was special fried rice it came all sticky and watery couldn’t even eat it ! Ruined My meal !!!! wouldn’t recommend I called them up the the response I got was that’s the only rice they can get hold of at the minute shocking response !!!!!!!!! if I wanted sticky rice I would ask for that !!! Well I would recommend you changing your supplier won’t be ordering from here again Tryed to make a phone order to give second chance staff was rude u should mute ur phone wen talking about people u silly cow

We have always enjoyed the food—it is always tasty and fresh. We have never eaten in it, but as a takeaway, it is a perfect choice for a good meal.

Very good staff food really good place lovely and clean

Although the decor needs attention, don't be put off. This is by far one of the best Chinese restaurants I've eaten at. All that I ordered was top quality, fresh, food. Tastes are amazing, service is always great. Always enjoy my food and visits here.

Lovely,friendly place. Food is as nice as China Town london. Super young waitress who couldnt have been more helpful. Highly recommend this fabulous local restuarant.

First off I do not like writing bad reviews but this was awful. The food not only took ages but was tasteless, dry and a waste of money, rice was sticky and bland, and the pot of sauce was not enough to feed a baby. First time visiting and wouldn’t ever again, if you want a great Chinese try Canton City just 5 minutes away. Maybe it’s time they changed that restaurant to something worthy of the space

Love this restaurant and think it’s a hidden gem. Last nights meal was one of the best I’ve ever had. Ruby and Nathan who served us were an absolute joy and made the evening so enjoyable. Like many restaurants these days they are on the border line and hope others will use this fabulous place and keep it going. Even the takeaways are simple the best.

Fantastic experience. Restaurant was surprisingly quiet and I didn’t know what to expect. Was greeted very warmly and the food was absolutely fantastic. Top quality. Will definitely return! :)

The best chinese takeaway I've had in a long time! Singapore noodles 5***** Meat spring rolls 5***** Beef & onion 5***** Yummy yummy, happy customer! 😊

After reading the reviews we were sadly disappointed with our meal here. Food wasn’t great, the restaurant was cold and the other tables hadn’t even been laid. Waiting staff were mostly concerned with takeaway orders and it was expensive. The positives were that food arrived quickly and waitress was very friendly. Perhaps takeaways are a better experience than eating in.

We had a family takeaway from here last night and I was blown away by the quality of food. Very generous portions and extremely efficient service. I live in London and visit my mother in Aston Clinton. I don’t know of any Chinese restaurants in London that match this quality and price. Well done China Water!

We had delivery. We enjoyed everything a lot. The quality of the meat surprised us ( nicely).

Ruby was really nice, sweet and helpful, thank you

We arrived to fined the outside of the building in a shabby state. We were the only people in the restaurant we were informed that you can only pay cash or bank transfer by the older gentleman The restaurant is very dingy all black walls and table clothes the food some was ok some was not We were served by the older gentleman whom was shabbily dressed to serve customers he was also sitting at a table drinking tea and eating in-between serving us this is not good for heath and safety purposes Also please be aware they charge a service charge which l think is wrong and you should have a choice of tipping we spent over £100 and was not even presented with any nice sweets on recieveing the bill Will not be visiting again

We had a takeout! One word absolutely delicious! Hadn't been to china water before so thought we would give it a try. Food was hot even when we got home. Staff were friendly and helpful. Everything we choose was delicious as I said. Have been back already. Give china water a try! Definitely not to be missed for a takeout or dinner out.

Never going to eat from here again. Possibly the worst Chinese takeaway I have ever eaten.

Ordered a takeaway for myself and my adult son on his recommendation. Food was ready in 20/25 minutes. Excellent telephone manner from the staff, food was delicious, we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Can’t comment on the atmosphere as we didn’t eat in. Would definitely order from them again.

Amazing food, friendly helpful staff that go above and beyond. Some of the best Chinese food there is, would strongly recommend for a great place to take the family. Staff are friendly and welcoming and will make you feel very welcome.

It s a bit noisey and it needs some improvments to the toilets but the food it s always spot on

Probably the fifth time that we have had a takeaway from here, and to say dissatisfied about the food would be about right, and not for the first time. However it's about time we stood up for the poor quality. A chow mein with minimal to zero sauce, with the chicken being bland and the noodles close to tasteless after all the oil. Have had tastier microwave meals. Chicken balls had such thick batter and dripping in grease. However the crispy shredded beef had good flavour and the seaweed also packed a crunch. It's a shame after so many good reviews for it to still never match expectations. The staff are all very friendly and service while waiting is no problem at all.

Food divine, customer service second to none. Would highly recommend 👌

Always great food, friendly staff and great atmosphere.

We’ve had 4/5 takeaways and never been disappointed. The prawn toast and ribs are favourites for us! The staff have always been friendly and efficient

Extremely helpful friendly people who make great food. My new favourite place for me and the kids to eat.

I visited to collect a takeaway the host gentleman greeted me at door polite but rancid, he pulled something nasty from being stuck in his teeth and ate it in front of me and did not clean his hands I was gobsmacked. He brought food I had paid so had to take away 😩 aware not going eat opened lid it was oily and smelled like going off, hate wastage but clearly was going in bin, I will not return. I was warned that should not be visiting this place as hygiene rating apparently 3 star rating. A restaurant with potential nice location just needs investing in 🤔

7 of us went to China Water for a birthday get together. The food was delicious and plentiful. Were advised on what to order so that we didn't over order. The champagne was excellent as was the wine that followed. Nothing was to too much trouble for the manager who even changed the music at our request. Would definitely recommend and will be back again.

Got a take away food excellent not cheap but good value

Went for a Birthday meal and had a lovely evening ! The staff were helpful and very friendly and the food was excellent, piping hot and really tasty plus the portion sizes were more than adequate Would definitely recommend as both a restaurant and a takeaway and will be using it for all our chinese meals in future

Quite night. Good food, pleasant evening with good service.

I’ll start this by saying the food is excellent. It truly is excellent. It came in a timely manner and the menu had plenty to choose from. Every dish was sumptuous, hot and exceptionally tasty. The restaurant however was not busy at all - which was a shame. It was a Thursday night to be fair. This meant that it was lacking some of the atmosphere needed. Look closely at everything and it is all a bit rough around the edges. Older menus, the building itself in need of a lock of paint, not all the dishes being able to fit in one table easily, Etc. However, I would recommend going as you will be very welcome and the food is delicious.

Takeaway was on time, tastes very fresh. Delicious! Thank you.

We always go here for takeaway and it is always lovely taste fresh and clean and much better than the average

Came here last week. Service was super-quick, wait staff were friendly and food was good and reasonable priced. Internal decor conservatory is pleasant. Would recommend.

not the best dinner, me and my girlfriend had a few nights back, felt like good value for money at the time but after a few days of stomach pains I won't be eating here again.

Absolutely delicious food and friendly staff

The food itself is lovely, hot, tastes great, service good and welcome from owners was friendly but the overall experience was tainted by the two young female waitresses who thought it professional and appropriate to laugh at us and clearly talk about us despite being two tables away in a quiet restaurant. I appreciate they were inexperienced and probably just acting childishly but that sort of thing can really impact your evening when people in your group already have social anxiety. On this basis wouldn’t return sadly.

Really good food, and very efficient service. Slightly too hot in the conservatory for me but that's just me.

I had pepper spare ribs , was mot ribs but was pork belly , very fatty, not nice ,my beef szesuan watery no flavour at all but the meat was tender and the portions was very large. Shame, could have been nice, but..

Wonderful. Great setting. Excellent food. Very friendly staff.

We arrived. We weren't really greeted, we weren't asked what we want to drink. The food was edible but not great. And the main guy feels like he can't be bothered to be there whilst serving you. Oh and finally the hand written bill, you can't read anything. Who knows if it was correct. Won't be going again, unfortunately.

Amazing customer service and great communication. Philip and staff made my mums 70th birthday very special. The food was superb to! Would highly recommend!

We visited China water with all my family for a Mother’s Day lunch. Met with a waitress in a track suit and mask under her nose. Food was good but service left a lot to be desired especially as the restaurant was empty bar another table of 2. When the bill came( for 10 people including children) we we’re almost overcharged by £100!! No apology, thank goodness we didn’t just pay without checking. Doubt we will visit again

Haven't been for a while so it was great to return, food was EXCELLENT just how we remembered and Phil was as charming as ever, great evening

There are so many dishes that I wanted to eat but I had to be selective as there were only two of us. Spring rolls were monsters and really good (to ensure I made it to mains I saved some to take home) crispy duck and pancakes were good value, szechuan prawns were great, as was the crispy shredded chilli beef and sides were great. I think this is good value for money and I knew the quality was going to be good when I met my old friend Charlie, who used to run chef peking and his own restaurant in harpenden. I am so pleased we drove over from berko as it was a good night and we will be back with our grown up children - who all knew Charlie from years ago. Charlie and his colleagues are charming and friendly hosts. We have lived in berko for 2 years and I am kicking myself for not visiting China Water sooner. Well worth the 10 minute drive.

Poor service. Not nice man at the bar. Food wasn’t the best. I’m disappointed.

Had a lovely meal there definitely recommend it and would go again

Well, despite the mixed reviews we decided to visit China Water for dinner. On arrival as a walk in we were greeted politely and taken to our table immediately. Yes the main man is a little brusk but with his heavy accent and Chinese way I would understand this and did not find it offensive or over the top. In fact he was very friendly and chatty to my wife and I. To the food. Hot, fresh, well presented and very tasty. We had the Orchid set meal and each dish was gorgeous and enough to fill us both up. Didn’t leave much to be honest as it was that good. Ignore the comments on service and enjoy the food, we did.

First time visit last night and definitely worth very nice food will be going back

Been going to China Water for years and every time the food is delicious and the waiting staff friendly and attentive. Tonight was the first time we had a takeaway and it was as amazing as if we dined in. Would 100% recommend the restaurant and takeaway.

Great food and good service Plenty of choice

Excellent food, poor service. First time I have had my table cleared before I had finished my food. Such a shame as it put a dampner on the evening .

Booked a table and mentioned a food allergy. They said they were far to busy to cater for a food allergy..... we therefore had to cancel the booking. Rather disappointing in this day and age.......... Therefore can’t comment on questions below.

We walked in and literally were shouted at from the 'bar' have you booked?'

We went to this restaurant at the end of November on a Monday evening. We were the only diners for the duration of our visit, though there were a few customers collecting take away orders. We chose the gourmet fixed menu at £29.95 per head. Details can be found on their web page. We were very pleased with what we ate, particularly the fillet steak, salmon, and king prawn dishes. We were not so impressed by the lack of choice on the wine list, which we thought was a bit pricey for the quality. We were also not enamoured by the waiter who hovered around too much and kept on calling us “guys.” So, in summary, good value food but lacking in ambiance. We would go there again as it is nearby, but not on a Monday. It’s worth 3.5, but I have upgraded to 4.0. Easy parking even if it was full.

Having previously left a bad review, Philip the owner contacted me and we tried China Water again. Fantastic, I’m not just saying that it really was. There are many Chinese restaurants/takeaways which are a much of a muchness this isn’t - I can totally understand why their reviews are so favourable as the food was excellent. I’m sure my previous experience was an isolated incident. Will definitely be using them again as we love Chinese food. 10 out of 10 - China Water.

We booked here for my husbands birthday, after reading good reviews on tripadvisor. My son and I called in and explained that it was a special occasion and booked lunch for eight people at 1-00pm. On arrival we were greeted by the manager in a most offhand way saying the kitchen closed at 2-00pm did we want to stay!? As we had planned a birthday treat we stayed and the food was very good. However, the aggressive reception spoilt our celebration and unfortunately none off us will be returning to this restaurant again.

I've been wanting to visit China Wall for some time now. I've had great take aways in the past but never sat down to dine there.

Enjoyed a very nice meal at China Water for my brother’s birthday. Hot and Sour soup my favourite dish although everything was of a high standard. Would definitely recommend.

Having read the favourable reviews we decided to order a takeaway from China Water which we preordered. On arrival it was clear that they had lost our ticket and I was offered a complimentary drink, these things can happen as they were obviously having a very busy Saturday night. On getting the food home we were surprised to find the pancakes which came with the duck brittle they were like crisps and totally not fit for purpose to make our rolls which we were some much looking forward to. The beef noodles were very bland and the rice was stodgy. Very disappointing for an establishment that you would expect from looking at their prices to be better than the average Chinese as it was actually well below average. Very disappointing.

Visited here with friends for a sit down meal, which was absolutely lovely. Whilst there found out that they also do takeaway food, which we have had a number of times now. Slightly more expensive than main town Chinese outlets, but still lovely.

Came here for a meal with my boyfriend while we were in the area. Absolutely amazing food, great service. The atmosphere was very intimate and private, food was great and the staff were extremely professional but friendly. We live an hour away, but we are definitely going to travel just for the restaurant. 5+ stars.

China Water was recommended by friends,

Went here as a family get together, 8 people who only meet now and again, when booked a round table was requested - We didn't get this BUT to be fair the number was reduced from 9 at the time of booking to 8 on the night,

Great meal, friendly, helpful staff, value for money. We will definitely be going back again and recommending to our friends.

My 3 experiences of China Water over the past few months have been the same- great food, great value and brilliant customer service. The Sunday lunch set menu is brilliant - so much food and the waiters always recommend how many portions to order so there is no wastage & you don’t end up with a massive bill! It’s a great family friendly environment too. I have only good things to say & am looking forward to our next visit for sure!

This is the pengest Chinese restaurant/take-away in the whole of Hertfordshire. You will pay top paper but it's worth paying. They do a beef and mushroom with the option of fillet beef which will literally melt in your mouth. The chow mein is lit, proper fresh init none of this greasy roadman noodle shizzle in sight. The King prawn balls are worth dying for especially if you ask them to switch the sweet & sour sauce for the curry sauce PENGTASTICO!!

Lovely restaurant, bright, modern, plenty of space inside and out.

Excellent food across the board with friendly staff and a great atmosphere. Crispy duck was superb as was the crispy chilli beef and garlic prawns, highly recommended.