Hutong

The view from this Chinese restaurant in The Shard is absolutely stunning no doubt one of the best in London. The interior is also beautifully designed and feels quite luxurious. That said, the overall experience didn’t quite live up to the setting. The food portions were very small considering the price point, and we were even overcharged for drinks we didn’t order. I only noticed that after I got home. I usually don’t tend to check everytime the bill as I trust the people who should be profesionals in their jobs… We were also rushed through our meal and told we had to vacate the table, which meant moving to the bar – where we then waited 15 minutes to be served. That kind of service felt a bit off, especially given how much we were spending. The service overall was okay, not terrible, but certainly not what you'd expect from a place charging premium prices. Will I return? Probably not for the food – it’s overpriced for what it is, and you can find much better quality elsewhere for the same (or even less) money. Maybe I’d come back just for the view and a photo, because to be fair, once you’re seated with that skyline and a glass of wine, the whole atmosphere does feel quite special. But sadly, it seems like they’re relying too heavily on the location rather than delivering a full dining experience to match.

We attended brunch today and it was amazing! Only down side, service was quite slow, waiting a long time for starters and when our puddings arrived it wasn’t the pudding we ordered. We were seated on the same side as we usually are which is the St Paul’s side, views are amazing and lucky enough to get a window seat. The chairs are so uncomfortable on that side that when we went to the bathroom the seats look comfier and have cushions, next time I will asked to be seated there as our backs and bums were killing us by the end of our brunch. Atmosphere, there was no music and if there was it was definitely really quiet which was fine it’s not a party but all I could hear was other peoples conversation or people shouting / screaming loudly like they were at a party. Food and drinks were great we went for the Empress package which includes the cocktails and wines, prosecco and beer this was £40PP the cocktails were definitely not strong at all, I usually have two drinks and I can’t drink any more, we had 5 each and felt like I was just drinking juice.

A little lunch date with my daughter took us up to Hutong today and I’m so glad we chose there as the whole experience from beginning to end was amazing. We were a bit early so we were greeted and seated at the bar until our table was ready, everyone spoke to us and acknowledged us which was nice. Then we were seated at a lovely little window table with really nice views. Our servers francesco and I didn’t catch the other lady’s name were very attentive and accommodating nothing was a bother for either of them and we wasn’t seated and forgotten, my water was filled as soon as I finished it, francesco even helped me with a dish I had chosen but didn’t like (but only because I’m a really fussy eater there was absolutely nothing at all wrong with the dish) he was really polite and chatty we really enjoyed talking to him. The food was unreal I highly recommend the prawn and scallop won tuns and the chicken wings. Overall we’ve had a lovely day and we will defo eat here again 100%.