Bright Courtyard Club — Restaurant in London

I've heard about the "Hermes Hot Pot" at Bright Courtyard Club before, but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. Now they've introduced a £36 dim sum set menu for two people, which is quite a rare find for affordable Cantonese dim sum in the city center. Additionally, there's a 20% discount on dim sum every day until 4 pm from Monday to Friday, so it's still a good deal even if you don't go for the set menu.

🦞 They also offer huge crayfish with claws larger than regular crayfish, and the meat is plump and chewy. It's a delightful experience enjoying such fresh crayfish, but it's better to call ahead and reserve them as they might not have them available every day.

✨ Here are some recommended dim sum items:

🍳 Egg tarts: These are like the "London version of Chinese KFC egg tarts," with a crust that resembles the aroma of KFC's pastry. The filling is rich and creamy, not too sweet.

🌰 Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings): The skin of the dumplings is thin, and they are filled with flavorful soup and good-quality meat without any fishy taste. Be careful when picking them up, as they might break easily.

🥬 Shanghai Spicy Cabbage: This dish is sweet and sour, very delicious, and reminiscent of a small summer salad marinated in Sprite. It's a must-have for the hot season.

🍖 Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs: A classic Shanghainese dish with an authentic taste, it disappears from the table almost instantly.

🦐 Crystal Prawn Dumplings: Their prawn dumplings are larger than those in regular dim sum places, with plump and firm shrimp meat.

🐚 Scallop Siu Mai: Topped with a large piece of scallop, which is very fresh, and with bursting fish roe, it's a satisfying treat.

🦐 Chive and Shrimp Dumplings: The chive flavor is strong, and the shrimp is sizable.

🦞 Crayfish: Available in two flavors, non-spicy and mildly spicy. We wore gloves and enjoyed peeling the crayfish, which had plenty of meat inside the claws and were easy to peel thanks to their...

Long story short - AVOID at all cost, absolute disaster, service beyond terrible, and their operations are a complete joke.

Last week, I called to reserve a table for Lunar New Year's Eve, paid the required deposit, and was assured they would confirm via WhatsApp. After waiting a day with no response, I called again only to be told my booking couldn't be located. Despite promises to call back, no one bothered to. After multiple follow-up calls, and even got told by the lady answering the phone that she was not familiar with the reservation system. Could not make my head around it, why would they arrange someone who is apparently unknowledgeable to pick up phone calls, and even worse, not bothered to look for help from her colleague. Being treated rudely, saying she could not help. At the end, by demand, finally someone who could help picked up the call and located my reservation, and instructed me to show up on time.

Arriving on time for our reservation on Lunar New Year's Eve, a time meant for get-together for friends and family, and expect a decent meal. Guess what do get? An hour-long wait, despite having a reservation! And good luck trying to get any attention from the staff - they were nowhere to be found.

When we finally managed to get someone's attention, they had the nerve to tell us that the table we were supposed to have was still occupied by the previous customers who hadn't even finished their meal yet! Can you believe it?

I get it, Chinese restaurants can get busy around Lunar New Year, but this was just ridiculous. If they can't handle the volume, they shouldn't be taking reservations. Customers like me shouldn't have to suffer because of their incompetence. Thanks to them, our Lunar New Year celebration was ruined by an hour of frustration and...

I visited with two friends for the all-you-can-eat dim sum lunch. The food had some real highlights, but the service left a lot to be desired.

The fried dim sum was especially delicious. My favourites were the beef cheung fun, the prawn dumplings, and the BBQ bao. We ordered about three to four rounds and were quite satisfied until we got to the mains, which were more average. The sweet and sour chicken was really tasty and reminded me of Hong Kong-style cooking. The egg fried rice was okay, and the seasonal vegetables were a bit odd but not unpleasant.

From the moment we arrived, the service felt rushed. The waitress didn’t explain how the menu worked, nor did she make any real effort to be friendly or welcoming. It felt like we were being hurried through the experience.

When we struggled to finish our mains, I asked the waiter if we could take the leftovers away. He said, “Please try your best to finish it.” I replied, “If we don’t finish it, you’ll just throw it anyway,” and he said, “Mmm, no, we don’t.” I was confused and asked, “Huh?” and only then did he admit, “Yeah, we throw it.” The whole interaction felt strange and left me feeling uneasy about their food waste policy.

When the bill came, I asked to remove the discretionary service charge. He asked why, and I simply said, “Because it’s discretionary.” He then said, “Well, we don’t make money off the set menu,” which felt like a guilt trip. I responded, “I still want to remove it.” He went to ask the manager, and eventually, the charge was taken off.

Overall ratings: • Dim sum: 3.5/5 • Mains: 2.5/5 • Overall experience: 3/5

I would return for the dim sum, but only for that. The service needs serious...