Zen China Restaurant in Lambeth

Estábamos en la zona y decidimos probar comida china. . . . Gran lugar con un agradable bar y la mayoría de las mesas con vistas al parlamento y al Big Ben. Ofrece un menú a la carta y un almuerzo (Happy Hour Set) que consta de tres platos a un precio muy conveniente.

First night in London and late dinner. They served well and the food was good! Wonderful location and great service!

Our first visit and we loved it. I'm a big fan of Chinese food and have visited restaurants all over the world, including Hong Kong. The Beijing duck was wonderful and the soup that was made with the remainder just delicious, the presentation at the table by the chef was a lovely touch too. We liked the place so much we are going back on Friday with other friends. The full menu is much more varied than appears on their website and includes some great dishes.

Nice staff and beautiful views of houses of parliament / big ben / river. However food is pretty average so it’s expensive for what it is. Sizzlinf beef was delicious. Crispy duck was dry. Egg fried dry.

Very bad. At around 1pm on Sunday 31st December I received a call saying that my 5pm booking (same day) had been cancelled as they were now holding a New Year's party that would cost about £200 per person. For my booking they said that I could only move it to 3pm (before they closed). They should have had these details on Open Table beforehand. I then asked if they could hold my booking so that I could discuss with friends that I booked it for. When I called back they were unable to understand me and the conversation was a bit of a struggle. In the end I cancelled the booking.

Terrible..we booked via Open table as it was in the city and my family wanted to spend new years in London. Was called up by a rude resturant manager who demanded we pay £ 900 for the booking. This was not mentioned on open table at time of booking. We ended up cancelling the booking and will never book here again. It spoilt our New Year plans in London and everybody including my two children were extremely disappointed.

Food was OK, the problem was the price. I don't mind paying much for great food, but it wasn't really what I was expecting. Nothing was bad, but wasn't great either. The lobster was overcooked, the fish had a lot of spines, and so on. Again, it was good food, but not for the price.

Food was ok and can be better. Really expensive for its portion. Not tasty enough.

It seemed logical to dine at the Bao Fa Garden after a matinee visit to the County Hall Theatre. What can I say? It was okay I suppose. No particular omplaints from my party of four, that's for sure. But it wasn't great. It was all rather ordinary leaving us with some disappointment that it could have been so much better. At these prices and with this location we should have been bowled over - but weren't. I doubt if we'll return.

This was my first visit to this restaurant & I was very happy with the delicious meal served by very attentive staff and the manager who was at hand to see that all was well. My son & a guest from overseas enjoyed the lovely array of dishes including starters , scallop dumplings and vegetable spring rolls and our mains roast whole duck , chicken , aubergine & Tofu served with rice. which we shared were absolutely delicious with very large portions :) ( we only realised it when the food arrived ).The Merlot shared by my guests was great too. I would defenitely recvomend this restaurant to those who enjoy quality Chinese cuisine and excllent ambience & great view of the Thames. It must be said , the price was very reasonable too!!👍

My first impressions were not good, the pictures on the website do not match inside the restaurant, because it is old decor inside. I felt like I walked into the wrong place! The menu offers mostly pork options, hardly any chicken or fresh seasonal veg. The actual menu is tacky in plastic wallets, this doesn't make a good impression of a high end place. The ice-cream tasted like it had been in the freezer 2 years. The waiter brought out our food separately so some food was cold and some was hot, this is such bad service. They were hardly anyone around, we were left waiting to pay when another party came in to eat. Toilets had no tissue, I had to go back upstairs to ask for toilet paper! How bad! The toilet bins were over flowing and general mess - put me off my food. Overall this is 1/5 and I wouldn't go back.

Nice experience here. Wonderful views. They did their best to accommodate our gluten free choices.

Quite good foods and friendly service. Nice view from the window.

Lovely ambiance and setting. Unfortunately the service wasn't great in that the food came out at different times and I had to ask twice to get the rice that I ordered. It seemed to be a common issue with other diners. Food was ok but high priced and service charge was added automatically even for just two at the table. Not the worst I've ever had, but I think there are far better options for your money.

Food was very good especially the lobster and duck. Device couldn't be faulted. Pleasant ambience. They should fix the gate and steps at the entrance at the bottom of the steps, very unwelcoming

absolutely fantastic Chinese food. I can't recommend this place enough.

Buscando un lugar para comer en el camino de vuelta al hotel y encontré este restaurante. La comida era realmente buena, pero un poco caro. Probablemente debido a su ubicación con vistas a las Casas del Parlamento. El personal encantador, amable que nos cuidaron bien. Tuve dulce y agria, pollo. Mi marido tenía Costilla verduras de cocción. Pidió que se caliente, pero por desgracia no era tan caliente como a él le habría gustado. Él quería un curry, pero me dijeron que no sirven al curry. Los otros dos miembros de nuestro grupo Kung Po Pollo y pollo en salsa de frijol negro, todo servido con arroz frito y huevos duros. Todas las comidas eran deliciosos y bien presentados. Los alrededores eran muy agradables. Sí volveríamos si estábamos en esa parte de Londres.

It was expensive with not very good food. We had duck with pancakes to start. It was the worst I've ever had. The duck was really hard, you couldn't bite into it. The waitress was also un helpful. When we asked her to explain a couple of meals. Her reply was that she didn't know. I certainly would not recommend to friends

Way over-pricing catering to ignorant tourist crowd outside London Eye; bland food - this is not authentic Chinatown style food; Spanish waitress who did not understand what hoisin sauce was...in a Chinese restaurant

An amazing Chinese restaurant which serves perfect food. I would recommend soy millk icecream and roasted Beijing Duck. It is the only Chinese restaurant that also use the duck bones to cook a soup with tofu and vegetables for you apart from the duck meat already served.

Fuimos allí en un viaje a Londres.

good location night London views peking roast duck is yummy

Very bad service and the food was not good. We saw 3 little mouses running around in the restaurant !! That's a no go!

Fuimos para una cena de San Valentín,

Delicious food, great attentive service, nice décor and if you're lucky a view of the river by the London Eye!

Ahora llamado el Bao Fa Jardín, fuimos a su cena especial Año Nuevo Chino. El servicio fue pésimo, tuvimos que pedir servilletas y palillos, algunos de la comida estaba helada directamente de la nevera, cuando nos indicó el camarero usó su dedo de prueba. Otra comida en el mantel dividido camarero y nadie se molestó en limpiarlo o sustituir la tela. Sin excepción, la comida era muy mala, y cayó de manera breve lo que podría esperarse por el dinero involucrado, nos dieron una factura de casi 300 libras por cuatro. Nos hubiera gustado se volteó y a la izquierda cuando llegamos y testigos de otro grupo de discutir con el director sobre su factura. La única cosa buena que puedo decir sobre este lugar es la ubicación, en la que este restaurante es una pérdida de espacio!

Disappointing service. Waiters not really too friendly. Missing a dish from our order, was noodles so not too complex. But waited for nearly an hour. After numerous requests where the dish was. But just gave up in the end

The choices are limited. We ordered grilled scallop, they used a lot of black bean sauce to cover the fact that scallop was not fresh.

Stunning decor, gorgeous views across the Thames to Big Ben. The King prawns were amazing, as was the service - quick, attentive and very friendly. Would certainly recommend.

Um Chinês no County Hall, com acesso a partir do Marriot, hotel onde estávamos hospedados. Atendimento excelente, ambiente refinado e boa comida. Pedi uma coxa de pato que estava muito bem feita.

Estábamos escépticos al principio, pero me sorprendió gratamente. El servicio era agradable y muy amable. La comida era buena y a un precio razonable. Vista desde la mesa, era genial. Podíamos ver el Big Ben iluminado con luces verdes. Muy agradable para escapar de las multitudes y aún tienen una bonita vista. Recomendaría este restaurante.

Verste restaurant jeg har vært på !! Bestillte bord for nyttårs feiring og betalte kjempe mye, og maten var helt elendig og smakte ingenting. Virkelig ingenting, og spesielt når man har betalt såååå mye. Servitørene var amatører! Anbefales ikke..

Amazing food, very fast cooking times, exceptional service, waiters and waitresses go out of their way to provide an amazing time, ambience is chill, decor is unsurpassed! All in all, top notch place, very fancy for a special occasion.

Perfect views of big ben. Since it wasnt busy the waiters were very friendly and talkative. the food was excellent but not that special. the peking duck is good though i would recommend it.

Este restaurante ofrece vistas hermosas del río, y el Big Ben. ! ! ! La comida estaba bien, un montón de cosas en el menú no están disponibles, así que dejamos de tener que regresar y seleccionar opciones diferentes y más. Servicio era mínima, no muy agradable y no antipático, básico. Sinceramente, si no fuera por las vistas daría menos estrellas. No hay necesidad de volver.

Last minute reservation for dinner with an old friend who was in town for just one evening. The place was empty as it was a Monday evening. The views are amazing and we had all the staff to look after us. Food was plentiful and we ordered too much and were not able to finish. Portions are BIG so order with care. Everything we ordered was tasty and beautifully presented. Will be going back in a bigger group next time so we can try the tasting menu as it looks really good.

Great location, good basic service, traditional style chinese decor in main restaurant with a more modern bar seating area around open kitchen at the front of restaurant. Food was good, standard Chinese fare. All the popular dishes.

Two of us popped in here for lunch and shared half a crispy duck. The restaurant was decked out nicely and you got a great view of the Thames and Parliament from out of the windows. To say that only 4, or 5 tables were...

I had read some mixed reviews on the restaurant but I was happy to give it a try as the location is so convenient if you are visiting the London eye. It was quiet when we were dining but that was nice. I think people who say the staff are rude are confusing the language barrier and the type of cuisine. This is traditional Chinese food and it's beautiful. We were served by a lovely older gentleman who was happy to do anything we asked and kept our drinks topped up. The views over the Thames and Big Ben are fantastic and can't see another restaurant where you can get such beautiful evening views. The price is reasonable and by no means expensive for what you get. The portions are huge!! Would definitely visit again as we loved the traditional minimalist interior and food.

Do not waste your time,shame great position and view needs to be bought out and a fresh start.food is terrible decor terrible, service terrible need I go on.

Smaken på det man fick var okej, men det var svårt att förstå vad man skulle få med kyparens förklaring på dålig engelska. Jag fick en tallrik med 25 dumplings. Hade funkat bättre om man hade delat rätterna på flera personer, och tagit flera rätter, och det var säkert det som kyparen försökte förklara. Sedan blev man uppkörd på priset och inte ens tillfrågad om man ville konvertera priset till svenska priser.

Uns hat es prima gefallen. Die Bedienung war sehr freundlich, wie wir es selten erlebt haben. Wir waren mit drei Kindern da (1,8,12) und hatten erst Sorge, es könnte aufgrund der Lage zu vornehm für uns sein. Das Restaurant ist komfortabel und wirkt nobel, aber die Mitarbeiter waren super nett zu den Kindern. Den Kindern wurde genau gezeigt, wie man richtig mit Stäbchen isst; alternativ gab es aber auch Besteck!! Die Essensauswahl ist groß und für jeden ist etwas dabei. Auf die Kinder-Extrawünsche wurde gerne eingegangen. Alle unsere Speisen waren sehr lecker. Viel hochwertiger und nicht so Glutamat- und Fertigsoßenlastig, wie in Deutschland. Wenn man jetzt noch die tolle Lage bedenkt; ein Platz beim Essen mit Blick auf BigBen; toll!Dafür war der Preis absolut ok. Und wenn wir nochmal noch London reisen, gehen wir wieder hin!!

we ate here on our second night in London It was close by to our hotel so we gave it a go, first thing I noticed was the lack of fellow diners as it was a secluded entrance ,lt forms pat of the semi- cicular entrance to the marriot hotel ,anyway we were greeted at reception by friendly host brought to our seat a lovely view of the river,westminster bridge and big ben, grand so far.i wasn't all that hungry so I just had a starter and my wife went for a chicken curry,(yes ok, curry in a Chinese restaurant she should have known better.)so we ate our meal the starter was prawn toast 3 bits of it, and my wifes curry tasted as if it came from a packet.i had two beers , which were very nice,. but and theres always a but .. it was to me just on the expensive side ,41 pounds sterling I thought was outrageous,now the staff were excellent and the furnishings and fittings were top class BUT alas the food just was not up to a standard of such an establishment.

Crave for spicy Chinese food after a long day, this is the nearest one in my area, ordered via deliveroo, took about 30-40 mins from order confirmed to delivered.First impression - food coming in a 'happy shopper' plastic bag.... HmmmmmmOrdered a soup and chicken in spicy sauce.When I opened the bag, I saw a baby size foam pot, and wondering did I order any sauce? No it was my hot & sour soup... In a 8oz pot... The smallest I have ever seen!!!!!!!! In fact, the size doesn't really matter.... It tastes awful...... Not sour, and very peppery, I had a spoon, and I actually threw it away. I threw £4.80 straight to the bin!The chicken in spicy sauce, I have tried this classic dish elsewhere, I love it, fresh chicken meat in spicy sauce full of aroma.... But this one, I can only taste the Szechuan peppercorn, and my mouth was so numb even after the first bite! I don't know is it authentic or not, but I just don't like it.... And it was very oily compare to those I had in other restaurants .... Been to the restaurant 2-3 years ago, it didn't impress me, and I remember it was quite proxy, but it's located next to the London eye with a lovely view.

We visited one Sunday at around 6:00 after stumbling across it by accident. Tucked right up the corner by the London dungeon it's not an easy spot! There is a bar with a big screen where you can watch sports & eat starters. The main restaurant is very low key in decoration with wooden chairs & tables but it is still very nice. The views from main restaurant are amazing. You can see Big Ben, Thames, London eye etc so clearly it's jaw dropping. The only thing I don't understand is why they wouldn't let any of the diners sit at the tables with a window. They rave about the views but when you get there you have to sit at the back on a raised area. You can still see the (distant ) views but personally I didn't see the issue with allowing us a closer window view when there were only 4 diners. We ordered soup, ribs, rice, curry, spicy wings & sweet & sour chicken & every dish was wonderful - I would say probably the best Chinese food I have ever eaten. I would definitely return & recommend every dish we had and it All came to just under £60 so not bad at all. The toilets were dirty though & need properly cleaning there was a lot of urine on the floor in ladies & toilets themselves were stained. I reported it to the lady & she did attend straight away I just thought it was such a shame that this high class restaurant was let down by toilets that resembled something you were more likely to find in KFC. Overall though a fab experience nice friendly staff just need to be a bit more accommodating, allow customers to enjoy the views they boast about & get the domestos out in the toilets !

What an excellent find! I've been to Asia a few times and loved the food there but found it quite boring back home, not here though. Great food with fresh ingredients and good use of spices. The vegetarian and non vegetarian options are very good. The hot shredded potato is absolutely delicious. Although they got part of the order wrong this was rectified efficiently and service overall was very helpful. Great location too in the old County Hall by the Thames. Beautifully decorated restaurant with a big bar. Be warned, the spicy hot pots are very spicy! Will be back

With a view of House of Parliament, the River Thames and London Eye, this is an ideal location to enjoy well executed, upmarket Chinese food.A warm welcome greeted me by all the staff, and despite arriving extra early for the lunch reservation I was able to choose a table on a Friday at 12:30pm. I’d requested to wait until my friend joined me before ordering drinks. A couple of times a friendly waiter approached me to check if I was okay, which I greatly appreciated. Seafood platter for 2 – steamed scallops, crispy squid and prawn sticks; Sichuan Style Sea Bass Slices for two served in a huge bowl with bean sprouts; Tofu with Chinese Black Mushroom, Green and Red Peppers and steamed rice. We did our best to finish it, but simply couldn’t make it. A shame to have to leave exceptionally delicious food; however, we did our best. I look forward to returning to try more of there great sounding dishes.

It is an incredibile place, where you can have a seat with a sight on the Big Ben!The staff is truly very, very kind and fast: the appetizers (spicy chicken wings) came after just a couple of minutes and the first courses (roasted duck noodles suop and grilled noodles with shredded chicken) arrived quite soon too!Moreover, the maïtre provided us with some very useful suggestions and showed a great professionalism.Last, but not the least, the portions were huge and the price very cheap!No desserts are served in this restaurant, however it is highly recommended!!

Zen China Restaurant is a hidden gem overlooking Parliament in London and a little hidden away on the County Hall terrace but not part of the Marriott Hotel. However, it is well worth the effort to get there for lunch or dinner and there is also a bar attached. We enjoyed some excellent Dim Sum and prawns with attentive service from knowledgeable staff. The view kept us at our dinner table from sunset through dusk to nightfall. Magical.

Stunted atmosphere as we're the first to arrive to the restaurant at a little after 6pm. A beautiful view across the Thames toward Westminster, this wooden inspired restaurant is strangely very un-Chinese, with no Chinese decor whatsoever. No music either. The restaurant is in an odd location, and you walk through what appears to be an abandoned Teppsntaki restaurant to get to it.Spring rolls ok, but the steamed Siu Mai very obviously shop bought. So too the prawn dumplings. And no chilli sauce. No one went back for a second dumpling, which is odd.Salt n pepper calamari pleasant, but had obviously sat for 5mins before it was served. This stuff has gotta arrive immediately once it's cooked, as it was just off. More like Yum Cha texture.Then arrived the duck with ginger and pineapple. Really very pleasant, but you could've called it sweet 'n sour duck (is there such a thing?). The Kung pao chicken was very tasty, with more chilli than most. Next came what could have have been Peking duck, but it came with small chunks of pork. Same delicate pancakes, shallots etc, but no Hoi sin. The texture of the boiled pork missing the lovely crisp skin of the duck was a bit yuck.Wait staff applied a minimalist approach, leaving us unattended for over 30mins after clearing the table. No top up of drinks, and the only offer of tea/coffee/dessert came after we had physically paid.We had a good time regardless.

We went there for dinner few weeks ago, we had roast duck along with pancakes thingy which was really nice!!! Highly recommended! We also shared some other Chinese dish, all tasted quite authentic! Also we would recommend you to book a table in the evening, the view is absolutely amazing over the houses of parliament.

My sister and I chose this restaurant because it had a great view of Westminster Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and the Bell Tower of Big Ben. The food presentation was lovely and tasty. Service was good.

Wir wollten in der Nähen unseres Hotels zu Abend essen und uns viel die Pekingente auf der Karte ins Auge. Doch leider war diese ein Reinfall.Es war eine ganz normale gebratene Ente zu der zusammengepappte Teigfladen serviert wurden.

We enjoyed good service and an excellent meal at Zen with 4 families all with x2 or more children gathering to celebrate my father-in-law's recent honours from the Queen.

We had an evening meal at the Zen China Restaurant after going on the London Eye at around 9pm. Firstly the location is great if you have been the London Eye as it is about 2 minutes away. The only downside is it that it is not clear where the restaurant is as there is no sign leading up the stairs to the courtyard but it is clear when you go up, we had to use Google Maps to find it. Secondly in relation to the location the view from the restaurant is incredible, we had a view of Big Ben which was really nice. The food is very reasonably priced for London and in a prime location and the portions are very large, so much so that neither of us were able to finish them. Unlikely most Chinese restaurants they also had a good cocktail menu which was nice for us as we prefer a cocktail over wine or beer. Overall the location was perfect, the food was lovely and the price was great. We would definitely come again when we return to London.

Hidden Gem! Great place to catch up with friends over decent authentic Chinese food. Great view over looking the Thames.

I approached this meal with a little trepidation given some of the recent tripadvisor reviews but I was very pleasantly surprised.The service was friendly but unobtrusive and the tables were reasonably spaced. The views over the Thames towards the Houses of Parliament were also great.As far as the food was concerned we had the set menu which was really nice. Two of my fellow diners had lived in China and they were happy - which was a good sign.It wasn't cheap - but given the location and the quality of the food we thought it was reasonable.

Every dish served to us tasted great, and the flavors are quite commendable. Perhaps the price is deserved, but it is quite pricy compared to other restaurants that we dined in while in London.

Arrived after lots of walking around with crowds of people and relieved to find a quiet spot away from the hustle outside with lovely views of Big Ben and the river Thames.That was the best part sadly as the service was poor, they were not very welcoming I even had to double check they were open.The staff seated us but took a long time to return and take our drinks order. They eventually returned to take our food and drink order together. The menu looked good but was quite pricey so I was expecting good food. Unfortunately the food was no better than shop bought ready meals. The portions were quite small too so I guess you are paying high prices for the views.Lot's of staff standing around watching you eat and it made me feel uncomfortable as it felt like they were laughing at us at times.We did not stay for any dessert and paid the bill. Sadly I would not return here or recommend.

A dispetto di tante altre recensioni che ho letto a noi è piaciuto tantissimo. Il prezzo è alto ma alto "in modo normale" per essere a Londra. Lo consiglio

Wish we checked trip adviser 1st. The food was very average, service very poor, price was very high. A £25 takeaway is a lot better that a Zen China meal for 3 with 1 drink each for £105. We even had to ask for plates as our food was sitting on the table going cold. Extremely disappointed. One positive, the staff were friendly but there just weren't enough of them. Wouldn't recommend!!!

Really very poor food, that's the most accurate feedback I can give.

Un poco elevado el costo, pero la verdad que vale la pena para darse un lujo. Muy bueno, recomendado.

Service was very slow and while the food was only average the price was extortionate for what we received. Plus a small glass of wine is advertised as a large.

Well, the restaurant is ok overallThe plus: location and view, 5/5Right along the river inside the County Hall (1st floor of County Hall, 2nd floor is Marriott guest room space), with windowns opening up to the Big Ben, the atmosphere is good, actually great if you compare to the MUCH more crowded McDonald next door. It is set at a platform above the riverbank walkway, with gardens in front. Easy walk from rhe Westminster bridge or London Eye.Food is average at best, 2/5While the price is reasonable, not too expensive considering the view, the food is just ok, not bad but certainly not outstanding. OverallCome for the view, or a break from the crowded, nice place to rest and enjoy scenary without too people aroubd me. Food is pk but not comparable to the view

This restaurant has the perfect location. The food was incredible and by far the best Chinese I have had in the UK. Also, the staff were friendly which is always a huge bonus. If given the opportunity, go!

Visited last night and while the food was nice the service was very poor, we actually removed the service from the bill as it was soo bad. We kept having to chase the waiters for items we had ordered and there only excuse was they were busy..., we won't go again!

We were really hungry after a busy day and arrived here at 3.30pm. We were presented with the lunch menu. Lovely tasting food, a great view over the river Thames and Big Ben. Good service and very reasonable prices (not typical London) . Table of 7 , 2 courses, drinks and service charge for under £18 per head

There is no doubt that the location is very good, right next to the London Dungeon and a few seconds walk from the London Eye. The food was decent, so they have a decent chief. We went on a Saturday afternoon and took advantage of their lunch set menu offer, which was a good deal and the food did not disappoint.The atmosphere was quiet as the place and the place was quite empty, possibly because of its hidden location.The staff appeared to need more training to polish up the service, as they appeared a little inexperienced. Food orders were taken very well, but drink orders not taken at all (perhaps they forgot we needed a drink too?). Each person had to physically call or put their hand up to ask for a drink, which is not good for the customer and not good for business. When the food arrived the waiters appeared not to know who ordered what and looked a bit confused, and we had to guide them as to who ordered what. It was a large group of 10 so maybe that made things more difficult, but we helped them by pointing to who ordered what.When the rice arrive they were all just put on the table on one spot and we had to hand the rice plates to each person ourselves. I ordered plain rice and no one said plain rice was still coming or if they had left it on the table. I had to ask if my rice was coming and they should have made it clear that they had put egg friend rice on the table, and boiled plain rice was still on its way. I shouldn't have had to ask if it was on the table and if it was still coming.No one asked if we wanted dessert. Perhaps they do not do dessert at this restaurant I am not sure, but at many restaurants they ask if you want to order dessert after you finished your meal. We would have ordered dessert if asked.We were also told they needed to prepare the table after being there a few hours when it was clear the place was very empty. So instead of getting us if we wanted to buy more drinks, any coffee or dessert, we were more or less told it was time to go so they could prepare the table, when it was clear to us the place was empty.So we left and went to another bar not too far from there and ordered drinks.I think this restaurant has potential, I would go back because the set lunch menu for £10 was definitely worth it and we enjoyed ourselves before being more or less being told it was time to leave the empty restaurant.I've rated the overall rating as average only because there is no doubt that the location is very good and the food was good too and that has compensated for the below standard service.Worth a visit for lunch if you're hungry and in the area.

We saw this place when we visited The Eye. We didn't book but they were able to give us a table. In fact we could've had our choice as it wasn't busy at all.The food is very high Chinese cuisine and is priced accordingly.As there were very few customers in at the time it lacked any sort of atmosphere and as a result the whole experience felt a bit flat.

We were at the end of a tiring day and so walked into Zen China without knowing anything about them... Happy to share that we liked the food & atmosphere :-)My recommendations include1. Tasty food .. If you like spicy food you can ask then oblige :-) ... Their food can be quite spicy and we loved it2. Portions are quite good and we were able to share it amongst ourselves3. Loved the Spicy Rice and Green salads.... 4. Pricing is touch on the higher side but considering the locale and atmosphere you can splurge ... If you are on a budget please order judicously and share the dishes Great location for a photo op post the food ... Right opposite the Big Ben and Next to the London eye :-)

Just completed tour of Europe and family is craving for Asian food. Closest to our hotel is Zen China. We ordered some fried rice, soup noddles and dumpling. The food was ok. It satisfies our craving. It is reasonably priced. The restaurant is huge but only 3 tables is occupied during our visit - considering the location and how busy it is outside of the restaurant. You get the view of the Big Ben, River Thames and Westminster Bridge from the restaurant.

A lot of Chinese dining when we entered which we took as a good sign for good food. The food was good but we felt ignored. When our order was taken we asked for cutlery as we like Chinese food but unable to handle chopsticks. The food arrived and we ended up eating it with the serving spoons provided with the dishes. We did not hang around for desert.

If you are looking for a Chinese restaurant with a view - this is certainly a strong contender. The food we ate (Vegetarian set menu for 2) and kung pao chicken was delicately prepared, good portions and given the premium location I would say was good value as well. The service could have been better, but overall a place I may come back to.

Excellent place. Amazing views and very nice décor and atmosphere. We were seated at a lovely large round table for 8 - really great for group conversation. Food was delicious and plentiful - we went for a £28 per person set menu, which was great value.

Sumptuous dinner with stunning views of the Beg ben and Westminster. Very friendly staff and i recommend it

We were on the London Eye before eating at this restaurant. Our table had a nice view but that's about the only positive thing I'm going to mention. Food was really average, nothing special, but really expensive. The bill came to about £100 incl. service for four dishes and a bottle of sparkling water. Service was really bad, no smiling waiters/waitresses and no asking if we needed anything else. In the whole restaurant there were only three tables occupied, but it was difficult to grab the waiters attention to ask about one dish which they brought after ages. Guests leaving the restaurant after their meal were ignored and there was no "thank you, good bye". When we wanted to pay, their card machine wasn't working and we were asked to get cash. My husband had to walk 15mins to the cash mashine at Waterloo station and back. We were unhappy about this, and they deducted £20 from our bill.

As others have said, the views here are great if you have a window seat. We had to repeat our drinks order around three times before we were confident she had recorded it properly. This made us apprehensive as my son has a nut and dairy allergy so we were not sure we would trust her. We shouldn't have worried, the food waiter was knowledgeable about the ingredients used. True he didn't smile, but we felt we could trust him. The menu wasn't typical Chinese menu although many favourites are there. Thus we tried to pick things we hadn't had before. We thoroughly enjoyed the food although someone had a heavy hand with the MSG in the soup - please, using this stuff really isn't necessary. We can report we didn't see any mice. We paid the the included service, but no more.

This place need to be closed down asap. Rude, unfriendly and pushy staff. Horrible food, high prices for low quality. There is no more to say, just stay away.

The deal here is 3 course dinners for 2 or more people, priced per person. Each course had 3 or 4 different foods all placed on the table for you to eat. A lot of good food and nice variety for everyone. You can order alacart of the menu.

They say that you should always check reviews and also to see how a busy a place is before you enter - well, I will NOW always do just that. We asked for a window seat, and the staff were reluctant to place us there - (will get to that shortly).. Whilst eating there was a member of staff who was standing by our table and kept banging her feet nonstop whilst we were eating.. Lo and behold, she was trying to keep the mice away.. All THREE OF THEM!! They wanted to offer us a 50% discount, my partner told them she would not be paying any of the bill, as were not paying to see mice running about in a restaurant like they completely owned the place. The funny part was - one of the mice started run across the room, the head waitress (I assume) turned round and said "Oh that is the crazy one". After reading reviews of this place since, I'm very suprised that they have not been shut down yet - I have written to Environmental Health / Trading Standards as clearly there is a problem here - dont get me wrong, we live in London and i'm sure there are mice in every establishment - WE JUST DONT SEE THEM!!

Dieses Restaurant am Südufer der Themse findet man ohne die eher unscheinbaren Werbeplakate kaum. Aber es befindet sich oberhalb des Ufers in einem recht repräsentativen Raum eines alten großen Gebäudes wenige Schritte östlich der Westminsterbridge mit einem phantastischen Blick auf das gegenseitige Ufer des Flusses mit den Parlamentsgebäuden und dem Elisabeth-Turm mit der Glocke Big Ben.Bei unserem einzigen Besuch bestellten wir ein Menü. Die Suppe schmeckte gut. Der Zwischengang war hervorragend. Er bestand aus einer Entenbrust, von der zuerst die Haut und anschließend das saftige Fleisch serviert wurde, beides mit Crepes, Lauch und einer wohlschmeckenden Sauce. Den Hauptgang bildete ein auf den Punkt gekochter ganzer Fisch. Leider fehlte dem Hauptgang jegliches Salz und auch Pfeffer; beides war auf keinem Tisch des Restaurants zum Nachwürzen verfügbar.Die Bedienung war recht kurz angebunden, aber höflich. Vielleicht ist das eine Eigenart mancher Chinesen. Ein etwas freundlicherer Umgang mit den Gästen, wie ihn etwa die Italiener pflegen, wäre für eine bessere Gesamtbewertung dieses Lokals hilfreich.Alles in allem war wir recht zufrieden. Beim nächsten Aufenthalt an der Westminsterbridge gehen wir wieder hin, schon wegen der tollen Aussicht auf das andere Themse-Ufer.

The food is good quality northern Chinese food. The location is somewhat hard to find. You enter off the south bank of the Thames walk, just east of Westminster bridge. You walk up a stairway to the patio area of the london county hall and across the patio through the doors.. Once inside you have a great view across the river to Westminster bridge, Houses of Parliament etc. In the winter season they have excellent dumpling dishes. The spicy shredded pork is very good too.

The restaurant is on the Southbank in the old County Hall, bit tricky to find as it's up the stairs next to the Aquarium entrance, but once inside there are fabulous view to be had of "Big Ben" and the Houses of Parliament.One of the set menu deals included authentic Peking (Beijing) Duck, which was tasty, but the theatre of presenting it could have been better, as in should really have been done right at the table.The mains were all lovely and the service was good and attentive...mind you, the place was more or less empty.Set menu was £42, not bad for the location, but a bottle of Tsing Tao was £4.50!All in all, a good place for a business meal, and as I say, the location makes up for a lot!

This restaurant is situated just behind the London Eye and from the restaurant you get a fantastic view of the Thames, Big Ben etc. It's a large restaurant and although nicely decorated has very little atmosphere. The food is good but the service is poor and sadly surly, and the staff could benefit from some customer care training. It felt as if we were a nuisance rather than customers, which is a real shame because it has some much going for it. This resulted in us having an average experience, when it could have been so much better if we'd been welcomed and treated properly. It's not cheap and I don't mind paying for quality, but it's a real cheek to charge 12.5% for service when you're not getting any worth paying for. Hopefully the management can sort the staff out and make it a better experience for others in the future.

We enjoyed our lunch and the Dim Sum were very good. Quick and effective service. The location is great as it is on the Thames. However, food is slightly overpriced for what it is.

Awful food, ordered rice with duck and it came with a massive portion of rice with super tiny bits of shredded duck I hardly find on the plate. It was also tasteless. If you look to eat a large portion of rice with nothing on it, this is the place. Food quality is extremely poor. Chopstick is better. I would not go back or recommend. Sorry!

A great restaurant with a view over the Thames. When we visited the restaurant was fairly empty. The Beijing Duck is fantastic - order it in advance to make sure it is available. The prices are quite high but this is central London, so I would say it was good value. It helps to have someone with you who knows about Chinese food.

We stumbled across this when caught in the rain at lunchtime. The decor is impressive, the food very good and the location excellent.The service was surly and we felt most unwelcome. The 12.5% service charge I refused to pay. Never before have I been to eat somewhere and had the plate dumped at the opposite corner of the table without a word and left there - having to pull it to where I was seated. Dirty crockery from the previous course left on the table. One to be avoided.

Disgusting.Staff could not care less as barely-touched dishes were collected.Paid in full and complained.Staff could still not care less.Happy New Year.

Starters and soup was very good, but it took forever to get to the mains and came out a bit cold and plain. Otherwise it was a very good experience

the dishes were ok, but the price of both dishes and drinks are bit too high, and they charge for service too.

We sat at the table with a great view. The food was good with friendly service, but you feel like you are paying more to the view.

Zen China is one of a small number of places you can get authentic Beijing duck in London. It's the restaurant's specialty dish So we booked a table for Chinese New Year Eve, several weeks ago. But when we order the Beijing duck, the waitress informed us that they have run out. The service was continually poor all evening. We were having to request plates and chopsticks, as they hadn't counted enough out for the table. We had to ask several times about numerous dishes. This restaurant is a real shambles.

The location of this restaurant is great, facing the river and big Ben. The food is good but the restaurant was too cold and as a consequence the food got cold very quickly. It would have helped to have had heated food trays. The ambience of the restaurant is good, tables placed well apart so we could chat very easily. I like the place. It is a little pricy but perhaps not for the location. The service was good but I wish that they could sort out the heating.

Group of us visited. Good service, excellent selection of dishes available- tried a wide selection and all were good. Service was great but not rushed. Not the cheapest Chinese but we thought it was reasonable. Due to location was nice to finish the meal and walk down the embankment

Went with my girlfriend for our anniversary, we did find it awkward to find but once in was a pleasant well laid out place. Greeted and seated ahead of schedule. Was quiet for a Saturday night but if you need a quiet environment then a great option. Views of the Thames were great and the food was well portioned and chef was happy to modify dishes to suite your taste. we left both happy

DO NOT GO ON NYE, I am not sure how the experience is on a regular evening.We had dinner at Zen China on New Year’s Eve because it seemed like a nice restaurant and they advertised a very good view of the fireworks, so we thought we'd give it a go even though it was expensive (200+ per head). The food was edible but not interesting in any particular way, there was no choice at all and it was clearly worse than what they usually serve. The service was terrible, they didn’t explain anything and just brought random food to the table, leaving us alone with no food for 40 minutes at a time. We could practically not see the fireworks from the restaurant, as it’s just below the London eye, and we were not allowed to stand outside and it was not explained to us. They added a 100 pound service charge to the bill and additional charges for tea/cheap wine, which did not seem reasonable given the price.

Amazing view , not so amazing service . I was initially going to pay the bill in cash but after realising I didn't have enough to leave a decent tip (which really wasn't deserved ) I asked could I pay by card the waitress sighed as though I was making an u reasonable request, at this point I decided to still pay by card but not leave the tip on top of the service charge overall good food with a nice view apart from the lights being to bright and killing the mood, only real problem that would prevent me returning or recommending to a friend was the poor service and rude staff , what a shame

I was came here in this month it's the first tine of me and I feel this restaurant provide the best quality of food and customer service. It was gave me a quiet and luxurious space for a dinner. I think this restaurant also suitable for business visit.