Empire in East Hertfordshire

This newly reopened Chinese takeaway in Hertford is highly recommended. We were very sorry to see it go earlier this year, but the reincarnation is even better. The menu has been brought more up-to-date. With some spicier dishes included. The portions are excellent and the ingredients high-quality. Don’t hesitate to give it a try.

I have only given 1star review as there is no option for 0 stars. I am absolutely shocked with how awful the food is... so as the takeaway is under new management, we thought we would give it a try as the food with the previous owners was fantastic.... big mistake We ordered 3 plain chow meins, and we were given 3 lidded boxes full of old chewy long brown noodles.. not cooked properly... no bean shoots of any other ingredients... apart from 1 had 1 piece of chicken in it... which no good if you are vegetarian, hence why we ordered plain with no meat!! Long story short £15.60 wasted food went straight in the bin as it was not edible with no flavor just a smell of stale oil.

Was best Chinese takeaway ever but it must have a new chef. Some of the dishes were barely warm. Ordered egg fried rice and received boiled, mushroom foo Yung was scrambled egg and mushroom a couple of peas,onion , no bean sprouts. Still no tofu dishes. Disappointing and sadly not keen to go back.

Empire Chinese Takeaway Hertford is open again, under new management! New menu with lots of new dishes to try.

Excellent food, piping hot. Really fresh. We ordered by phone and it was ready in 10 minutes. Friendly staff, we will definitely order again.

Best Chinese food in Hertford and Sue is always welcoming . Being going here for years, never been disappointed.

EMPIRE chinese takeaway in Hertford: Always delicious food, friendly service, highly recommend. Menu attached if that helps!

This long established family owned restaurant is a gem of a find and the food is incredible both taste and value. Together with a friendly smile when ordering and collecting it is definitely one to return to time and time again. Have ordered plenty of dishes and have never been disappointed. 10/10 Carlos

I used to use this Chinese last year, got it today for my boyfriends birthday and we was so disappointed. After spending £31 on a meal for two people and for the quality and portions to be shocking we are not happy :( The crispy beef was barely chewable the sweet and sour sauce tasted off and the meat was poor quality.

This takeaway is the very best.i my wife and i had one of the best meals ever.always tastes great.service is brill.i know this family personally and have since the early 80s.well done to the chefs and to hard working john and sue.all the best.keep safe.

Had a takeaway from here for the first time, food quality was excellent and good portions for the money. Only downside I ordered by phone fir a certain time but still waited 20 minutes as they were so busy. Definitely use again though

I’m not one to write reviews, but today, I’ve felt I must. Let me begin with the beef. This so called ‘beef’ was soft, too soft, and floating around what could only be described as a lake, of brown water. Second came the seaweed saga. The non existent seaweed, which was swiftly replaced with a horrifically bland form of rice, which wasn’t even touched by me and my fellow eaters. The grand total of this so called food came to thirty four pounds, of which I must have eaten ten, the rest was fed to the bin, which probably didn’t enjoy it either. I’m sorry to rant, but this really got to me, and to be perfectly frank, I’m appalled. The one star was for the nice lady that took my call, other than that, it was a very unpleasant experience.

This is a local gem - their food is excellent and always fresh and well cooked. As an aside I note that every bad review of the Empire uses the word 'Bland' - there is clearly a rather poorly orchestrated campaign being launched against the Empire - ignore their pathetic efforts and try the food for yourselves.

I love the food here, it's one of the best places to get Chinese food (outside Chinatown). The portions are smaller but the taste makes up for this. It's quite popular so it can be a long wait on busy Friday or Saturday evenings.

We've been customers for many years. The staff are nice, prices good and the food is always delicious. The best Chinese takeaway we've had in the area.

Visited this takeaway because it had good reviews! Sadly, they didn't live up to expectations! The lady behind the counter - very friendly and helpful. Menu - disappointing, they are missing a lot of dishes that I enjoy! Once we got home, we all described the food as 'ok' and all thought the food was bland! Won't be visiting again!!

Ordered 5 dishes, The chicken balls dipped in the black bean sauce made me explode with joy, to say my mouth was sopping wet with delight is an understatement! I’d bath in the chow mein sauce

Fast service for a large order( 5 to 6 dishes were done in 15 minutes), staff were friendly and the food was great.

Love this Chinese takeaway it's definitely the best in Hertford. Will always go back very freindly and great portions.

This is quite a good Chinese Takeaway. The on-street parking is very limited but there is a small carpark just around the corner.

Been going here for over 15 years! It’s the best Chinese takeaway in Hertfordshire. Definitely try the Kung Po Prawns! Couldn’t recommend it enough.

Empire, in my opinion, is the most consistent and good quality Chinese take away food in Hertford. The dishes taste fresh, well made and cost a lot less than some of the other local establishments. The only minor annoyance is that they don't deliver, as this would really make ordering food from them a whole lot easier, but I understand that they have a good business model that is working for them.

We’ve been using this take away since we moved to Hertford in the late 80s and have always enjoyed the food. The only negative is that there can be a bit of a wait even when you order by phone but that’s because it busy.

Friendly and efficient staff - order placed, cooked and handed over in less than 20 minutes however the shop was empty and rather oddly they do not have the facilities to process a card payment.

Since I live near this small takeaway restaurant I've ordered many times and I am always pleased with the food and with the timings too. You can place your order by phone (what I usually do) or order in person. The staff is friendly and welcoming.

Amazing Chinese. We don’t go anywhere else for our takeaway. They are very busy so expect a wait if you don’t order early enough on a weekend. The owner is always cleaning in the day, which is nice to see. Never had a bad dish

Ordered from here on the search of a good Chinese unfortuntly this was not it.

As a family we have been getting our Chinese take away from the Empire for the best part of 30 years and, in that time, the standards have never dropped. Great food and great people.

Quality food cooked to order, Very nice takeaway which is local to bengeo , portvale , north Hertford and the centre of town. Always make this takeaway your first option

This Chinese takeaway has been going for years and every single time we pick up a Saturday evening treat of a meal we are delighted. Thank you guys!

Conseguimos una sensación de llevar bastante emocionado como imperio parece impecablemente limpias y habiendo trasladado a la zona tenía muchas ganas de probar los restaurantes locales. Me quedé muy decepcionado. La comida era muy aburrida y sin sabor. Pedí pelotas de pollo dulce y agria, que se asemejaba a los nuggets de pollo!! Ellos eran pequeñas y secas. El arroz sabía de nada y las porciones eran muy pequeñas. En general, fue realmente pobre y nunca volvería de nuevo.

He estado utilizando el Imperio durante años no puedo recordar cómo muchos, pero 30 años más! Es dirigido por los mejores personas todo el mundo allí es muy agradable. Me gusta mucho la comida y el servicio. Hay algunas malas críticas en Tripadvisor, pero no estoy de acuerdo. Yo creo que los propietarios se alegrará si estos quejones nos fuimos a otro lado y luego no podría esperar tanto un sábado para mi pedido! Claramente hay un montón de gente están contentos con el imperio y yo soy uno de ellos!

Ordered many times from them. The food is always fresh and tasty, service is good. They are making the best breadcrums prawns I ever tasted.

Empezaré diciendo, esta es la peor comida china que he comido en mi vida. Llegué a casa del trabajo y no podía ser molestado a cocinar y ya que mi restaurante chino regular ha cerrado que me obligó a prueba nueva. El Imperio no se construyó en comida china como este y emperador Ming sería retorciéndose en la tumba.

Muy decepcionados con nuestra visita NYE, sosa comida, mucho tiempo de espera, la carne crujiente chili, glutenus salsas. No vamos a volver.

Have lived in Hertford for 30 years and after research chose the Empire and have never regretted it. Charming service, tasty old fashioned food, never wrong and never undercooked or cold. I frequently eat in Chinatown so know my Cantonese.

The food is tasty, fresh and made to order. Only thing that prevents us from always getting our weekly Chinese food fix from Empire is the fact that they don't do deliveries, whereas Wok U Like do...

Food ordered was incorrect tasted bland and portions quite small compared to others in town. Not the best chinese

Family owned for decades they offer a welcome that is refreshing with an established menu, acceptable prices and good food. Try the chicken curry, Singapore noodles, pancake rolls, sweet&sour dishes and prawn crackers for a start! Unfortunately cash only - no card facilities.

Not used this takeaway for about a year after it used to give us the wrong dishes. Decided to give it another try - never again. The beef in the beef and mushrooms was raw and the chicken in the sweet & sour chicken Hong Kong style was just batter. The other dishes were cold and bland. Will not be visiting again, there are better in Hertford for value for money and quality of food.

We ordered a takeaway from here on a Friday night by phone in advance. Turned up and they have changed their policy of cheques and cash to cash only no cards so remember to take cash!! Was ready for us within a few minutes of our arrival.There we 6 of us and it cost £70. We had loads of food but eat it all. For sum reason we had loads of duck pancakes left over!! Would recommend.

John, the manager, lives Empire. The food is great, its always quick, the orders are never wrong, the pricing is correct for the quality but not overpriced at all, the employees are friendly and make the experience positive. I would recommend this place again and again, it walks all over the Indian next door. John is a genuinely next guy who cares about his customers, happy to chat with them and knows the locals well.

The owner, John, is always friendly and welcoming when you walk through the door. Quick service, excellent quality food. The fact that this place is always busy says alot.