Din Tai Fung Covent Garden — Restaurant in London

TL;DR: Din Tai Fung offers exceptional Taiwanese cuisine with impeccable service and a captivating atmosphere. Despite minor tech issues, the overall experience is outstanding.

Quick Ratings: Food: 5/5 - Consistently excellent across all dishes Atmosphere: 4.5/5 - Modern, attractive, with unique dining entertainment Service: 4.5/5 - Highly adaptable and customer-focused Overall: 4.7/5 - A near-perfect dining experience

Full Review: A Culinary Delight at Din Tai Fung

From the moment you enter Din Tai Fung, you're enveloped in a vibrant atmosphere. The restaurant buzzes with energy, a testament to its popularity. The decor strikes a perfect balance between modern aesthetics and respect for the existing architecture, with stone structures seamlessly integrated into the contemporary design.

The crown jewel of the dining room is undoubtedly the wraparound corner window, offering diners a mesmerizing view of the kitchen. Here, skilled chefs meticulously craft each dumpling by hand, turning the food preparation into a captivating performance that enhances the overall dining experience.

While there was a minor hiccup with the digital menu system due to WiFi issues, the staff's quick thinking and willingness to take orders manually demonstrated their commitment to customer service. This adaptability ensured a smooth dining experience despite the technical glitch.

The food at Din Tai Fung is nothing short of exceptional. Each dish we tried was a testament to the restaurant's dedication to quality and flavor. The xiao long bao, Din Tai Fung's signature dish, were particularly noteworthy. The delicate wrappers enclosed a perfect balance of juicy filling and flavorful broth, creating a burst of taste with each bite.

Other dishes maintained the same high standard, showcasing a range of textures and flavors that complemented each other beautifully. The attention to detail in both preparation and presentation was evident in every plate served.

The drink selection also impressed, with unique offerings that surprised and delighted. The combination of traditional and innovative menu items ensures there's something for every palate.

Din Tai Fung's commitment to excellence extends beyond the food to every aspect of the dining experience. The staff's knowledge of the menu, their attentiveness, and their ability to handle unexpected situations all contribute to a top-tier service experience.

For those looking to experience some of the best Taiwanese cuisine has to offer, Din Tai Fung is a must-visit. The combination of exceptional food, engaging atmosphere, and superior service makes it a standout dining destination. Whether you're a fan of dumplings or just in search of a memorable meal, Din Tai Fung delivers...

I rarely write such negative reviews but I'm afraid I have to write about this one, as it was such a bad experience...

I had booked a table for the 2 of us and a toddler, specifically asking for a table with space for a buggy. When we arrived, there was a queue outside so I asked whether we still needed to queue even though we've booked. I was told that all bookings and walk-ins must queue. Then what's the point of booking? We had to queue for a while before we were taken to a table which had no room for our buggy. They took our buggy and left it at the entrance of the restaurant, which didn't seem safe.

Once finally seated, the waitress took our drinks order (one small cup of jasmine tea for £3!!) but then told us to order everything else via the QR code. Each dish we ordered arrived with a huge time gap in between so it felt like an unwanted course menu... I had to ask the staff so many times where our food is and the answer was always 'soon'.

We were still waiting for a main noodle dish when we had almost finished our other dishes. When it did arrive, it was delicious but we'd really had enough.

Everything we ordered took forever to arrive so we ended up staying there for over 2 hours.

The other strange thing was the staff carrying the towers of steamed dumplings or buns kept huddling together, opening and checking what's in which basket, again and again. It made me feel like the place was disorganised.

Upon leaving, the waitress asked us to pay the jasmine tea bill from when we ordered directly with the waitress at the beginning. I was incredibly surprised that they expected me to pay this £3+service charge bill when the service had been so bad. I explained our experience but she ignored that and insisted I pay. I asked to speak to the manager and he profusely apologised, explaining that the noodle machine has broken which was why our one dish was so slow and arriving. But that doesn't explain everything else. He took the tea off the bill but that was it.

Had I not been in a bit of a rush with a fussy toddler by my side, I would have been a bit more firm with my complaint, as so many things were awful about this experience.

This place is so famous in London right now and I was really looking forward to dining here but am so...

Attended as a walk in. Was put on the waiting line which we were told was 30 mins long, we asked to use the toilet and took a walk around Covent Garden. We came back after 20 minutes, after the host saw us our table mysteriously appeared! I would suggest waiting there as it puts them under slightly more pressure to give you a table faster. When we got seated the table we were given, I noticed was free when we went to the toilet? I’m not sure if this is a strategy but not super happy to see it 😂

the dumplings were fine, nothing super special or out of this world. Most of the items were unavailable, some things I really wanted to try were out.. I would recommend the xiao long bao and the custard buns, they were great. Price was a little steep, we paid over £150 for two people for dumplings ..

I do want to point out that their customer service inside was not good at all.. there was an issue with our prawn and pork shu mai, where one had exploded and the soup wasn’t inside. The waiter explained that they will send out for one piece to be sent out to us (a little cheap if you ask me). We were fine with it, when it was brought to our table there was a whole serving of 4 pieces. We thought nothing of it, thought there was a misunderstanding with the waiter and thought they were nice. WRONG, they had accidentally brought us the serving of the table next to us. Upon realisation of that, there was a very awkward argument with a manager maybe and two team members (not in English or Chinese but a different language) pointing and screaming at us, us thinking nothing was wrong. We were then approached by the same waiter to explain the situation and was told it was our fault for not sending it back as we didn’t order it? There was a clear gap in communication for the team members and we were blamed for it and not only that made to feel embarrassed as we were sitting right next to the people’s dish we were munching on. The service was super slow and they ended up cancelling but it was unpleasant to say the least.

Can safety say I do not recommend this place and will not be returning again. It’s such a shame as well as I’ve been such a fan of Din Tai Fung from when I lived in Taiwan and China. London branch does...