The Bamboo Flute in City of London, Westminster

A tiny restaurant and not much room if waiting for a takeaway previously ordered, although we were kindly offered cold water while we waited. All food was delicious but can recommend the Crispy Aromatic Duck, and King Prawns with Ginger & Spring Onion.

The seafood noodles is just sooooooo good. This restaurant is the reason I love Chinese cuisine so much! This was the best noodles I have ever had. Must try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lo abbiamo trovato per caso passeggiando in una via poco trafficata .

I just had a main and it was really good if slightly oily (Sichuan chicken with chilli). However in empty restaurant apart from staff and their drunk friend, who only appeared to shout )very very loudly) rather than speak - finished up quickly and left.

A quaint traditional Chinese restaurant if you want true Chinese food this is the place for you. Don't expect roomy surroundings but what you get shadows the small surroundings. Frequented by many Chinese folk. True recommendation.

Esta es una pequeña joya de un lugar pequeño, pero un montón de ambiente y la comida era absolutamente fantástico. Nos sentimos como si estuviéramos visitando la familia. Nos encontramos con este restaurante por casualidad, pero fue el punto culminante del día ¡no te lo pierdas si estás en la zona.

Fabulous food, attentive service. Lovely ambiance. Well worth a visit. Small restaurant with limited covers. We went on a Saturday evening after peering through their window. I'm glad we made the trip! Food wonderful, emphasis on sechuan. Give it a go.

We chose Bamboo Flute based on the TA reviews. Easy to miss small restaurant. We waited about 20 mins for a table. We really liked the hot and sour soup, pan fried dumplings and the green beans. The gungpao chicken was ok. Service is friendly if a little slow. Price was reasonable.

I had the Singapore vemicilie noodles and it tasted "OK", It was nothing special. For £8 I felt the noodles didn't have enough meat in it. I could hardly see any meat or seafood. For this price, you expect a decent amount of meat. I used to go to this Resturants for many years since I used to work closeby but the overall quality has gone down in recent years and prices have gone up. Won't try their food again. I can't speak for other dishes though.

El restaurante es bastante pequeña y se podía ir andando por sin darme cuenta, me había hecho (como puede uno! Sin embargo cuando) buscando algo diferente para probar, encontré algunas buenas críticas, así que quería verlo. Había una cálida bienvenida.

This is a very good Chinese restaurant. Very small place, friendly and helpful staff. A little more expensive than most Chinese restaurants is my only gripe.

Fined at the Bamboo Flute Cleveland Street on Monday of this week- accidental find but what a good one! The prawn starter (golden crispy prawn balls) was amazing. Both mains (fragranced pork and king prawn asparagus) were excellent too. It’s a small place - the walls are covered in Chinese musical instruments as the chef is also a musician. Great place!

I visited this restaurant for the first time last week. I had wanted to go there for a long time, as I live in the neighbourhood, but keep going to the Oriental Dragon across the road as I'm a fan of their Szechuan dishes. As I had a friend visiting, we decided to try somewhere new. The service was attentive, and the menu quite short, which is always a good sign in my opinion. We ordered a hot and sour soup, some fried dumplings as a starter, and then the fragranced spicy beef and the beef in black bean sauce with vegetable noodles. Everything was utterly delicious, with attention to detail. I enjoyed my spicy beef (I love hot food, and this certainly delivered) and both the soup and dumplings were very authentic and home-made. The noodles were also gorgeous. At one point, the manager popped out from the kitchen to greet us, and to tell us that he'd made those noodles himself, and we complimented him. Best of all, nothing was too oily or heavy on the stomach. We felt sated (we needed a doggy bag) but not uncomfortable. My only slight criticism is that the (rather lovely) music was playing on a loop... But that is really quite minor! I will certainly be back!

I had a great experience at the Bamboo Flute. Tried the sweet and sour soup followed by an aubergine dish that featured morsels of pork. Both were delicious. It’s a small place on a street that’s away from the hustle and bustle nearby but don’t overlook it!

Great food and some interesting things on the menu so you get to try something outside of standard chinese menu....

The place is so tiny that I had to order take away, and bring it to my nearby apartment. I...

Fuimos a este restaurante con grandes esperanzas de una comida interesante y agradable. Mi amigo llegó antes que hicimos y ordenados los rollitos de primavera para él para picar. A pesar de muchas peticiones no eran sabios Luego preguntamos si tenían pan de gambas y...

Tuvimos una cena fabulosa en El Bamboo Flute ayer. El servicio era atento sin ser irritante, la comida era muy sabrosa, aunque un poco pesado en el chili, y el vino fue justo para este tipo de comida. Todo lo que mantiene de 5 estrellas es la sobreabundancia de chili, pero la próxima vez pedir menos, así que no hay problema. Sin duda volveremos!

Our friends have walked passed this restaurant multiple times previously and it has always seemed popular. Seating is limited but we tried our luck and got a table for 4 straight away on a week night. Guo Yue (the owner/ founder/ chef) greeted us and was there to recommended us dishes depending on our tastes. We were very impress by the hospitality and service during the whole meal. The food was outstanding and I would highly recommend this place for a great friendly atmosphere for dinner.

We discovered this restaurant by pure triangulation and TripAdvisor-searching, and it's a treat.It's always good to find examples of regional Chinese cooking in London - China is a vast place so it's best to specialise, I guess - and the tastiest dishes I ate at Bamboo Flute were those from Northern China. Mongolian lamb with cumin; fragranced pork with wild mushrooms and bamboo shoots - these were elegant and spicy and generously portioned to share.As a snack, I chose the golden crispy noodle prawn balls, which were fun and highly moreish. Anyone from Gujarat in India will appreciate the similarity to 'sev' - albeit packed with brawny prawny flavours and flesh! I also had the obligatory Half Moon Aubergine Box: fried and steamed chunks of aubergine, stuffed with minced pork. This is not a vegetarian-friendly dish! (But it's great.) This is not a fancy place, and the prices reflect this, but the service is so friendly, and we even had a detailed conversation with the owner about Sichuan cooking.You don't expect to find this type of restaurant nestling in a back-street of Bloomsbury, and I'd recommend it to anyone in the area.

Had been walking past this restaurant for 2 years without taking any notice of it. Then by chance i read a review. Then i looked it up on Tripadvisor. . Then I booked it. Then I ate there. Best Chinese Food I have ever eaten, The care & presentation & quality is amazing. So before anyone else reads this review I have booked again. It is a very small restaurant.

Amazing Chinese food experience. Unique venue with unique menu. Guo Yue has a unique view of Chinese cuisine.

Poor service. The only waiter (big guy with glasses) is slow and forgetful. He forgot my drink, miscalculated the bill, is inattentive, not friendly or courteous at all.

Really tasty and generous portions and friendly people. We had the starter plate, mongolian lamb, beef with vegetables and chicken

One of those reviews I almost don't want to write as this little restaurant would be a great secret to keep. The food, service and ambiance were perfect. The only downside is going alone doesn't let you sample enough items!

I came here with my boyfriend after seeing really good reviews. We arrived and the restaurant was full (they only have six tables). We were told to come back half an hour later. The wait between each dish was REALLY long, there was only one waiter and the owner of the place wasn't helping at all, only chatting with customers all the time. I didn't like what I ordered and was very disappointed about the place.

Just a quick refresh of my previous reviews I managed to get a table, for one, at about 18.45. Was already busy, a good sign. OrderedSweetcorn and crabmeat soupSalt and pepper squidChilli beef and jasmine rice. Absolute perfection (chilli beef not for the faint-hearted). Oh and the service is great. No more to add. VISIT

Visiting London in November, I have found this place while walking to the hotel. The place is relatively small, just few tables. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is warm and the service is very good! I ordered few meals including soup, Peking duck, dumplings. Everything was superb!

We had planned To go to a middle eastern restaurant I had been to last year but it seems it has gone. We came across this small Chinese restaurant with about 20 seats. It is northern Chinese cuisine (though the chef is originally from the south). They do a 5-7pm meal for £ 7.50. Excellent value and. The food was excellent. We had a pork rib soup- just lovely and shared beef with ginger and spring onions and a chicken dish with a garlic success and vegetables. Will go again.

It's a small place,but we enjoyed the food. I have to recommend the rids, would go back next time I'm in London just for them.

A friend had recommended this place and we were so glad we went! Tiny little place with fantastic food and service. Probably the best chilli squid I've ever eaten, followed by some lovely succulent lemon chicken and washed down with some very nice Rioja! Definitely on the list for a return trip next time I hit London!

We were staying in an Airbnb across the street and saw a lot of activity in the restaurant.We went in and it was a cute, tight space with about 6 tables. It smelled amazing and we knew that we made a great choice.We seated ourselves with a nod from the waiter and then we sat for about 10 minutes before getting a menu.After getting our menu it took another 10-15 minutes for him to take out order...While he sat and served many tables around us.The food was amazing (we got fragrant pork, hot and spicy soup and pan seared dumplings. Overall we were happy with the food choice, but the service was so lacking that I probably would not return.

Arrivati a Londra in tarda serata siamo stati accolti con grande cortesia verso le 23 in questo piccolo ristorante che può passare inosservato ma che propone un ottimo cibo cinese. Eccezionale l'anatra, buono il servizio e i prezzi.

We were struggling to find a decent place to eat after a long day of walking around London. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of food at this restaurant. The service was friendly, the restaurant was reasonably priced and although small had a very cozy feel. The only suggestion we can make is that the restrooms need a little attention. It was very nice of the owner to come out to say thanks and goodbye. We will visit again the next time our travels take us to London!!

Great service. The best fish and sauce I have ever had. The proprietor is frankly once of the most interesting guys in the world. Natch. Charlie.

I walk past this restaurant a lot, it's usually busy with a wait for a table. However, I took advantage of a quiet but steady Monday night, to get a table straight away. First impressions, this is a basically furnished, small, café style restaurant. When I was there the other diners were 100% Chinese. The welcome was very warm and the service continued to be sunny throughout the evening. The manager is apparently an accomplished flautist, he's a great guy, after my first meeting I would love to get to know him more. To start, I ordered a favourite, Salt and Pepper squid; well cooked and more importantly, perfectly seasoned. Scallops with asparagus and vegetable noodles to follow, both, again, up there with the best. A word of warning..... The portions are HUGE, but the waiter was more than happy to box up the left-overs to take away. I got the impression he did this action lot, due to the generous portion size. It's not cheap, but neither is it expensive. I'll be back, you should visit too.

I was at a conference at the Holiday Inn round the corner and just called in for a bowl of soup noodle. Probably the tastiest i have ever eaten-the broth was amazing. i need to come back and sample the menu properly. This could be a real find.

You could easily not walk into this place - there are far nicer places visually on the same street but if you ignore the decor you are about to discover some incredibly tasty Chinese food. Now the vegetarian options need a bit of work as half the vegetable dishes contain pork! However as long as we get past this gripe the place is wonderful it's run by a charming Chinese man who greets everyone he sees but not in a fake way. His dumplings are superb and the chefs specialities are amazing. Everything I tried on the menu surpassed my expectations - I will be returning.

I went there, ordered some takeaway, paid for it and was assured that all be ready in 20 minutes.After waiting for over 45 minutes outside my partner phoned and could not believe that the takeaway was not yet ready. She rightly said that if one waited that long and the food is not yet ready then it's not worth eating even if it was free. Needless to say we gifted the food to chef...We are going to to ROKA instead.

A small place but very cozy, good food and friendly staff. A must go. Well cooked food.Decorated with small things but very nice

We have some wonderful Chinese restaurants in Edinburgh, but is the best we have ever eaten.If that wasn't good enough, the host, Mr Yue could not have been more welcoming.Altogether, a truly memorable experience. Will definitely be back.

Great resturaunt tucked away with a very keen owner who likes to keep you entertained throughout your meal. If he is in the mood he might even play the flute to your delight. The food itself was very tasty, we ordered a variety of dishes which was made to perfection. I shall visit again when I am in the area. Thoroughly recommended, my personal favourite is the chilly chicken cashew.

Most likely the best Chinese we have ever had. The quality of the food was fantastic and the setting and ambience was great too. Thank you.

I am a visitor to London. After reading the TripAdvisor recommendations my son and I ate at the Bamboo Flute last night. It was stunning!We found the restaurant hard to find it as it is temporarily covered by scaffolding. Once found it is a very unassuming place filled with Chinese customers (always a good sign!). The restaurant is run by a family and they are charming and gentle!The food was the best Chinese cuisine I have ever eaten, even compared to Hong Kong! It has a style all of its own.We had a sharing plate with ribs, glass noodles, 5 spice beef, asparagus, prawn balls, spiced mushrooms, spring rolls, fried squid and fried chillies. Every mouthful was a taste sensation, absolutely delicious. I really cannot praise this place highly enough! We rarely go back to restaurants. When working away, I like to try new things, however, this week will be an exception - I will probably eat at the Bamboo Flute most nights!

I love this place, amazing authentic food and great atmosphere. I've held two birthday meals here practically taking up the whole restaurant and everyone we've introduced to the place now come regularly. It's the one restaurant I always recommend to people and is the only really good Chinese restaurant I've managed to find in London. If you can get an invite to one of their banquets, go!

Went there last weekend, Aubergine Box, whilst doesn't sound very appetising is simply amazing.Crispy noodle prawn balls are fantastic, but the best is the steamed sea bass with ginger and spring onions, amazing.It's a bit out of the way in W1, but worth finding.

We went twice during our two weeks in London and it was fantastic both times. Highly recommend the appetizer platter. The ribs and shrimp nests were some of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. Service was good and talking to the owner was interesting and entertaining.

The restaurant area is tiny and it's frequently full but it's understandable from the staff alone. They're all really friendly, polite and always on hand to help and attentive at serving. The menu has a decent range of options and the staff are happy to recommend items or tweak options to suit.The food itself is delicious, with decent portion sizes and beautifully cooked and served. Spicy prawn starter and the soups are fantastic, and the duck pancakes are a perfect sharer with enough to go around a group of three. Chopsticks are the default for the mains but there's cutlery available on request for those who prefer.The only thing preventing the full five stars is that it is quite pricey, even for the area. Drinks do bump the bill up a lot, but unfortunately it means it can't be such a regular visit as I'd hope! A great restaurant though and stands out amongst the many other options in the area.

I came here on my own during a business trip and was lucky to find the place almost empty as there are not a lot of tables. It filled up later which is not a surprise with food being delicious, staff friendly and prices moderate.

Popped into the Bamboo Flute for a quick lunch and was very impressed. There are a lot of good restaurants in the area but this stands up to the competition. Tasty food, friendly staff and reasonable prices.

Searching this area of London for a good, friendly restaurant can be daunting so I was delighted to discover the Bamboo Flute as a quiet place for a light supper. It is located near to Great Portland Street Tube station and potentially a super rendezvous for friends to enjoy lunch or supper. (I enjoyed an early supper on my own before catching the 8pm train home from Euston). The restaurant's pre-theatre menu is great value and its menus are varied and tasty. There are only a few tables but this adds to its ambiance if meeting someone new or wanting to enjoy a warm supper with an old friend without "busting the bank". It would be good too for pre-booked business meeting with, say, 12 people from the office). I hope you find it and come to the same conclusion.

Lovely food and very reasonable. Food served really quickly and attentively. Would definitely return. Sea food mix is superb

È un piccolo ristorante ma il cibo è meravigliosoFatevi consigliare nella scelta dal padrone che è molto gentile e premurosoIo ci sono già stata tre volte ed ogni volta ho assaggiato dei piatti differenti ma tutti molto buoniQualità prezzo eccellente specie in una Londra così cara!

Bamboo flute is one of the best Chinese food experiences that I have had outside China. I was absolutely impressed by the Sichuan spice that they used in my dish! The owner and the waiter were super nice and made their best to offer us a first-class Chinese dish. Prices are a bit higher than average but it is definitely worth it!Recommended!

There were some dishes on the menu that I have never seen before in a Chinese restaurant . We weren't very hungry so we opted for the mixed starters, then shared the Box Aubergine with some dumplings alongside. The starters were very good - apart from the noodles which were rather tasteless - and the box aubergine main course was delicious. The service was friendly and fast. We will definitely eat here again.

Went with my wife and 9-year-old son this past summer, based the good reviews here. We were lucky enough to come on an evening when the owner was in, and he came over and helped us order. All his suggestions were great. This is an unpretentious, small restaurant, serving very good Chinese food, and I highly recommend it. The owner is also a professional musician (hence the name) who has worked with some very big name international artists and written and performed for films. He apparently does special nights at the restaurant which you have to book in advance for, and I think he even takes people on tours to China. In other words, The Bamboo Flute is not just a restaurant--it's almost like a circle of friends you can join, if you so wish. Which I think is pretty cool.

Dinner in this small restaurant was like dining in someone's home, at least as far as the food went, except someone who cooked beautiful, fresh, Chinese food. This is a million miles away from sticky, glutinous, Chinese take aways. It's a tiny space but we were able to book on the day. The owner was there and, guided by previous TripAdvisor reviews, we simply asked him what he would recommend. A whole, sticky sea bass and fresh vegetables. With a bottle of Viognier this was a real treat - not expensive, fresh and tasty. I would definitely go again.

What a roller-coaster of a meal! When we arrived, we were greeted by a warm & cozy dining room and we're quickly presented with a genuinely interesting and exciting menu. We ordered two different Chinese beers, a corn soup and a spicy soy soup, a twice cooked pork dish and a coriander fish. It took a while for our soups to arrive, but when they did the highs and lows began coming in waves: first, though we'd alerted the owner to a shellfish allergy, the message wasn't understood in the kitchen and the soy soup came with shrimp that caused several moments of alarm, profuse apologies, and attempts to atone that caused a cascade of new problems (a new dish supplied but no plates to serve it on, etc.) that left an impression of a place falling over itself to do everything right bit so overwhelmed that nothing quite jels. The owner is very personable, the food was mostly wonderful (tasty & spicy without too much heat) and occasionally sensational (the noodles and spice peanuts that were served complimentary at the start were GRRAT); the other patrons were about 2/3 Asian and engaged the owner in loud and friendly conversations, and we wanted to love the experience, but in the end we're inclined to look for another "regular" place near our hotel.

Another great banquet evening at this charming little restaurant near Great Portland Street.The food is unique, authentic, home style Chinese food, cooked with passion. It is not anything like the regular fare you would expect from your average Chinese restaurant.Amongst the many dishes served, we enjoyed, Duck with hand made pancakes, Hunan steamed fish, Chinese leaf with silky Doufu and lamb, Marinated and tea scented slow cooked pork, Beef with fresh vegetables, Bashed cucumber and of course owner, Guo Yue's legendary hand made dumplings with dipping sauce.All of the food was delicious as usual. We were also treated to a short live performance of some of Guo Yue's exquisite bamboo flute music. Charismatic owner Guo Yue also took time to introduce each dish and demonstrate the preparation of some of the ingredients. A truly enjoyable evening.

Get stuck in with some flavoursome Beijingese fare and a deep conversation with the owner over a few Maotai if you can handle it !

As all the other positive reviews have already said, this place really is a hidden gem. The owner Guo Yue is an incredibly charismatic man who shares his passion for food and music with the customers. Each dish was mouth watering, delicious, simple and well presented. I must head back soon now that autumn is almost here and try the hotpot!

Meget god mat. Liten og intim restaurant som vil være full med ca. 20 gjester. Hyggelig og våken servitør.Regningen var uspesifikk og vi måtte spørre hva hvert enkelt beløp representerte.

Visited on the strength of the Tripadvisor ratings, only just round the corner from the Holiday Inn Regent Park. Our six year old and four year old in tow, we fancied a Chinese without too much of a walk. What we got was a great meal, what we didn't bargain for was the hour or so spent with Guo Yue, the owner.Complimentary noodles and nuts excited the taste buds. Hot and Soup Soup, brilliant, using white and black pepper, followed by generous portion of duck, then Mongolian Lamb and Yellow Bean Chicken. Our kids were treated royally, not just welcome but the centre of attention. Plain chicken egg fried rice was an easy request, then the kids got motoring with carrot and broccoli after Mr Yue got involved. Turns out it's his place, and he's a great host.A fascinating gentleman who has talent in food and music in spades, a genuine warmth and interest in his guests.I could have stayed all night, but Mrs L had to drag me away from the fantastic house Sauvignon Blanc and the stories of a life spent on the road with the biggest music acts on the planet.And if you don't want to believe, Google "Guo Yue"Awesome food, great ambience, attentive service, brilliant owner.Small, intimate, high quality. Less than 3 figures.I love finding places like this!!!!

Was really impressed by the food the first time I ordered, so ordered again only to receive duck without any pancakes. Decided to give them another chance this evening and we received the wrong dish again! Prawn instead of Beef this time, I called to ask them to redeliver the correct dish and was treated like I had done something wrong, I was given no apology and told that if I wanted beef I would have to re-order it. They were more concerned with making sure I would give the opened prawn dish back to the driver, for them to do what with I don't know! So as nice as the food is, I am done with them.

Highest rating star for this little Chinese restaurant, from food to hospitality. Serves high quality traditional Chinese food at a very reasonable place, portions and layout of the food is very good. You can't go wrong

Excellent food and good prices. Although small, it is intimate. The quality of the food is very good.

I've been to this restaurant before many times, and I always rated it highly. However, I am compelled to write another review because of recent experience.This review is written mainly for the service. The food is good as always. For the service, I would never say this unless I really feel the need to: they need to have a new waiter. I’m referring to the big guy with glasses. This waiter is incompetent. Four times I ordered the same dish but not spicy, FOUR times I got it spicy. That's consistently poor. Imagine if it was a food allergy that he ignored? How many times has he done this to other diners? One time he totally forgot my order. Half hour after ordering he came to ask me what did I order? I told him and saw him scribble it down in the back. I waited 45 minutes for my 1 dish, while other tables of 3 that came in after me had theirs. Frequently this waiter would forget my drink, etc. On that day I also saw another unfortunate diner who waited probably even longer than me for a single dish, luckily he had an ipad and newspapers to help him. The restaurant also needs to deal with having a lot of diners, because then the food comes out very slowly. It’s a small restaurant and there is no excuse for not being able to cope with the orders. It’s also not nice to see the food being slow and the owner (who’s also a chef) not getting into the kitchen to get the food out.

We went there for our first long week end day. Food was just gorgeous and very fresh. We highly recommend the place. Personnel is very kind

This is not your typical English style Chinese food with sweet, gloopy sauces, endless bean shoots and elevated blood pressure inducing levels of MSG. This is the real deal!Owner, Guo Yue was taught to cook by his sisters at a very young age, after he lost his mother to the state, whilst growing up in Beijing during Mao's cultural revolution. Consequently, the results of his cooking are an honesty that celebrates the flavours of the key ingredients.I was never a fan of Chinese food until I saw Guo Yue doing a cookery demonstration at a music festival. I was very taken by how he used a few basic ingredients such as rice wine, soy sauce, garlic and sesame to enhance the background taste and flavour of the individual ingredients, bringing them to life, rather than smothering them with a different flavour altogether. It is great that he now has his own restaurant and can share his culinary delights with a wider audience. We enjoyed one of his special sharing banquets to celebrate Chinese New Year at the end of February, and this included some very tasty and unique dishes such as Aubergine Box (deep fried aubergine pieces stuffed with minced pork), Honey Glazed Wild Salmon, Chinese Wood Ear Mushrooms with Lily Flowers and Snow Flaked Fish to name but a few of the 14 courses that we enjoyed. Not to mention of course, his legendary Beijing dumplings with dipping sauce, which are always a welcome addition to any dinner table!By the way, he is also one of the best (if not the best) bamboo flute players in the world, with countless film soundtrack credits and other CD's to his name, and he also arranges trips to China where you can discover the real China, visiting places that few Westerners get to see. Whilst slightly outside the scope of this review, I can highly recommend these too (my wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed two of these adventures during the last 6 years), but his passion for cooking, travelling and meeting new people, helps to explain why his food is so authentic and interesting.

Chinese restaurants in this country usually mean bland, sweet, eminently forgettable food and a fairly predictable and insipid ambiance. Not here. The food is prepared with passion and imagination to allow the flavours to come through instead of being drowned in that sweet MSG gunk that you usually find.We were so fortunate to visit on a quiet night when it was just us and the owner, Guo Yue, who is one of the world's leading virtuosos on the bamboo flute (hence the name). He could not have been a more welcoming, interesting and charismatic host and he ensured we had a fabulous evening. He talked to us about both his food and his music with genuine passion and it felt like he was an old friend rather than someone I'd met for the first time that evening. It's only a small restaurant and one that I must have walked past hundreds of times before without noticing, I won't make that mistake again!

On a colleagues recommendation we visited Bamboo Flute. Yue is an excellent host and was happy to discuss the menu and recommended dushes to suit individual preferences. We opted to order a bunch of stuff and share between the 6 of us. The food all tasted fresh, but for me the star was half-moon aubergine box. The seabass was devoured, leaving little more than the pattern on the plate. Great place for something different.

I have eaten at the Bamboo Flute 3 times,the first two occasions it was excellent but last Tuesday the food was poor.The starter & main course came at the same time and was not up to its usual standard. A member of staff (I think) at one of the tables playing a very loud computer game, not good.

Don't come expecting sweet and sour pork balls in batter - lovely fresh, different Chinese food. Friendly staff and the owner happy to chat about the food they are providing. Looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu.

Guo Yei is a Chinese Flautist with a passion for food and music. Having met him at a music festival giving a demonstration cookery session we just had to come and visit his little restaurant.It did not disappoint - and we were lucky to dine when Guo was actually at the restaurant. His warmth was more than matched by the quality and interest of his food. Having a gluten allergy myself , Guo was able to modify dishes to suit me without fuss - and he said if I had emailed the restaurant in advance he would have gladly got hold of gluten free soy sauce to use in the cooking.The food was delicious and quite unlike most Chinese restaurants I have been to before. For the quality of the food the prices were reasonable - and it would be fair to say you wouldn't come here for a really cheap meal.A thoroughly enjoyable evening and well worth the visit .

I really can t recommend this place highly enough. The food is like no Chinese food I've ever had before, beautifully cooked and packed full of flavour.It is authentic Chinese food, portions are very generous. The staff were super friendly but the service wasn't over bearing. They refilled the green tea numerous times with fresh water and it was made with tea leaves, not bag.Awesome place, nice atmosphere, great food and lovely staff

both owner and waitress had a bit of personality and brought dishes that were healthy, slightly modified for a less grease and spice tolerant western palate, but with a lovely, delicate flavour. they are evidently trying to map out something nice, that balances east-west and focuses on the textures of good ingredients, and it's not a bad effort. the seafood with egg tofu was just melt-in-your-mouth lovely. and the glass noodles with peanut/garlic/ginger sauce in a northern style was a very scrumpy starter. sea spiced shredded pork was a bit more tame. some really nice red wine rounded it off. wiith a bit of luck, a lot of you won't be able to find it. but i know where it is and i'll be back.

i had dinner with a group of work colleagues. There was a good variety of fish, meat and vegetarian dishes with highlights being a whole sea bass dish and an aubergine dish. We were given details at the time but sadly I can't remember them for this review. The owner was present and willing to discuss details of the dishes.

I ate in this restaurant a couple of months ago, and I should have reviewed it then, but I forgot. I first ate food cooked by the owner at a wonderful supper club and it was so good I brought my friends to another one, only to discover the location had moved and he now had his own restaurant. I am always a bit suspicious of very negative (or glowingly positive) reviews that are completely at odds with the majority of other reviews, even more when there is a similar writing style to them and the reviewer has no/very few other reviews posted...I'll say no more on that, but the three recent very poor reviews are what nudged me into taking the time to write this today because they were so completely at odds with my experience. What I will say is that the response of the owner to the bad reviews reflects the attention to detail and concern that his customers are enjoying the food and having a good time that I experienced at the restaurant. The food was good - varied and authentic, which means not everything is necessarily geared to western palettes. In a way that is part of the charm because it is not just another painting-by-numbers sweet-and-sour-with-egg-fried-rice that could come from any generic take-away or freezer cabinet. The service is friendly and the Chinese wine very strong(!). If I lived in this neighbourhood it would be a restaurant I ate at frequently, but as I don't, and I don't have a decent neighbourhood Chinese in my corner of London, I will make plans for another visit very soon.

Had dinner with my colleagues on a week day’s evening, I must say the place looks clean, but here comes the truth: we didn’t get any help from the waitress when we made the order, it took quite a while for the starters to come out(only 2 tables with customers they can’t be that busy), the salt and pepper rib taste disgusting, the rib smells and it’s just not fresh enough for human to have! The main courses are too salty, we couldn’t finish them and left! NEVER GO BACK! NOT RECOMMANDED!

Went to the Bamboo Flute with 5 old friends. The meal was one of the best I have ever had in London in any restaurant. The Starter mixed platter had some innovative offerings, and the mains had just the right amount of spice to make everything interesting. Will definitely be returning.

Firstly, I must say the place has minimal deco and it looks clean and tidy, It's a tiny restaurant with only a few tables, and the food was almost impossible to eat, everything was undercooked, eventhough they are eatble, the tast were horrible and they are too much over priced! My friend and I are both food lovers, we'd go out eat every twice a week, we have been to a lot of cuisine and visited many Chinese restaurantsthe quantity on each dish in this place was unpleasantly moderate. Service was acceptable.Never go to this place if you don't want your mood to be ruined!

I stumbled into The Bamboo Flute on the way to somewhere else for lunch, which accounts for its charm and unique character (and relative lack of crowds). I have subsequently been back many times, for lunch on my own, with clients, with friends, and with my wife to a monthly salon hosted by Guo Yue, the gracious and talented flautist/owner. I have had hotpots (szechuan beef and the sublime braised beef in beer), dumplings, noodles, augergine stuffed with pork, the ten dish sampler at the salon, and a simple lunch of dry fried szechuan beans with pork that still has me salivating at the thought of them three months later. The salon brought together three tables of eclectic guests which ended in an impromptu flute concert cum karaoke session. Not your every day evening out, to say the least. Guo is not only a culinary maestro, but a PERSONAGE. Highly recommended.

A moitié perdus le soir du 31 décembre 2014, nous sommes tombés sur ce restau qui paraissait fermé (les employés mangeaient et étaient seuls à une table).La dame qui nous a ouvert était très gentille et on a vraiment mais alors vraiment bien mangé, on en revenait pas ! En plus, du vin français très bon, des prix très corrects, amuse bouche gratuit et petit plat de fruits gratuit en dessert !On a aussi apprécié le fait d'être au calme dans ce petit restaurant, alors que toute la semaine on a toujours été dans la foule et le bruit...On y retournera sûrement !

Ordered the lemon chicken, smells disgusting. There is a raw stinky sort of odour, put it in my mouth and completely barfed it out. Unclean chicken. The hot and sour soup, I had one spoon and threw it away, looks and smells like garbage. What a waste of ingredients. The egg fried rice is dry but edible, and the four way vegetables is edible, but hey who can go wrong with vegetables. Never eating here again. Waste of money.

The food was good and really reasonably priced. Our party of five had soup then shared dishes. The seafood, beef, lamb and signature egg-plant dishes were all lovely and Guō Yuè, the owner, suggested rounding that off with a nice mixed vegetable and smoked tofu dish. Since we didn't know all of the Chinese vegetables, he went to the kitchen to fetch the raw vegetables to show them to us. Our waitress was attentive and diligent. We had the opportunity to chat with Guō Yuè at the end of the meal and enjoyed speaking with him about his passion for food and his travels.

The Bamboo Flute quite simply, serves the best, authentic Chinese food I have tasted outside China! The meal was so delicious that I compare it to a piece of music; quiet, unassuming but harmonious tasty starters as the introduction, followed by a delicious legato phrase of ‘jiaozi’ 饺子(Chinese dumpling) of all varieties as if different instruments were coming into play. Then the beautiful cacophony of flavours that render you speechless as you stop and savour the half-moon aubergine box – quite unlike anything I have had from any cuisine; the texture, flavour, smell and colour of it delicate and exquisite. The flavours of the silky pork with wild mushrooms, crispy noodle prawn balls and the glass noodles exploded and popped inside my mouth like the excited addition of the percussion instruments. This meal was truly a concert of flavours which had me on my feet applauding and desperately wanting an encore. My advice? Book early; it will soon be impossible to get a seat in this new hutong-style restaurant once the word gets out beyond the Chopsticks Club network. Oh, and take time to talk to the owner, musician and chef extraordinaire, Guo Yue. He is charming company and passionate about food! And music!I was there for a family meal but this intimate space would be great for business lunches too.

Two of us enjoyed really excellent food in generous portions at this new restaurant. Other diners were also impressed. Service was most attentive without being annoying. Good value. Get here early it's very small.

A small group of friends and I meet up for dinner every couple of months. This month we found ourselves at this lovely little gem of a restaurant in Fitzrovia! It was one of the best meals we have had over the last year! We had a friendly welcome with some complimentary mung bean glass noodles, that went down a treat. This was followed by a mixture of steamed and fried dumplings that were rather exquisite, and Guo (the owner) advised us on a selection of dishes for our mains. I can highly recommend the Fragrant chilli beef - especially if you like it hot! The fish, half moon aubergine (Guo's signature dish) and chicken were all left with empty plates at the end. My friends tell me that the Riesling was rather lovely too!As mentioned above - we will be going back!

Guo Yue is a world class musician and his food is just as stunning. This is home cooking and is exceptionally tasty. The restaurant is small and cosy. It is already a favorite amongst the Chinese community and for all the right reasons. Portions are generous and flooding with taste. Service superb and if you are lucky you will meet the great man too.

Stopped by one night for dinner. Very small place but greeted and seated quickly. Restaurant is small but service excellent. Had soup and crispy duck for apps. We were almost full after them. Great flavour and service.

we went to the Albany public house and wished to eat Singapore Noodles The bamboo Flute is close to the pub lovely little restaurant good service excellent food and very reasonably priced

We love dining here and Guo Yue is a wonderful host. He can put together a fantastic menu which we love as we end up eating food that we otherwise wouldn't. Needless to say that everything tastes amazing and Yue is an amazing flautist and great to listen to and hear his stories.

Es un local pequeño y acogedor, cocina casera. Y muy sabrosa. Cené dos noches la semana pasada. La primera pedí una sopa, creo que se llamaba "Hot soup" picante y muy rica. Luego un pollo al limón, también me gustó mucho. Eran platos honestos, nada raro.La segunda noche pedí algo que resultó ser una rollitos de primavera, pequeños, pero con un relleno más sabroso que el que ponen aquí, y un plato de pollo con cacahuetes, champiñones y algo más. Estaba bueno, pero me gustó más la primera noche.Las raciones son un poco escasas y el precio elevado, por eso solo le pongo 3 puntos.Si estás cerca del Meliá White House es una buena opción para cenar.

We found this on our way to a play and was enticed in by the owner ,who is a world renowned flautist.He planned our menu everything was delicious fresh tasting and very special can't wait to return

We had been to see a great little play at the New Diorama Theatre, and they recommended this restaurant. What a find. We were a group of eight friends, and didn't know what to expect. From the outside the place looks rather humble. Inside we found a Chinese guy on a laptop, and the vey welcoming owner. Turned out the restaurant has it's name because the owner is a flautist called Guo Yue, who has featured as a musician on various tracks that we knew and loved from our 1980s youth (David Sylvian, David Bowie, Kate Bush....). The laptop guy was his touring partner in crime, who also joined in to make this an impromptu crazy evening of unexpected fun and laughter. As the food arrived, super tasty by the way, more of his story came out, and he explained that they we all from Beijing, and the cuisine different from the typical Cantonese you find in China Town. We also taught him and the waiter what a pescatarian diet is (one of our group was). Finally after much persuasion, he took up the flute. The sounds of some of the Gladiator movie tracks were wonderfully haunting, and we noticed afterwards that not only can you buy a CD of his music, but there is also his book. So in conclusion if you want some amazing food, with a real character of an owner, with lashings of laughter, incredible music and enough wine to lubricate the evening nicely, come and try out The Bamboo Flute. If you don't there is a MacDonalds in Euston station I believe.

We came to the Bamboo Flute for my birthday after reading a wonderfully positive review by Fay Maschler. We had to eat early as we were going on to a concert and we weren't sure what to expect but it was fantastic. The food is fresh and delicious, the staff are so friendly, I cannot recommend this place highly enough. I really did not anticipate that we'd have such a memorable meal, the aubergine boxes (a house specialty) are a new favourite. We will be back!

Highly recommended. A new restaurant but what a delight. The owner is so friendly and kind - he took us through our tastes and planned our menu for us. Every mouthful was delicious. Not heavy or rich, but light and delicious. We didn't feel desperately full at the end, but rather perfectly content. All the staff were so friendly. We had photos with them at the end. It was quiet as we were eating at 5pm, but still a pleasure. Go!

This restaurant is an authentic Chinese restaurant. It has some dishes that are usual dishes in the more touristy Chinese restaurants (sweet and sour etc.) but it has many other different dishes that give you a chance to try some real 'local' Chinese food. I like the story of the restaurant and that the chef/owner is there most days. The food is authentic, tasty, and freshly made. They also do set menus which are very good.

Having been handed and leaflet on my walk to work I was taken by the narrative and treated myself to a Friday lunch set meal however being a lovely day sat outside rather than returning to my desk to eat. I had the company of the owner a very erudite and interesting gentleman. I normally do not eat Chinese food, so many disappointments however this was clean tasting and fresh. More than enough for a lunch time, with green tea. A little less sweet and it would be perfect. Looking forward to diving into some of the more unusual dishes.

So I saw a review in the paper and decided to go check it out. We went on a Tuesday night at 9pm, and the place was empty. Not a good start. But then the ambience was nice and inviting, so we ventured in. We sat next to the window and had the entire restaurant to ourselves. There was only one waiter, but enough to attend to the only table in the restaurant. My eyes lit up once I saw the menu. Being a Beijing native, I saw all dishes that I grew up with listed.We ordered the hot and sour soup (different to the cantonese style soup), the cold glass noodles (lapi), the braised pork pot, and the aubergine pot. They also have their signature fried rice dish served in a segment of bamboo. Everything came out fresh and fast, though not necessarily in the right order in my opinion - soup came after the pork, and the waiter got told off by the chef for not bring out complimentary peanuts and side dish. The food was delicious, especially the pork and the rice. So good in fact, we ordered more rice to take away, to complement the left over pork and aubergine that we couldn't finish as we were too stuffed!Afterwards, we found out that it's only been open for a month or so, but they have actually had a busy night earlier due to a newspaper review article. It's definitely a hidden gem in London, though not for much longer it will stay hidden!