This is a *fantastic* restaurant. I visited as a solo diner during a short vacation to London, and it was so phenomenal I came back a second time two days later (i.e, for two of my six dinners). The flavors are incredible and it's also cosy and relaxed. Service is very attentive and helpful with suggestions. Finally, unlike most other places in the area, nothing is over- priced. Good portions and...I can't reiterate this enough--SO DELICIOUS. Thanks for being so welcoming, Ma La! Try: Dan Dan, boiled beef (extra spicy), Ma La Prawns, and fried soft shell crab. read more

This was the best food we had during our time in London! The restaurant was a little difficult to find, but once we found it - it's a nice spot with excellent customer service. We tried a few things, including sweet and sour chicken, shrimp fried rice, spring rolls and ice cream. Everything was really tasty. Definitely recommend. read more

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Wandering through London and found this Schezuan place that was not touristy. If you want a fast meal, this is the place. Our food came out immediately. Lovers of spice will have a field day here, however not too many options for those that do not like spicy food at all. I have had better dim sum in NY. The Imperial Gongbao King Prawns were excellent and the Dry Wok Chicken was one of the best Chinese dishes I have ever had. Service was super fast. Seems off the touristy track. read more

Ma La - Dim Sum - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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Quite amazing Chinese food while visiting London. Everything was amazingly good including the service. Very comfortable and nice inside as well. Wish we were staying longer so we could come again. read more

Food and service were great. A bit of a pain to get to with the construction but the food made up for it.

Great place - happen upon this place one night and had a great meal. Two days later walked by it again and went in server knew what we had and offered the same drinks then recommended another dish saying we should have something new and it was even more delicious than the great dish we had before- thanks for your excellent service and hospitality Dave read more

Exceptional Szechwan food, beautiful dining room, and great service. Dim sum was freshly made, and authentic. The chicken in fish sauce was both tasty and texturally delightful. The fish soup was bland, and the fish was overcooked, but a little salt kicked it up to good. The cumin beef was a star too. Simple and tasty. In Westminster, not far from Parliament. read more

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Great service! Great food! Well worth the trip through the construction to find the restaurant.

This became our favorite place while in London! Food is excellent! The hostess and staff were very friendly -they sat and serve us so fast even without reservation! They I mention how good their food is?!!! read more

After walking to some tourist destinations close to our hotel, we weee starving for some Chinese cuisine, so we decided to have some for our first dinner in London. Found this place on yelp and decided to tried it. We ordered crispy beef, sweet and sour tofu and sweet and sour chicken (sorry I forgot to take pics as we were so hungry already lol). It was a busy time but they're very organized. We were seated right away, service was timely, we're glad all our orders came out in less than ten minutes ( I'm thinking they have a lot of employees in the kitchen working). I personally love the tofu, it's softly fried yet silky. All our foods are good, I love that it's not oily which is very common for Chinese foods. Service is prompt, place is so clean and organized. read more

Ma La - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

Little spicy, but really good taste My server was very kind and his recommendation was really good read more

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very authentically spicy, the service was very nice. We had a pork dish and the Chinese walk chicken which chicken is not usually my go to dish when I order out, but this was fantastic. The egg fried rice was delicious, I don't know what they put in it, but it was some of the best fried rice I've ever had! read more

What a great place to enjoy Dim Sum and asian cuisine. I had a chance to visit here for dinner. I do recommend reservations for this location as they get pretty busy. I did not have reservations for my group but they were able to accommodate after a 8-10 minute wait. The host and wait staff were great. The appetizers were fresh and interesting to try. Dim Sum was fantastic as well. The drinks were asian inspired to add to the overall ambiance of dining at Ma La. If you are in the area (near or in Westminster), it is worth the visit. Bon Apetit. read more

Ma La - Beef and vegetable dish - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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Had made a reservation a day prior and was super quick and easy. Restaurant emailed to confirm my reservation a couple hours after my request. Arrived at 6 for my reservation and was seated very quick. It wasn't too busy when I arrived but started to pick up as the time went. The restaurant has a very modern chinese restaurant feel to it. Had gotten the Beef chow mein, Mapo Tofu, broccoli and Salt and pepper prawns. The salt and pepper prawns are definitely made differently than the states which are more salt and peppery. We had gotten 4 dishes and was more than enough for 2 people. There were also menu sets for those in groups that are a bit indecisive! Would definitely recommend trying this place out! read more

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Food quality of ingredients good, flavor delicate and not spicy enough for my taste. Portions are small. Need to order additional dishes to have expected amount of food for a meal. Service was very good. Very attentive. Tables and restaurants very clean with ample room and pleasing decor. read more

This locals only restaurant not far from Westminster Abbey was our best meal on this trip to London. We read some Yelp reviews and decided to go and it was the best choice of the trip and that is comparing it to one of Gordon Ramsay's top end restaurants. The food was absolutely delicious and in large portions so we loaded the table and shared wonderful flavors. The staff was attentive and constantly on point recommending great dishes that we totally enjoyed. read more

Ma La - Ma La Sichuan at dinner on a Friday night in London UK - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

the food is absolutely, authentically wonder. had the dry wok chicken that was a spicy delight accompanied by perfectly cooked bok choi and a top notch hot and sour soup. Great attentive polite service read more

We stumbled across this gem one evening while hungry in London. We made our way to the restaurant right at opening time, and they fit us in even though we didn't have a reservation. The food was delicious, the service was great (although they were hovering over us a tad bit more than we liked), and we felt so lucky to have found it. read more

Service was amazing, the waiters were so friendly and topped off our waters many times. The food was also very delicious and with authentic spicy peppers and the dessert was so delicious too! read more

Ma La - Monk Vegetable Hot Pot - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

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We were yanks who crossed the pond and "wanted to have a Chinese" (ironic). Mission accomplished. Everything was soo wet. Somehow there were peppers and garlic which imparted no flavor. I guess not to our tastes 4.5 google rating 1.3k reviews. read more

After exploring nearby tourist attractions near our hotel, we got quite an appetite and craved Chinese cuisine for our inaugural dinner in London. Discovering a highly-rated spot on Yelp, we opted to give it a try. Our order included crispy beef, sweet and sour tofu, and sweet and sour chicken (although we were too famished to remember taking photos, apologies!). We eagerly indulged in our meal. We love the food it was fantastic. read more

maybe I'm just used to American cheap Chinese food but this was a bit greasy, overcooked and Uber saucy. we had crispy beef, should have been called "left in the pan for way too long, dried out then drowned in sweet sauce" beef. we also had sweet and sour chicken which is best described as sauce soup with chicken, and for a side we had garlic broccoli, also swimming unexpectedly in some sort of sauce that was more sweet than garlicky. the bao we had at the beginning were good though, got to give them some credit for those. service was good though and clean atmosphere so not all horrible. I don't need to eat here again. read more

When we got here, we were the only ones in the restaurant. We got a few of the dim sun items, Dan Dan mien, spicy wonton and calamari. My favorite was the calamari! It was delicious. So flavorful. My least favorite was the spicy wonton. However it was still good by comparing it to the ones from Din Tai Fu, it is no comparison. All in all, everything was good. I would come back for calamari...MMmmMM read more

Ma La - So delicious. Perfect amount of crunch and spice - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

Convenient location since a colleague recommended this place for "good Asian food". For someone who just flew 7 hours straight from NYC, you took it for granted. The food is subpar. Maybe because I ordered sweet and sour chicken. It was super sour. I was not able to finish it. I'm usually good with Chinese food. On the upside, the server is very sweet and the lunch set is quite generous. It gave two spring rolls and soup. read more

Ma La - Tea refill 1.5 pounds - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

We were looking for a quick bite after visiting Westminster Abbey and found this place a short walk away. Excellent Chinese food, friendly service and reasonable prices. We like a little spice, but were wary of it being too hot so we ordered dishes that were not labeled spicy--Shanghai dumplings and stir fried rice noodles with chicken. They were great on their own, and also came with soy sauce and a dish of chili sauce, so we could add our own dash of spice to our taste. A very nice addition we were not expecting. The service is also very friendly. They asked us if we were OK with chopsticks (so we didn't have to plead for a fork.) We saw some great dishes served at other tables and wished we were hungrier to try a few more things. Highly recommend stopping here when you're visiting London. read more

We stopped in here for some dim sum at lunchtime (we had had a big breakfast so wanted a lighter lunch). The service is very attentive. It is a bright and airy restaurant that had a mix of business people, families and tourists the day we were there. We did not get entrees but seeing some of the options at the tables around us, they all looked amazing. It is about a 5 minute walk from Westminster Abbey but on a quieter street, away from all the crowds. read more

We were a "walk-in" party without reservations but they were able to accommodate us and boy oh boy am I happy they did. This was the best Chinese food we've ever had except possibly one dinner in Hong Kong 35 years ago, but even that one was no better than Ma La. The garlicky broccoli was SO good. My broccoli hating husband couldn't get enough of it. I'm not a fan of sweet and sour but the s&s chicken was excellent. The beef with vegetables was also delicious, as was the shredded pork. And the dumplings and the sour & hot soup. Wow. I am still thinking about this meal a couple of days later. I recommend trying to make a reservation, as we just got lucky without one. A+++++ read more

The food here is DELICIOUS!!!! We popped in for dinner on a Friday night and almost didn't get seated because we didn't have a reservation. Luckily we were seated with the condition that we would free-up the table within 70min. The service was so quick and efficient that we were done with over 20 min to spare. We started our meal with the xiao long bao dumplings and they were juicy and very tasty. We then shared the fragrant chili chicken, white rice and stir fried noodles with vegetables. The chicken was perfectly spicy and intensely flavored. It was so good that it set all my taste buds a-tingling! The noodles were the perfect counterbalance to such intensity. We purposely ordered a non-spicy noodle dish and it worked out perfectly. For dessert we ordered the salty egg custard bun and the mango pudding. The egg custard bun was sooo good. My husband appropriately described it as "warm cake batter". The mango pudding was just right....it had a very natural sweetness akin to eating a ripe mango. In short, if you're looking for a great meal in Westminster, don't hesitate to pop into this gem. read more

Excellent taste of Sichuan food in London. Amazing, absolutely amazing service. We only had to wait a few minutes for a table without a booking, and they took great care of us - even showing us Americans how to eat their aromatic duck pancakes. The black pepper ribeye was incredibly flavorful, and the dumplings in chili oil were full of yum. But the rice was to die for. I didn't think rice could stand out, but this fried rice did. Incredibly happy with our visit. read more

Travelling with a family of 5 from America, and it was an amazing stop for lunch. We were sat quickly, everyone was very nice and the food was delicious and came within 7 minutes of ordering it. Fantastic. read more

Excellent service, food was fresh and delicious. Family restaurant... pleasant ambiance! If we are back in this area we will definitely visit again read more

I was going to give this restaurants 3 stars but I changed my mind. My brother & I are visiting from NY (America). When we first walked in we were greeted quickly and it smelled really good. We overheard the couple next to us say this was the best Asian restaurant in town. We were excited. Until we noticed that everyone coming in after us was getting their food before us. I asked a waiter how much longer and he could not give us an answer. About ten minutes later he said 2 minutes. After 5 passed I asked the older woman (who kept circling us) how much longer because we were waiting a HOUR AND HALF. The food finally came out right before we were going to get up and leave. My food was OK but my brothers came out cold. It was probably sitting there for the hour. And not to mention they never offered my brother a drink with his food. When we got back to our hotel the bartender told us this was not polite and we should have left after 30 minutes. read more

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Excellent Asian restaurant. Food was perfectly prepared and very flavorful. Staff was very helpful and kept our water glasses full. Wonderful meal. read more

A very smart Chinese restaurant with excellent service. I guess you could call it high-end compared with a lot of the buffet style Asian eateries around that area but it's by no means stiff or will send you bankrupt. The decor is clean and bright, black and sparkly. It has a nice atmosphere and whilst it is missing Chinese diners (the best way to find a good Chinese restaurant is to look for Chinese eaters right?!?), it does have a nice buzz. The food is spicy and flavoursome and not too greasy. It's a typically big menu so give it to your most trusted food ordering friend and get them to chose away. I particularly loved the tofu with pork mince (hot hot hot yum) and the beans with garlic. The cummin lamb stir fry we had was so delicious and the lamb always tender and juicy. The dumplings were OK, not the best I've ever had, but clearly house made and clean. They're probably better for you than most! So yes highly recommended. read more

Ma La - Mapo tofu, chilli oil dumplings, morning glory and cumin lamb - Dim Sum Near Me - London, XGL

We come to London often and try different restaurants and this time wanted a new Chinese restaurant to try but the key criteria was taste. I found this place on yelp and frankly was happy with the food and service. It's in a quiet neighborhood and I was quite happy with the attentive service. We tried the Mouth Watering chicken and the Duck for appetizers and both were excellent. I would recommend steamed rice with the chicken as the sauce is very tasty. For the main dish you MUST get the Ma La Prawns which were delicious. The last dish we tried was the Chicken in Black Bean and that needed some salt but still good. Overall a good place for a tasty meal. There is a 12.5% service charge but for us the staff earned it. read more

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The food is amazing. Get reservations. It is a hot and happening place. We had such a great meal, we came back the following night to savor the goodness. Just one off-putting thing. We had a 20.30 reservation. We were wrapping the meal 45 min later at 9:15 when the hostess came over to say "I have many people waiting for a long time -- I'm so sorry, can you finish up now please." We had the last dish leave the table 3 minutes earlier. I had paid the bill 4 minutes earlier. There was a couple that had come in from Bath and we were visiting briefly. I was shocked -- otherwise I would have said, "Why did you go do that?" We were out the door in 53 minutes. I'm not sure the hostess knew how brief we had really stayed. I know the pressure must be high to turn the table. I still don't think this is how a guest should end the meal. The comment might have saved a wait of a minute or two for someone else. Not the way to end an otherwise great experience. read more

A special call out to our lovely waiter who was super helpful as we ordered. One person at our table had a severe egg allergy and he was particularly helpful in recommending dishes that were suitable. Very helpful and attentive service! The good was also very good. Fish dishes were a particular standout and we tried the classic Sichuan preparation as well as the Cantonese steamed version. Other highlights were the cloud ear fungus. The dan dan mian was too soupy for my liking and the shredded tofu needed more seasoning. Cabbage with pork belly was yummy and the green beans were tasty. While the food was all very well prepared, I would have liked more heat. Even the menu items that were marked super hot (i.e. three chillis) were very mild. I wanted to suffer a bit but in reality, barely noticed any spice. Crank it up! Definitely would return. It's a lovely restaurant with a nice ambiance. A pleasant change from normal Chinese venues! read more

Awesome foods!! We happened to find on our way to a pub. Glad we stopped here instead. Great atmosphere and excellent service!!

This place was a hidden gem. I was looking for a good Chinese restaurant and I didn't want to have to go all the way to Chinatown. We ordered the sweet and sour shrimp, wonton soup, dim sum sampler, dry fried green beans with pork, and the chicken rice noodles. Everything was delicious and I don't normally love sweet and sour shrimp. My daughter said the wontons were the best and wanted to have them again. The service was super friendly and the restaurant was nice and clean. My husband who doesn't even love chinese food said it was one of the best meals we had in London. read more

Eh, don't understand the high reviews here. It's definitely a nice location and decorated very nicely but the service was just 'meh' and the food too. We ordered one of the most well known, traditional Sichuan dishes, 'shui zhu yu' which this restaurant calls 'Drifting fragrant sea bass in sizzling chili oil'. What makes this dish is the array of spices that make up the base broth / oil. This dish lacked all of them and was essentially just fish, in oil, with chili and sichuan peppercorns. Completely tasteless. read more