Came to Xi'an Impressions on my first night in London on the recommendation of my friend who attends UCL. The dining space is small but packs a lot of people - this can make the space quite noisy so expect that going in. We were able to get seated and order very quickly. The food selection was fantastic with a variety of spicy, not spicy, vegetarian, and meaty dishes. We were able to order a variety of dishes including mushroom and chicken dumplings, hand pulled noodles, and smashed cucumbers. The cucumbers were in a great peanut-y sauce that wasn't expected but very welcomed. The noodles had a great ratio to its chili oil sauce and were really tender. All dishes were really affordable for the area. read more

Xi'an Impressions - Smashed cucumbers - Szechuan Near Me - London, XGL

See all

As a Chinese person, this food is legit. Liang pi and bian bian noodles are spiced generously and tasty. There's limited seating inside. read more

Xi'an Impressions - Liang pi - Szechuan Near Me - London, XGL

Located just right across from the Emirates Stadium is this tiny gem. I ordered the Xi'an cold noodles, Xi'an Spicy Beef Burger, and their signature pulled wide noodles with beef called Xi'an BiangBiang with Spicy Sauce Noodle. If I had another stomach, I would order two cold noodles dish, but alas, I only could handle one plus my spicy noodle beef. The cold noodle was spicy but tolerable for those who can take a bit of heat. It is toss in chili oil with some steamed egg (cakelike), and bean sprouts. The spicy beef noodle was perfectly cooked. I would have liked a bit more beef, however, I wasn't complaining since I had to finish two dishes plus try my husband's spicy beef burger. The beef was tender, the noodles soft but not soggy, the chili sauce was spicy but not enough to scare off people who like some flavor in their food. Lastly, it was not too salty which I always dislike when dishes are drowned with salt. I would highly recommend this hand pulled noodle dish. As for the spicy beef burger, it was spicy and meaty and not too big. For a good light hold your hunger until dinner, this is a good choice. The place is cozy and small, but very clean. The toilet is through a cutest tiny door up the stairs (watch your head if you're over 4'5" tall). Service was fast and friendly! Next time I am back at the Stadium, I am eating HERE!!! read more

See all

Very good food if you are looking for clean and seasoned food this is the place. Staff are very friendly and helpful and the place is clean and overall 5 stars never got a tummy ache than most of the restaurants I go for in London area! Highly recommended read more

Situated right opposite Emirates stadium, always packed and very popular with the Chinese so do make a reservation.Decor is very basic, quite similar to the eateries in China being small and simple white walls. Staff is awesome, especially the older gentleman who treats you like a friend. So here is my review after three visits Xi'an cold noodles in traditional sauce Served cold you could really appreciate how a dente these noodles were. It wasn't as spicy as it looks but full of the aromas of Chinese herbs, sesame oil with a sweet vinegary taste. The flavours worked as a team on your tastebuds, luring you in for more and more. Boneless chicken in ginger sauce Started off as a perfectly boiled chicken, high in quality and therefore sweet in flavour. The meat was succulent and tender, sitting in a bed of a sesame vinegary ginger chilli oil sauce. Delicious. Pork and veg dumpling The most silkiness and thinness Beijing's dumplings I've had, yet it managed hold a juicy and fragrant meatball inside. Sauce was made for you with the perfect balance of soy, vinegar and chilli with added sesame and green onions for a extra boost of flavour. Xi'an beef burger. The bun was a bit more dry and more dense which took a lot of moisture away. The beef filling however was more rewarding, meaty with complex flavours of cumin and Sichuan peppercorns. Hand pulled noodle soup with Qishan sauce Similar to Tom Yum but less sour and more fragrant in spices. The lovely tender diced pork, mixed vegs gave it nice contrasting texture and extra bite against the lovely thin bouncy hand pulled noodles, adding depth and flavour as you slurp Xi'an biangbiang noodles These noodles were incredibly satisfying to slurp and chew, made in house and were wide. You can really appreciate the sweet vinegary spice attached to each strand. Seasoning was balanced with a good punch, making it nearly impossible to stop slurping. 2nd visit Cold noodles with sesame sauce. The aromas of the sesame oil in the cold noodles already entices you in before you even begin to eat them.The taste was very similar to the traditional sauce but minus the spice and therefore the nuttiness and sesame taste was more apparent. Delicious without the numbing pain afterwards. Hand pulled noodles with pork mince and vegs On the salty side but the cucumbers helped. After mixing you get a thick coating of a delicious savoury sauce on every strand. The mince meat provided texture and meatiness whilst the vegs makes it somewhat lighter. Perfect comfort food. Sweet potato noodles in hot and sour soup Very uneven in flavour - more spice than sour. The flavours were far too strong that it was almost bitter. The noodles were kept warm too long in the broth so lost it bounce and became a bit too sticky and chewy for my liking. So far it's the only disappointing dish. Xi'an pork burger in Qishan sauce. I much prefer this to the beef. The meat was much more tender and juicy, also finely chopped making the texture and flavours more balanced. The sauce was savoury, sweet with a kick of spice for warmth. Fried pork and seaweed dumplings The pastry was crispy yet soft and filling was still very juicy. It was great to have the seaweed mix in with the pork as it gave it umami . Still prefer boiled ones for more flavour and moisture. Shredded Xi'an bread in beef broth It was somewhat healthier being less fatty than others I've had but still had a lot of flavour especially with the accompanied garlic pieces. The bread was satisfying to chew with each spoonful adding sweetness after chewing. 3rd visit... Shredded chicken with special sauce A lovely combination of textures from crunchy cucumbers and beansprouts to tender succulent shredded chicken. The marinate was refreshing being spicy, vinegary and sweet nutty from the sesame oil. Yikouxiang A dish made of several layers of rice sheet over sliced cucumber in a appetising hot and sour sauce. It was very simple but incredibly comforting being slightly chewy yet balanced by the crunchy cucumbers. Hand pulled noodles with Qishan sauce We were convinced that we were given the correct dish although I'm sure they gave us the noodle soup instead. Nevertheless it was enjoyable, flavoursome being hot and sour and rich in texture from the diced vegetables sad chunks of pork Hand pulled noodles with tomato egg sauce It was a light and healthier dish but a weak in its broth. A non spicy dish. I enjoyed the contrast in texture from the silky eggs, juicy tomatoes and crunchy black fungus against the bouncy noodles Pork and vegs dumplings in hot and sour soup Were nice and soft filled with a fragrant mix of pork and greens. However it was the same the same soup as the sweet potato noodle that I didn't like. So far I've nearly tried everything on the menu and yes there were some things I didn't like but the ones I did enjoy, I LOVE! Of course I will be back to everything else. Prices are pretty cheap too! read more

See all

After living in Xi'an for a while, I now miss the combination of flavours that differs from many other Chinese cuisines. Middle eastern scents of herbs and spices with the use of lamb likely an influence from the western/northern ethnic minorities of China who have ancestors spanning Mongolia and the Middle East. The Altaic fusion with more traditional Chinese hand pulled/cut noodles in clear(ish) broth, xi'an sandwich etc bring me back to my home away from home. Although in Xi'an you can expect the sandwich to be a lot more oily from the street vendors as well as more generously packed with fillings. Even the smell of the place when you walk in reminds me of xi'an, it's only missing the smell of exhaust fumes and rampart use of car horns to make it 100% authentic. It is the closest I've come to the food of xi'an since leaving, and it's a relief to see someone specialise in one area of cuisine rather than trying to do everything. The staff are great and when not busy juggling customers and plates, are warm and enjoy conversing if that's what you want. You should book if you plan to eat from 6pm onwards as it gets very busy. They do takeaway too. Don't expect your English 'Chinese' food here, but if you've been to northern China and miss it, you can come here to reminisce a little. read more

I absolutely love this place. It's on my doorstep, it's cheap, it's authentic, and most of all, it tastes absolutely amazing! Don't come here if you're afraid of bold and spicy flavours, as the dishes pack the flavour in by the szechuan peppercorns! Handmade biang biang noodles are spicy and addictive, with long strands that need to be cut in half before you can eat them properly. The cold noodle starter with gluten is strangely amazing, plus the pork burger trumps the beef. The chicken has a nice fresh ginger kick, and the dumplings are decent. All in all, one of the best places for authentic Xi'an food in London, with prices that will keep you smiling through the chilli heat in your mouth! Top tip, they take reservations. Book! It gets stupidly busy here! read more

See all

Been meaning to come here for a while and took the opportunity to let the outgoing football crowds for tube die down while I popped into this new(ish) place. You know you're onto a winner when they tell you order like a regular (and it's actually really your first time). Finally a place near the stadium that has good quality food and unbelievably it's Chinese food at that. Be warned it is tiny though! So you might even need to squeeze onto table with strangers. Pork & veg dumplings with a special (spicy) Xi'an sauce that was on the money. Reminds me of my time in Xi'an City in China. Really really good. Perfect way to combat the cold outside is with a huge pot of jasmine tea. After doing my research online I knew what I wanted. The Xi'an Cold Rice Noodle in traditional sauce was a triumph. Loved this. Fresh and bouncy. I will definitely be back. Especially since it's on my football doorstep. On second visit, I ordered the Spicy hand pulled Biang Biang with some chicken and mushroom pot stickers. As usual the staff were ever so friendly. The Chilli Biáng Biáng was good.Think the cold rice noodles are still my absolute favourite though. This version a bit too oily for my liking. Dumplings much better. One time I'll go for the Chinese burger. Oh err. Say goodbye to those greasy burger vendors outside the stadium! 3rd visit I got all the usual a plus Chinese burger. The pork was ok, but the ginger chicken is one of best dishes I've had in London this past year, easily. Soft tender and juicy. TBH the consistency and quality makes this a 5 star now. It really is fantastic. You can tell by the regulars. The booze sold has stopped now probably due to regulars. But you can BYOB it seems which is good! read more

See all

I'm going to call it now: this is the best Chinese meal I have had since leaving Melbourne. Yep. It was amazing. There was flavour, chilli, so many sauces that I wanted to finish off like a soup (and did) and a touch of grease. Perfect. This place is no bigger than a takeaway joint but they have managed to squeeze about seven four-person tables in. So if you want to come here: book to avoid devastation. The staff are so lovely. The guy running the floor is great for a menu recommendation and he genuinely wants you to enjoy your meal. There are several cold dishes that you have to order, no questions asked. The smack cucumber is out of this world, the fungi are amazing and their signature dish; a cold noodle and tofu thing, has this sauce that you will think about for days. The dumplings are good, the burgers are fun (they will cut these into the appropriate amount of pieces to accommodate your table, choose pork) and all of the noodle dishes are hand made noodles. The ultimate comfort food. The salt and pepper squid is crispy with so much flavour. Yum. I need to go back and order all of the things that we could fit in. To top it all off, it is BYO with a small corkage fee. So the bill won't come to much after eating like kings. Amazing. read more

See all

Came here for lunch one Sunday morning. PROS: 1) I really enjoy the food. The food is really tasty and to me has good quality. 2) The food ordered is great for sharing. So if you go with multiple people I'd recommend eating family style. That way you'll get more of a variety. 3) You don't have to wait forever for food, but I don't know how the wait or service is during peak hours. It might be a different story but I went at around noon and there was no line and we were the second party in the restaurant. CONS: 1) The restaurant is quite small. So I can imagine craving some chinese food and then coming here during peak hours and not being able to be seated for quite some time due to the petite size of the restaurant. read more

Great meals and friendly waitresses. Try the white fish grilled, the best. Loved the Veal Cutlets.

As a Chinese person I know not to expect any service in Chinese restaurants, but even for me the service was too rude. Summary: 1. Was asked to order just a few minutes after arriving, after requesting a few more minutes, the lady returned in one minute. Not exaggerating. 2. Lady took the order wrong even after re-confirming, she also gave bad attitude because I re-confirmed (I had a feeling she was not listening) 3. When almost finishing the food, another lady came twice to ask if we were done. This was a week night and it wasn't that busy. 4. When my friends and I were calculating the bill, there was some confusion amongst ourselves only but the lady was paranoid and defensive. She thought we were accusing her of giving us the wrong bill just because we were discussing (even though we were given a wrong item but whatever) she proposed to us in a terrible tone of voice that we can use a calculator.. yes thanks for the advice I didn't realise calculators can calculate. 5. I heard the ladies quite loudly gossiping about us and other customers. 6. Food was ok, not bad, not amazing. But with service like that I will tell everybody to not visit. If those two women hate their jobs that much they should not be there. There are plenty of other nice restaurants in the area. read more

Amazing food - I mean, my mouth was on fire and I totally should have had something less spicy but it was still delicious. I had massive food envy for the pork bun I saw nearby and will go back just for that. Very much no frills and be warned they don't take cards. This is very much authentic cuisine - it was delicious and I will definitely head back. read more

We went here because it came up on google as a recommended place to eat while in London. We almost didn't go in because it's hole in the wall appearance. I'm so glad we ate here though. They make the noodles in house and they are excellent. They also make their own dough for the dumplings which is a very nice change from many Chinese restaurants. We had the vegetarian dumplings, black fungus, and Xi'an biangbiang noodles in chili sauce with beef. All were delicious! The sauces that come with each of them are so full of flavor. read more

Xi'an Impressions - Xi'an biangbiang noodles in chili sauce with beef - Szechuan Near Me - London, XGL

See all

I've been told that here we blessed with an example of great traditional food from the east of China, X'ian; the ancient capital. I've also been told that it's one of the most authentic in a rather unorthodox place right opposite The Emirates Stadium. It seems to be another example of The Holloway Road becoming more than just an extension of Upper Street and turning into an area all its own. So many interesting places are opening with the mixture of centrality, middle class residents and (relatively) cheap rents. As I'm currently the 'Duke' of here it seems to have impressed me too. Firstly the place is SMALL with room to hardly sit 15. If you are more than a couple of people you must really reserve (yup none of that no reservation policy here!) and it's BYOB which allegedly keeps prices down. Part of the charm was that it had been very cheap to eat here now sadly it's as expensive as anywhere else with starters at around £6 and mains around the £10 mark. They do do some excellent noodles though. They are traditional and hand made varying from thick and flat to vermicelli like. Many of the dishes have a hint of schezwan peppers and the soups are generally beautiful and generous. One must never ignore the starters where we particularly likes the vermicelli noodles, the cold chicken and the slightly heavy dumplings. The service is always prompt and fast and in the style you would expect from a diner but it's a pity they had to hike their prices by around 20% recently. If that's what they needed to do to survive then I'm glad they did but it has cost them a star, thankfully the food remains great. read more

If this is what the end of the Silk Road is like, take me to Xi'an immediately! We seriously chowed down. We followed all the recommendations of our waiter who was super helpful. I was afraid we had seriously over ordered but everything was so delicious, we probably would have fought over who could lick the plates clean if we weren't so totally stuffed. Smacked cucumber is what we should always do to this boring vegetable. This was a great way to take an old standard and spice it up. The cucumbers really absorbed the strong flavour of the sauce it was in. Delicious. The black fungus was also very good. All the fungus newbies at the table compared it to eating seaweed so don't let the 'fungus' deter you. Boneless chicken in ginger sauce was tender and melt in your mouth. Just enough oil to make it luscious without being greasy. Pork and veg dumplings were delicious, especially with the sauce. I would have liked to have tried the other kinds. Xi'an cold noodles were a greater starter. Noodles were al dente with just enough heat. We ordered two of the hand pulled noodles. The biangbiang noodles with beef were delicious and dry fried. The version with chicken on the bone was soupier and the broth was fragrant and tasty. I liked that the chicken was on the bone. The noodles are very very long (which is why I guess they provide you with a knife to cut it all!) Nothing was overly spicy so if you looking for Sichuan hot, this is not what you will find at Xi'an. The restaurant is BYO and there is a Co-op across the street so pick up some booze before you come. And definitely reserve in advance. The place is a hole in the wall and also very loud (so not the best venue for a tête á tête.) October 2016: still great food but they no longer take reservations. We waited over an hour for a table and annoyingly, the waitstaff were allowing people to just linger over their BYO drinks after eating. And I mean linger - a sip here, a sip there, pull out another full bottle of booze. They need to turn the tables more quickly. I get wanting to have a good dining experience but this place is too small for long meals. read more

Probably there best Chinese food I have had in London. The hand pulled noodles are legit hand pulled and the sauces and soups were interesting and seasoned just right. Most places in London over season Chinese food. They have noodles dumplings and buns, all with a Chinese middle Eastern flavor profile common in xi an. Really nice spot though small. Prepare to wait. read more

A tiny unprepossessing place opposite the Emirates stadium in north London. Food is authentic and truly excellent, ambience almost nonexistent. Service is polite and efficient, prices reasonable. But beware the steep corkage charge for BYO wine and the complete unreasonable 1.70 corkage charge for a can of beer. Portions are good, food buzzing with flavour, but you do need to be a little careful., especially as the bill is is mostly in Chinese Impossible to book, so be prepared to wait, perhaps outside this tiny establishment. But well worth it for the intrepid. read more

I've been passing Xi'an Impressions every week I've been biking at the Emirates and always said that my daughter and I should try it, but never do because there are usually busy... then last week, we decided to try and I now kick myself for not trying it sooner. Firstly the service initially was cold, but once we were sat down the host was very accommodating. We ordered the Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs, Hand Pulled noodles soup with beef slices, Pork & veg dumplings and Xi'an Cold Noodles with 2 extra bowls of white rice. All the food was brought to the table quickly, but freshly made (As the staff were still having lunch when we arrived) Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs: Crispy, flavourful. The ribs themselves were a little pale, but don't let that put you off. The pepper / onion toppings made up for the colour. Hand Pulled noodles soup with beef slices: The noodle texture was fantastic, bouncy like a thinner version of well made/cooked udon. The beef slices were a bit over done though. The soup was refreshing and when we added the dumplings it was even better. Pork & veg dumplings: These are good, but definitely home made feel which is not a detriment.. it made you feel like your mum/dad made them for you when you were a kid. Xi'an Cold Noodles: The noodle texture was good, but it was the spicy sauce that gave it that kick. It actually wasn't that spicy (my daughter couldn't eat it) but with the cold cucumber it had it all; spicy, cool, crunchy and bouncy. It was an experience for the mouth. Now that I am a convert, I'll be seeing you at Xi'an Impressions again soon. read more

Great service. I liked the fungus, smacked cucumber, cold noodles w tofu, and shredded potato. Would recommend !! Herbal tea was nice as well read more

Delicious sechuan style food. This is a great place, the dishes are great and packed with a distinct flavour. Don't come here expecting your typical Chinese fare of spring rolls and sweet and sour chicken. Come for the Chinese burgers and the thick, hand-made noodles. The place is cozy and not pretentious at all. Service was nice. read more

Xi'an Impressions - Szechuan Near Me - London, XGL

See all

Ahhh this place brought me and my husband back to our amazing travels in China, including Xi'an. The food was very very tasty, just what we were expecting from a real Chinese restaurant. We had the greens (rich and garlicky), pot stickers (lovely), flat hand pulled noodles which really tasted so much better than pre prepared noodles and our old favourite; smacked cucumbers which was just such a delight to see on the menu and a testament to how authentic this place is. Will be coming back for sure! read more

Take this from a Chinese person - after so many recommendations from my friends this turned out to be overrated. Can't figure out why it took over 20 minutes to serve Chinese burgers (which should be sort of fast food) while customers ordered after us already got their fried dish? The taste is just so so. Prices are reasonble though. read more

One of the best Chinese restaurants nearby. Food was great and reasonably priced. Since it is a small place it gets really crowded between 5-8 p.m. You might have to wait outside the shop for 15-20 mins sometimes to get in during that time which can be frustrating. But your frustrations are over once you taste the food. read more

The nicest Chinese food I've had outside of Asia. This place is legit. A welcome change to the bastardised Cantonese style we're used to in England read more

Tonight I waited for more than 40 mins and I realised they forgot to hand in our order. Hungry as hell. The service here reminds me of China. I would like to rate 0 if I could. read more

Had been excited to check this place out for a while, as I'm a huge fan of the Xi'An Famous Foods in NYC. Unfortunately, Xi'an Impressions is, well, just doing an impression of that style of food. The biangbiang noodles were dry as though they had been prepared much earlier in the day and left out on the counter, I had asked for extra spicy and my friend for medium but they were clearly identical and mildly spiced, if you look at pictures you'll see the serving plates are big but the actual portions on them are a bit small for the prices, the staff was notably rude and unpleasant (well beyond the usual brusqueness of a fast moving noodle shop), they had a somewhat startling £1.70 corkage (per can) beer fee and, when we decided to save our beers (and money) for later, watched us like hawks to make sure we didn't open them and try to sneak around their corkage fee. Worst service I've experienced since coming to London two years ago, and a huge disappointment to a longtime fan of spicy hand-pulled noodles. And they had the nerve to add a service charge to the bill automatically, despite there being no evidence of service provided as well as a general aura of unwelcome. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived too, so one can't simply attribute our experience to coming at a hectic time. I would have given an extra star for the smacked cucumbers, which were quite nice, but the rest of the experience was bad enough to keep it down to one star. read more

Having lived in Beijing for more than seven years I can say that this is a REAL Chinese restaurant. It serves northern food and specialises in noodles. Homemade and delicious! I will be back as soon as possible. read more

I made an order to my home, food was cold and even if he was warm it still was disgusting ended up throwing everything to the garbage and stayed hungry!!! My advice skip this restaurant!!! read more

This place has amazing noodles and is secretly pretty vegan friendly. They stopped taking reservations so you might have to stand outside and wait for a while on a busy night. And it's cash only and BYO but there's a Coop just down the street with an ATM (and beer and wine). The black fungus (mushroom) starter is really good, so are the cold noodles. For mains you can't go wrong with biang biang noodles, they have a veggie option. I also like the sweet potato noodles which come in a spicy soup. The flavours are great it's not so much blow your head off as it is leave your lips numb spicy. Watch out for coriander/cilantro! The side of pak choi greens is so garlicky - if you're a fan you'll love it but someone sitting next to you on the bus will hate you. The dishes aren't huge so you can order a mix of mains and starters and sides and split them to try different things. They all come out in the middle of the table and everyone gets their own little bowl to take what they want. Ask the waiter for help in getting the right amount, they're really friendly. I wouldn't recommend going with any more than 6 people though because the restaurant is pretty small. read more

There are not many restaurants where the mere prospect of going for a meal there gets me jump-up-and-down excited. Xi'an Impressions is one of them! I *love* this place, the food is lip-smackingly awesome. I'm told by my Chinese colleague (who studied at Xi'an University) that it's the real deal and the style is noticeably different to both Hunan and Sichuan cooking, both of which share the same spicy/sour/numbing flavour profiles. Have been here about 5-6 times and haven't found a single dish on the menu that wasn't great. It's a great deal too and the service, while it can get hectic in there (rubbing shoulders with strangers is not uncommon!), is swift and friendly. I'm getting excited again writing this! read more

This place is amazing. Hand-made noodles, incredible and fresh food from the x'ian province, which is unlike any Chinese food I've had before and utterly delicious. My tip: if you're veggo ask which dishes are veggo friendly - apparently there was a cock up with the printing of the menu and so not all the veggo dishes ended up with the veggo symbol next to them! I don't eat meat and there's a surprising amount I can eat there (I've been back several times now!). read more

Top quality Chinese food - better than lots of places in Chinatown. Lots of different choices to the usual boring menus. The homemade noodles (like tagliatelle) are the signature dish and are delicious. If you can't choose, the v helpful waiter/manager will select everything for you. I hope they open a bigger branch! read more