Little Dumpling King in Stoke-on-Trent

Decent little spot mixing good food with chill skater sort of vibes

The food has been amazing every time I've been. The servers are always polite and attentive. I music being played is good too

Absolutely banging, super friendly helpful staff, the food is sensational. Halibut, dumplings bao buns chicken wings, everything was perfect. So looking forward to trying the rest f the menu

Absolutely unreal. Great variety, great veggie/vegan options, great vibes Was intrigued to see what the 'gnarly seasoning' was on the rice bowls. It was gnarly, so good Can't wait to go back!

This place makes you salivate in anticipation, greedy in the moment and utterly satisfied upon leaving (mixed with a tinge of regret about any dish you didn't have room for!). Couldn't recommend it enough.

After seeing the reviews of this place and hearing good things from others it was on my list for a while, giving me high hopes. Small plates coming out as and when they are ready should have been a winner, emphasising each dish as it hit the table. Salt and pepper hash browns down first, crisp outside, decent seasoning, center reminiscent of an own brand frozen one. Pork dumplings had a classic steamed dumpling texture, filling was a little dry but flavours came through. Chicken Wings next, texture of coating great, strong visuals, but I found they had little flavour to them, making eating them laboursome towards the end. Fried Chicken Bowl/Bao I had similar issues with, it just felt lacking, chilli flavours overpowered the bao. Pickled accompaniments to the rice bowl felt like they were there to cut through the savoury flavours of fried chicken, but there wasn't enough umph to pair them with. Good tunes, good atmosphere, decent service, underwhelming food.

The food is amazing with fusions that don’t play by any particular rules (and are all the better for it). The staff are kind, knowledgable and attentive. The selection of natural wines is excellent. The last time I visited, someone made the absolute flex of putting Smashing Pumpkins and Childish Gambino on the same playlist and it 100% slapped. It’s the closest I’ve come to a religious experience. Just come here and spend all your money. Literally everything is delicious.

Easily the best food in Hanley.

Absolutely in love with this place 😍. Delightful food, we over ordered as we could not decide 😂. I recommend the pork dumplins, the pork bao was amazing and honestly the chicken wings were spectacular 😋

Very busy pre theatre, always book as it's unlikely there will be a free table. Food a bit average and quite noisy with the music a bit too loud for a conversation.

We visited this restaurant recently and the food was lovely. We had dumplings and bao buns before going to the theatre. The staff was very friendly. If you are visiting the theatre make sure you leave at least 1hr to eat.

Turned up well before closing to be told they aren't servicing. Absolute waste of time

Amazing food at a good price. A unique and fresh place to go in Hanley. One of the high lights of the city centre and Piccadilly. The atmosphere is great and the staff are always friendly and helpful.

Great cozy atmosphere, friendly staff. Ordered few dishes to try, as it was the first time visiting. We have started with oysters, was offered caviar for extra £1. Thats were dissapointment started. Few oysters were full of shell and that extra cheap lumpfish caviar, just ruins the dish. Halibut was not fresh. Hopefully chicken wings repaired my review few points, as they were just delicious! Stone bass was nicely cooked, but I would want some veg on the side. Overall, its ok.

Great music, delicious food and a lovely atmosphere. What more could you want?

After reading the Jay Rayner review in The Observer and with a son recently arrived at Uni in Stoke on Trent, seeking out The Little Dumpling King seemed like an ideal plan for a weekend meet-up. We both love Asian dumplings, and actively seek them out, so a fusion dumpling restaurant with a fun vibe should have suited us down to the ground. I suspect that visiting on the Saturday before Christmas was our mistake, as there was no sign of the more luxurious menu items that we were hoping for. No matter, we settled in, after being seated by a very pleasant person, and fully expected to spend a couple of hours working our way down the menu. I admit that it was me who started us off on the wrong foot. I asked for tea. I'm not fussy: green, red or even PG tips would be fine.' We don't do hot drinks: the wine and beer list is on the wall' we were told, in a tone that made me apologise for asking and comment that I'd never been to a restaurant with dumplings that didn't serve tea. 'We aren't authentic'. So we ordered cokes. (side note: there are no soft drinks on the wall so you have to ask what they have). We started off by ordering a portion of each of the dumplings and a portion of rice, in anticipation of the crispy chilli oil so lauded in the review I had seen and some 'big banging flavours'. Alas what we received was a bowl of plain rice (too sticky for long grain rice, too separate for sticky rice) with sauces drizzled over the top (the chilli oil was good!), and three portions of flaccid dumplings each swimming in a pool of vinegar as if it were broth, with not even enough chilli oil to make a droplet pattern on top of the vinegar. The flavours were punchy: vinegar and chilli. But mostly vinegar. We dissected away the soggy dumpling to get to the fillings. The pork dumpling was very pink inside but was heated through so we ate it anyway. The haggis dumpling tasted of haggis, but the edamame dumpling was completely vinegar-logged and neither of us could discern much else. I was considering letting bygones be bygones and moving onto chicken and bao but my son pointed out that the people at the next table had left their bao and one of the staff had just put a handwritten 'closed' notice on the door. We paid quickly and left, feeling the need to apologise again for inconveniencing them on the way out. In their favour, I did like the music and the decor did make it seem a fun place. I just wish I'd had the meal Jay Rayner did! I do accept that it was the Saturday before Christmas and perhaps this wasn't their best offering. But we wont be back to see if it was a one-off.

Quite literally our favorite place to eat! The food, the vibes of the place and the staff make this the best place, period. Anywhere else we go we just sit there saying “man we wish were just went to LDK.” This place is a gem and if you haven’t been you should. We having been going regularly since opening day and the food never disappoints. The menu is always changing and the food is always up to an amazing standard. The chicken wings are a staple and as the menu states, they are dead good. My favorite is always the pork belly bao its so simple but yet so tasty. This place is big on seasoning and flavor, and I’m not just talking about to food.

Brilliant place with a lovely, cosy atmosphere, great food, and helpful friendly staff.

This best place in Stoke-on-Trent to eat. Sublime! We go fortnightly. Because the menu changes everyday there’s always something new! Music rocks. Atmosphere is amazing.

We absolutely loved LDK and we will be back as soon as we can. The food is absolutely insane, the pork boa is next level. We loved everything about this place!

What an amazing night, food was absolutely to die for, the severs were incredible with great recommendations for wine. The atmosphere is incredible too. My favourites were the pork boa and lamb. We will be back as soon as we can!

Great atmosphere and great food. Would recommend if you are in Hanley

Atmosphere is fantastic and the aesthetic of the place is sick. The staff are really nice and most importantly, the food is as good as it can get. Fantastic little gem of a place.

Always stellar food here and a drinks menu to back it up honestly my favourite restaurant. Staff are super friendly too

Exceptional food. Everything we ordered was really tasty, the skill involved in producing the dishes is truly excellent. The pricing is really reasonable and great service

Spectacular flavours. Exciting food and presentation. Good value and great staff. So good I bought the T-shirt!

I’ve been looking forward to trying LDK for sometime and it didn’t disappoint. Every dish we ordered was delicious. The service was excellent too. We’ll definitely be back!

Great food good atmosphere friendly staff can't wait go back

Great food, amazing value. The kind of place Stoke has been crying out for for years.

Excellent food, everything we tried was really tasty. You can tell that there is a passion for the food. Was also unbelievable value. Was not expecting much in terms of food when staying overnight in Stoke but found this place on Instagram and was excited to go, the place did not disappoint. Only shame was there was no dessert options on night we visited.

For many years I’ve whined there wasn’t much decent scran in the area and then boom! LDK happened. Now of course it wasn’t that simple for them to set it up and keep going (let’s be honest hospitality is intense at the best of times) however it’s easy for me to rock up and eat. Winner. I’ve been a canny few times and food has always been bloody amazing! I always have the vegetarian or vegan options as however friends often have the chicken baos that look epic. Food comes out as it’s cooked; for me that’s not an issue but just in case I’m letting you know. All the food I’ve had is lush. From the rice bowls with aubergines to the baos to the Macha tiramisu everything has been spot on. If I could I’d probably eat here everyday. This place has a chilled out vibe. The atmosphere is lovely and if you believe in supporting local that’s more reason to pop in to LDK. Service with a smile. Friendly folk dinning too. Been for both lunch and dinner and recommend for any occasion. It’s super friendly so if you are a solo diner this would be a suitable place as staff don’t judge! Amazing place. Can we have desserts please folks?!

Popped in for dinner with a colleague on a Tuesday night. We secured the only available table (so worth booking in advance, even on a weeknight!). We shared a couple of bao buns, some chicken wings and the salt & pepper has browns. They were all great, really tasty. The alcohol selection is fab: not a huge list but great quality wine & Japanese spirits. The staff were super friendly and efficient & it had a lovely vibe. Definitely put it on your list!

Would recomend to anyone, food is amazing, not expensice, haggis dumplings are particulary good

A little jaunt out to the theatre so after reading some good reviews, thought we would try Little Dumpling King ….. and we loved it!! Five of us ate. We had a varied selection, giving most things a whirl…. And everything was spot on! Staff were very friendly and polite. Bill came to £90 …. Which worked out at £18 per person. Will definitely go again!

Food was lovely, service was really quick and friendly, great atmosphere. Will be coming back again!!

The food here is excellent - went on a Monday night, and was quite busy - staff helped with some things on the menu, and we ordered a mix of things - each was really good - 5/5 - go here!!

My wife and I visited for her 30th birthday and our experience was amazing! The food is extremely well-prepared with a generous mix of Asian-inspired street food classics, all packed with flavour. The dumplings, Bao buns and BBQ skewers were all favourites, but everything on the ever-changing menu I'm sure is delicious. Great craft beer and wine selection too. Excellent value for money - definitely a must-visit if you're in Stoke!

Fantastic place! Amazing food and great service from the team 👌👌👌

Exceptional food and service, lucky to have such an establishment locally.

Absolutely amazing food. Came with older kids and partner. Ate most of the menu. Cannot choose between which was the favourite -it was all amazing. Dumplings really tasty, boa buns like little clouds of joy. 3 different filings- all great. Cod cheek and lamb skewers were delicious. Great vibe. Great food. Tell your friends. Go eat great food

Wanted to go here for ages but just hadn’t managed it until recently, I didn’t know what I was missing! The venue is very simple, no airs and graces, but the food is amazing and very reasonably priced, we paid less than we would for a takeaway curry and the bill was cheaper than we expected as there was some sort of promotion on. Will definitely be back soon

Easily my favourite eating experience in Hanley. You won’t regret visiting.

Perfect experience. A small independent dumpling restaurant in the heart of the cultural quarter of Hanley. Great location directly opposite the regent theatre. We booked but most of the time you can walk in. Service is very friendly and very fast. Staff are happy to recommend what to choose from the small but perfectly formed menu. We chose a bao bun each and then a variety of dumplings and sides. Think of it like the Asian equivalent of tapas and you won’t go far wrong. Everything is delivered together and very quickly. Essentially - everything single thing tasted delightful. Dumplings were full of flavour. Hash brown sides were unique and great. I had a fried chicken bao bun that was absolutely fantastic. Beer and wine was available by the glass or can and perfectly suited the food. Everyone had a great time. Some great music was on but not too loud that you couldn’t talk. We’ll definitely be back. Fantastic! Well

Just had an amazing meal at this restaurant! The food was delicious. I ordered the chicken wings, and they were super flavorful and perfectly seasoned. I also tried the bao buns, which were soft and fresh, a perfect complement to the meal. To top it off, I had some pork dumplings that were simply outstanding. Everything was so well-prepared, and I enjoyed every dish. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for tasty, well-seasoned food!

Really delicious food, good vegan options too!

Punk as they come and vegan options. Hash browns were banging. Stopped here with an artist before a gig so glad we dropped on it. Returning this weekend although I'm a good hour and a half away 🫠

What a fabulous place. The service was perfect - as you would expect in Stoke - proper friendly and with a dash of humour. The food is exquisite. I ate three of the vegetarian small plates and each one was delicious. My partner had fish dishes which he said were gorgeous. Well priced and all in all a great place.

Staff super friendly and professional, food incredible, atmosphere superb. Best place I’ve been in years. We will be back for sure.

My first visit to this restaurant and it certainly did not disappoint. Banging tunes, staff playing air guitar and the most amazing selection of drinks was just the start! I ordered an oyster with the recommended paired muscadet (as pictured). It was that tasty, I ordered a second! I also tried the haggis dumplings. On their own they were a tasty treat but the chilli oil was to die for. There were 7 in our group and the bill was less than £110. Such amazing value. I cannot wait to go again.

Fantastic place with fresh and interesting asian dishes! Definitely recommend the bao buns!

I have eaten here a few times and the food is always good and the staff are nice. The dumplings are so good, as well as the fried chicken. The menu is small and doesn't seem to change super often (ate about two months apart and had the same types of dumplings) but is definitely worth a visit. The price for the food is good as well. Definitely worth stopping by for the dumplings

The best restaurant in Stoke-on-Trent. Super food at affordable prices and always lots of vegan options. The menu is constantly changing and the staff work damned hard to make this restaurant such a great place.

Absolutely delicious,keep it going guys. Highly recommend!!!

It's worth every penny with banging tunes as well. What's not to like. Cheers!

Food was very nice and staff were lovely and friendly, will return as now a favourite. Thanks.

I’ve been multiple times and recently introduced the place to some friends. Every single one of them loved it. The food is brilliant quality, the burrata hoisin noodles were one of the best things I’ve tasted. I also highly recommend the parmesan karage chicken and any of the dumplings. Big hats off to the staff and owners of the restaurant, they provide a brilliant service .

Visited mid-week and it's just walk in and eat. The menu is small but perfect for what you need. Incredible, flavoursome food and a must visit for bao and dumpling lovers! I will be returning for sure 😍

Tasty food and great vibe! We ordered the pork dumplings which they had a 2 for 1 special going! We also got the pork and chicken bao buns. Even tried beef tartar for the first time which to my surprise I enjoyed. I recommend getting an order of the hash browns and putting some of the beef tartar on it. Next Level! Loved the music they were playing as well! Would definitely eat here again!

The food was spectacular, and the staff really helpful and friendly. I'd highly recommend this place for a casual and tasty experience! ☺️

Delicious vegan options every time I've come here it's been perfect just perfect Everything down to the minute detail.

I really enjoy LDK . I like the music , I like the DIY punk basement / music venue decor . I love that the food offers something we really don’t have anywhere else in Stoke. If I had to complain about anything , it would be a sale of Coca Cola products here. We all know it’s everyone preferred carbonated bev. But , their ethics kind of suck , like a lot . Everything about this place feels so amazing when you ignore the fact that everyone at the surrounding tables are sipping cans of coke . I won’t say that I will stop coming here , but I’ll always be a little disappointed until they switch to a soda brand that matches the spirit of a small business .

Absolutely fantastic, very tasty dumplings, 😋 Would definitely recommend, wish they were closer to me, I would definitely visit more often.

Food was out of this world, best food I've ever eaten. I will 100% be back again. Thankyou for a lovely birthday meal.

So so so f’in good. Great food, great drinks, great playlist, great staff. There’s nowhere else like it. Burger night was superb.

Working in Stoke and came out looking for food. Found this place. Service was super friendly, good beer choice and the food was incredible. I had the seasoned rice, some dumplings and the crab bao bun. All of it was absolutely delicious. So happy I popped in, would definitely recommend. Also, as a bonus it was 20% off everything as it's a Monday and it wasn't expensive in the first place. Great place

I have been telling everyone about this place since our visit. Spectacular. Food was awesome, service brilliant & atmosphere ace. Cannot wait to get back in there some time soon.

I wish I had a photo of the food to post, but when the food arrives it’s too good to waste time taking photos when all you wanna do is eat. It’s amazing. There are some menu staples (salt and pepper hash browns, and the jackfruit dumplings being two favourites of mine), plus specials that change regularly. A casual, welcoming atmosphere with friendly and attentive staff. Food and drinks are reasonably priced (when I went recently it cost a little under £30 for two of us to get plenty of food and drinks each). It’s an absolute gem. One of the best places to eat in Hanley.

Saw reviews on Little Dumpling King, right opposite Regent Theatre where I was seeing a show. Place busy and noisy and I perched on a stool at the window bar. Had amazing, but very messy, chicken wings and a bun with belly pork washed down with beer. Bit of a wait for food but it arrived piping hot and so worth any delay. Had no idea just what would arrive on my plate and was so pleased I had opted to dine here. Another lady dining alone came to sit beside me and we chatted. Both left at the same time for theatre and I was amazed to learn at the payment point that she had paid for my meal. So, lady in the blue and white dress, very many thanks for your random act of kindness. I couldn't see you in the theatre foyer to say thank you.

What a brilliant experience. A busy Friday night before the theatre & nothing was too much trouble. Staff friendly & knowledgeable, delicious wine & the food was outstanding. A brilliant mix of relaxed, professional & top notch. Who said you can’t enjoy great experiences in Hanley? Another Stoke gem

Un-bao-lievable! Rapid service, really nice food and really reasonable prices. Looking forward to returning again!

Not for me. Visited on vegan night. The music was so loud that conversation was almost impossible. The food was hot and served in a timely manner. If you like sriracha sauce and salt, you'll be onto a winner. The staff were polite, efficient and worked hard in a small space. The venue is trendy. Potstickers and bao buns are the menu staples and look very good. Try the hash browns....nomnomnom

10/10 food is banging and you can’t get better wine ANYWHERE locally

Absolutely one of the best hidden gems of Hanley. Great vibe, staff and food. Get the pulled pork boa and try it out

The vegan food here is perfect! 😋🥟

Obsessed with this place. The vegan food is unreal and there is plenty of options to choose from and everything is reasonably priced

Delicious food,great music, endless drinks to choose from. Staff are great. It's one of my favourite places I'm Stoke-on-Trent.

One of the best restaurants around (someone from Manchester who has a lot of good restaurants nearby). Food is amazing, great value and has a cool atmosphere (enjoy the oldboy homage)

Fantastic experience, really enjoyed the food, the team were great and the music was brilliant

Beautiful, flavoursome food and fantastic service 👌🏻

Absolutely love this place! What an addition to Piccadilly Hanley, the food, the atmosphere, the different drinks. A creative masterpiece! As a vegetarian there are great options which means I love going back every time!

Amazing food and atmosphere here! Staff were friendly and helpful with our first time visit and it is not disappoint. The limited menu makes this a very unique place to eat with such lovely tasty food! 100% will return! Great value for money

Visited yesterday evening with friends, staff accommodating and polite, food excellent (and very fairly priced), great atmosphere, we will be coming back

Wanted to try it because of the reviews. Service was fine as they were quick and friendly. Just the food was a letdown, lacked flavour really. Have tried plenty of Asain, Korean, and Japanese restaurants in my foodie journeys, and this wasn't really anywhere near the same standards. Had the LDK chicken rice bowl (spicy boi), and I wouldn't say fried (KFC like) chicken on top of dollops of kewpie mayo & sriracha sauce with soggy rice count as 'spicy'. The chillies tasted like they came out of a jar, as they were oily and had no flavour. Noticed a trend as well with the dishes, covering the food in chopped chives and cripsy bits counts as flavour? The salt and pepper hashbrowns didn't really blow us away as it did with other reviewers..

Great food, great staff & great tunes.

Cannot rate this place highly enough, food - gorgeous, service - exceptional and so friendly, ambience is perfect - top notch 🥰

Really great little find, we had a couple of the boa buns, wings and rice and it was more than enough to fill us up for a little lunch. I love the music, skateboards and all the band posters it reminded me of dazed and going to the place back in the day. I will say the food had a good spice to it maybe a little more than I anticipated but wasn't overbearing. I'd definitely recommend and go again.

Had some pre theatre dinner here tonight OMG! Fabulous food, service, ambiance, music! Recommend, salt and pepper hash browns, oysters with irn bru spicy sauce, (Colchester, raw), Korean chicken bao. Also, the negroni! Can't wait to eat here again! We are very fortunate to have such a high calibre restaurant here in Stoke on Trent! Highly recommend!

1. Absolutely unbelievable food. Visited 2 days ago and can't stop thinking about it, what a place for the area to have. 2. Great atmosphere, love how the place is set out 3. Service was excellent too, staff were proper friendly and helpful. Zero complaints

This was actually the place next door to the little dumpling king which is excellent and it is called THE GIN RUMMY BAR AND KITCHEN I have visited many times,the staff are first class as is the food,I highly recommend both establishments

LDK is a gem of delicious, well-priced food. Good variety of meaty & vegetarian options, and kitchen is good at helping with changes for allergy/intolerances as long as you inform them. Prepare for the nostalgia hit with all the grungy music of your youth, and you must try the S&P hash browns - revolutionary. It's a quick turnaround for a table as food service is usually fast, but I still wish we could book a table in advance.

Honestly the food here is immense. Everything tastes great ...even my fussy teen enjoyed her meal and she is hard to please. We've been a few times now and have never been disappointed. Can't wait to go back.

Yum. Delicious food and good wine

Amazing food! Quite a gem hidden in Stoke-on-Trent.

I’m already a huge fan of this place but today was wonderful. I was on my lunch break from my retail job, Christmas Eve Eve too— needed a pick me up after an evening out . Popped in, sat down, food within ten mins, ate the lot and it was delicious— hangover cure of the century and banging music. Left feeling right as rain, ready to bang out the rest of my shift and see a gig right after that. Stellar service, brilliant food, cannot recommend enough.

Outstanding food, great wine and a cracking atmosphere. A must visit place

The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is wonderful. The music was really varied and managed to somehow hit all of my interests. The staff were really lovely and attentative, and the food comes out as soon as it's ready, great for grazing while having drinks, but I'd also definitley plan to have a relaxed meal out here. I'm planning on draging all my friends here as soon as I can.

Love love loved it ❤️ Food amazing!! Staff very friendly I am definitely going back!

Found this place on the off chance and I'm so glad we did the food is absolutely amazing loads of flavour could not fault it one bit, will definitely be returning next time we visit stoke. Keep up the good work 👏

Cant recommended highly enough! Wine recommendation was spot on and the food was off the scale! Service was attentive but not overbearing, cant wait to go back ❤❤❤

Highly recommend the hash browns and aubergine bao bun. Great spot for casual drinks and dinner. Asian-fusion dishes perfectly prepared. Good beer and wine selection - I like that they specialise in natural wines. They also had lots of sour beers and more traditional options like tsingtao. To make it even better, I'd have liked another veggie dumpling option and more spicy sauces would be good too. Overall, excellent.