The Rice Bowl in Manchester

Very good Chinese restaurant, good service. The dishes were delicious Recommended

Our go to when in Manchester. Relentlessly good across every criteria. Strange that in a city with such an established Chinese community there are so few good Chinese restaurants but TRB is by far the best we’ve found.

Amazing food and service! Highly recommend.

This restaurant looks fancy; however, the staff was not professional at all. I’m here on a business trip, so this was my first time visiting this restaurant. As an Asian myself, I’ve had a lot of Asian food throughout my trip in Scotland and England. Every restaurant I’ve been to, even a small café today, has asked if I have any food allergies. But today, at this Chinese restaurant, the staff didn’t ask. When they served my food—sour and spicy soup (酸辣湯), Xiao Long Bao (小籠包, aka soup dumplings), and other dishes—I was surprised. In my 20+ years of dining at Asian restaurants, these two dishes have never contained shrimp unless specifically stated. As I was about to eat the soup, I noticed several shrimp in it and was confused. I told the server, “Sorry, I didn’t know there would be shrimp in the soup, and I’m allergic to it.” The server responded, “Oh, you can’t eat shrimp at all?” In my head, I was thinking, “Do you know what an allergy means? It means my body will have a bad reaction. If it’s severe, someone could die from it.” And then they blamed me, saying, “You should have asked us before you ordered.” I responded, “You didn’t list anything on your menu stating that this soup contains shrimp, nor did you specify what kind of meat or seafood is used in the soup dumplings.” My colleague had to insist that they make a new one before they finally stopped arguing and went back to the kitchen. When they served the soup dumplings, we were also unsure if shrimp might be mixed inside. The server wasn’t 100% sure and kept saying, “It shouldn’t have shrimp inside, I think.” I asked, “You think? Or are you 100% sure there’s no shrimp in it?” He couldn’t give me a solid answer but instead asked, “So you can’t have even a little bit?” Frustrated, I finally said, “Do you want me to eat it and end up in the hospital?” That’s when he finally went back to check with the kitchen. Even after they confirmed there was no shrimp, he hesitated and said, “I’m afraid… I don’t want you to eat it. I’d be scared if you had to go to the hospital later.” It ruined my appetite and the whole experience. They didn’t apologize at all with any of the statement they made. I believe if I’m not Asian today visiting this restaurant, there will be a better way for them to resolve this issues.

We booked for 25 people for the banquet (2 staff members big birthday ) Food was lovely service amazing and even though restaurant really busy (Chinese New Year ) staff really attentive atmosphere fantastic. THANK YOU SO MUCH .

Food was fantastic, very authentic Chinese dishes and dim sums. Service was really good and the photos posted in the reviews don’t do justice to the food and place. It’s way better than what you see.

Love the food and atmosphere here and have visited many times. Booked a table for 8pm last night knowing that it would be busy as it's CNY. Arrived to find a big queue which we joined the back of. Had to phone from the back of the queue to let them know we'd arrived for our 8pm booking only to be told they'd been very busy and we'd just have to wait in the queue. Waited 25mins and the queue hadn't moved so we gave up. Very disappointing not to have had a table held for us when we'd booked specially knowing how busy they'd be. Not sure what had gone wrong.

Food was just fine, restaurant was very crowded and the staff were rude and abrasive. We were charged £23 more than we should’ve been due to the restaurant adding multiple drinks to the bill which we didn’t have. I would avoid if you don’t want to be conned out of money that you didn’t spend.

A great place, fabulous food and great service.

First time visiting here. Lovely setting, fabulous, friendly, attentive service and the food was excellent at very reasonable prices Couldn't fault anything, excellent!!

Great food service was fantastic staff were polite and helpful I would recommend the golden dragon king prawn also the Shanghai noodles are a great choice

Can't fault this place .... food excellent. Service excellent.... and reasonably priced. 4 of us with drinks and food came to about £100. The quirky robot that came to the table with our food was fantastic 😋 fully recommend this place

I visited this lovely Chinese restaurant with a friend and it was way above our expectations. The atmosphere and ambiance were incredible, food was top notch and the staff here are so amazing, helpful and welcoming.

Fabulous food. We ate off the fixed price menu and it was delicious. They give prawn crackers to start and I had the duck spring rolls and sweet and sour chicken. It was amazing

Fantastic food, great staff friendly and attentive throughout our meal. I would highly recommend!

Was amazing the first time so we went back and was forced to do a set menu that was over priced and awful.

Once again visited this brilliant restaurant, food as good as ever, we had a right variety from Mock Duck, vegeterian chicken, chilli prawns, and sides. Faultless food, service a bit erratic, but all in all, no complaints.

We’ve eaten at the Rice Bowl several times and always had a great meal. New years Eve was no exception. The food was amazing yet again, service excellent and we could not fault anything. We will definitely be back to what we think is one of the best Chinese restaurants in Manchester.

Great food with excellent service in a lovely atmosphere. Food arrived quickly and we wanted for nothing all night. Will definitely be back.

HEALTH & SAFETY WARNING!! Too Many tables and overbooked Again!!!! The management or I should one female manager, is down and out very rude!!! Didn’t want to give any star rating, we had a bad experience the last time we booked this restaurant, waited a while for our table, they took our drink order had starters then waited & waited for mains which never came so as a party of 8 we left…. but thought we’d give it another go….. arrived on time for our table again had to wait nearly 30 mins on the stairs with other diners who booked and walk ins, the place was hectic and again they had overbooked, when confronting the manager regarding placing other people before us She was very abrupt! Eventually we were taken to a very small corner that wasn’t reasonably suited for 4 people, when we said that we wasn’t happy, She said that we can leave and turned her back on us without listening to our point that we had booked and waited and did not appreciate being treated in this manner, we up and left as they don’t deserve your business, but I would like to stress that you are packed in like cattle and god forbid if there was a fire. You have been warned !!

This restaurant should be closed down .. the manager is so rude and unprofessional.. tables are crammed in no chance to get out if a fire started… they overbook and leave you standing on the cramped staircase..then they take people who arrived with no bookings before your party.. the manager a rude unpleasant woman is only interested in your money the service is appalling.. we were eventually given 2 tables one round one square of different hights shoved in a corner.. manager not interested in anything you say or object to.. this restaurant needs a thorough inspection by fire and health and safety people..of all the Chinese restaurants in Manchester this one is the worst. Wouldn’t give it any stars

Manager is ignorant and rude ..overbooked.. don’t care just want bookings they can’t for fill.. this is not the first time this has happened.. don’t deserve custom don’t waste your time queuing along the stairs.. we left without our meal never going again..this was down to managers rude manner.

The waiter is very UNPOLITE when they served us and very UNFRIENDLY to us. It’s a very very bad service

Food was lovely, very flavourful, and a chance to try something I hadn't had before. Not the cheapest of places to eat though.

I haven’t been to the rice bowl for a number of years. I went last night & was pleasantly surprised. The decor had changed & was more up to date, the staff were all very attentive & smartly dressed. But the food was delicious & as a non- meat eater i was delighted with all the extra choice.

Good food but staff very abrupt, tables very squashed and despite making a reservation still had to queue

If I could give no stars I would well where do I start so went in around 17.30 today Sunday 8th December with myself and my children baby’s 3 month and 13 months my 3 month old was crying for bottle sat down ordered drinks and ask for hot water to do bottle got drinks and they took our order then so rude lady came over and said we had to leave as the baby was crying to loud Please do not attend if you have babies or young children as they don’t accommodate for them I have been in this restaurant for many years and will never step foot in it again absolutely shocking should be ashamed of yourself RICE BOWL Manchester

Absolutely gorgeous food!!!! Best Chinese, that We've had. 😋

Lovely food and staff! They were so kind and got our 3 year old a cushion so he was higher at the table to eat. The service was very quick and the food was delicious.

Called in on spec...seated with no issues. Food and service were excellent--but beware--10% service charge added for just 2 people-still a great place to eat.

I would like to rate 0 stars but this option wasn't possible. This place has no decency. I was running slightly late because of the traffic and out of courtesy rang to let them know I would be 5 to 10 mins late but we were walking towards them now (my phone call was 7 minutes before my table booking). I was told we won't be holding your table and then they tried to put the phone down on me. I explained again that we were in our way walking towards them with my elderly parents and again was told sorry we're really busy and we're not holding your table. It then left me in a very busy unfamiliar city trying to find a place to eat with my parents who are nearly 80

I would like to rate 0 stars but this option wasn't possible. This place has no decency. I was running slightly late because of the traffic and out of courtesy rang to let them know I would be 5 to 10 mins late but we were walking towards them now (my phone call was 7 minutes before my table booking). I was told we won't be holding your table and then they tried to put the phone down on me. I explained again that we were in our way walking towards them with my elderly parents and again was told sorry we're really busy and we're not holding your table. It then left me in a very busy unfamiliar city trying to find a place to eat with my parents who are nearly 80

In Manchester visiting family just before Christmas and decided on chinese food. My daughter suggested we try here and booked a table a few hours before we arrived. The place was very busy with people queing that hadn't booked. Our table was great, near the bar. Service, considering how busy they were was brilliant, friendly efficient staff. We were told it was a "set" menu when we booked, but there was so much choice. Food arrived quickly and was genuinely one of the best chinese dining experiences I have had. Tasty, hot and plentiful it was excellent, we will certainly return.

What a find! Amazing menu choices, the food was so tasty and the service was good

Lovely friendly staff! Quick with the food getting out the kitchen. I Ordered the vermicelli noodles which were okay just wish it had a bit more seasoning and more pork 🥺

Our experience at this restaurant was absolutely awful. As non-locals, we were subjected to rude and blatantly racist behavior from the waitstaff. From the moment we sat down, it was clear we were unwelcome. Despite placing a reasonable order of two appetizers and one main course, we were told—quite rudely—to leave, as if our presence was a burden to them. To make matters worse, the food took an incredibly long time to arrive, even though it was packed as takeaways, they gave us the wrong order. Throughout the wait, the staff made no effort to communicate or apologize for the delay. Instead, they were unprofessional, and disrespectful in their tone and attitude. Disgusting.

The staff are very rude and abrupt, the food wasn't to standards and was over prices will not be visiting again

ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING VIAL BEHAVIOUR FROM THIS CHINESE RESTAURANT IN MANCHESTER SHOULD BE HIGHLY AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS Racist worker in this Chinese will not be stood for this is the lady that is racist and wouldn’t let us in because I am black and my friend is from the gypsy community.

I don’t normally leave negative reviews but felt that I needed to in this case. I’ve been using the rice bowl for years with my family and friends whenever we visit Manchester. The food is okay, but the staff are always a bit rude. However, I never let it bother me much until this evening! I phoned up earlier this afternoon as I have often done many times and booked a table for family of 5, in advance for the weekend as we are planning a shopping trip to the city centre. I’ve just had a phone call after 9pm this evening from a lady claiming saying that she is the manager and that she requires £100 deposit to hold my booking, something I’ve never been asked before whenever making a booking, including earlier today!! When I asked why, she told me that this is their policy. I have friends who I am meeting with who have booked for the same day and they were not asked for a deposit. When I told her this, she asked what their names were, which I told her is irrelevant. I asked her if I could call her back tomorrow as it was quite late and she said that there would be a good chance the table wouldn’t be available. So when I finally agreed, she then told me that she couldn’t give me the table for the time that I desired and I would have to take an earlier booking. I agreed to this also and then she asked me if I had kids which I replied “yes 2“ she then said that they only offer a set menu and I would have to pay the price for my 6 and 7-year-old. I realised then that she was trying to put me off for some reason so I said yes that’s fine and still agreed to pay the deposit, To which she then replied and asked me to take some time and think about it. When I confronted her about this and told her that she had contradicted herself as she had already told me that if I don’t pay now, I will lose the booking. She just blatantly lied and said that she didn’t say that. I offered her again to take my debit card details for the deposit to hold my table as my trip had already been planned and I didn’t want it to be ruined and she just kept putting me off with numerous over excuses until eventually she put the phone down. I know that this was done out of discrimination as this was a personal attack on my culture 😡 I didn’t think restaurants would still be like this in 2024 Britain and will be seeking legal action.

Visited a few times now. Food always good at a reasonable price. Service was good if a little slow but it was busy on our latest visit so that can be understood. Marked down because the air-conditioning was blowing cold air at us non stop.

Absolutely amazing food the best Chinese in Manchester

I'm a regular guest. The food is made as you order. Fresh food with flavour and taste.

Food is good, service is good. We love the Dim Sum and Chinese Jasmine tea The vegetarian dishes are tasty too but we are not sure the spring onion pancake. The price is Just a little bit pricey but It’s a nice dine out experience.

just wonderful fantastic service excellent food would recommend

We went on a Thursday lunchtime and it was a nice calm atmosphere. We ate a la carte rather than opting for the set menu and had a mix of starters, crispy duck and a main each. The food was delicious, the tiger prawn toast was stuffed with prawns, the ribs fell off the bone and the seabass main I had was light and tasty. We were given a melon slice and orange segment at the end of the meal which I thought was a nice touch.

The best Chinese I have ever had, so glad we came across this place when visiting Manchester. Great service and the food came out quickly and was absolutely delicious

The food was very delicious and the service was also good. Would definitely come back if I didn’t live somewhere else

Take your time on the dozen or so stairs down to the basement and you will be rewarded with good food, kind hospitality, and at a reasonable cost. They do a lunch break special Monday to Thursday 2 courses for £20. Very clean, quick and efficient, they accept cards and cash. I was there early door as I didn't have time at the hotel for breakfast. The Rice bowl open at midday and stay open till 11pm. I was given some prawn crackers and dips, I ordered duck spring rolls, and sweet n sour chicken with rice. A hand wipe and a slice of melon and I was back to work within the hour. Thanks.

Food here this evening was amazing--so delicious. Staff were so attentive, and well deserved the large tip we gave them. Beware though---they charge a 'cover charge ' of 5 % even though there was just 2 of us ??

If you like Chinese food this is the place to go

We were outside reading the menu as a couple of guests were leaving, they said if you haven’t booked we hope you can get still get a table as you are in for a treat. They weren’t wrong. We had the crispy duck and Vietnamese spring rolls to start. Both were very good, but were surpassed by the main courses, we enjoyed the beef with green pepper and black bean sauce and monkfish with chilli and garlic. Also a shout out for the soft noodles with bean sprouts and spring onion, i can’t recall ever having had better. Suggest that you book, otherwise you might miss a treat.

Very rude staff including management. Was removed from a table because my friend was 5 mins late for our table and replaced with a couple who hadn't booked. Also to mention that we are people of colour, the last time we came here it felt like we were treated differently then too and assumptions made about us because we are black. Won't be visiting again, awful and humiliating experience.

Fantastic food. Quick service and great size well priced food. We have been a few times and the food is always great. One of Manchesters greats.

As always The Rice Bowl never fails to be the go to place in Town (MCR), food is fantastic, tasty, great value for money, Atmosphere always relaxed & chilled, the staff are great and really helpful. I always recommend this place to everyone who is in Manchester, visiting or local and wanting a great place to eat. This is my number one place to eat in Manchester.

Lovely lunch on Cross Street…nice service

Always visit this restaurant when we visit manchester, everyone who works here is really nice, and they serve you quickly. Food is so nice, we always get the same thing from the menu and the crispy kale is amazing. Been here about 5 times now and it's never disappointed us.

Had a quick lunch here. Lovely tasty varied dim sum and great friendly service. Would definitely recommend 👍👍

It is 10 years since iI was last here and it has certainly changed from the noisy bustling busy restaurant to a quiet dull and boring place.They ripped out the banquette seating and put in drab brown chairs. Food was not as I remember it,and average quality only.I was treating g my hungry student grand daughter to lunch but even she couldn't eat the how mein.The chicken satay was tender but ina thin and runny spicy sauce. I shan't be visiting again.

We were in Manchester for the weekend, and called at the Rice Bowl for a meal. Had a generous portion of delicious frittered garlic mushrooms for a starter to share. Then chicken with cashew nuts and asparagus and sticky crispy mock chicken. All really good and would definitely recommend a visit.

very salty food. lovely atmosphere and staff very friendly. Probably won't go back though. Been before and food then was very good.

Very attentive service. A massive selection of good food done very well. The meats were all cooked, and the well known recipes such as chow mein are some perfectly. Rice is perfect as expected. I've been to many Chinese restaurants in Manchester over my whole life, and this one is very good contender as the best.

Best Chinese food In Manchester. Honestly amazing food, especially after a late night out.

Great place. I walked past it and didn’t even know that I was already there, but it’s nice inside. I had a 30 minute break from work, and quickly popped in there, and asked the waitress for the fastest food that I could possibly get, and they came up with this just in time, and I finished it before my break ended. It tasted soo good as well.

Excellent basement restaurant, great food and drink. Will come back here!

The finest Chinese restaurant in Manchester. Great location and atmosphere. Great menu

Amazing restaurant! This is my second time going with my family and we all loved it. The atmosphere is nice for a special dinner, and the turning plate at the table makes it easy to share dishes so that everyone gets to try different things. The food is delicious, and the service is great, not to mention we got our food so quickly! Would definitely recommend.

Disappointing. I won’t be returning.

Been coming here for many years when we visit Manchester, but never again. We came a few months ago and both suffered terrible stomach problems during the night. I won't go into details. But we put it down to one of those things. This afternoon we returned and had the set lunch menu. The hot and sour soup tasted like hot Bovril with a few Chinese ingredients thrown in, nothing like their soup has ever tasted before. The duck rolls were meagre to say the least and were sat on a sad looking bed of wilted lettuce. But worse was to come. The main courses and rice were pleasant enough. However, three mouthfuls in I found something alien in my mouth. At first I thought it was a very strong, thin chicken bone but, when I extracted it from my my mouth it was a partially coiled piece of very thin wire. What was worrying was when I called the waitress and showed her the wire she pointed straight at the dish it came from, as if she knew and expected it. In fairness the dish was immediately taken away and replaced. There were no apologies however and it appeared to be just one of those things to the staff. We certainly won't be back after today's experience.

Waiting in a queue outside in the cold for over 30 minutes after when our reservation was. The lady told us we didn’t have a reservation even tho we called up a week in advance, extremely rude staff that wouldn’t listen and told us we’re lying, absolutely ruined our night, would not recommend you come here.

I have type 1 diabetes I have an invisible dis ability and would not let me use toilet which is discrimination you can’t not allow someone who doesn’t have disability to not use the toilet she was nothing but rude

On entering the restaurant we were met by a waitress who said “2?” She then pointed at a table, and a minute later dropped 2 menu’s on our table. This was the extent of the conversation. Never felt so unwelcome before. We promptly walked out and won’t be returning.

We went to the rice bowl before 5 and it was pretty quiet. The staff were welcoming, and we really liked the look of this restaurant. The location is perfect as its right in the middle of town.The food was fantastic, we tried a few different dishes, such as the crispy beef, sweet and sour chicken, steamed dim sum, as well as chicken and sweetcorn soup and dessert and had a bottle of wine also and the bill only came to £100 for two people. I would definitily recommend. We will be back.

We visited the restaurant around 5pm before attending an event at the AO Arena. It was very busy so booking recommended. The location was perfect as it is a 10 minute walk from the arena. The staff were friendly and welcoming. We shared a banquet for 2 which was £30 each. The food was amazing and we had lots of time in between courses so didn’t feel rushed. I would definitely recommend a visit when you are in central Manchester. We will be returning !

This is a lovely looking restaurant, very clean with very good staff but unfortunately, it is expensive and the quality of their food is lacking. Singapore style vermicelli noodles were sweet, wet and totally lacked flavour. Some of the dim sum dishes were ok but on the whole they were not. Very disappointed with the lack of authentici cuisine.

Terrible Service and Rude Staff - Never Going Back Date of visit: 20/07/2024 My partner and I had a deeply disappointing and unfortunate experience at The Rice Bowl that I believe it is important to share to prevent others from enduring the same. Upon entering the restaurant, we waited for an extended period of 45 to 50 minutes without so much as a greeting or being acknowledged by any staff member. This wait was particularly difficult as we were very hungry, and my partner almost fainted due to her anaemia. Despite being in view of a staff member, we received no communication or updates during this time. She bypassed myself and my partner and actually stared through us as if we didn’t exist, but then was comfortably enough to attend to the Caucasian families stood behind us, asking whether they had a booking for a table to dine. The only interaction that we had from the host of The Rice Bowl just as we were about to be seated was “This family had booked a table and you are Next; Okay” Eventually, we were shown to a table, but the interaction was abrupt and unfriendly. For, the host deliberately walked back in front of my partner without any courtesy of allowing her to sit first. This lack of basic courtesy left my partner very upset. Our experience worsened when we tried to address the situation. The staff member claimed she had asked if we wanted a table for two, which was not true. When we expressed our concerns, she dismissively shrugged her shoulders and walked away, not returning to address the issue. Feeling ignored and disrespected, we decided to leave. Based on this experience, we will not be returning to The Rice Bowl. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and improves their customer service. I would recommend potential diners if they value their time and dignity and overall dining experience, to consider these points before visiting.

Lovely food. Reasonably fast service. Filled up fast

So glad I finally tried this place. Best Chinese I’ve had. Friendly staff. Nice atmosphere. This is my new go to when I want Chinese!

I cannot praise the food in this restaurant enough. The best in Manchester by a mile. You have to try it to believe it. Don’t miss out on this amazing gem.

We have eaten here before and were very impressed. However, last night the restaurant was very loud, felt that the staff were rushing you when raking orders and overfilling wine glasses. The peking duck was excellent but that was it. I ordered a prawn dish and this must have been the cause of my food poisoning. Spent the night in pain with various trips to Boots for medication. Very disappointed and put off going back.

Very good kitchen in 2023. 2024 good kitchen and very very loud

Really lovely restaurant. Great food, friendly service and a very chilled atmosphere :)

This place is mine and partners favourite place to enjoy Chinese food. Staff are quick to assist and very friendly always having a laugh with us. Can be pricey but you don't mind that when the food is of great quality! Worth the journey to Manchester

Yummy food, lovely staff. We had the crispy beef and the chicken cashew plus some duck to start. Been here twice now years apart and both excellent! Will be back soon!

Can't beat this Chinese for service, quality and a great atmosphere. 9of us attended and we go 3/4 times a year. Just brilliant and amazing staff, very attentive.

Only walked past it but it was busy

Food was outstanding, the nicest chinese food ive ever had! However, this was the second time I've been as a party of 12 and feel like they're rushing you out before you've even sat down. Taking plates before you've finished, bringing starters with mains. I would still go back again but not as a big party.

Went on a very busy Saturday night for the kids birthdays. It was absolutely fantastic food service and atmosphere couldn't be faulted. We will be back again and again.

Amazing experience at the rice bowl. Fantastic food all around. I would highly recommend the chicken gyozas, which are extremely soft and light. Service was prompt and pleasant, no complaints at all!

Friendly staff, great tasting food!

Love the food at the rice bowl but my friend had lamb but found it a bit tough

Superb food, great vegetarian options. Really enjoyed it and will return again. Highly recommend it.

What a find! We were in town for a show and fancied Chinese food. The Rice Bowl came up due to good recommendations and it did not disappoint. I would say its the best Chinese food I've ever had, and I'm 70! Fabulous

The food was superb, the service was fast, the servers polite, and our meal was flawless. I'll surely return and highly recommend it to others.

Very authentic interior design. Service fast and caring. Food was good specially the slow cooked beef but a bit overpriced overall.

Fantastic food best Chinese in Manchester, would recommend booking as usually busy

Some things to like about it, but ultimately we were disappointed and for the cost, there are better options elsewhere in the city centre. + Very nice starters. I had some excellent dumplings. Mains were nice enough, but quite unremarkable. - Service was poor. Long waits for everything and quite impolite. We were heavily overcharged for rice. We ordered 4 full portions and they gave us a sharing bowl which was a couple of small spoons each. When we asked for more, they then charged us a 5th portion. We spent over £20 on rice, and barely had 3 servings. One or two of the mains were quite bland. The Sichuan sauce was gloopy and not bursting with pepper.

So today we called the restaurant and made a reservation for 4pm today 28/04/24 we we arrived at the restaurant the lady who was at the reception said we are fully booked and they didn’t have a table without even checking the book for reservations so when I explained we had a table and showed her she told me it’s best for us to leave because I’m a traveler and it’s discrimination and Racism against traveler and gypsy people in 2024 I think it’s a crying shame in front of my children it was a really embarrassing situation for us

A meal for one at this lovely restaurant. Good variety of dishes, from well known favourites to less well known . Tempura veg and faux sweet and sour chicken were very good.

I have been going to this restaurant for over 40 years and always enjoyed the food there.

Good food good service courteous professional staff