Courtesan Dim Sum in Lambeth

Amazing venue - we had table of 18 for my birthday and it was the perfect evening. Staff, food & performer were all wonderful and it’s such a great vibe. Thank you for making it so special!!

Great hidden gem in Brixton. The food was excellent and service was friendly and efficient. I loved the decor too I didn't try them but the cocktails also looked good

Amazing evening at the splendid Courtesan in Brixton last night seeing one of the new and brilliant Centre Stage series of shows. Amazing singing performances from Tim Rogers and Simon Bailey, the gig had humour, charisma and true top West End quality. Excellent cocktails and lovely customer service. Can highly recommend.

Love this gaff. The dim sum first and foremost. Top quality dim sum at that, is beautifully made and served all day and night, which is quite hard to find. The cocktails are bloody good too, as was the service, Abu and Victoria looked after us expertly and we stuck around for the burlesque performance which rounded off the evening very nicely!! Credit to the whole team here who clearly put their heart and soul into this place. ✌️😎🥢

It’s perfect for boozy, craziness. But you definitely need to be a bit piddled to deal with the ambiance and the not-quite up to par Dim Sum. Considering it’s a London staple 😆

The most charming restaurant and setting to watch an intimate cabaret. One of the most beautiful places you will come across to watch Burlesque so up close and personal. The shows are spectacular, coupled the very best dim sum I have ever had in London. A truly wonderful night!

The phrase 'hidden gem' could literally have been invented to describe this place. I absolutely love it! The best dim sum and cocktails in London in the most gorgeous, elegant vintage vibe restaurant - so cosy and romantic, it's always my fave 'go to' date night place. Also, on the weekend, there is amazing burlesque and cabaret entertainment, there's a cover charge for this but it's totally worth it.

Best night out, friends enjoyed it too! The burlesque act and singers were fun to watch over amazing food and drinks. It’s something you have to experience at least once!

Overpriced and they forgot our order (despite using app)

The service here is outrageously shocking. Upon being seated we were met with awful attitude from a reed haired waitress. She failed to explain the online order system of not paying when putting an order in otherwise it closes the order sheet for anyone else ordering. Her exact words “well why did you close the tab” amazing! Drinks are half full. £20 extra to watch the dinner show. Which is usually a standard any other place where they advertise a show with your meal. They take care of people watching the show and the rest are treated like mud! Don’t waste your money !

Excellent food. The nest Cheung fun and prawn dim sum I’ve ever had!

Possibly the best dim sum I have ever had in London, which is remarkable really. Everything is extremely well done, with beautiful glassware, wonderful surroundings, and delicious food. Probably the best thing about Courtesan is the people that work there though. So friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I loved the whole thing.

We had a wonderful anniversary dinner at this beautifully decorated, ambient restaurant. The staff took great care of us, the food was fabulous and the cocktails were top notch.

A hidden gem in the heart of Brixton. Food is amazing!

We visited on a weeknight dinner. We were a bit early and they haven’t opened yet when we arrived. We were quickly seated however, and ordered tea (which was served in a beautiful clay pot!) The food was very high quality, while more fusion type dishes like the squid ink dumplings were new and interesting, the traditional ones like the pork siu mai did not disappoint in quality either. On the website it was stated they did not use msg or preservatives and you can clearly taste that much is true in the food. This is one of the best selling points of this place! The atmosphere was fantastic, we were celebrating a birthday, but I imagine it would be fantastic for couples or any celebration really. The service was great, waiter super friendly and helpful. Overall, definitely worth a visit, if not for a show even just for the food and the atmosphere!

Really lovely set up, great decor. We went on a Sunday night which was nice and quiet, would love to come back for their burlesque nights! Staff were fabulous and welcoming! Pity about the move to electronic ordering, thus the mark down on Service -- staff just served food and that was it! Personally, I love eating out to avoid using the phone -- we spend too much time on those things these days, it would be nice to not need to use it!! Beautiful find, excellent food, recommend! <3

great wine, great burlesque show, had an absolutely wonderful time, I'll definitely be returning. Didn't have food though, so can't comment on that yet

A really great evening out. Not only was the burlesque entertaining, the helpful staff and delicious food made the overall experience brilliant.

My husband and I enjoyed what was simply an amazing meal. Each and every dish was full of flavour and cooked to perfection. The trio dumplings were mouth watering. Wagyu bao buns are amazing along with the chicken meatball nests and the flying cow dumplings. I’m drooling just thinking about them. Enjoyed trying the good variety of cocktails on offer. All staff were friendly, professional and dressed to impress. Loved the whole vibe of the restaurant. It was our anniversary and we were surprised with an additional dessert. Please keep the mango truffles on the menu! If I had to find a negative it would be only for the fact the full menu wasn’t available and the prices had increased via the app. Would we go back? You betcha!

Awesome venue and very attentive staff. Dumplings were extremely nice and impressively cooked fresh by a clearly very talented team. We had a lot to eat but could also see having a nice snack with drinks

Amazing food and friendly staff here, we had a lovely eve and will definitely be returning

Discovered this gem by doing a search on OpenTable for places in the vicinity. First time we'd all visited and we all agreed that every single thing we ordered tasted delicious and are going to make repeat visits for sure. The staff were all excellent too. Astute, friendly, professional and the right level of attentiveness that still gave us space.

nice atmosphere, great food- would recommend for a nice evening out

Good service and very accommodating

Decent dim sum. It came out surprisingly quickly So perhaps not as fresh as what you could get in China Town but for Brixton it’s pretty good.

The table we had booked wasn’t ready so we sat in the bar area, the tables were very close together. We probably would have stayed for the show had we had the table we had originally booked. Overall it was pleasant

Noisy music and quite cramped- not enough waiting staff. Beer came after meal arrived. Food was excellent but I feel it’s overpriced.

We dine out a lot, are locals to the restaurant and this simply wasn't a great experience. Drinks took so long to come that food got in before we even had our first drinks order which we ordered at least 5 minutes before we finalised our food order. We ordered drinks again and after 15 minutes of us we saw the drinks on the bar with no one bringing them to the table, husband had to go and ask for them. As we only had 10 minutes left in our slot, we had to gobble the drinks down. Space was super cramped, I get trying to maximise the space as lockdown was looming but this was ridiculous. Clearly no "social distancing" in place once sitting at the tables my husband had to cram in between our table and the wall with someone else sitting on the other side of him and then our waiter got short when I commented on the space. Overall poor experience and much better choices in the area so will not be going back.

The food is always on point, so fresh and just perfect. The staff were lovely, welcoming and accommodating. Definitely recommend for date night it’s quite a romantic dimmed setting and the interior is beautiful x

Opium-den chic, very instagrammable! A small group of us girls took our friend for her birthday but it would be a dark and dreamy place for a date. The food is heavenly: our favourites were the char sui bao (as good as ones I've had in Taiwan) and the pinched crab dumplings. We also all loved the house cocktails, especially the Courtesan.

Great food for money, cool space, friendly service and felt very safe and clean.

Great service, food was really tasty can't wait to come again

Really tricky one this. Have been to Courtesan a few times over the years. It is a lovely space, the guy who looked after us on the night was really friendly and engaging, the wine was lovely, but the food is really disappointing. Veggie spring rolls were ok, with a nice dipping sauce. The crab and sea bass dim sum were difficult to eat and the dough stuck to the paper such that you had to totally mangle them in order to be able to eat them. The pork and prawn dim sum was supremely disappointing. Just really bland and poorly seasoned. The flying cow dumplings had a ginger sauce that was pretty bland and the beef inside was quite dry. It’s such a shame because it is a beautiful space with a lovely atmosphere. But the food is such a let down - and when you are paying between £6 and £9 for each serving of dim sum it really needs to taste a lot better than this.

This is for sure the best dim sum in London and we are so lucky to have this as our local!!! Always friendly service and food is out of this world! Make sure to order the Cheung fun, it’s just the best!!

Had a very nice dim sum trying the Black Heart Dumplings with some scallop ones. Ordered the prawn cheung feng but a pork one came instead, mentioned that to "Abou" the waiter and he omitted the charge from my bill - a very nice touch.

Always nice to come in for a lovely dim sum lunch!

For lunchtime, Courtesan is not as busy as the evenings, though I tend to visit the joint in my lunchbreak which is a real delight.

This is my usual lunchtime treat, the only comment I can make is that sometimes the Prawn Cheung dish could be steamed a bit more, so that it comes to the table slightly hotter to warm one's belly.

I am gradually trying all parts of the menu, as this is my regular visit during my work lunch hour. I am thankful that Courtesan is only a short 10mins walk from work. I give it an 8 / 10 for speed and efficiency of serving their diners at lunch time.

If you like Chinese dim sum away from China Town, this is the place to come. I have been a regular most lunchtime sampling dishes such as Hargau, Siu Mai, Prawn Cheung fun as my staple favourites.

We didn't stay for the Burlesque show as it was at 10:15 in the night and we arrived at 7pm. Food was delicious and filling as Dim Sum will always do to you...cocktails were nice but lacking in a bit of flavour.

The decor is excellent although the seats are uncomfortable. The service was a bit slow. The food and drinks were at a high price point and were just not up to the expected standard. We had to send 2 dishes back and the dim sum was overcooked and stodgy. Entertainment was on late so we missed it but by then we were ready to leave after a disappointing night.

Such a hidden gem - everything was spot on! Definitely returning again!!

A beautiful venue, wonderful food and cocktails! It was a lovely evening full of great tasting food and fabulous drinks. The majority of the staff were wonderful and friendly. However, they did seem a little understaffed and when we went to the bar to order drinks after waiting for over half an hour for service, the barman was quite rude and we were told to sit down. The burlesque entertainment was bizarre. What appeared to be the male manager sang Italian opera for the majority of the show and a woman appeared for short bursts to do two burlesque routines. The show was certainly more about fluffing the man's ego than anything else. For a place priding itself on employing all female kitchen staff and selling female produced spirits, there was only one woman working on the restaurant floor who appeared to be serving all tables for the whole restaurant. The advertisements sell it as a feminist establishment, it certainly appeared anything but that.

Friendly staff, great food and lovely ambiance - what else do you need? Found by chance and would definitely recommend to others.

Fantastic singing, very good food. Will be back!

Guardé la cortesana en mi Pinterest ya que me encantó la decoración y también soy un gran fanático del dim sum, así que finalmente me dirigí a Brixton. Me decepcionó la decoración y el ambiente, era una noche tranquila a mediados de semana, y aunque el servicio fue muy agradable y amable, la comida era muy normal y bastante cara.

Jean fue un excelente anfitrión y realmente se encargó de nuestra mesa de 6. El ambiente de un sábado por la noche estaba en auge y el servicio era perfecto. Mi amigo que había estado aquí hace unas semanas ordenó para la mesa y la comida era deliciosa. Los chefs de atrás (todas las mujeres) sabían lo que estaban haciendo. Creo que el lugar tuvo algunos problemas años atrás a juzgar por las críticas, pero la nueva administración parece estar bien. Se adapta a todos los tamaños de grupos y los viernes y sábados hay un espectáculo burlesco hermoso y GRATIS. Definitivamente regresaremos.

It's my fourth time here in under two months, so clearly I like the restaurant. This time I would say the food was good, but not outstanding so hopefully standards aren't slipping. Some in my party weren't that keen or impressed with it. Service was good. It was a bit disappointing that the Burlesque show didn't start at 10pm as expected. We left shortly after 10pm. The restaurant was not busy, which was surprising for a Saturday night.

He estado en este lugar dos veces, cada vez para almorzar un domingo. Al entrar, este es uno de los restaurantes más inusuales en los que he estado en Londres, desde la decoración de estilo clandestino, la música de musicales históricos. Una verdadera mezcla de estilo.El menú es inusual y refrescante en comparación con los mismos lugares de dim sum procesados que se encuentran en Chinatown. La comida aquí se siente totalmente casera y muestra una gran creatividad. Lo más destacado son las parcelas rellenas de arroz que son tan maravillosamente exóticas: hojas de loto rellenas de arroz pegajoso con cerdo curado dulce y champiñones. Y los bao bollos al vapor perfectamente suaves rellenos de carne de cerdo char sui. Los postres son igualmente creativos: tuvimos las trufas congeladas de chocolate negro y mango y el helado de caramelo con mantequilla salada.Este es un lugar que no sigue a la multitud de restaurantes de dim sum. Tiene su propia individualidad. Todo tiene un gran valor también. Sin duda lo recomendaría. Ciertamente volveré cuando esté un poco más ocupado (ambas ocasiones estuvieron casi vacías el domingo por la tarde, claramente la gente simplemente no sabe dónde está), y realmente espero que el servicio coincida con la comida cuando está ocupado.¡Gracias!

We've been to The Courtesan several times now and never ben disappointed! Literally the best dim sums in London! Great wines and really friendly service. Occasionally there's entertainment, too, which never disappoints. Great value!! Highly recommend!!

Fuimos el viernes por la tarde; el clima era demasiado agradable, por lo que no estaba del todo ocupado!El personal es super amable y servicial, saben su menú; Creo que eso es importante!Muy buena comida también - pedimos un poco demasiado pero nos las arreglamos para rellenar nosotros mismos. Probado fresco, y de buena calidad! Los baos eran realmente buenos, me gustó mucho la diversión cheung, ¡especialmente la vegetariana! Cerdo y gambas también fueron realmente deliciosos! Sin embargo, hubiera querido más selección de albóndigas, algunas locuras y clásicos, ¡ya que regresaría con un grupo numeroso!Una buena selección de bebidas también - tuvimos algunos cócteles que también fueron muy buenos!¡Altamente recomendado!

Great food, good cocktails nice staff and a really great decor. They have gone to a lot of trouble to deliver an amazing atmospheric experience. Highly recommend

With the sad death of the traditional table side cart dim sum service in London we have been searching for the next best thing. In Brixton, only a block from the bustling markets, this wonderfully appointed little spot absolutely hits the spot. With an extensive menu, apparently all made on premises, the steamed dumplings were some of the best I’ve had in London. There was a delicious looking cocktail menu to match the feminine courtesan theme; unfortunately there is no bartender there on Sunday lunch, so we were limited to beer and wine. It’s not a cheap lunch, but it is good! Highly recommended.

Very underwhelming food which had clearly been bought pre-made and then heated up- I don’t think anything that we ate was made fresh on site. Very disappointing. The dim sum was very tough and gristly, and one of them had what I can only describe as a Swedish meatball in the middle of it- very weird. The fried crab was actually dreadful, I couldn’t finish it and the bao was just ok, (once you had peeled the paper off the bottom), nothing to rave about- you can get much better (freshly made) ones in the market.

Totally had a great time here. Food fantastic. Staff amazing. Atmosphere superb. Burlesque show spot on. Definitely come back. Travis our server was great and attentive... lovely guy.

We were very early and so it was quiet and lacking atmosphere but the food was excellent and our server's recommendation of the cabernet sauvignon to wash it down was spot on. It is our go to place before concerts at the Academy.

Unfortunately my visit you the courtesan was. Total complete disappointment. I booked a table for 24 people to celebrate my 40th birthday...I spoke with the manager multiple time before our visit and when we arrived our table was set for 24 people... a good start! So having a booking tht large plus having the rest of the restaurant booked out you would think they would have provided extra staff that evening... During the two and a half hours that I was there.... I was able to order a total of two drinks and my food order was never taken. I left hungry and upset on my own birthday. I spent my evening trying desperately to make sure that my guests got served and it was a total embarrassment. One of my guests waited 1 hr 45 mins for one dish.... I left hungry and embarrassed for putting my friends through that. We left just as the burlesque started because all my friends were getting upset. #gutted #birthdayruined

The decoration and the atmosphere make it a very romantic place. The service was impeccable and with a smile. The drinks were good and I loved the presentation of one of the cocktails. I love that they have a list of "female" wines (made by female winemakers).

He vivido en el suroeste de Londres durante los últimos 4 años y este es el peor restaurante en el que he cenado. La comida es claramente promedio, con la que puedo vivir (ganar un poco) pero el servicio es absolutamente atroz. Me avergonzaría trabajar allí, el equipo de administración es particularmente grosero y agresivo. No nos interesaron los comentarios que tuvimos, o el hecho de que entregaron los platos equivocados. Ahorre tiempo, energía y dinero y coma en otro lugar (casi en cualquier otro lugar).

Cena temprano aquí en Nochevieja.

Vine aquí para una cita doble y el ambiente era encantador, el restaurante era realmente único y deliciosos cócteles! El personal era muy servicial y amable y nos lo pasamos genial. La comida era un poco más normal de lo que pensábamos que sería, pero el menú era diferente y todavía estaba sabroso. La noche terminó con algunas divertidas actuaciones burlescas. Definitivamente regresaría para una salida nocturna.

No todas las cosas clásicas / tradicionales, pero tanto mejor por ello. Ciertamente es mejor que acertar y fallar (este lugar fue muy bueno el año pasado ... ¡!!) En la calle Gerrard y sirven cócteles, los bocadillos chinos son excelentes con un Martini. No estoy seguro de que todos los espíritus listados sean producidos por mujeres, pero qué diablos, es una buena USP.

Food was good but service was terrible. A real shame because the place had a nice buzz. Ok if your'e not in a rush or hungry!

Chef y productores del vino ofrecido son todas mujeres.

Great place, with a genuine retro feel and look. Food was excellent and service was excellent and friendly. Will go back.

Poor food and service. Will not return. Staff are rude. Food tasted like a microwave. Will not return

One of the most amazing authentic and yet delicious dimsum place. Absolutely in love with the place and cannot wait to revisit it. Easily reachable walking distance from Brixton market. Very relaxed candle lit dinning place.

Qué noche fantástica! La comida es literalmente gourmet China - cualquiera que diga lo contrario ha sido estropeada podrido por la variedad de opciones en Londres (y no sé qué más para apreciar. . . ). La selección de vinos es excelente.

I was curious the place had mix review. We enjoyed the Dim Sum especially the Wagyu Slider. The Cocktails took a long time and the waitress very friendly but have no knowledge of the food. The disappointing part it’s the Jerk Chicken with sticky rice it wasn’t cook with sticky rice and the rice wasn’t cook properly we had to returned it. Overall the decor, music ambience and service was on point. We will come back again.

Hemos comido en muchos lugares diferentes de dim sum en Soho y este era muy diferente de los típicos restaurantes de soho. El dim sum fue muy buena. Las costillas eran increíbles, así que probar sin ellos. Probamos un montón de platos y eran todos deliciosos. Muy Inusual pero muy sabroso. El servicio no era tan bueno. La camarera era precioso, pero ella "perdido" todo nuestro pedido, así que tuve que reordenar todo una segunda vez. Que nunca me ha ocurrido antes! ! Ella no parecía para nada perturbado por esto, así que supongo que esto no podría haber sido la primera vez que esto ha ocurrido a ella. Platos salieron varias veces, pero de nuevo parece suceder mucho con restaurantes de dim sum. Sin duda regresaría de nuevo en el futuro y si acepta el servicio no estuviesen a la altura, no os decepcionará la comida en sí.

Abysmal. Dumplings tasted like they were frozen and heated into the microwave. Service was even worse...the waitress was incredibly passive aggressive, seemed annoyed when we asked for soy sauce.

It’s become our regular local dim sum place. Delicious food and very good service! Thank you!

A group of us, 10 people came here last night to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Cocktails and service was good. We were initially excited by the description of the dim sum on the menu as we eat dim sum on a regular basis, however it did not taste that great. We were disappointed by the food unfortunately.

Les dejeuners que l on aime, rapide, exotiques et surtout tres bons. Dim Sum parfaits, par contre attention chaque plat est copieux.

one of the worse Chinese restaurant I have ever eaten in London. Very nice atmosphere and interior design. the member staff were welcoming. But the food is really a shock of disappointing

Lovely Dim Sum restaurant! We didn’t know about this place for an entire year of living in Brixton, it’s unassuming and not part of Brixton Village or Market Row so it’s understandably missable... however, now I’ve discovered it I am recommending to everyone! The food is excellent and there is loads of choice - order about 3 dishes per person and share (you usually get three pieces in each dish) - there’s nothing i’ve tried yet that I haven’t loved! Would particularly recommend Duck Spring Rolls and anything in a Bao. The wait staff are lovely too. A favourite for Dim Sum in London.

This place is unique...! The first part/area is like a boutique pub, then you go on through to the Dim Sum restaurant - the staff are genuine oriental chefs and you won't find better dim sums in London, certainly not at that price...! Truly delicious!!

Fab restaurant, super lovely staff and delicious food, cocktails & wine. And amazing decor!

This restaurant is near the trendy Brixton markets, less than a 10 minute walk from the tube station. It is very atmospheric in décor, resembling what I imagine a Chinese opium den to look like! There is pleasant background music.

A perfect date venue, great atmosphere, friendly staff, good range of dishes (even for veggies). We didn't know what to order so simply asked for a selection of veggie dishes of their choice. We were not disappointed. The fabulous burlesque performer topped our evening off perfectly and was a great talking point! Will definitely be back.

The place has potential but Is just amature. The service was poor - our waiter couldn't tell us what dim sum he was delivering, and the drinks we ordered after sitting down didn't arrive be till half way through the meal. The food was average. We were there in a Friday night and there was entertainment. Could be cute but just felt like the place was trying to do everything and not winning at anything.

Booked a table for 8 people, given a table for 6. Other tables available all evening but refused to move us. Drinks took 40 minutes to arrive. 7 of us got food, kitchen forgot the 8th. I have never come across a manager who says I don't care in answer to a complaint.

This is such a unique and well hidden gem. Service is always friendly and never rushed and the pinched crab dumplings are insanely good. The cocktail list is also a bibulous delight.

Great place with plenty of choice in dim sum and had Peking duck on the menu too!

We stumbled across this place before a gig at Brixton o2. On walking into the restaurant I might have walked...

Lovely dim sum, ambience and great service. Great for date night or a natter with friends!

I wouldn’t recommend this place to my worse enemy! Absolutely awful - we will never go back here! It was...

Second time and bit underwhelmed of the vibe on a cold Monday night... but that should be expected. Great cocktails.<br />A bit hit or miss on some of the dishes but overall good.

Very average. The food was a disappointment as was the restaurant as a whole. Too expensive for what it is.

Food is average but service was absolutely shocking. We waited far too long to order drinks/food initially. Once our food had been served, no one came over to ask if we wanted more drinks during our meal. Trying to get the attention of the staff was impossible, they were too busy chatting/making cocktails with their back to the room. The waiter then forgot we had asked for the bill and took an age to take our payment. Would not recommend this place to anyone.

Decent food, quirky ambience and a charming burlesque show. It had ingredients for a perfect date night. The food could have a notch better and so could have been the service - they forgot to inform that kitchen was closing.

Terrible service, the manager got a lot of the order wrong which was a shame as the food is very good!

Went here for a date. Food was super filling, tasty and great value. I particularly enjoyed the fried squid and the Waygu beef sliders. Cocktail menu was lengthy &amp; plenty to choose from. Such a great find in Brixton. I went for an early dinner when it was still quiet and it felt Romantic. Service was a little slow - but the food and ambience made up for it and we certainly didn&#039;t feel rushed. Will definitely be back again.

Food was really nice but the service could do with being more attentive. They gradually cleared away our plates from the table without asking if we were finished or how the food was.

This is my second visit and I was not disappointed. The food and cocktails are sublime. The decor is fantastic and all in all, a great place to spend my birthday.<br /><br />Only slight issue was having to get up and walk to the bar to get the attention of the staff. Had they come to us, we probably would have ordered more food and drink. But that was the only minor comment.

Great food, brilliant service. Will definitely be back.

We strolled down the eponymous Electric Avenue from the tube station and turned right. Seemed to be in the wrong...

An very unusual space with a small stage. Some seating small and interestingly shaped but added to the ambience of what was a very authentic dim sum restaurant. Food delicious but live singer was the ticket. Fabulous voice and operatic arias. A great programme and enthusiastically received.

Aparecimos para un viernes por la noche con amigos y tenía un poco de una noche extraña. Desde el principio nuestro camarero era grosero, hosco y si soy honesto parecía un poco deshuesadas. La comida tardó mucho tiempo en llegar y no estaba mal, no es fantástico. Hay mucho mejor Dim Sum en Londres. El miembro femenino del personal, sin embargo, era muy agradable y se aseguraba las cosas más en pista. Sin embargo, luego nos servía pescado cuando estábamos muy prescriptivas acerca de no tener ningún debido a mis amigas las alergias. Nos lo hizo sin y luego tuvimos que esperar 45 minutos para que llegara. Entonces, de donde, me aclararon las mesas y una bailarina de rabiosa actualidad y llegamos a efectuarse. Ella incluso tenía tassles pezón. . Sin duda no estaba esperando eso!