Dumpling Dough is really too thick ! Not tasty . And very little veggies inside . Very disappointing ! read more

I haven't been back to Vanessa's Dumpling House in years after being sorely disappointed by the UES spot compared to Chinatown. I didn't have high hopes for this place but I needed a quick bite so Vanessa's Dumpling House it is. I ordered a Sesame Scallion Pancake Sandwich with Beef and I realized since the last time I ate here, the price jumped by $3 or 33%. Inflation is crazy. The sandwich turned out to be a lot better than I expected as the beef was very tender and I quite liked the pickled vegetables. Of course, the star was the pancake itself which was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It also filled me up which I was quite happy about. Are they the best thing to have happened? No, but it is a solid meal that will fill you up! read more

11/7/25 - We walked over for a quick bite after visiting the Museum of Natural History. My order took a long time and, despite ordering right after her, my friend was finished with her food by the time mine had come out. We were not in a rush so that was ok. The 8-piece Assorted Boiled Dumplings came with 2 each of pork, vegetable, chicken, and shrimp (~$9). I like how this gave me the chance to try each of their dumplings. Personally I thought the shrimp was the best but overall the dumplings tasted good and were at a decent price point. However they were not unique among other boiled dumplings I've tried so not sure if I would order again. What I really enjoyed and would order again was the Beef Sesame Pancake Sandwich with cilantro and carrots. I really enjoyed the taste of the pancake as the bread and the cuts of beef did not taste stringy or old. I can't remember the price (cost more than the dumplings) but it was filling for a quick bite and something I would order again. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - Assorted Boiled Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Solid beef noodle soup and delicious dumplings! Ideal for take out or a quick bite if you're strolling upper west side. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - Assorted dumplings and beef noodle soup! - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

I went to Vanessa's Dumpling House by random . I was walking along Amsterdam Avenue on UWS and saw this tiny dumpling house I'd never seen before. I love Asian dumplings when they're done right . I'm not a meat eater but there were options for me . I got steamed shrimp dumplings with the spicy oil and soy vinegar. Just spicy enough and really delicious. I bought the take home Vanessa's Soy Vinegar and also a jar of the spicy oil . I also took a container of the spicy cucumbers. They were cut into spears . Crunchy . Fresh . The perfect side dish to the dumplings . I'll be back . read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - Boiled shrimp dumplings with the spicy oil and Vanessa's Soy Vinegar. Take home . - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

SERVICE - one of many locations, this one was on the upper west side - small interior with seating for about 10-15 people at bench like tables - order at a tablet and receive a text when your order is ready - worker sitting at the order counter was not very helpful or welcoming - good for quick meal or takeout - no restrooms MENU - dumplings, scallion pancake sandwiches, and noodles - limited vegan/vegetarian options - well priced ($10 per person) FOOD - tofu sesame pancake (7/10): fluffy baguette like bread filled with pickled carrot and cucumber and marinated tofu. For $5 I thought this was going to be half the size that it actually was. This alone could have been a meal. It feels like eating a banh mi because of the combination of pickled vegetables and pan fried tofu. I would have liked less bread or more filling as some bites were dry and needed to be eaten with soy sauce. - spicy vegan beef dumplings (5/10): steamed dumplings filled with impossible meat and scallions. Not too sure why these were called spicy as I did not get a hint of chili. The texture is very meaty but the taste is pretty bland. - veggie dumplings (6/10): pan fried mixed vegetable dumplings. I liked the flavor of these ones a lot more than the beef ones. They are quite mushroom forward. If I was to get them again I would get steamed instead of fried. The fried ones had a visible layer of oil left at the bottom of the container. WOULD I GO BACK? Possibly if I needed something quick and it was nearby read more

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Pretty solid spot for dumplings. I would still make the trek to Chinatown for the best, cheap dumplings but the pork & chive fried dumplings here are good! The dumpling skins were crispy on the bottom. On the thicker side and I wish the filling had been a bit juicier but the flavors were all there. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - 21A. Dan Dan Mien with Spicy Beef Sauce - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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The dumplings are usually quite good, albeit not as delicious as those at the Chinatown location, which has thinner skin too. On occasion, they have been too salty. The staff has always been lovely here, but the ambiance is lacking, especially when loud kids come in with friends. The space is too small to accommodate rowdiness. However, it is typically quieter than the one in Chinatown. Note that the spicy vegan beef has a mildly spicy filling compared to the other dumplings. The spicy sauce that can be added to dumplings is much hotter. These particular dumplings are mediocre. The mushroom and spinach dumplings are the best. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - Spicy vegan beef boiled dumpling - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Place order. After five minutes am told items sold out. Put in alternative order. Wait another five minutes. Then another customer says he's been waiting 25 minutes. I ask to cancel order. They say they cancel but can't give any proof it's cancelled but very kindly offer to give me the meal for free if I just wait. I decide against better judgement to wait a long time for order. Food comes and order totally wrong. Disappointing because food normally good and service generally ok. Front desk was very kind and tried her best and not her fault but just not run well and seems like kitchen understaffed and inventory not up to date. read more

Nice little take out spot with a few tables. We were looking for something quick while we were in the upper west side and decided to try here. What a pleasant surpise. We had fried vegetable dumplings which were not overly fried and had a really good taste, We had the Pork Fried Buns too. We sinished up with the cold noodles with sesame/peanut sauce. Everything came quickly and tasted fine. read more

Love their seaweed salad and their smoothy. My coworkers likes somewhat the dumplings says they too oily. Very nice staff always have a semi smile read more

I'm so happy Vanessa's is now on the upper west side! I used to love going to their Union Square location and was so sad when they closed. I could eat their sesame pancakes every day and still be happy. Ironically, with their name, I'm not a big fan of their dumplings, but the sesame pancakes are worth the visit. I came for takeout, but food was ready in a timely manner. read more

Used to be better before they got fancy. The location on 14th street was my favorite. It wasn't renovated and the prices were amazing. Things have changed. read more

Ordered the assorted boiled dumplings as a snack. They were neither fast nor good, and the dough itself had an unpleasant taste. They were worse than mediocre. Maybe other items or other locations are better. read more

The food is pretty good, but it's extremely insulting to be handed a piece of toilet paper as a napkin you cheap son of a bitch.

Was surprised to see there was more than one Vanessa's dumpling location, and at the Chinatown location I really do love those sesame pancake sandwiches. Seeing them in the upper west side, it immediately told me I need to try some. I found this location much cleaner and well kept in comparison to the Chinatown counterpart with a kiosk to order, as compared to the small cashier stand. As a result, I am really not sure if the two locations are related or not? Anyways, seeing the sesame pancakes, I had to order at least 2. Tried the vegetable one and the tofu one as well. Overall, the cucumbers in the vegetarian one were essential and were missing with the tofu pancake. Some reason they didn't taste as fresh as the Chinatown counterpart and I can't really put a finger on why. The vegetarian pancake was my personal favorite. They have soy sauce and siracha sauce at each table, and be sure to add some siracha to each bite of your sandwich as you dive in. It definitely adds some much needed flavor. Would not get the tofu pancake over the vegetable one. But overall this place did satisfy a craving of mine and I was quite fond. Will definitely be back for more sesame pancakes next time I'm in the area for sure. read more

One of my favorites was Veggie Pancakes. And the pork chives dumplings! Small cozy place also with some small tables outside.

I love Vanessa's and don't get there nearly enough. Noodles and dumplings, what's not to love? It's small, I don't think there's space to eat. The UWS is big on promoting take out as an option... the ONLY option. But that's fine. I prefer eating at home anyway! read more

I know some people love this place, but I unfortunately did not. The restaurant is super small and feels pretty cramped. It's also not well decorated or anything, very much a no frills place -- which would be totally fine if the food carried the weight. Everything we ordered was way too oily and lacked flavor. The chili oil isn't flavorful either. Definitely wouldn't come back or recommend. read more

I love Vanessa's Dumpling. I gave some to my sis the last time I visited the Village location and she recently asked me when I was going back. I just so happened to be heading to the city today for an event and decided to be nice and pick up some dumps for her and her boo. As always, I made my order through the Yelp app and everything was pretty much ready by the time I got there. The guys working the counter were nice. They followed my order instructions and marked all the containers. This was important because my sister's bf is vegetarian but she eats meat and I did not want any confusion with their order. I also ordered some stuff for myself but on a separate transaction and they also marked my containers which was very nice. Chicken & Basil pan fried dumps, Shrimp & Chicken pan fried spicy wonton, and spicy Beef pan fried dumps, are always a goto for us. I also picked up some of their sour and spicy cukes and kimchi. For some reason, despite how ridiculously pack they get, I prefer the Village loc but it's nice to be able to grab these little meat purses when I'm uptown. This shop was empty when I arrived. My sis got the same dumps as I, along with the Spinach & Mushroom wontons, Dan Dan Mein with spicy beef and a couple of wonton soups. She took a couple to chow on, for the ride. Definitely splurge on the chili oil. It's only 75 cents. You also get more bang for your buck if you order the frozen dumps and cook them yourself. read more

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A hidden gem in the UWS. With an abundance of affordable, tasty, delicious options - you'll not be disappointed! For a basic 8 pc order of vegetable dumplings, you'll spend less than $8... for homemade Dan Dan Mien Noodle, you'll spend less than $9... and the list goes on... The inside is not great for eating with just several tables and compact quarters, but the food is delicious! Perfect for take-out. They offer bags of frozen dumplings for sale, too, for $25 each (with about 26 pieces). The staff work hard and do their best to make you happy. The place closes from 3-4pm daily for break hours so just be aware. If I lived closer, I would be grabbing food here at least once-twice weekly. There are plenty of vegetarian options and enough food to easily make you feel content once you've completed the meal. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - San 21. Dan Dan Mien - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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The food was pretty good! I got the spicy beef soup with noodles (like a Udon) and the pork and chives dumplings. Other than Chinatown or Flushing you won't get this quantity of meal for the price in many other places that have seating. The dumplings wear seared really well and tasty. The beef in the noodle soup was also well seasoned, tender, and well-spiced. The broth was okay and had SOME flavor. The noodles were fine. The service was through a kiosk and one person at the counter. I had no complaints and they were nice. The ambiance of the place was contemporary and clean though tight spacing and felt like a local college spot (there were three groups of college age kids eating). I would DEFINITELY go here again for non-pizza, non-hispanic quick food. It beats traveling from UWS down to Chinatown or Flushing for some noodle soup and dumplings. It also beats the value of most of the closer Morningside Heights and other UWS Chinese and dumpling restaurants. In general it beats the value of anything except maybe bodegas, pizza spots with deals, or the mom and pop Hispanic spots in UWS. read more

Loved the dumplings! I had to order the assortment to get a taste for the different types. The website says the assortment comes with vegetable, shrimp, pork and shrimp. Not sure if that's what I got though. The shrimp was my favorite. I ordered the duck sesame pancake. Easily a meal on its own. I enjoyed just as much as the dumplings. The only thing that unfortunately wasn't a fav was the red bean steamed bun. It was a sizable bun but too much bun compared to filling. I noticed that a lot of the negative reviews pertain to their staff. Luckily I had a very limited interaction with the women taking orders because they did not seem like good role models for customer service. One last thing - the prices on their website are not 100% accurate. Some prices in store were 50-60 cents more. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - 30. Sesame Pancake Sandwich with Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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3.5 / 5.0 - We were excited to have another dumpling spot open up in the area, but were unfortunately quite disappointed. We ordered: - Chive and Pork Fried Dumplings x2 ($5.88+ each) - Sesame & Peanut Noodle ($7.88+) - Dan Dan Mien ($8.88+) Apparently, they were backed up and we waited 20 min for our food--no updates, no apologies. Once we got home, we saw that the dumplings were hot, but the noodles were not. The dumplings were good, but the dumpling wrapper was too thick for my taste. The noodles lacked flavor and were all lumped together, so I'm guessing they were just sitting there waiting for the dumplings to be made. I'd heard good things about the one downtown, so hoping the quality improves at this location, too. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - 14. Sesame & Peanut Noodle + 21. Dan Dan Mien + Chive and Pork Fried Dumplings - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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I don't really like dumplings much, but this was the best dumplings i've ever had in my life. So f- bomb!! It's a really small shop and it was a little hard to find with google maps. I ordered the vegetables pan fried dumplings, but made it spicy! I kid you not that was so filling and tasy! And with some soy sauce!!! Chef's Kiss ‍‍! quick service as well! And it's affordable!! Like come on now read more

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Worth the price!! The scallion pancake isn't your traditional pancake. It is a thicker crust, almost pizza dough like. However, it is amazing! It was crispy and the sesame enhanced the flavor. The pan fried dumplings were fried to crunchiness. The filling had a overwhelming chive flavor, but still great with the chili oil. The dan dan noodles were thick and chewy. These are my favorite type of noodles, almost udon like (maybe it was udon noodles). This was such an unexpectedly great meal! The service was fast. You order at the cashier and then there's open seating. They call your number out when your food is ready. It is a great fast, casual, and affordable place, would definitely recommend! read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - 23. Pancake Plain, 21A. Dan Dan Mien with Spicy Beef Sauce, 4. Pan Fried Wontons with Spicy Sauce - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Was super excited to see a Vanessa's Dumpling House on the Upper Westside! Used to go to the original Chinatown location when I was in school and it is one of my favorite go-to comfort foods (so a little more than super excited lol). Of course got #1 Pork & Chives pan fried dumplings and they were exactly as they should be and as I remembered it. As stated in other reviews, price has gone up so much (previously $1 for 4-5 dumplings) now that it's gotten so popular outside of the asian community. Also, got the Peking duck sesame pancake and it was savory and delicious as well. Very filling (currently taking a break so decided to write this review before I continue eating). And last but not least I got a regular hot Milk Tea and wow. Milk Tea perfection. I know this is not what they are known for but this is the taste of milk tea I'm always look for, so perfect. There's a lot of milk tea/bubble tea places out there but the taste does not always hit the spot like this. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - Sesame Pancake Sandwich with Peking Duck - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

These are the thickest skin dumplings I've ever eaten. I can't even taste the chicken nor the basil. This place also makes tons of garbage. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - Pan fried chicken and basil dumplings - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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I've had experience with the original location in Chinatown and that was when dumplings were 4 for $1.50 back in the day. Understandably, the prices have risen but it is cheap compared to other lunch options. 8 dumplings for around $5.50 isn't so bad. I had the spicy fried wontons and the scallion pancake with duck. Both were fairly sized and warm when I picked up my order. I wasn't full after eating the two but I was satisfied. I'll have to try the regular fried dumplings next time. Please note the prices on grubhub/seamless are probably 50 cents more expensive than in store so if you need to save money, you know what to do read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - 04. Pan Fried Wontons - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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This place can be hit or miss. The dumplings are usually on point (regardless of filling choice). Other dishes though are usually a little off. Only things I would really recommend worth a try if it's your first time, the chicken/shrimp dumplings and the scallion pancake sandwich. read more

Vanessa's is my go to for dumplings, they're crispy, flavorful, and never disappoint. Tiffany at the front was so sweet and helpful today! She answered my questions and made me feel taken care of. Great food. read more

I'm so excited by the new dumpling spots here! I ordered Beef Dan dan mian, which was delicious and definitely spicy. The sweet and sour cucumbers were a good pairing, though the vinegar was very strong--it had a much stronger bite than day the cucumbers you would get at Din Tai Fung. Their noodles are homemade and perfectly chewy, and I look forward to trying the dumplings and steamed buns! They also have frozen dumplings by the bag read more

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Welcome to the UWS, to a long block full of stellar little places.. Senna Thai, Van Leeuwen, Jin Ramen and a branch of the NY Public library. 3 stars would be unfair, everything is new and squeaky clean. Long narrow space with a sleek uncluttered white/orange and blond wood. The spicy wontons, shrimp and chicken were very good. But both the Dan Dan spicy noodles and sesame peanut were pretty to look at and well portioned but lackluster in flavor.. especially the peanut. It's on the same block that I work on, so I would return but stick to wontons or dumplings. read more

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The fried dumplings were just okay. So maybe they were a 3...but if you have the word "dumpling" in your name, you need to get it right. Decor is simple, no service bc it's pickup...so basically it is just about the food. read more

I love Vanessa's Dumplings. I usually go to the Chinatown one but when I'm in the area, I come up to the UWS branch. Of the times I've come here, I have ordered on the phone or on food apps but it seems to take longer than quoted to receive the food. Despite the longer wait, this is still one of my favorite places to come for food. Their boiled spicy wontons w/ chicken + shrimp is the best out there. I love bringing their sesame pancake sandwiches, especially the beef one, for lunch. They reheat easily and are filling. Vanessa's is reliable and definitely my favorite comfort food! read more

Very yummy and filiing! Was coming home after a late night and finally wanted to try out Vanessa's dumplings! Got the dan dan noodles with beef sauce, and man does this place give a good bang for your buck. The noodles were chonkier than usual, but still held the sauce well and were very delicious. A bit more nuttier than other places, and has a great kick to it. Will come back to try dumplings next! read more

Stumbled upon this place while looking for some grub in between bar crawling and this hit the spot! I just wanted something quick so I went with the pan fried veggie dumplings but looking forward to stopping by again to try to the sesame pancake sandwiches. Their dipping sauce was SO GOOD! They should sell them or give up the recipe! Would highly recommend. read more

Vanessa's Dumpling House - 3. Vegetable Pan Fried Dumpling - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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I ordered the boiled Assorted Dumplings which included two dumplings of each the Pork and Chive, Chicken and Basil, Vegetable, and Shrimp. The pork and chicken were my favorite. They were very savory and flavorful. Although the vegetable dumplings weren't bad, I don't think I'd order a full order of just vegetable dumplings as they tasted pretty plain. Not food related, but I do wish they'd use more earth-friendly packaging. We got our orders to go, and our food was packed in a plastic bag with a soy sauce packet, Sriracha packet, and plastic fork wrapped in a plastic film. We were in a hurry, so I didn't realize they packed a bunch of extras until I left, but I would've requested no extras had I known that they by default packed them for all their to-go orders. read more

To be clear, I like the Vanessa's downtown. It's cheap, it's utilitarian, it's good. This one: the food quality isn't there and they charge 3x. It would never be able to survive without the name recognition of the original. Service was extremely slow - it took around 20 minutes to get one order of dumplings being the only customer in the shop. It's such a shame because I love Vanessa's on the LES but this one is just such a hard pass. read more

Vanessa's is an UWS staple for me. Great, inexpensive food. My favorites are the sesame noodles and sandwiches