Harden's survey result
Summary
“Service is as efficient and as unfriendly as ever, and the interior has looked the same for over 20 years now” (i.e. with precious little in terms of atmosphere) at this notorious Chinatown veteran – “certainly not a place for romance”. The legendary brusque service is “an acquired taste” and all part of the fun (“was staff rudeness toned down in the past year? Not something I’m happy with!”), but what keeps this place going are the “plates heaped with tasty food for a very good price”.
Summary
“Go through the doors and instantly get barked at – how many? Then, an instruction is growled: ‘Upstairs!’” The ritual of a meal at this famous Chinatown veteran, has elements of self-conscious parody (you can actually buy a T-shirt saying ‘upstairs’), but remains relatively ‘real’: a loose pact between its infamously “rude” and dismissive staff and students, theatre-goers and hungry workers in search of cheap, Chinese chow. “You are unlikely to get any smiles as you find yourself at a shared table, in a crammed-in dining area with plates piled high with deliciously smelly food being slammed onto various tables – they want you to be decisive, eat, and get out as soon as possible” – but it’s “a fantastic filler”.
Summary
“Go through the doors and instantly get barked at – how many? Then, an instruction is growled: ‘Upstairs!’” The ritual of a meal at this famous Chinatown veteran, has elements of self-conscious parody (you can actually buy a T-shirt saying ‘upstairs’), but remains relatively ‘real’: a loose pact between its infamously “rude” and dismissive staff and students, theatre-goers and hungry workers in search of cheap, Chinese chow. “You are unlikely to get any smiles as you find yourself at a shared table, in a crammed-in dining area with plates piled high with deliciously smelly food being slammed onto various tables – they want you to be decisive, eat, and get out as soon as possible” – but it’s “a fantastic filler”.
Summary
“Always an experience… so long as you are prepared for shared tables and bordering-on-rude staff” – this “functional” multi-storey Chinatown canteen “is the perfect place for a quick, filling, tasty meal amidst a chaotic, bustling backdrop” and as you can get “unlimited free tea” and “a massive plate of food for under a tenner – you can’t go wrong!” “OK, it’s not for the lingering, romantic tete-a-tete… so what?”
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Wong Kei?
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £9.50 | £14.50 |  |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £5.70 | £9.00 | £4.00 | £3.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £18.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £2.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
41-43 Wardour St, London, W1D 6PY
Opening hours
| Monday | 11:30 am‑11:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 11:30 am‑11:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 11:30 am‑11:30 pm |
| Thursday | 11:30 am‑11:30 pm |
| Friday | 11:30 am‑11:30 pm |
| Saturday | 11:30 am‑11:30 pm |
| Sunday | 11:30 am‑10:30 pm |
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