Shanghai 1814 Restaurant & Bar in Southampton

I cannot say enough how delightful dinner here was. The cocktails were clearly made by an excellent mixologist— they were delicious, refreshing, and had complex flavours. The scallops we had for starters weren't just flavourful, I swear they felt restorative to eat, as though they were steamed in a savory health potion. Our entrées, Mongolian beef stir fry and sizzling duck with ginger and spring onion, were so delightful too. It's just a shame we were too full for dessert! The atmosphere was immaculate, the space was so clean and beautifully presented, and the staff were so nice and helpful. Our server Maddie was an absolute legend. If you go to no other restaurant in Southampton, you should go to Shanghai 1814!

Food was ok but expensive. Service was efficient but cold. The server barely acknowledged my daughter throughout. It doesn’t cost the restaurant anything to be polite and friendly and they appear to have spent nothing on this aspect of their service.

Its more than 5 stars for me. We walked in without booking a table on New Year's and was provided with a table within 15mins without fuss. Friendly staff, quick service, superb hospitality, MICHAEL was serving us, and was excellent, kept checking after every serve, if we are good and if we needed anything. Michael asked me what is the special occassion, and I said, its my birthday on 4th Jan, and next few secs, there was a surprise birthday cake that was brought to our table and staff sang for me. It was an amazing, well spent money on very very very good quality food and ambience is spectacular 😍🤌🏼

Have visited Shanghai 1814 a few times now and it is firmly becoming a favourite when we visit Southampton. Lovely ambience with fantastic service but the food really is outstanding - very delicious

I was in the city for a short break with my girlfriend, and we stumbled upon this restaurant around 10 PM. The décor and design immediately caught my eye, and the lounge music created a sexy atmosphere. The service was excellent. The manager explained the menu to us, and we had our meal set up quickly. The drink options and cocktails were amazing. They had a unique twist on classic cocktails that still maintained the essence of their original recipes. I tried the spicy margarita, which was fantastic, and I enjoyed it so much I had five rounds! My partner preferred fruity and sweeter cocktails, so she tried three different ones, all of which she loved. The food was clearly made with love and passion. If you're looking for authentic Asian food in Southampton, this is the place to go. The spices and sauces were perfectly balanced. We ended the night on a high note, staying until the restaurant closed. On a separate note, if you're looking for more privacy, they also offer a private

Such a beautiful place to eat! The staff were friendly and welcoming and the inside was decorated beautifully. They have wide range of vegetarian dishes as well if thats something you are after. The drinks menu as well has lots of options although a little bit pricey. This is definitely a more fancy place to dine but I recommend splurging a little bit as the food is amazing.

We've eaten here twice now and both have been excellent. Really good service, lovely food and a nice ambiance. Toilets are also posh

Amazingly friendly staff nothing is too much for them. Food is outstanding 👌. The place is just beautiful. Went there for my hubby's 40th and they had a cake slice for him with a candle. Highly recommend.

Great ambience, very mediocre food and service

Ruined hen party. Arrived at 7.15 was told we were late on arrival, booked for 7pm pre-paid £18 per person (16 of us) also told they wouldn’t be serving us alcohol because some of the girls were too drunk (just a little lively). Won’t pay for a subscription so have to download a song of YouTube - had to find the songs with lyrics. Unbelievably disappointing won’t be returning.

A bit pricey but great for a special occasion. Amazing food, portion size, and presentation.

Beautiful place with lovely staff. Food probably doesn't live up to the price and some sides are ridiculously over-priced : £16 for some broccoli!

Great food and atmosphere, had the service charge removed from the bill as tipping should only be by choice.

Delicious food. Lots of lovely fresh veggies. Great cocktails.

I have been going here for a few years now and have always loved this place. I was always open to paying the higher price as the food was amazing. However, i went yesterday and im not sure if they have changed their ingredients/chef as all the food we ate was tasteless and bland. My mother had the chicken curry which she has had before however this time there was no flavour other than spice. We usually enjoy a bit of spice but this was very over the top and no other flavour to it. I had ordered my favourite dish which i got every year. This was just the chicken noodles. For some reason they again were completely flavourless and insanely dry. I went through two drinks trying to eat them as they dried out my whole mouth. When i asked if this could possibly be remade they said this is how it is made now? I paid £80 for this meal. Very disappointed as this was my favourite restaurant.

Went for a meal with a couple.of friends and had a really nice time, food was great service was prompt, a really nice place to eat and socialise

It was not my first time here, but this time it was a real disappointment. Food is good but overpriced. However, I give it one star because the staff needs urgent training and to learn manners. I will not be coming back again.

Favourite restaurant in Southampton.

The dishes have some tricks, so be careful

Wow this has to be one of mine and my wife best meals out it’s that good. Yes it is expensive but you are getting your moneys worth I can’t recommend enough!

I visited here with my work colleagues and it was absolutely incredible. The food was on a whole new level.

We went for a 21st Birthday dinner and had a wonderful evening. The atmosphere was lovely and the interior very impressive, food was delicious and service excellent. 3 of us had the £60 set menu (Taste of Orchid) and one diner did their own thing. There was plenty to eat and we even brought some home, as we all ran out of space. My only slight negative was playing rather annoying Christmas music which didn't match the ambiance. We would have preferred a more authentic music experience to match the venue and food. On the whole we had a great evening and the surprise birthday cake treat was greatly appreciated. Highly recommended and we will be going again! Ps. Cocktails were divine!

Absolutely delicious food, the best short ribs I've had in a very long time. Possibly the best ever. Great value for lunch mon-fri £21 for an appetiser, main and side. Service was excellent, friendly and proficient. We'll be back again.

The food is very Western. Delicious but basic. Our waitress was lovely but the head staff were very confused with our seating and orders. They said we were getting discount, but then refused when we went to pay. Would not go there again.

20/12/24 8pm We were a group of 4 , we were seated right at the back which was perfect for us as it was quiet and secluded, the staff were very attentive and our waiter was very polite , our drinks came very quickly, we ordered a starter and it came in good time , i had the vegetables rolls with chili sauce and they were perfect , they were hot and very tasty , my partner and his mate had half a duck and they said it was really nice , i had vegetarian kung-po chicken with egg fried rice and it was amazing, and a big portion, i struggled to eat it all , my partner and his friend and wife had the sharing platter as a sort of second starter ( they are big eaters ) they said it was very nice , my partner then had the stir fry Mongolian beef and said it was very nice and his friend had chicken curry , both again great dishes , his wife had noodles , we were so stuffed we had them bag it up for us , anyway it was my bd and they bought out a beautiful slice of some cake with a candle and it was so nice and the waiter sang happy birthday along with my partner and our friends , we were not rushed or felt and urgency to leave and the whole experience was fantastic, and it’s beautifully decorated inside , would recommend and we will be back Thank you for a great dining experience

Not many places I would not recommend to anyone... But this has made the top of that very short list! The food was lacking any flavor and the dishes we had which were battered were Gastly! Way too much batter, had the crispy beef and you couldn't even tell there was beef in it, literally just batter. Staff were not interested in hearing about our dissatisfaction and dismissed it. Ludicrously expensive for seriously sub par food. We left the two main courses they were that bad 🤢 DO NOT RECOMMEND!

Very disappointed with our with our meal. This place looked amazing, but the food is absolutely disgusting! For £108 my husband and I had 2 starters, 2 mains abd 2 soft drinks. The prawn tempura and squid was mostly batter and tasted of cooking oil. The chillies were burnt and were felt like plastic. The crispy chilli beef was just batter covered in sweet and sour sauce. And the noodles and Mongolian beef had zero flavour. We mentioned this to the waiter who just said he would pass the feedback on and that was it. Bottom bin!

Tasty food and nice atmosphere.

Wonderful authentic food very nicely cooked atmosphere for Friday near Xmas really good

One of the most memorable restaurants in Southampton, offering excellent Chinese dishes! The atmosphere creates a wonderful evening out, enhanced by unique lighting and cherry blossom decor. We visited a few times and were never disappointed by the quality of the food.

The food was excellent, and the service was prompt and attentive. Our meals arrived quickly, exceeding expectations. We received a complimentary cake to mark our anniversary, which was a thoughtful gesture. The best spot for photos is the VIP corner near the entrance, where the lighting is brighter. We finished everything on our plates because the food was that good.

Visited this restaurant a second time now and must say the second time we enjoyed our food. Even my both daughters commented how delicious their chicken noodles were. All we ordered was cooked to perfection, quality of meet, and prawns top class. It's a little bit pricey, but service and atmosphere, I guess, compensate it. If price of food was a little bit cheaper I would bring my family more often here. But overall, well done to staff and chefs. Would recommend!

Incredible food, exceptional service, our new favourite place.

Wow!! What a fabulous evening! Food was exceptional, lovely welcome, great fun banter with staff who were very friendly and engaging. Perfect location in the middle of the High Street. Beautiful building and stunning internal decoration and design.

Walk ins not welcome unless you have a physical card to hold on file. Just Turned up to the restaurant for a table of 3 for lunch, they wanted a card to hold the table but we only had Apple Pay. They wouldn’t allow this and refused to seat us for lunch 🤯

Wow, such amazing food, the staff are very attentive and friendly, it is such a lovely building and the decor is beautiful. Thank you for a lovely meal.

Very good evening. Food is excellent 👌 In our opinion Staff very friendly, polite and efficient

A must to go and Eat out in Southampton Fantastic Food and atmosphere Great beers Too A bit expensive but hey it's worth treating yourself

We booked an early evening table Staff and ambiance were perfect Food was mediocre at most. Chilly squid was good Satay chicken was dry and stale Duck was dry and stale We had chicken curry and chilly beef for main which was good but no better than our local takeaway Special fried rice was good but the chunks of meat were cold. The management need to get on top of the food quality issue or it will kill the resturant

Beautiful environment, attentive and friendly staff,amazing food and reasonable price. Update, new menu is very limited and prices almost doubled. Food is good but nothing to justify the cost. Service charge of £35 on a £250 bill for 4 people is just obscene. Definitely trying to be like blue jasmine but missing the mark for the price point. Cocktail are still good though.

Amazing restaurant, food exceptional as well as the service. Immaculate. Highly recommend.

Great place with delicious food and a great atmosphere

Delicious. Met my expectations 😃 And the drinks were really great too! I had a Spyce Martini.

The decor and atmosphere was alright , the food on the other hand wasn’t great might have been a hit or miss situation but for the drinks it was definitely a miss . Was excited to try it but was a very disappointing experience with the food . Hopefully it’s gets better cause it is a pretty restaurant and for the prices expectation of the food and service were quite high but it was a let down overall.

What an amazing place for a treat. Loved our time here and will come back. Highly recommended.

Best Chinese place i’ve ever been to in the UK. Amazing service, very friendly and professional staff and waiters. Food was so good - we had the sharer option. Make sure you are hungry because it’s a lot of food but totally worth it! Also a bit pricey but definitely worth it from the service and venue they have to offer. Very highly recommended.

Very nice atmosphere. Lots of staff who work very attentively and friendly. The tables were always cleaned between courses. The food was also good.

Really great food and service. Highly recommend

Very disappointing. The restaurant was beautiful and the waiter was very attentive, however the food itself was terrible, so much so we left most of it. The chicken was very processed and the sauces we lacking flavour. Also extremely expensive. Wouldn't eat here again ☹

amazing food, great staff. all around wonderful experience- was pleasantly surprised on the price. 10/10 will return

First time visit. Incredible place. Very impressive.

Great place to eat and drink with family and friends. Great menu Great produce Great surroundings.

Great place for food and socializing with friends and family.

Great ambience, great service and the food was absolutely fantastic

Service was excellent Food was fabulous

Exceptionally expensive it’s got to be said unfortunately. You’ll read people’s reviews that say you’ll get cheaper and better high quality Chinese places in London. I’m Not surprised. Venue is lovely and you’re paying for that. Drinks £££££ more than the food It’s great for an experience and I’d recommend you try it once.

The food is very good but portions are way too small for the price. The waiters speak Chinese which is great

Absolutely love this place. Has never disappointed.

Just celebrated my daughters GCSE results by coming here for fantastic meal with grandparents (her Candidate number was 1814 !).The Scallops were to die for, Mongolian beef dish absolutely delicious, crispy shredded beef and all the other dishes were just prefect. To top it off we had some truly spectacular desserts complete with dry ice ! Service was exceptional. Staff all incredibly good natured and efficient and personable. Took photos, offered doggy bags, explained dishes. Really couldn't have made a better choice of restaurant. Thank you wonderful staff for making it such a nice special occasion x

Brilliant place to eat even if it is expensive. The scenery inside, presentation and taste of food are all outstanding and the service is quick and caring

We had our registry office wedding lunch here for 9 of us. We had the 2 course lunch menu, and added on desserts afterwards. Lovely service and gorgeous food.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated, the food is varied and delicious, catering to many different tastes and the staff ask about allergies before you order and bring corresponding menus. Tap water was offered regularly. We went on a Sunday night in August, the place was humming and obviously popular. The atmosphere was fine apart from the thump, thump, thump of their chosen brand of music. We were placed by a speaker, 3 out of 4 of our group had hearing aids and the noise level made conversation nigh on impossible. We were offered a another table and it was marginally better. This music did NOTHING to add to the atmosphere. We were going to add our usual 10% service charge but 12.5% is automatically added but is a discretionary charge - there is no obligation to pay it. The food prices are high but the food is good. We had three drinks, two starters to share, 3 mains and two rice dishes between 4 of us. It was filling, we had a small amount to take away, which the restaurant are happy to do and the total cost was £105.

Beautiful decor, excellent service and food was beyond delicious, so fresh and perfectly cooked. Such quality and attention to detail. Executed perfectly. Can’t wait to return.

The background music for a restaurant was a bit loud, the atmosphere was more like going into a bar. The lighting was too dark, we had to walk very carefully not to trip over. We had a large party so they have arranged a separate room, so that was good privacy. The food was okay, but for the price I was paying, I was expecting something better than that. However, the presentation was wonderful. I ordered a sweet & sour pork, the meat so really dry and tough. The braised beef dish was quite a disappointment, the meat was not tender like how it should and the turnip was obviously not fresh and old ( felt like it’s been stored in the bridge for a long time). The hot & sour soup only tasted vinegar, the chicken was off. The salt& pepper soft shell crab was fabulous. I was expecting more sophisticated service from this nice restaurant, however one of the waitresses really surprised me with her rushy attitude. The speed for our order was incredibly fast, we ordered quite a few dishes but did not expect them to be served all at the same time. Literally there was not space she could put the dishes on the table. So I had to hold the plates while she tried to jiggle around the ones already on the table. Then she hassled us to all take a piece of soft shell crab from the plate so she could clear that plate! The quality and service did not worth £250 last night.

Lovely place, we love coming here as a treat with the kids. They love the soft crab starter! Desserts were great with the dry ice affect. It's not cheap, but well worth it.

Fantastic food and service. Only possible critisism would be music was quite loud.

The special soup with porc intestine and chicken was great, I loved the Spanish pepper fresh chillies and the black beans porc Berkshire porc belly and the lovely service of Li. This made loose many memories of the Noble China restaurant in Lilongwe Malawi.

I love their food and environment

We were celebrating our anniversary with my boyfriend there. First of all our table was a made-up side table on the second floor near the entrance right opposite two individual groups of people celebrating a birthday event...the atmosphere was very bad overcrowded, busy and noisy. Personally I don't enjoy when I can't have a conversation with my partner because we can't hear each other or trying to enjoy my food while people standing and walking back and forth next to my plate. Picked very tasty cocktails and beers. The food was okay overall but definitely not mind-blowing for me. We had the 1814 signature duck dish- was absolutely delightful- we also tried a beef dish, stir-fry vegetables, and the black truffle roasted duck- was dissaponting, way too fatty and greasy to worth pay £38 for it. Our waiter was kind and professional the service was surprisingly quick on a busy saturday evening however I felt like there's a fine line between being kind and pushy and for this time it was pushy. I was feeling like he really just tried to grab our plates and just get over with it. Spent approx. 1.5 hours there to have a dinner. Overall I don't say it wasn't worth it but I would not go back for a second time,sorry it wasn't worth the hype.

I came here for the 1st time today for lunch with a friend, the food and everything is mind blowing 1st class. WOW . I WILL DEFINITELY BE COMING BACK

Brilliant restaurant and top notch food in a luxury surrounding. First class meal we had.

We always love the food and especially the seabas fish

Stunning setting for a restaurant, unbelievably fresh and tasty food, the servers are brilliant and attentive especially Anastasia, she was brilliant in serving us

Came here for my sister’s graduation and I was very pleased with the service and food. Anastasiia was extremely attentive, making sure that the 7 of us were always catered to. She tended to multiple groups simultaneously and it still felt like she gave us 100%. The food was great, service was speedy, and the vibe/atmosphere was unmatched. 10/10 would recommend.

Amazing food, service and ambience. Highly recommend

The food was excellent, the restaurant beautifully decorated, and the staff exceptionally friendly and welcoming.

Beautiful restaurant. Getting your own room was worth it, completely private from everything. The staff are very attentive and the food was out of this world!

Honestly, we were trying to find one fault with this place and we couldn't, absolutely perfect, best Chinese we've ever been to. Also, FANTASTIC vegetarian and vegan options, an absolute treat.

It’s not easy😆, finally I can eat delicious Chinese food in the UK! Recommend 👍

Absolutely amazing all around, was served by Anastasia she was incredibly attentive and lovely, we can in to celebrate our anniversary and she brought us a free dessert which was a complete suprise and just showed how outstanding her service was. and the food did not disappoint great portions and super tasty. Thank you

Enjoyed our small meal Great atmosphere and service.

We popped in for a small meal about 7pm great welcome food was delicious atmosphere was fabulous and an excellent all round experience.

What to say about shanghai 1814. From the moment you walk into this elegant restaurant, the staff treat you like royalty. The food choice is varied and well priced. We ordered the sanpei claypot chicken and sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice, and every mouthful was a taste sensation. we ordered, and within 5 minutes, we were eating. The service was very attentive with being overbearing. Highly recommend this restaurant and just have to say they have the best takeaway bags I have ever seen.

Not cheap but excellent food, service and venue. Would definitely go again.

I recommend! Interesting interior, everything very tasty 😋

Personally, I feel that the food is average, the environment is okay, and the price/performance ratio is not high!

Very disappointed with our visit to 1814 from the moment of walking through the doors with our two children the manager had an attitude with us, put us in a private room and shut the doors on us, even tho my children are well behaved and quiet. We ordered lots of food and 2 dishes wasn’t very good at all, the salt pepper squid was very chewy, we ask to send it back and the manager told me everyone else liked it? Why not you? It’s good. Even though we genuinely didn’t like it and it wasn’t good. We ordered 5 starters and complained about one, she wasn’t happy, we then had 2 main dishes and rice and the crispy shredded beef was not good at all it was empty batter, there was a tiny amount of very dry beef smothered in very thick batter and it was like eating batter on its own. The chicken in black bean was beautiful and we complimented the dish, but said about the crispy beef being empty and terrible and the manager was not happy with my complaint, explaining how they’ve changed the recipe multiple times to get it just right for certain customers and it is now perfect and I said honestly it’s not good it’s dry and empty very disappointing, the manager wasn’t having it,, then offered another dish I asked for it to be taken off the bill as I didn’t want anything else. And she stormed off as if I’d insulted her. They took the beef off the bill, but not the squid even tho we never eat it bar two pieces. In the end, our whole experience felt uncomfortable and like they couldn’t wait to get us out, if they don’t like kids , they shouldn’t accept them into the restaurant. The manager needs to learn manners and customer service , and listen to customers feed back without denying the problem.

Everything from start to finish was lovely! The food was great, the restaurant is very nicely decorated and the staff was very friendly and welcoming. I was there for a family celebration and the man who was serving us brought us a free piece of cake because of this. We appreciated the gesture. I’ll definitely visit again!

Cocktails were really tasty, food were amazing, but the service was not good enough for this price. Light was a bit too dark as I had to turn my flashlight on when I dropped something off the table, overall I will rate it as 3.5/5, worth trying for the food and drinks, but won’t revisit shortly

Spectacular! 100% will return soon! The staff was extremely attentive and friendly. Our waiter Will in particular left us with a very positive impression, with his recommendations on the menu. The restaurant still takes covid precautions, which we really appreciated. Masks, temperature check, and sanitizer all were in hand. The ambience is just incredible, extreme attention to detail. It was a very relaxing atmosphere and immersive experience. Last but not least, the food was divine: we had the pork dumplings, the vegetarian spring rolls, the kung-po chicken and sizzling beef, with jasmine rice and egg fried rice. Cannot fault any of the above, but the mains in particular were extraordinary. Edit: visited again for our anniversary and it was still splendid. Had a wonderful night and immaculate service as well as excellent food. We tried the beef noodles, salt and pepper chicken, homemade chicken curry and the sizzling beef. It was all perfect. The staff takes allergies very seriously as well, which I really appreciate.

Nice food but way overpriced, not worth the money TBH. The old waiter is the rudest person I have ever come across, it's a shame and made the whole experience zero pleasure. Be warned, he will be standing and starring at you while you eat and not really doing any work.

Food was nice but way too overpriced for what it was. I got the set courses for £50 and got barely any food. The food was nice but not actually that great. The staff were slightly rude and quite unhelpful. Either way, I wouldn’t go back.

When checking out, the waiter was very rude and grabbed my card to swipe it without showing me how much money he entered into the post machine. The overall service experience is very poor 👎

Overpriced, mediocre food served in pretentious surroundings.

It can only be said again as per other reviews - Service, food and atmosphere is incredible !!! Can’t wait to come back ….. Salt and pepper aubergine is divine, as was the incredible, chocolate, coffee and ice cream dessert …… out of this world axxxx

Great looking place with incredible service, the food is the best version of Chinese food you can find, definitely worth it

This Chinese restaurant has a carefully curated menu with vegetarian and meat options. The standout part to this is the service. They pay special attention to your needs, are ‘seen not heard’ and polite. Your water will be topped up, your napkin will be placed for you on your lap. The wine list is complete with a nice selection by the glass but mostly by the bottle. The attention to detail on presentation, flavours and colour is impeccable. The atmosphere is relaxing, with a relaxing scent of incense and glowy lighting to add a pleasant atmosphere and exclusive feel. The prices are more expensive and the taste is definitely there. I was surprised but the spice level and we were also given cutlery although we were able to use chopsticks - one pointer could be to ask about the spice level and I definitely could handle more. Will be back for more memorable evenings.

host is nice but the waiter ( old guy) is impolite and rude!...Fried rice tasted soggy, other disks tasted average but are not worth for the money!

Flavour are a little bland for Asian palates. Manager very confrontational about removing discretionary service charge.

Such an amazing, beautiful restaurant. The staff go above and beyond, the food is incredible every time and the cocktails are insane! A little bit on the pricey side but you defiantly pay for the quality and the experience.