Royal Garden Chinese Restaurant in Croydon

Our search for a good local Chinese restaurant scored another hit this evening at the Royal Garden at the top of Shirley Hills. The food was delicious and the service excellent. Can highly recommend the duck. Fantastic. We'll be back.

Fantastic hospitality. Most of the dishes we had here were phenomenal. And the whole experience was truly amazing.

Had a lovely dinner there on Sunday. Food was fantastic. I’ve been vegan for a few years now and this place has the best vegan selection I have seen in a Chinese restaurant. The vegan sweet and sour mock chicken and Peking duck was a highlight. My wife non vegan and children also had meat dishes and loved the food. Will 100% be going back.

I have been to this restaurant several times, and the quality of food is amazing, they have never dropped their standard. The staff are lovely, and the atmosphere is so relaxing. It's one of those restaurants that you never want to leave! A really great experience.

Excellent Chinese food at a fair price. Definitely go again

We had a lovely time with nice food. The crispy aromatic duck was shredded at the table. I’ve also been here multiple times for lunch, and a walk in the surrounding countryside.

Had dinner with a mate, it was fantastic, food service, etc, maybe a tiny bit pricey but no issues with parking and it bright and clean, the location in the hills at Shirley is always good to walk of the excess food or have a drink in the garden, highly recommend for everything from a business to a family get together, any left you get the option for a takeaway box. Overall I highly recommend this restaurant

Having been to the restaurant many times over the years, I would suggest they get in touch with Gordon Ramsey, because the food was horrendous. Standards have slipped so bad. But went back tonight and was very impressed. The food was very good and service was good. This place is back where it was when Lawrence and Lin, ran the place.

Was our favourite Chinese restaurant until we were moved off our reserved table so that a walk in of 15 people could sit together. We were moved to a table for 2 and expected to squash 4 people on it. We were told there were no other tables as they were reserved, but what about our reservation? Also the restaurant appeared empty. Regular custom obviously means nothing compared to quantity. We will never return.

Very friendly staff, great service.

The menu is a little more pricy (or at least the rice is) but it’s also finer quality food than your standard Chinese. I think the atmosphere is great too : good balance of fun and sophisticated

Lovely location, you can enjoy the sunset at a beautiful platform of Adbington Hill, then head back for the Chinese food. It is a flat road just 3-minute comfortable walk outside the place. Sunset before meal, and star gaze afterwards. We had Cantonese style roasted duck, Cantonese style tofu and salt and pepper chicken. Taste is modified to suit the local appetite so it is not most authentic Chinese style. We had a jasmine tea to balance the deep-fried food. White rice just like many Chinese restaurant here, was slightly expensive (more than 5 pounds) so we did not order any. The hut is a spacious and beautiful space, like a venue for wedding. White table cloth with roses on table. Ended the night with their complementary white chocolate. Had an enjoyable evening. There are many parking spaces outside the restaurant. No worries about parking.

The resturant is located off the main road into a pitch black dark side road within a woods. There is an led sign on the main road to tell you the resturant is there, otherwise you won't see it. There are no warnings that if you are not travelling by vehicle and instead are walking up the pathway that there are no lights. This is very dangerous for customers. Solar power lights and tree lights could at least be provided along the walk path and a sign at the end of the road to alert safety if you're walking up the pathway. They need to suggest to the street council to provide street lights, as a woman travelling in pitch black darkness to a resturant with 5 minutes walk up an unexpected side road with no lights, other than the light from a phone, creates a terrible experience from the beginning. Even driving through the pathway is also dangerous for drivers, it's like a setting out of a horror film. As a foodie, the food wasn't great, considering the prices being charged. The prices weren't high but the quality in my dish was less then what I'd expect in a local takeaway. This isn't the quality standard I'm used to if I'm going out to eat. The quality was absent like the atmosphere and also, lacked in good quality of natural flavoured ingredients. The pineapple in my dish tasted as if it was from a can. The sweet and sour side sauce tasted highly acidic. Vegetarian options are decent. If you like tofu then there's plenty options. The atmosphere and the deco had a mixture of identities, there is no distinction of who the audience is catered to. The staff tend to awkwardly stare for a while with no reason why, between walking in, before taking orders, and after taking orders, this made me feel uncomfortable. Towards the end the hosting became better. The venue as a whole, including the outside garden, is probably aesthetically pleasing in the summer. However, it's a venue I wouldn't be coming back, due to the reasons listed above.

Celebrated my Dad's 70th birthday here last night, with 20 of us including kids & a baby. Nothing was too much trouble, the service was impeccable and food delicious. They even gave us a separate table to display his birthday cake and balloon bouquets. Thank you so much for making my Dad's evening feel so special!

I love this restaurant! Especially the staff! The server Elise on fridays is awesome and gorgeous!! Is she single?

We often walk in the area and have always felt unwelcome here. We've come by twice and each time we've ordered 2 drinks, usually a starter and we sit outside with our dog. On one occasion a woman behind the bar rudely stopped me from going to the toilet and then another member of staff apologised on her behalf and said I could go. Some of the staff in there seem quite irritated that people would come for just a drink and sit outside. There's a new cafe next door with the friendliest man! He's lovely. Gives off a very different energy to the staff in the restaurant. Additionally, the restaurant feels totally out of place for its location. The aesthetic is confusing, high class Chinese restaurant on the inside but with plastic tables on the outside? All in the middle of a trail area It's generally felt uninviting so we won't return, but we'd happily go to the cafe that's and is attached.

Very nice place and tasty food at reasonable prices. There is ample car parking spaces with relaxed atmosphere. The location is ideal Shirley/ Addington Hills Can sit outside with a dog. For lunchtime they are only open on Fridays and weekends.

The best Chinese food Nice place Friendly staff

Although we 3 enjoyed the very nice food (Canton set meal) I think that there is something about the service and atmosphere which leaves room for improvement. Three Tsing Tao beers served up warm (with the excuse that they had come out of the 'wrong' part of the fridge, when a neighbouring table got splendidly chilled beers) and a bottle of warm still water. Capped off by what seems like a 13% service charge added to the bill! Inflation really is rearing its ugly head everywhere!! A bit cheeky if you ask me as the prices are not that cheap!

i am apaulled by their service, called to confirm order and was rudly hang up on

Picked up a takeaway from here yesterday . not been here for many years . great food , tasty and fresh will be back here again .

Really good food, lovely setting and really nice staff. So nice that it's in the woods.

Very very pricey now and have had a couple of problems with unusual stuff being found in the food. I do not feel the same about this restaurant as I did three years ago unfortunately. I can’t confidently recommend but on a good day the food is tasty.

We had just intended to go for a walk in Addington Hills for the first time ever and did not expect to find a Chinese restaurant in the middle of the park! The whole experience was hands down the nicest Chinese experience we've ever had, waiting staff were charming and especially Anthony, in particular, deserves a special mention for his positive and friendly energy. Will definitely be back!

If I could rate this a zero I would. The customer service is so bad. The blond lady was so disrespectful and tried to question my upbringing when I tried to take my receipt and dissed my parents. I feel like she disrespected me because I was young and she claimed that she had already had a hard time today. The food was mid, the drinks were stale. 0/10 experience would not recommend to my worst enemy. Go at your own risk

Great service. Also the food is exceptional each time. The meat is always tender and melting in your mouth.

Great cocktails. Food was lovely and staff very welcoming

stone cold late expensive food. 1st time i used. never again

Took a group of six. Had a great time as food was good and so was the ambience.

Had a great experience. Went on a Sunday evening. Food was a good standard, portions slightly smaller than other places but still reasonably priced. Staff were fantastic - all pleasant and attentive.

Lovely meal, great service, will come again

Took over 2 hours for my food to come and it was cold

Had a delivery not the best food cold and greasy wouldn't use again☹️

My first time at Royal Garden, and I was very impressed with the quality of the ingredients and the flavours. I will definitely be returning.

Really nice food 😋 👌 service but it was not busy .I'm defently going again

Good food, friendly service and fast. Will be back again.

I've been coming here for years. It's always a lovely experience with friendly service and excellent food.

Amazing place .Have to see your own eyes. Food delicious😋 staff Amazing.

Food was below average, it was super expensive (£100 for two people standard set menu and two bottled beers), place is run down and didn’t feel very clean. The only reason I give it two stars is because the service was good.

Good food, really enjoyed the squid and dumplings.

First time I’ve been here and I what we had for lunch.

Good location, fast nice service

We bought multiple items and every single thing had no flavour. Binned it all and we had to order elsewhere.

This is amazing!! I can't describe you how good it was. I have been to soany Chinese restaurant but this one was exceptional. Food was delicious mainly they had lots of vegetarian/vegan options and service was great. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants yummy vegetarian vegan Chinese food. The location is very nice as well. I wish you were closer to us.

I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant. Rude customer service overall. Person who took the order was making jokes saying “I’m not your wife” when we asked for a refill on our drink eventho we have been waiting patiently. At the end just before we left , we told him, don’t make jokes like this and he goes “ I was joking with you bro “ not the words I expect if they want to provide good service. We for the food minutes after we order so I very much doubt it was freshly cooked for us. Good taste was below average. We spend around £400 that day but I won’t spend a penny there again.

Not worth the money cost double what a takeaway does with half the flavour and that add there own tip about 20% drinks where flat ... Safe your money

Had a take-away, 21 pound for half a duck that was more like a quarter, dry crusty duck, not enough pancakes. Absolute crap worst Chinese around by a mile.

On recommendation from a friend and his wife, we celebrated my wife's birthday on Saturday, 26.03.2022, on arrival it was clearly very busy and we were shown to our table, in the middle of the crowded restaurant. We spoke to Rachel and without hesitation she immediately moved us to a larger table near a window and then produced a complimentary drink for my wife. It was clear that Rachel ran a tight ship, our food was well prepared and appeared on time, as ordered, the waiters were friendly and attentive. Our thanks to Rachel, our friends Margaret and Barry for recommending the venue, we look forward to returning. Thank you.

Great restaurant staff friendly food amazing been coming back here after the new owner take over and can not recommend enough

Came here back in December with my twin girls and my parents after not coming for a long time this has since been taken over by new owners and I can not recommend enough, we have been back several times and not had a bad meal!! Food is excellent, staff are always friendly, polite and helpful would defiantly recommend this place

Beautiful restaurant!Excellent food!Everything was outstanding! Rachel was very helpful and professional.

Had an amazing evening out with friends and the service and the food was just amazing. Thank you

Fantastic place, lovely family run

Fantastic veggie/vegan options Ordered twice- the second time a small item was missing and they delivered again very quickly and were so lovely about it. Would highly recommend

The customer service was good and the food was tasty. They just need to reduce the salt by a bit and it will be perfect. Otherwise I'm very happy I enjoyed eating there!!! Thank you!!!

Big, spacious Chinese restaurant, in an excellent location by Addington Viewing Platform. Ideal for big family meals or celebrations. The food is tasty, good variety! Service a bit slow at times.

Excellent service, very bright and roomy, good food. Tons of room for parking and activities.

Good Environment, Good customer service and Good food.

We arrived at the restaurant 7.30 after 1½ hours we had only had our starter and decided to leave as we had to be somewhere else to be , service was unbelievable slow don't believe it was down to waitresses but down to slow kitchen staff they just couldn't handle the amount of people at the restaurant ..we were then charged for £42.00 for appetisers and a drink was looking forward to going to the Royal garden but was very disappointed don't go Friday or Saturday unless you have plenty of spare time...won't be going back ruined our evening ☹

Food good setting pleasant. Staff curtious & professional

Sadly not the restaurant it used to be, used to have a very high quality of service, this time they forgot my wife's food, and when it turned up it had string in it, which earned only a passing cursory apology. The food is not bad but it's expensive given the service.

We took a bottle of water into the restaurant. The staff said we should not use it and we agreed to it. Later we asked for water and the staff placed the glasses with ice. We waited for 5 mins looking for them to bring us water. Since they did not turn up and we assumed they meant us to use the water from our own water bottle and went ahead drinking our own water. Later after 10 mins one of the staff warned us about this which was a unpleasant. This was our second visit.. but not anymore.

Excellent service and lovely food

Opted for Royal Garden for a takeaway tonight as I've previously dined in and had a great experience. To my surprise and disappointment the food was abysmal. It was quite shocking given the amazing quality of the food I was served when dining in the restaurant a few years ago. The char siu pork was tough and chewy; I'd assume it had been left in the oven too long and was overcooked to the point it was truly inedible. I chose the prawn and mango rolls as an appetizer, but left disappointed once they arrived - what came were 2 very small spring rolls which had 2 small shrimp in each alongside some chinese salad; no mango in sight nor could I even taste even any hint of it. I have to say the aromatic duck was simply appalling: dry, overcooked, absolutely dehydrated. The egg fried rice was also dry, rice looked and felt like it'd be in the fridge for a few days as it lacked any sort of moisture, either it was that or it needed longer in the rice cooker. Some complimentary mini spring rolls came with the order; ended up chucking them all after trying one. The satay beef was the only redeeming dish however while the beef was lovely, the satay sauce was lacking in it's characteristic peanut flavour and lent more towards plain peanut oil. Overall it was an unsatisfactory experience and unfortunately Royal Garden will be one restaurant which I won't be returning to.

Not poditive with poeple with Autism.

Pleasant environment and good food. Their stir fry hor fun is very tasty.

Went there for an anniversary dinner. The staff had put hearts and petals out on the table which was a lovely touch. The food was lovely, definitely the best Chinese I've had locally. Will be going back 100%

有的間咖啡店,咖啡調配味道很好 ，價錢合理,（但只是周末假日才營業）還有一間Chinese restaurant 食物質量好,室外有花草樹木,環境優美，步行二分鐘左右還有一遼望台，可俯瞰倫敦市中心全貌。有泊車位，有小山路不失為方便遊人行山前後落腳休憩地。

Lovely food, excellent service and good parking. Really enjoyed the evening.

Just wanna say to the kitchen and to the all front of house amazing food and even better customer service

New chef, excellent food and a 5* service.

Ordered a takeaway which was delicious. After a long walk in the area, discovered they were open for takeaways and decided to treat myself (put back on the pounds I'd walked off). Prawn toast, sweet and sour pork and wonton soup. First Chinese takeaway since lockdown and loved it :) Had lots of pork and the prawn toast was chunky and full of prawns. Lots of wontons in my soup too. Good serving and tasty. Thank you

Great takeaways as their not open for sit down service. Can't wait to go for a sit down meal. Lovely menu. Great takeaway coffee.

Very good food. Enjoy the evening.

Delicious food - nicest vegan options I've ever tasted!

So we went for Saturday walk to The view point and noticed that people getting COFFEES and got CHOCOLATE from somewhere! We went to check it out and found this lovely restaurant opened, they were serving HOT DRINKS and TAKEAWAY FOOD from outside! Didnt even have time to order yet and owner of the restaurant went to give water to my dog. So nice of him, then we ordered as they taking CARD PAYMENTS 🥳🥳 FOOD WAS VERY TASTY AND WE RECEIVED IT WITHIN 10 minutes. Their satay sauce was delicious! Highly recommended! 🙏🏻👌🏻🍀

Ate there last night, vey nice food, good service time and good portions, had one of there set meals and it did not disappointed. I've been going there for years and would highly recommend.

Always good food and many happy occasions here

So disappointed have stayed loyal to the restaurant since the opening after lockdown getting takeaways every week. The last three weeks the food has been 45 minutes late can expect 10 to 15 but not 45 minutes. Sorry to say no more

Lovely food at this place, friendly staff, nice location. Perfect.

Lovely takeaway. Food was delicious and was prompt. Great local chinese

Is now reopen and ready for business!!! Now under new ownership we had a delightful walk up Shirley hills and we thought we would stop off at the Restaurant for some take away Chinese!!! We recieved such great and wonderful customer service from the new owners and it was an absolute pleasure to meet them. We ordered two spring rolls and some some mint chocolate ice-cream both were really delicious and I would definitely recommend Thr Royal Gardens to anyone thinking about getting food on their walks!! Thank you again to the owner as he is a really nice pleasant man and I am sure he will continue to d!!! great things with the Restaurant

This place does the best vegetarian and vegan Chinese food in the whole of Croydon. We have ordered from them many times and the food is consistently delicious. It's the only place in Croydon that I've found has soya duck pancakes which are super yummy. The delivery driver is always friendly and polite, I haven't ever eaten in the restaurant so can't comment there but I'd recommend this Chinese take away to anyone.

I had visited this place previously under the old ownership and happened to be in the area so thought I would try it again. Was impressed by the quality of the food and service by the staff who were attentive without being overbearing. The portion sizes were a good size and prices reasonable. From what I remember subtle improvements on previous owners but those subtle improvements made it an enjoyable meal. One of the things that impressed me was the allergen information was prominently displayed which shows that the owners have put in the extra effort and some of the large chain restaurants can learn from this place. Definitely one of the better Chinese restaurants/takeaway in Croydon at the moment.

Popped in here a few times and food has been excellent each time with a good selection to pick from. Service is on point and every request was greeted with a smile. It's a little off the main road but well worth going to if you're looking for a great meal. Free parking is a bonus. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming and the location is beautiful. Definitely will be back.

Had the pleasure to eat here with my wife last weekend. We made our reservation over the phone a few days before. They were very pleasant and helpful over the phone. Having not been to this restaurant in 20 years. We were curious to see how things are now. We were not disappointed. We arrived on time with a few minutes to spare at 1900hrs. We were greeted warmly and soon seated at our lovely table in the window. Prawn crackers offered on the house. Menus for drinks and food were delivered in short order. Before long drinks were on the table. Properly presented, good level of ice in the drinks, glasses clean and fresh. We ordered wine to go with both starters and main. The white was served nice and cold, ice bucket provided as standard. Red was good temperature. Wine glasses too were spotless and shiny. I do hate paying restaurant prices for good wine and then having stained glasses. Well done..! Unfortunately the mixed Dim Sum  was not available so we made do with another mix of starters. Pork dumplings, spicy soft shell crab, and spicy ribs. All were served promptly, and were hot and tasty. The ribs were deep fired which threw me from the basic Chinese recipe but this did not take away from the taste. For main course we had Ginger fried rice, bamboo shoots with Chinese mushrooms, and a delightful stir fried beef in honey and black pepper sauce. Everything was served hot, fresh and tasty.  All food dishes had a high level of presentation. The cutlery and tableware was all clean and polished. Simple but attractive table set up. Personally  I would have like a little more colour on the tables, either coloured napkins or bright flowers. Felt a little too all over white. Buts that just my opinion. The staff were incredibly friendly, the service overly attentive. Nothing was too much trouble. The whole restaurant was very clean and shiny. Toilets too were very clean. There is plenty of free car parking. No issues with disabled access or facilities. All in all. This was a lovely evening out with my wife. We really enjoyed the food and the restaurant overall. Would return without hesitation.

The place is under new management and they have really turned the restaurant around! The food was so good, one very recommended dish is the lobster in black bean sauce! The staff were friendly and attentive and the location is spot on, lots of parking too! If you get a chance, go and walk around the garden, you won’t regret it!

Absolutely irritated that they don’t except a debit or credit unless it’s over £100 for takeaway/delivery!!! Are you guys living in the real world? We are almost a cashless society! You need to update your system because next time I’m not running out to get cash!!!!! Unhappy customer!!!!!

My wife and daughter had our dinner here for the first time ,staff were exceptional and the food quality was fresh and sizzling. Best dining in Croydon and would be a regular feaster here. The crispy duck was tender theand and mosit portion was generous too. Modern seating and child friendly Thank you they know the way to a man's stomach : )

Friendly, helpful staff and an extensive menu with a lot of variety for vegetarians. Beautiful setting and the car park is a bonus. Most importantly, the food tastes great but 4 stars as portions could be a bit more generous.

I cannot say enough nice things about this place. The food is generally very good, with especially delicious crispy duck. We've always enjoyed ourselves here. The staff are extremely accommodating. I recently broke my leg and came here as my first meal out with my leg still in plaster. They could not have been keener to ensure that I could sit comfortably, letting me take over a corner of the restaurant so that I could put my leg up comfortably. Really great place for Chinese!

Passable(ish) food. Dreadful service and decor. Poor value. I’ve been here a number of times although most recently not for a couple of years. I guess it has changed management and has taken a big step backwards. The service is now bad - laughably bad - not so much rude but VERY unprofessional and unwelcoming. For example: waiting staff chewing gum, serving water from plastic measuring jugs.... The food is relatively better but difficult to see how they can justify the price given the service and tired decor. If you do decide to go make sure you leave a lot of time.... it will be slow..... PS £1 for a small bowl of chilli oil. Really!?!?

Awful! So disappointed will never return. Over the years we have always looked forward to celebrating birthdays or special occasions at this restaurant. Clearly it has changed hands as the service, and quality of food had clearly gone down hill.

We went as a family of 4 (3 adults and a baby) and hated it. The older lady served us as if she was doing us a massive favour. The food and the service were so bad (like 3 shrimps in a gravy dish, for instance, dry tasteless singapore noodles etc.) and the prices so high (we ended up paying around 80 quid for 2 starters and 3 main dishes with a couple of soft drinks that we were astonished how they even dared charging the service charge at 12.5%! Shameless. AVOID.

Food was delicious, hit and served quickly

Awful.. dosn't even deserve one star. Actually feel sick. Even the rice tasted disgusting. Worst chinese ive ever eaten. Sorry to be so blunt but its true.

The dishes are palatable, but the experience is of an anglicised version of chinese food. It is also quite expensive for the portion sizes. Service charge is automatically added to the bill. The location is off a main road, up a track leading to the entrance to Shirley Woods, so I think you would need to know where the restaurant is. Shame, because its a nice location, and a good menu.

We have been several times before & went back as the food was great, however tonight was such a disappointment! We went for a birthday with 12 people & the service was shocking from the get go!!! When we ordered everything was a problem, he was adamant the food wouldn’t fit in the table & said we couldn’t have it in one go! We said it would be fine, but even so the order came in drips and drabs with some people waiting 20minutes between meat and rice arriving! Several errors with our order! No drinks over an hour in, then when we asked for a drinks menu it took 20minutes ro actuallu be able to order them. The birthday girl asked 4 different people several times for chilli sauce, 45 minutes in, stlll none. We asked for the manager and no manager came. We tried to make the best of it, but then when the bill came we paid and then realised that they had overcharged us, there was 4 extra rice, extra ribs etc. on the bill! When we queried it the young man with blonde in his hair was very rude & acted like it was our problem! To be honest he had an attitude from the moment we got in, it was like we weren’t good enough to be in there! Such a disappointment, we will not be returning & will be telling all of our friends to do the same. Eventually a guy came, he wasn’t the manager, but he refunded some money, but the whole night was just unenjoyable and a real let down!

They took 1 and a half hours to deliver, the order of sweet and sour port and crispy duck with one order of spring rolls arrived and was not even enough food for 1 adult and cost me 24.70 pounds. When I called to complain and asked to speak to a manager or supervisor I was informed that they were out of the restaurant doing deliveries. No order there is no quality control or standards being maintained. Makes me wonder what else is not being checked and enforced. Guess I’m having canned beans for dinner!

Fantastic food and very friendly staff. Great for vegetarians with an extensive menu.