Shanghai Bay in Southampton - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

A place with native canton style food offering

The egg fried rice was very salty, the salt and pepper pork ribs were dry and hard, the spicy chicken was okay, I only ordered three dishes, but the decoration was okay, very Hong Kong style, like someone in a Hong Kong TV series

If you're looking for an authentic Chinese experience. This is the place to go. Menu with pictures for the foreigner is great 😃.

So good (I haven’t even been to this store before) but it looks good based on the picture.

Visited with family, lovely clean restaurant the service was excellent. Food was very nice and you got a good amount of food for what you paid for. Overall very good experience, we would come all the time if we lived closer!!

The taste is okay. For service, you have to wait for a long time and no one pays attention.

Stir-fried beef is £15. If it is oily and sweet, it is very good. But the portion is quite large, - I may not be able to eat it. The money is enough for the taste. It is £4.5👍. The chive cake is £4.5 but it is not enough for the chives. It is an improvement. The space and price are acceptable compared with London. The traditional restaurant decoration has more seats, but you have to go up more than ten stairs, so the elderly should be careful. The boss is very enthusiastic, so Hong Kong people can give it a try. 10% off cash.

Amazing place if you're seeking Cantonese food. Best place in Southampton by far!!!! Must try!!!

Food is ok, but nothing special. It has some authentic Chinese dishes rarely found in the UK, which were nice to try. Everything was a bit bland though. Service was ok, but the waiter did not know what some dishes were. Overpriced for an average Chinese with some interesting dishes.

Not authentic food from a Chinese pov. I ordered the braised pork knuckle, which was very fishy and sweet, and I didn’t finish it. The dry-fried beef river was also average, with no flavor and the beef was overcooked. The mangosteen beef balls were okay. The overall taste is good enough to fool foreigners.

Nice Authentic Chinese food. And specially the fried rice and chilly chicken cooked so soft.

The long stairs are not friendly for seniors !

Been eating this dish for 20 years from hundreds of Chinese restaurants, this is the worst one for £18 pounds, bloody ridiculous, straight to the bin

Lovely dim sum at a fair price. Best dishes were the Siu mai, the Har gow, and the fried prawn & bean curd rolls. We will most definitely be back.

Visited Shanghai Bay again. Previously rated 3 stars, now 4 stars. Very nice food and was served hot. Hard to use the wooden chopsticks.

The service was nice and fast. The food was excellent.

First time here and I reallly enjoy both food and service. Above and beyond.

Nice food but Bad service. There is one staff treated customer badly, has no service mind. Will go back to eat because of nice food but certainly not because of the service. Dear owner, the elder staff that dressed differently. You may look through other reviews as well, they also had bad service experiences in your restaurant.

Decent portion sizes and the food was some of the best I've tasted . Definitely be back .

If you are a Hong Konger, you’ll love it.

The staff here are extremely rude, and they need further education. I usually spend £20 to £30 at another Chinese restaurant, but this week, I injured my mouth and the pain makes it impossible for me to eat anything except porridge. So I came to this restaurant and ordered a bowl of porridge. The elderly male staff looked displeased after checking my order and treated me with sarcasm. I felt uncomfortable but tolerated it. However, he went even further. After completing the order, he turned to other colleagues and started mocking me loudly, saying "it's even more economical than eating at McDonald's," which could be heard throughout the entire restaurant. I felt extremely embarrassed and angry. Don't you know this is very rude? If this restaurant has a minimum spending requirement, you should have told me directly, and I would have understood and left. The porridge was unappetizing, and the staff were uncivilized. This is the first and last time I will visit this restaurant. I was puzzled when I first entered why there were so few customers, and now everything makes sense. For those who want dim sum and Cantonese cuisine, I highly recommend M dim sum. Both the taste and service there are much better than this restaurant.

It just never misses, always 10/10

I do not recommend this mediocre restaurant. The service attitude was very bad, without any politeness, very disrespectful to customers. I don't know how these 广东佬 were able to come to the UK to open a restaurant：）

Best Chinese restaurant in Southampton ! Had Chicken feet for the first time here, i was hesitant at first but was the tastiest thing ive eaten. Lots of flavour would recommend!

very rude manager customers service. i’ve had never ever felt so uncomfortable being in a restaurant like this after today. i have come to this place many of time and i felt it okay with service but today have change of heart, the place was quiet and the manager placing us an order he was speaking to me without any respect at all and we felt belittle by the manager. the manager seem like he hate his job by the way speak to customer like garbage. i felt rushing to order, i didn’t finish my sentence at all. the manager made little comment and kept rushing us to order and then walked away cause he said he didn’t want to wait. i see why the restaurant is getting slowly quit. i asked for the bill for ours drinks and they try to charged us with service charge. overall rude service, unwanted and unwelcome. we do not recommend at all. customer should always feel welcome but not here.

The service was absolutely awful! We came in and was not welcoming at all. The staff wouldn’t let us finish saying our order and then walked away when we were still wanting to order. Then tried to make us pay for service charge. They made us feel uncomfortable and the whole experience was just rude so we left.

Poor environment, regular food (a few of them authentic) with fair service(insufficient waiters) Not recommended for people who are looking forward to a decent experience of Dim Sum trial. The beef slices stir fry noodles is greasy but tasty! Overall it’s good but has much room to improve! We ordered: 8 dim sums, 1 steam rice, 1 stir fry noodles

The waiter has a bad attitude and discriminates against Asians.

We found this restaurant by accident, as it’s upstairs and there’s a small doorway, but we saw some people going in there and wondered what it was. We were so glad we found it! It was the best Chinese food my husband and me have tasted for a long time. Everything was freshly cooked and portions were generous. In fact the owner challenged us to finish everything we ordered and he would halve the bill. Needless to say we didn’t finish everything, but would have paid the full price anyway as it was so good. We had a set menu and added steamed prawn dumplings (delicious) and chicken chow mein (also delicious). The food and wine was reasonably priced. The staff were friendly and the owner was very friendly and attentive. We will definitely go back next time we’re in Southampton.

It’s ok. Staff couldn’t clear the table quick enough. Food was pipping hot. Looks a bit tiered and dated as it did 10 years ago the last time I visited. I had to admire the plumbing and carpentry. Another place that had a lesser tip than my usual because it had already been added to the bill never a fan of this. Plus side we paid it and not asked to be removed as it wasn’t dreadful.

Not disabled free. Stairs but no lifts unable to go up stairs cos I am disabled. Disabled people can't get in to eat food! It is in breach of disabled law.

Great authentic Chinese food. Don't be put off but the less than attractive location.

Such authentic and traditional Hong Kong-style dim sum, worth visiting again! legit and traditional dim sum at good price.

Enjoyed going for dim sum. Great restaurant to go with family or friends. Highly recommend the Char Sui Bao or Salted Egg Custard Buns as shown.

Convenience place. Some food is cold eg egg tart, barbecued pork crisp, salt water corner Staff are “black face”.

I was touring around the area and went in but they refused service as I was going to eat alone. There were plenty of seats available and it’s a Sunday evening so not that busy. Disappointed as they were blunt and rude. Do not recommend.

Unfortunately was very disappointed with our treatment by the waiter, we hadn’t managed to book a table in advance due to their phone system not working. The waiter however said we could have a table if we vacated after an hour or so, we agreed and was taken to our table. The waiter then rushed us to choose our food, he commented that he didn’t have time making us feel rushed. We didn’t feel comfortable after that. We rushed to eat our food taking the rest with us in takeaway boxes. Would recommend booking before going, we will personally not be going again. Such a shame that the waiter thought that was ok to treat customers like that.

This one uses to be a quality Chinese restaurant but the last time we went there… ALL the dishes were AWFUL…. Prices went up a lot too. Staffs were rude as well… Won’t be back in the future, better to drive a bit further down towards Portsmouth side for Kam’s Palace… that is always good and service is superb

Not only is this great dim sum that I go back for whenever in Southampton but it is better than the best Dim Sum I have had in London Chinatown, Toronto Chinatown, the US or even Australia. Today, my big discovery was the pan fried sweet potato, nice and different than your typical dim sum. It also reminded me their prawn rice noodles are the best ever. Strongly recommend.

Love the authentic and tasty food although they're a bit on the pricey end.

Great food, not from Southampton just visiting. Food was delicious.

We had a nice time with a group of friends, a great place to try many different dishes and share it! Just a bit noisy. The food was really good, excellent service, good prices and portions. They provide containers to take home the leftovers. Very happy to go back 😃

One of the best Chinese restaurants in Southampton

Nice place to eat. Toilets need to be renovated

Went for a date night and the food was fantastic and the staff were very quick and attentive

Food generally good but Not outstanding Service was just fair

I love their fried rice as well as those mango pudding, and red bean black jelly deserts. Their fried rice has an exceptional signature aroma that makes me remember my hometown.

Disclaimer: Their name is somewhat misleading as it is primarily Cantonese-style Chinese dishes, not Shanghainese dishes. However, this is definitely the best Cantonese cuisine in Southampton without a doubt. Huge portions, delicious food, and great waitstaff. It is a bit pricey, but with the portions you get you could easily have 2-3 meals from a single bowl of noodles. The restaurant itself is also oddly cozy and akin to that of an old Chinese eatery.

We ate here today for the first time and it will not be the last. The food was lovely. We had a set meal for 2 which was so much food we had the rest to take away. We would highly recommend to anyone wanting great food and service. It was very busy when we went and service was still efficient and not rushed.

Fuuuyoooh 😋 this restaurant brings authentic nostalgia to sensory overload in food, service and the ambience of real Chinese culinary at it peak. My personal upmost recommendation that superseded London Chinatown, Sydney and Melbourne yum char restaurant.

Discriminating against Chinese students and treating people differently, definitely won't go again. 👎🏻 Racist. 👎🏻 I'll tell the Chinese students what they did and tell them not to come. 👎🏻

Delicious dim sum! I loved all the dishes- both savory and sweet so much. I also loved the buns they had at their little shop section such as pineapple bun, bbq bun and red bean buns etc. The staff are so lovely and the restaurant is very popular! So yummy, can't wait to come back!

Busy place. Full of local Chinese which is a good sign. Dim sum, very flavoursome and hot. Will be back again soon.

Beef curry was lush. Feels like a canteen upstairs but the food is very tasty, proper. Also the fact it's open all day means a late lunch is on the cards 👍

Prices on the menu were different than advertised

Real authentic dim sum in Southampton. The portions were big and I was alone, I could only manage the century egg pork porridge and Xiao Long bao.

Keep an eye on the receipts and compare it with what you ordered

Have been coming here all the way from Hertfordshire, and today is our 4th visit. Sadly, the quality of food has been less and less impressive and more and more disappointed. Ordered morning glory with balacan but put through as seasonal veg with garlic sauce; our Pi Par Tofu supposed to be made with mashed tofu with minced prawn, but it is bulked up with lots of starch and minuscule amount of prawn. The other dishes we ordered, roast duck, braised pork belly with taro and fried king prawns with salted egg yoke were all still good and highly recommended.

Best Chinese food anywhere I've eaten around the world

The Chinese food is quite authentic

{點心3樣 (上海小籠包， 豉椒蒸肉排， 鮮虾餃皇) Three Dim Sum (Shanghai Small steamed Bun, Spare Ribs in Soya Sauce, Ha Kau) - £11.60} Appearance 3.5/5 - The bowl of rice looks dreadful, as it was uneven and looked wet. There are too many fat Spare Ribs that do not looks appealing to me. Having said that, overall, it's alright. Taste 4.5/5 - The food tastes bland, which was appealing to me. It was not too strong, but it was sufficient to deliver the taste of the food. Texture 4/5 - Decent texture for the Dim Sums, too many fat Spare Ribs and wet rice are the only flaws. Size of the dish - Small, insufficient for 1 person. Service 1.5/5 - The waiter who was serving me did not have a smile in his face, and looked like he is not satisfied with everything. The tone and all, were disastrous. Environment 4/5 - Warm, bit of traditional Chinese design. Temperature - Hot, except for the rice which was cold Others - / Comment - It is expensive but the taste was good in general. Service was dreadful. Not recommended for their dreadful service. Overall - 3.5/5 (Poor service) 02/10/2020 Terence the Food Judge

I found the food affordable and pretty delicious. I liked the variety they had as well. The durian puffs were pretty good, but too much fried items made me feel bloated. The shrimp dumplings were filled with 2 shrimps, and that was pleasant. There is a 10% VAT charge as well. I had 11 dishes, and my yotal bill was just under 70 £.

港式酒樓餐牌，應有盡有，質素比時下香港的更好吃！在修咸頓吃中菜必選👍

Really good food here. I had the BBQ pork buns, the Shanghai steamed buns, and lemon tea. The tea was the best I’ve had in a long time, and the BBQ buns were delicious.

Hidden gem, food is very classic, few flaws in terms of some dishes are salty but can be overlooked as its designed to be paired with rice. Still highly recommended!

Nice place to have Chinese meal

Food is brilliant, food and service is very good , if you want to enjoy your dinner, there’s a lot of authentic Chinese cuisine,very busy restaurants.

Chinese food is normally a hit and miss, but when you come at 1500 in the afternoon, you open the entrance door on the ground floor with stair leading up to the restaurant and you can hear Chinese spoken all over, that can only be right! and it was, very good dim sums and the main courses were great too. We compare it to London china town restaurant and this one is def. one of the ones that has better dim sum. You know its good, when 95% of the guests are Chinese. Cheung fun was excellently thin and generous prawn sizes.

The food is excellent here but today we were unfortunate to have a very rude head waiter. Our dim sum dishes came about 5 minutes apart each course which we didn’t mind. But the last 2 plates did not come . After waiting for a long while we asked and he went to check and said one of it they don’t have today. He was not bothered, no apologies etc. Never mind we waited some more but by now people were queuing along the staircase so I said to him if we can bring our last plate we can packed it and go as we have had enough to eat. He shrugged his head and just you just wait as we have our own system of working here. So we waited, We saw rice roll ( Cheong Fun) that we were waiting for walk passed with waiters and waitresses carrying. But my very patient husband said it’s ok we can wait. Mean while to save time I had gone to the counter to pay. I ask Jo if he has any nice biscuits so I may buy some to take with me. He was not interested and said , just pay this first. After I had, he pointed rudely to my seat and said very roughly ‘ Go back to your chair’ I’m thinking this man is the rudest custom service I’ve ever encountered for a long time. He is definitely not happy and not interested in his job, so why is he the head waiter and front of house ? Shame about this as food is so good. Will go elsewhere in future

Very authentic Chinese restaurant, we went for the dim sum dishes and they were great. Really enjoyed it and prices were reasonable

They serve the best dim sum in town.

What a great restaurant. We had superb Dim Sum accompanied by quick efficient service. The Dim Sum is the best I have had in the UK, proper fillings and a wide variety to choose from. Excellent.

We called in here while we were staying in Southampton, nice restaurant and very busy which is always a good sign, we looked at the menu and decided on the set meal but we had to laugh when the owner told us it was too much food for us both & to chose something else, we did chuckle, what we had though was lovely and we would visit again

We hadn't eaten here for quite a while but decided to meet family here and were reminded how much we liked it. The staff were friendly and accommodating and the food was superb.

Was in Southampton for the first time with my family. Found this restaurant on Google. I like how it’s upstairs just like HK. The menu had dim sum which was amazing as usual in London finishes at 4pm. We were there at 8pm for dinner and ordered a lot of food. Disappointed that there was no more duck but maybe next time. The food was amazing, good portions and was filling. Cooking was authentic and we all enjoyed it. If We’re back in Southampton again we’re be back to dine. The bill is so much reasonable than London too

Four of us ordered a could range of meat, vegetable, and rice dishes to share. Everything was very could we couldn't agree on a winner. Beef with ho fun and beansprouts is always a firm favourite of mine and the braised aubergine in spicy sauce is a new favourite. Service is always prompt too

地方寬闊，茶味十足，中西點心榚點，蛋撻紫菜卷等，服務熱情招待。

Very delicious food, very happy tummy, had a tonne of leftovers to take home!

Amazing food and really kind staff 5/5 rating

Great real old school Cantonese cookery it's finest and the dim sum......as good as it gets .. why go to London!!!!

Myself and 5 friends visited on Saturday evening 8th July 2023. The staff were efficient, polite and service with a sense of humour! The food was Excellent. Thank you!

A good restaurant with above average quality dim sum and reasonable price. It's located at Above Bar Street and no parking is available.

Food was alright. I went for roast pork and BBQ pork and they were out of both at the time.

Food was decent and had great flavors. We order a few dim sum dishes, noodle and congee. But the waiter got our order wrong and we pointed it out to them. However, instead of taking it back and cooking what we originally order. The staff member told us to try it and that we might like it. Made us feel like we were in the wrong and his exact words were “It’s out of my hands I didn’t take your order” I mention to him that we have been coming here for few years now and know what we usually order. After that he proceeded to walk away. So we finish what we could, paid the bill and left. Staff isn’t friendly at all. Customer service is poor here and we now won’t be coming back again.

Good food. Authentic old hong kong style dim sum, which is hard to find these days. Great service, friendly staff. Look forward to trying dinner next time.

First time at this place in Southampton. Above some shops on the high street. Very good dim sum and the atmosphere is very like some places in Hong Kong. Will come back next time I am in Southampton.

good value for money，good location

We loved it - it was very authentic, delicious chow mein Very friendly staff and reasonably priced. definitely recommend

This is our favourite restaurant .Whenever we go Southampton, we are there. Chicken sweet corn soup & kingprawn choumin is in one of our favourite lists.

Probably the best Chinese I've ever eaten. We came here for a cruise and we're so surprised. Highly recommend the salt and pepper prawns and the chicken satay.

Authentic dimsum restaurant. But getting really expensive now

I have been searching for an authentic Chinese dining experience but it always fell short. Shanghai bay offers premium quality food at reasonable prices in what feels like a traditional setting for this food. The portion sizes are gargantuan and the variety of foods they have is equally as big. There will most definitely be something you'll like on the menu. The staff are some of the best serving staff I've encountered in any restaurant setting, constantly making jokes and keeping it light for everyone to enjoy the food. I recommend this as the best Chinese food place in Southampton and I challenge you to tell me otherwise.

This restaurant used to be my place to go for Chinese food. The overall quality of the food has dropped massively, and the service is getting really poor and arrogant sometimes.

Good dim sum place even for those who seek the authentic Hong Kong experience.

DO NOT ORDER FOOD FROM THIS SHOP. Definitely not worth it, you will receive cold and very poor quality food look's like food cooked last week. If you request for refund on the phone they will give you none becuse staff can't understand your English. I give them zero star if i have choice

DO NOT ORDER FROM HERE! ordered food as had guest to feed when the food came it was cold and chips looked as if they were cooked days ago, when I called them back they didn't want to listen, I asked them to take the food back and give me a refund but they just kept on beating me around the bush, so rude and unhelpful

I'm never going back to this place. The salt and msg content in the food is too strong for my human tongue. Adding to the staff unfriendly behaviour.

Good food and friendly service.

Excellent Dim Sum and other traditional dishes. Very popular, even on a cold Monday afternoon. We ordered pork buns, prawn dumplings, green vegetables with garlic and (probably too many) other delicious dim sum dishes. Everything was good quality and well cooked. The menu reminded me of the food I’ve eaten in Hong Kong. Also enjoyed the jasmine tea - perfect for a chilly day.

Probably the best traditional Chinese cuisine in Southampton... absolutely light. You won't find better outside of London's China Town.