Harden's says
With renowned restaurants across Asia, Imperial Treasure has ventured into Europe with this London opening (and then France next year). The speciality of the house is Peking Duck carved at the table.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Expensive, but worth it for a treat!” is the positive view on this West End fixture – part of a Singapore-based group, whose London outpost occupies an expensively converted former banking hall in the West End, whose atmosphere has ended up somewhere between impressive and stilted. “Very good, classic Chinese cuisine is reverently served by a stream of waiters… but the prices!… £200 for Peking duck with caviar anyone?” Indeed, such is the size of the bill that there is a school of thought that the level of value doesn’t stack up and that – irrespective of its many qualities – the overall experience is overpriced and/or disappointing.
Summary
“Some of the best Chinese cooking in London” is delivered at this West End three-year-old: the first London branch of a Singapore-based group with offshoots across mainland China. But even if the dishes are “divine”, “you pay a serious premium” to dine here. And the atmosphere of this “beautiful” former banking hall, with “very smart” décor by the late Christian Laigre, “can end up either too manic or funereal, with little in between”. Top Menu Tip – the Peking duck is as “exceptional” as its price tag.
Summary
This “ultra-high-end Chinese” two-year-old – set in an “extremely hushed” former banking hall off Pall Mall “with sumptuous interiors by Christian Liaigre” – is the first London branch of a Singapore-based group with offshoots across mainland China. Its menu is led by a signature Peking duck that must be ordered in advance and is “delicious – if outrageously priced” at £100 a pop. Other choices get much the same verdict: “the quality of the dishes is exceptional”, but “most are very pricey for what they are”.
Summary
“Everything about this place is wow!… including the breathtaking bill!” – This extremely swanky, late-2018 yearling occupies a “beautiful old banking hall, with butter-soft leather banquettes, and tasteful furniture” just off Pall Mall. It’s the first London branch of a Singaporean chain with branches throughout mainland China and Hong Kong as well as elsewhere in Asia. “Don’t forget to pre-order your £100 Peking duck with pancakes!”, which has become something of a cause célèbre in (generally unfavourable) newspaper reviews of its opening, although whether the result is “magnificent”, or “a tasteless rip off” at “obscene prices” is likewise debated by Harden’s reporters. Ultimately ratings here are dragged down by the vocal minority of critics, but supporters say “you wouldn’t complain about the prices if it were French”.
For 33 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 Imperial Treasure?
9-10 Waterloo Place, London, SW1Y 4BE
Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £42.00 |  |
|
|
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £23.50 | £57.00 | £26.00 | £9.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £40.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.20 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 15.00% |
9-10 Waterloo Place, London, SW1Y 4BE
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 6 pm‑10:30 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
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