New Dancing Dragon Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Oxford

When not crowded in old days it used to be one of the best in the quality of food and service provision was to be rated as 4/5 compared to 2/5 /our last visit. I think when the restaurant is too much crowded the food is not expected to be well cooked and what tasted like food remains indicate the possibility of poorly stored food after the good quality one was already consumed. Just try to focus on the actual taste after excluding all the blind over with spices /flavours etc. What made us stay around 80 mins wad the nice atmosphere and friends company and 9 out of 11 of us totally agreed the food was a shock. May be the number of employees didn't suffice the customers' needs thus they had to decline 4 important but easy to prepare of our requests, apparently they were short in staff or too much pressured by work. Sadly, this is the last time for me to consider booking at the dancing dragon which used to be one of the best year ago. Value for atmosphere yes definitely worth it but for food and quality of service both have gone down hill. Please get your place it used to be, you can do it, just reduce the pressure on your employees and hire more! Or reduce the number of available tables to make it easier for staff to provide good service and for them to have some rest time to time. The whole scene of them running all the time for long periods seemed inhumane. This last visit took place at time celebrating the new year 2023, thus the whole poor food and service could be the result of exceptional circumstances. Sadly, this whole experience was bad enough to ruin celebrating the new year for us. Atmosphere was to score 5/5 but hearing the same 2 mins music over and over for more than one hour until was finally changed is the reason behind bringing the atmosphere down to 4/5 otherwise a really nice place was to be of a legit native value if the other issues were managed under different circumstances. I wish them all the best and further success throughout 2023 hopefully was a one hickup. In summary, to get a better deal look for less busy days if you were to book at the Dancing Dragon. If you insist, then our advice is to go for some very selective dishes especially if you arrived in good time and or the type of meal is least expected to be food remains (I mean poorly stored food due to high demands and or poorly prepared due to rush hours. Also, try to enjoy the atmosphere if having a nice company with friends, family, or if you aim at getting a nice spot for your date, just.... Remind them to change the endless loop of 2 mins piece of the same music and hopefully you will be well respected for making such a request if was a busy day ;) and remember to be kind to the place staff they are dealing with so much burden if having too much work. Reviews here they don't matter to the restaurant but thought might be helpful to some of you by at least picking up from the menu if not already knowing what...

The New Dancing Dragon is quite remote from the Oxford City Center and most other restaurants however you can easily get there by bus or on foot (~40min). That being said, the wonderful time we had there was more than worth the walk!

We went as a group of three and though it took us a while to decide what we wanted (the menu has incredible variety with nearly 300 options to choose from!) in the end we were thrilled with what we got.

We went for a vegetarian option (roasted aubergine), a hot pot (pork belly), some rice with shredded duck, and soup and dumplings as a starter. The food came very quickly and we were all extremely satisfied with the meal.

If you are going as a group of 3 people or more, it might be a good idea for everyone to order what they like and then share between the entire group as this will allow everyone the chance to try out more of their delicious menu items and you won’t feel like you’re missing out!

As the portions were quite large, we didn’t manage to finish all of our mains and upon seeing that the staff kindly offered us takeaway boxes so we could take the remainder home - we were really glad that the excellent food didn’t go to waste.

The drinks menu also offered plenty of options to suit everyone’s tastes: we went for the traditional jasmine tea (which gets refilled as you go) a Thai beer (Singha) and a Chinese beer (Tsingtao), which I would highly recommend.

Price-wise I would say that it is on the pricier end of the spectrum if you are going there on a student budget however what you get is definitely proportional to what you pay. Our meal was around £30 per person (with drinks included) and considering we were all full by the end of the night and we still had leftover food to take home, I would call that a fair deal.

One of my favourite things about the evening (besides the meal of course) was the atmosphere. The restaurant is beautifully furnished with lots of art pieces on the walls and throughout the entire night they played very soothing music which made for a relaxing experience. Combined with the remote location and the way the space inside is arranged this place really makes you forget about the world outside and we stayed chatting on our table long after finishing our food.

The one and only negative comment I have is that the staff were really hurried to take our plates away after we finished our food. In a few instances they nearly took away plates that still had food in them that we were intending to finish and this made us feel rushed and uncomfortable. However I wouldn’t hold this against the restaurant too much as other than that the service was super quick and efficient and the staff very kind and welcoming.

Overall The New Dancing Dragon makes for a wonderful dinner out especially for a bigger group and I would definitely...

This restaurant is a classy establishment with tasteful decor and waiters and waitresses posted all around, making it very easy to flag someone when you need anything.

There are lots of large tables for seating groups, so I think this is perfect for work dinners or birthday or large family dinners.

The menu is extensive and includes foods I've never seen before or don't come across often, including frog leg dishes and grilled squid (as opposed to your typical fried calamari). There are also your typical Chinese dishes such as dim sum, roast duck, etc. if you're feeling less adventurous.

I had the crispy wantons and Malaysian frog leg hotpot. The wantons were in the shape of a wrapped candy with the filling in the middle, which I found very clever and creative.

I appreciate that they provide both a fork and chopsticks, so there's not the embarrassment of asking for a fork if you can't use chopsticks. I know a few people who get embarrassed about asking for a fork and so avoid East Asian restaurants, so this place would be perfect for them.

The portions are very generous - I arrived very hungry, but was already stuffed after eating the appetizer and a third of the hot pot. I wish I'd had room for dessert, but alas, I'll have to wait till next time.

I love that I was never rushed, and they let me sit as long as I wished after paying the bill. The food comes out fast and the place has a calm, gentle ambience while being well-lit via skylights. Lovely atmosphere, but is kid-friendly. Vegetarian options are labeled on the menu, and the music is just the right volume. I will absolutely be...