Dim Sum Duck in Merton

Don’t bother with Dim Sum Duck if you’re not a fan of authentic food, dedicated staff, and a lively atmosphere. Yes, the space is tight, but that’s part of its charm. And the food? Anything but mediocre—it’s exceptional. The staff are often misunderstood. Their straightforwardness is about efficiency, not rudeness. The frequently mentioned middle-aged lady works hard, and her Cantonese directness can be mistaken for discourtesy. Some reviews paint dramatic scenes, complaining about waiting rules and alleged preferential treatment. However, understanding cultural differences helps. The "all-parties-must-be-present" rule is common in many busy eateries. Dim Sum Duck offers top-notch dim sum, rivaling famous spots like Din Tai Fung, but at much more affordable prices. The staff’s dedication ensures everything runs smoothly in the bustling environment. So, if you appreciate authentic Cantonese cuisine and enjoy a vibrant dining experience, Dim Sum Duck is definitely worth the wait.

Absolutely brilliant food, great value. Go there if you can get a seat and if you have to wait then ... wait patiently for a table it will be worth it.

dont bother w this place, staff are rude and discourteuous to their customers. place is tiny and cramped and the food is rather mediocre at best. waste of time.

Slightly over hyped. The queue is tiresome and not well managed. A horrible part of London to stand outside in. The inside is cramped. Food ok but not the greatest

I am writing this review with a very heavy heart because I feel so ashamed that such thing happened at a Chinese restaurant known for serving authentic Hong Kong dim sum. I was repeatedly warned that we could only get in when all parties had arrived (My sister didn’t only respect your rule many times but EVERY time). An Asian lady told the staff in Cantonese that her parties hadn’t arrived (7 of them in total), so the staff yelled back in Cantonese that she had to give the table to us instead because that was the rule. Then, this selfish lady said “but I got a kid”! (completely irrelevant given that pregnant women and the elderly were also waiting in line) The staff said she would give her 10mins - I immediately set the timer because it was so obvious that this selfish mother knew the 7th person wouldn’t be able to make it within 10mins. When her Caucasian husband arrived with their half Caucasian kid in the stroller, this mother murmured “ Let’s sneak in anyway with 6 ppl because ppl ll be staring at us”. Then, 3 more Caucasian friends arrived. At this point, that all-parties-must-be-present rule no longer applied. They got the “outdoor” table and started to shamelessly catch up and discuss how lucky they got. 5 Japanese ladies who WERE FIRST IN THE QUEUE did not get the table either (even though one of them were pregnant). The staff immediately disappeared into thin air afterwards - i went inside looking for her but only other servers were left. Some response from the "owner" on Google: “Unfortunately it does happen sometimes” “It’s not a matter of being lenient as it rarely happens” It does happen? When? It never happened to us, not to elderly, not to pregnant ladies, not to kids, but this happened when 5.5 Caucasians were involved? We don’t mind your rule, but let me know so we can play by your rule. It’s not a matter of being lenient, yes, you were never lenient, so what’s the matter?

Well, I've eaten 4 times at DSD and this was the best, it's always good this time was extremely good. Sensible portions extremely fresh and tasty, friendly service and served hot , not microwaved warmed. In the evening we ate a similar meal at Ping Pong Soho , doesn't get close in terms of quantity or taste and is also more money. The setting however is better if you want sophistication. I've been eating Dim Sum in London area for over 50 years. Dim Sum Duck gets my vote.

La qualité et la fraîcheur des plats valaient l attente . Les Dim Sum et les légumes étaient délicieux et parfaitement cuits. Je recommande.

We were in the queue by 550 and were seared with the first seating at 6p. We had high expectations based on reviews . And it was one of better Chinese meals we have had in a while. But… I found several dishes very oily. The dry noodles needed some brightness. The bbq duck had lovely crispy skin but underneath was very fatty and the meat itself was again oily.

Not sure if I had been scammed but when I went there to ordered a take away I looked at the menu and ordered the BBQ Pork with Ho Fun noodles instead of rice. I was charged £14.80! The BBQ with rice was £9.80 so not sure why I was charged that much extra. The worse part was when I got back to the office to enjoy my lunch to my horror the BBQ Pork was replaced by something else! I’m so disappointed as I had walked there in particular due to hearing good reviews and was left bitterly disappointed by the food. I’m sure it was better to eat inside and order something else but I can never go back there again for BBQ pork!

Superlatively fresh -- generous portions, I thought -- good flavour : Shanghai dumplings, prawn cheung fun, garlic-and-prawn whoooaaa garlic ! ka-boom ! ! spring rolls, salt-and-pepper squid, chive-and-prawn dumplings, and barbecued-duck steamed buns sampled. Ask for sauce, it's not offered ; but a soy-sauce cruet and a little dish of chili oil appeared instantly when I requested some and perked matters up nicely. No mains ordered. Maîtresse d'hôtel brisk but helpful and amiable, simply helpful and amiable a serveur and a serveuse both. £50 for two, only water and tea, no beer or fizzydrink. Queueing a bit tedious, but see my review title and pop by at three in the afternoon on a sunny day to avoid all that. We'll be back

Piccolo locale con pochi tavoli interni e qualcuno esterno coperto. Cibo squisito, soprattutto i siu lon vai alla carne. l miglior ristorante cinese cantone mai provato.

This place is okay, I don't think it's worth the long wait outside. I particularly don't like that it's cash only even though I think they used to take credit cards. If you're not already in the area, I don't think it's worth the trek with all the other options in the city.

Having lived in Hong Kong for over 3yrs, my wife and I are always on the look for authentic DimSum. Well tonight we got really lucky and this place is the real authentic deal. The duck and the dumplings were amazing! The only reason I didn’t rate a 5 was due to queuing 30mins in the cold and there is very little seating space. Other than that I can’t wait to come back soon.

It’s more of an insta crowd phenomenon then anything else really Long queue cos barely larger than a living room.. so fills up in minutes .. some dishes admittedly uncommon ( razor clams ) But the rest is no better then a decent Chinatown / central london place At times staff seem to be proud of long waiting time … as if a hallmark of success ! Minuscule tables for 2 … so don’t get over enthusiastic with order . It will get uncomfortable fast Decent cheung feung / and dumplings .. rest alright

Wonderful food, worth the wait. I've been twice now and recommend the aubergine with rice, dried spare ribs, char siu buns ( although these weren't as good as the old CCK, not much filling). roast duck and prawn dumplings. On a previous trip we also had turnip cakes but they weren't to our taste (still you have to try different things) . I can't fault it, apart from having to queue!

Don’t let any negative reviews of this place stop you from going. I’m glad this place isn’t “known” to the public yet, emphasis on the yet. This without a doubt blows every Chinese/dim sum place i’ve ever had out of the water. To give some context, i’m from San Francisco and we have really good dim sum but man, ever since leaving London in may i’ve thought about it ever since. I recommend this place to every friend that mentions going to London and i’ve never had a bad follow up message. The only downside to this place is the limited space/seating so if you go around the time everyone else goes for dinner you will be waiting in line as there’s no waiting list or reservations, I definitely recommend going at whatever you think is an “odd” time to make sure your wait is limited. Again, the food is spectacular and is fairly priced, unlike Din Tai Fung. 10/10 Recommend

We went there as part of our daughter’s birthday celebration at friend’s recommendation. We arrived at least 40 minutes earlier to queue, which we did not mind. The restaurant staff, especially the owner of restaurant, were unfriendly and rude as well as impatient. not empathetic by forcing queuing customers waiting in the Sun of over 30 degree. despite the fact that one of customer told them she had skin cancer! As someone from Hong Kong the food was mediocre . Completely disastrous experience.., totally not worth the hassle. never ever go back to this place!!!

A one star review to match they’re ONE STAR HYGIENE RATING. Queued over half an hour to be greeted with raw prawns and hostile service when we tried to tell them. If people knew how unhygienic this place was surely they wouldn’t go…avoid at all costs.

The food here is very good indeed. They serve the best Har Gaw (prawn dumplings) and Siu Mei by far. They reminded me of what we used to have in Hong Kong. We also enjoyed the chicken feet and beef ho fun. The deep fried tofu was good, too. However, we were there on a Sunday and we waited over an hour-and-a -half. This restaurant is tiny, probably 36 - 40 covers. They open at 12:00 and we got there at 11:45 and there was already quite a queue there. Alas, we were not near enough to the front to get in for the first sitting and had to wait for people to vacate their tables before we were seated. We hadn't reckoned for such a wait and one of my friends got a bit wobbly. Luckily, the restaurant was happy to give him some rice to tide him over. Had we known how long it would be, I would have gone next door to the tapas bar and bought some take away tapas and perhaps a beer or two. The food was great, but would I stand in queue for that length of time again? An emphatic NO. If you have not been, do give it a go but take some snacks with you, and a brolly just in case. I will go again at a different time of day and see how long the queue is. If there's any sniff of a lengthy wait, I will just walk on by.

Fresh but fairly bland food & unfriendly service. Went at 3:30 on a weekday. Had sweet corn soup and fried tofu which were nothing special, and fried vegetable dumplings which tested fresh but bland. I was not offered any soy sauce or drinks. The dumplings arrived after I had finished my other dishes and was ready to leave. When I had enquires about them earlier I was snapped at that “they take time, you know”. A lot of the staff were sitting a few feet away smoking and blowing smoke into the diners ‘eyes which was unpleasant However several Chinese people were dining there and it clearly has a following.