Water Lily Restaurant & Bar in Manchester

A hidden gem, dim sum is amazing.

Booked here for an impromptu 40th meal with friends only until we decided to leave 45 minutes later not even having been given the drinks we ordered half an hour before, in spite of being sat next to the bar. The bar had around 3-4 members of staff stood around it, sometimes on phones, sometimes talking to one another. They were trying at one point between them all to figure out candles for a cake. All of them including the manager, who looked really busy, just outright avoided us which I don’t say lightly. I’m normally quite forgiving and would have some degree of empathy if it was chaos and flat out packed, but even when we caught their eye they just didn’t attempt to acknowledge or come over. The table next to us waited 30 mins for someone to take their plates. We looked around and we saw some empty tables so we knew they weren’t at full capacity yet. So strange! As we got up to leave, they weren’t surprised to see us go. It’s a shame as we had high hopes for the experience and the menu genuinely looks lovely and the venue is beautiful. Maybe I will try again to be fair, hence the lower stars. No scathing review just a fair account considering we lost almost an hour of the night, didn’t eat, didn’t have a drink and didn’t really get a reason. Ah well!

Left after 45 minutes as our food order hadn't been taken and our drink order hadn't even arrived. Terrible service

This is the worst restaurant service experience I have ever endured. Seated 7:30pm we weren’t able to order drinks until 8:30 our main courses arrived at 10pm.

I lived in Beijing for 2 years so am always on the look out for authentic dishes and this place had outstanding mapo tofu and home style tofu the usual mix of meat and tofu in a Chinese dish and a good level of spice in the mapo. Also had good selection of more western tailored dishes to keep everyone happy. All was really delicious, good portion sizes and great service. Would go every week if I actually lived nearby!

We celebrated our twins 21st birthday with a party of 17 people on 30.8.24 The food is very nice even though the portions are small for the price. Reason for only 2 stars, - 2 meals that was ordered did not arrive and trying to explain this to the staff was a bit of a mission - asking for salt and black pepper again a bit of a mission - one person was sat for 90 minutes with no food whilst other people were eating - I did not receive my main meal till a lot later and most people had finished there meal and started to leave - the bowls of rice did not arrive with the main meal but when asked they suddenly turned up - ordered 3 Irish liquors with whisky and after about 20 minutes was informed that they didn't have any, so we ordered another flavour and after another 20 minutes we ended up with 3 Irish liquors with whisky - having spent the best part of £560 I would've expected a better service plus you would think the staff would have a better knowledge of English would I recommend or go to this restaurant again ..... no

First visit and it won't be the last. The staff were friendly and attentive. The food was amazing with a wide variety to suit any tastes. The steak dish is well worth trying. Fantastic value for money is the set menu with 3 courses and a great range of dishes. Thank you for a great evening.

Booked two tables for a large group for a family baby shower, dim sum being a pre-requisite for the mummy to be. Dim Sum and then some, excellent quality and range of options. Mains were delicious and good size portions for sharing. Staff were extremely attentive and nothing was too much trouble. I would definitely recommend and will be back!

We got a £40 order and this was the amount of salt and pepper chips we got for over £4 per portion… absolutely criminal 😂

Found my new local Chinese. Excellent food and selection: had the chicken satay, szechuan chicken, dumplings and duck. All 10/10.

Food and atmosphere is great but the service is world class. Especially this young lady Rosalyn who really looked after us. She was very friendly and you can tell she knew her culture well. Very good food too

This restaurant made my birthday really special! The staff are really welcoming and the food was delicious. I will be back!

The best vegetable samosas I ever had 😋

Popped in to order a selection of Dim Sum and wasn't disappointed! Lovely atmosphere, great high quality Chinese food and the staff clearly go above and beyond to ensure you are fully satisfied.

It was a great experience and really enjoyed the meal, the cosy environment and the service. I will visit again.

First visit for my wife's Birthday. I must say this is a hidden Gem in Chorlton. Really good food. Very nice staff. Very attentive. We will be visiting again. 😊

Lovely atmosphere, very polite attentive staff.

The most wonderful, fresh food, and amazing service. You can really tell how much effort and care is put into every detail. I’m not one to write reviews but I really felt they deserve this. Highly recommend

What is the charge, eating a meal, a succulent Chinese meal!? Lovely food and top service. The set menu was good value and the waiter heard that we were celebrating a birthday and made it special. Set menu has a decent selection of options.

Great food and service. Not very busy mid week

First visit, however certainly not our last. Food Excellent, Service with a Smile Quality of Food above Excellent. This is now our first best Chinese Restaurant

This is the best ever Chinese restaurant we have visited. The food is simply amazing and the staff are really polite and attentive. The restaurant itself is colourful and very modern. I would recommend you visit here and see for yourself , you won’t be disappointed.

Ordered a takeaway for 2 people via Deliveroo. 1/4 duck, 2 mains and 3 sides. For £74 delivered, I was expecting a feast. Portion sizes a bit small. Meal should have fed 3 people not 2. Food was ok but not as good as the high price would suggest. £24 beef main should have been out of this world at that price but was average. In the old days, one used to shred the duck oneself - this one arrived already separated. Will go somewhere cheaper next time. Portion size and quality I would say £50 was more reasonable. Takeaway food should be cheaper that dining in.

Ordered click and collect which offers 15% off and the food was absolutely amazing ! Quick service and so delicious would absolutely recommend

One of the best i have ever been to from all angles. Food, service, ambiance and general cleanliness could not be beaten. Excellent service from lovely people and priced very reasonable. Would highly recommend.

Excellent food, particularly the crab dumplings, and well presented. Waiters were really nice and caring. Great vibe.

Great restaurant- every time I've eaten here the food has been excellent. Highlights are the dimsum and honey chilli beef. Staff are brilliant and very attentive. Service can be a little slow when busy, but the food and drinks are worth the wait. Some really good cocktails on offer and all reasonably priced. Has become one if our favourite restaurants in Chorlton.

The best Chinese food since Hong Kong.

Very impressed by this secret hideaway of a restaurant. Been meaning to go for a while but family life got in the way. Glad we finally made it. Stunning interior, the children were entertained by various magical decor items but maintains a stylishness for adults. Excellent food service drink selection (was too full to fit in a cocktail but there is a great menu at also alcoholic drinks are reasonably priced) We ordered set menu which has a lengthy list of items to choose from. The staff were so kind, lovely, polite and efficient. Very clean. Please go, you'll not regret it!

Lovely place ..good service but disappointed I didn't like the food at all ...the teriyaki chicken was very salty ...chicken tasted like pork and didn't taste fresh ....some of the dishes tasted very much the same ...same sauce but supposed to be different dishes ....rice portions very small for the cost ..it wasn't cheap and I don't think it was worth it . I wouldn't return and it's a shame because it's a nice place with nice people ..maybe it was just a bad night and the chef cooked up left overs ?

Lovely authentic chinese food in the heart of Chorlton.

My family and I booked a table for five for 8pm on Friday 16 Feb 2024 to celebrate my youngest son's birthday. On arriving punctually, we were told that our table wasn't free; we'd need to wait a couple of minutes. Fine, we said. No problem. After 25 minutes of sitting near the bar, we were given complimentary prawn crackers. After a further 20 minutes, with no sign of our table being readied, we left. Clearly, we had been double booked. Other customers were waiting, nibbling impatiently on prawn crackers. While it was good to see the restaurant busy and buzzing, the (inexperienced) staff seemed to have no sense that keeping customers waiting for 45 minutes for a pre-booked table is unacceptable. Despite having my contacts details, the restaurant did not contact me to apologise afterwards. Be warned!

The highlight of the restaurant was definitely the staff. Very attentive and meticulous. Couldn’t fault them whatsoever. Food was on the pricier side. I like that they have a ‘small’ menu compared to a traditional Chinese restaurant- what was done, was done well. An upmarket Chinese restaurant that I’ll definitely go again.

This place is a fantastic addition to Chorlton! It is an upmarket Chinese restaurant with high end decor, high quality dishes and fabulous cocktails: including my favourite twist on a French Martini. The food is to die for and the staff are very attentive and polite. This place is on another level compared to any other Chinese restsurants locally. My partner and I have been here twice now. We've had a mixed starter platter, egg sweetcorn soup, spare ribs, chicken curry, crispy chicken with honey and cashews and duck Pi Pa. Wow. None of them disappoint - get up those stairs and give it a go! 🙌

Good food, Lovely service and Fab Cocktails!

My son and I went here for dinner. We did not have a booking and got given a table immediately ( it was midweek). The food is pricey but did not disappoint. It served so promptly with amazing service and as absolutely delicious. The people are so kind and we had a such lovely night

Not at all authentic food , nice staff but obviously trying to entice people with cocktails

Myself and Husband went here tonight and I can honestly say it’s one of the best restaurants we have visited. The food was outstanding and all served quick, no waiting. The staff were amazing, helpful and very attentive. Everyone had a smile. Thank you for a lovely evening. We can’t wait to return. Such value for money in every way.

Never eaten here but ordered a couple of times and extremely impressed, easily the best Chinese food in the area

One of the nicest restaurants I have ever been to. Service and food, can't fault it. Such a lovely restaurant, have been a few times and it's just brilliant. One of the few non halal Chinese restaurants and its a pleasure every time we go. Would 100% recommend. Loads of food options, worth every penny.

Took my Dad this evening and we both thought the food, service and atmosphere were fab! Great little find. Highly recommended.

Very friendly, attentive staff and the food is delicious

We booked this restaurant because of the reviews. However in our opinion the food was not worthy of 5 stars and we had quite a selection of starters dim sum which were ok and a few others neither of us liked our mains food was similar to a basic take away. The service and atmosphere was good . The wine prices were fair. I would not return to this restaurant.

Really enjoyed my time at Water Lily, beautiful decor and gorgeous food. All the classics are on the menu but loads of authentic dishes to try. Can't speak more highly of the staff, best service in Chorlton! We will see you soon.

Four of us dined at the Water Lily on Monday evening. What a treat! The service was outstanding. We were well looked after. We all ordered the set three course meal. All had duck pancakes to start...delicious. Then all had chicken and sweet corn soup.....delicious. All had different mains. My friend didn't want cashew nuts in her meal. I wanted broccoli in my meal....they accommodated us, no problem! Again delicious The restaurant is very nicely decorated, a welcoming feel and very clean. A great range of drinks and our meal was finished off with Tia Maria and Baileys. A wonderful evening and worth the long drive to get there!

Situated in the centre of Chorlton, above a row of shops/restaurants, The Water Lily is a great mix of fantastic food and top notch service, in a really welcoming atmosphere. Me and my partner visited on a Saturday evening, and the place was full - we'd booked ahead of time, so if you are visiting on a Friday/weekend, I'd advisd booking ahead. We started with drinks from the well stocked bar, featuring an array of cocktails, including all the classics. My partner got a margerita, and would recommend it to others! They also do a range of signature cocktails too. Our starters were a platter of dim sums (photographed). Though they took a little while to come out (as they were freshly made/steamed), when they did arrive they were incredible. Served in a round wooden box with the steam still pouring off, they were a mix of crab, prawn and pork dumplings, alongside soy sauce and chinese vinegar. They were little parcels of deliciousness, very rich and tasty, and I would highly recommend. Because they took a little while to be cooked (which is understandable!), our waiter kindly brought over some comped prawn crackers, which was really good service. For our main course, we had pi pa duck with hoisin sauce and tofu with chilli, beef and szechuan peppers/sauce (photographed). Again, both were absolutely delicious. The tofu dish in particular was a nice surprise - we ordered it as it's not something we'd usually have, and the tofu was nice and velvet-y, and the accompanying sauce, beef and chilli was all fantastic. The portion sizes were very generous (we took some home for lunch the next day). Along with the mains we had a bottle of the house white wine (a decent tipple from Navarre), some egg fried rice, and soft noodles. The final bill was around £91, which for what we ordered was very reasonable. It broke down as around £30ish for the drinks (a pint of beer, cocktail, bottle of wine), £21 for the dim sum platter, £40ish for the two mains and sides. Eating at The Water Lily was a fantastic experience, and I'd highly recommend to anyone after a Chinese meal in Chorlton! (One practical thing to be aware of, for anyone with mobility issues - due to their location, the restaurant is up some stairs so could be difficult to access for some.)

This for those with a long memory was the Lamplight Disco. A nice gem. Food on the 3 course set was very good. The sizzling fillet excellent. Recommended. there has been too many places in Chorlton that have come and gone where the hype does not match the fact. This isnt that.

This restaurant became one of my favourite restaurants. Really friendly service, tasty food, good portions😊I definitely will recommend to friends.

The food would be 5*, but the lack of hotness indication on the menu meant we ordered the Steamed King Prawn with Garlic and Glass Noodles for my elderly mother who then couldn't eat it because it was far too spicy! My spice-loving wife ate it, but said it was as hot as she would be able to enjoy.

Excellent food and service. I highly recommend

What a great addition to Chorlton eateries. Fantastic food. Great choice of drinks. Lovely staff. Thank you all .

The food, service and decor here were fantastic... Beautiful restaurant, fabulous service and the food was just amazing, hot fresh, good quality and plentiful. I'd highly recommend the set menu, The pi pa duck and fillet steak with Cantonese sauce were both delicious! (£3 extra for the steak, but worth it) thank you

A great addition to the lineup of restaurants in Chorlton, a top quality Chinese with friendly attentive staff serving top draw food in very pleasant surroundings.

Best place to eat in, I have nothing but good things to say about this place, the food was fast, hot and delicious with plenty of sauce which was amazing with rice, they aren’t stingy with the alcohol in the cocktails considering it was around £8 each, altogether i paid £55 for a spectacular meal for 2 and had plenty of left overs. Didn’t seem like a lot of food when it arrived at the table but it was more than enough. The place itself is tranquil and aesthetically pleasing as well as the staff being helpful and very pleasant. Definitely coming back soon!!

What a great restaurant great ambience, the good was fabulous and the staff and service was fantastic. Would highly recommend .

I took a group of 8 to celebrate my 60th birthday, and they pulled out all the stops to make it a great evening. And the food was excellent.

Absolutely fantastic. We were treated to a surprise 40th Anniversary meal by special friends. The staff made us so very welcome each and everyone had a smile on their face... lovely to see! Service was perfect and the food was delicious!!! Great to have a quality Chinese restaurant in Chorlton again. Well done to all concerned. Best wishes you are an amazing team and outstanding restaurant. Lee and Yvonne xXx

One of the best restaurants let alone Best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever been to! Ordered the sesame prawn toast, chilli prawns, steak with udon and their waterlilly signature shredded chicken and they couldn’t have been better! The best service I’ve ever experienced even saw the waiter take a gentleman’s luggage up and down the stairs. Can’t fault this place one bit

Really great place! Lovely friendly staff, nice decor & music ... ambience was great. Cocktails 10/10 & the food was pretty damn good too.

Vegetarian hot & sour soup at 5.50 isn't great, mains dishes are OK but small portions for the rice & chips asked for some hot water for the tea was charged for it, disappointed overall won't go back.

It's delicious Chinese food focusing on Sichuan dishes. Make sure you come here with your friend since the portion is good for sharing.

It's a lovely place to eat in a truly bohemian area. The food and service were excellent.

Just had the best food here everything was so hot and fresh! The service was outstanding and the restaurant was beautifully decorated

10 out 10 best Chinese food in chorlton king prawns are to die for

Nice Friendly service and lovely fresh food 😍 Thankyou

Just awful. Possibly the worst delivered Chinese ever. Due to it being a little on the expensive side decided to have platter and a good traditional duck dish delivered to try out the quality before visiting the restaurant Soggy prawn toasts, meatless ribs stodgy spring rolls satay chicken heavy and dry Cantonese duck was tough and the skin was neither crisp nor unctuous and glossy, just chewy and fatty. I've had superior food from a local takeaway for half the price. Very very disappointed, but the dogs enjoyed the duck.

Our first time here, I noticed immediately how immaculate it was. The staff are super at what they do, very attentive and friendly. I really enjoyed the meal, the presentation of our starter was beautiful. The fresh apple juice really is freshly done! I could have had 5 😊😊

Great restaurant, Pi Pa Duck was 10/10. Lad that runs the joint is a top man.

A hidden gem in Chorlton, the quality of the food and service is exceptional. Today was my second visit and I'm already looking forward to going back again. It's a little bit pricier than your average Chinese, but the quality reflects it. A nice place to go for a special occasion.

We celebrated my Mums 60th here this weekend, the interior is gorgeous, the staff were soooo helpful and friendly and the food was fantastic with really generous portions. 10/10 cocktails. Couldn’t recommend more x

So impressed by this place! It's in an upstairs venue that's seen a few restaurants fail in the years I've lived in and near Chorlton, but I really hope this place sticks around. It looks fantastic for one thing, the decor is so nice! Delicious food, great and friendly service. Really well-stocked bar too, with IPA on draft and good cocktails. We went in on a Wednesday night half-expecting to be the only people in there, but there were groups at 5 or 6 tables, nice atmosphere. Nice menu offering either 'signature' stuff or 'classic' dishes, or a set menu of 3-4 courses each (with quite a few options to choose from) if there's 2+ of you, for approx £28 each. They catered well for allergies, double-checking things with the kitchen.

This place is fantastic. I haven't experienced customer service this good in a long time. They were respectful of our space, but also super attentive. Perfect pacing. Everyone working looked happy to be there. Smiley and polite. They made great recommendations, personable and friendly without it being too much. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. High quality, authentic Chinese food. 10/10 left with massive smiles on our faces

I very much enjoyed my first dining experience at Water Lily. Friendly service and tasty flavorsome dishes! And a nice ambience too.

The food here is beautiful, the quality is fantastic and the portions are so generous! Honestly the best Chinese my family and I have had in years, we’ve only ever ordered but have done many times and each dish we try has been wonderful :) hope this restaurant is here to stay! Very quick deliveries for us too and hot from the bag :) Thank u !

Its a great place but anyone with a dissability could not get in. Its up two flights of stairs and they are the steepest stairs ive ever encountered . The rise on each step is so high. I have bad knees and I had to crawl uulp with my hands on the top of the next step. And I I worried all evening about getting down again. The food was good and the staff were lovely. But I cant go again because of the stairs. Places these days are supposed to be accesable to all !!

Just had a meal at Water Lily with my daughter..We started with the Water Lily platter which was nice, good spring rolls, good ribs, and tasty seaweed. Unfortunately my main dish of chicken with black bean sauce was bland and completely tasteless. So disappointing as this is usually one of my favourite Chinese dishes. The chicken was so bland, hadn’t been seasoned or marinated. The black bean sauce was thin and watery. Such a shame as i was really looking forward to it! I’ll give it one more try at some point as the starter was nice, but i’m afraid the flavourless main course was poor.

Food excellent. Staff are amazing and the restaurant was so relaxing with its decor.

Very disappointing take out meal. Have eaten in the restaurant which has been great be cautious if ordering take away.

Just had a terrible delivery via deliveroo. Noodles dish was incorrectly cooked, duck was missing sauce and accompaniments and wasnt crispy, dish was missing with receipt saying refund but had to ask for refund via Deliveroo

Had a really lovely takeaway from this restaurant. I can't wait to try it out again when I dine in with my family! I very much recommend the Singapore noodles. My relative, who is from China, thought they were delicious. No photo as we smashed it all pretty quickly!

Everything was excellent! Amazing food and service in a lovely setting. Really pleased to have gone and highly recommend. 5 chefs kisses

This is a great place to eat. Lovely surroundings, nice atmosphere, friendly staff and quality food. The Kung Po king prawns was fantastic. The portion sizes are very generous and depending on your appetite sharing may be an option.

Gem of a place, excellent quality, delicious food filling a hole in Chorlton's culinary options that for many years has missed a decent Chinese restaurant. Being upstairs it lacks the passerby footfall draw and so will rely on word of mouth. Cosy and nicely done out - sincerely hope it sticks around.

Really great food, service a little slow to start but fine afterwards. Would definitely go again.

Great meal would definitely recommend!

The food was really good, best we've been to locally. Excellent service too!

Amazing, we loved it and will definitely be back soon! Beautiful food and cocktails, service was perfect too!

Thank you for looking after my 9 friends last night for my birthday meal. Everything was fabulous from the moment we booked until we paid the bill. Can't wait for next time!

Exceeded expectations! Super fresh and hot dim sum, prawn toast was outstanding. There were only about 4/5 other tables so there was a slight lack of atmosphere. Our waiter was really friendly and took pride in the food he was serving us!

Both dim sum were pretty dry, but Xiao Long Bao was most disappointing. The soup dumplings had no soup! Main course was their recommended chilli garlic seafood platter, not bad, really nothing special, bowl didn't warrant the near £20 + £5 side price point. Overall pretty underwhelming experience. Was misled by the raving reviews and high price point.

An outstanding Chinese restaurant in Chorlton, Manchester. Food is delicious and the staff are attentive and gracious. The restaurant is becoming very popular so do book early. You won't be disappointed.

Very aesthetically pleasing place with great staff and very nice food

The nicest Chinese food I’ve had in my life - I loved visiting this restaurant with family last night. The food was absolutely beautiful (big portions sizes too!) and the restaurant is beautifully decorated. The staff are a credit to the business, they were extremely helpful and polite. The only downside is that I am not from the area so can’t visit as much I would like now I’ve been! Highly recommended, 5/5.

Was at this restaurant a couple of weeks ago the food was on point and the cocktails and the service was on point and I've booked again.

Really delicious, a super place to go!

Fantastic authentic Chinese food, definitely not your run-of-the-mill place. Very helpful, friendly and attentive service. Our second visit will not be our last

Delicious food and friendly staff in a lovely setting. A great addition to Chorlton!

Great food and lovely staff. A hidden gem!

Really lovely food, we had mainly dim sum but it was some of the best dim sum I've had over here, definitely recommend.

Lovely restaurant and food and the staff are very nice