You know what feels special in a town where it’s hard to impress? Dining on the waterfront. Feels like you’re on holiday, and that’s exactly what you get here. Banquet 88 is an upmarket Cantonese restaurant in St Katharine Docks by the teams behind Good Fortune Club dim sum restaurants, Canton Blue, and Tao Tao Ju in Chinatown.
The Décor/Vibe
The restaurants you pass on your way here include Slug and Lettuce (didn’t know this was still around) and Côte, so arriving at Banquet 88 feels like a treat. The interior is light filled and modern, with a focus on big tables for sharing delicious plates and the views.
The Menu
Where to start. This is definitely one of the best dumpling selections in London, especially at this price point (which is slightly more than Chinatown, a lot less than A. Wong). We’ll focus on the more unique ones: there’s cuttlefish and crab dumplings, black truffle har gau, prawn with crispy rice skin or Wagyu cheung fun, sashimi platters, Szechuan chicken, wasabi prawns on crispy rice, black truffle roasted duck, fresh lobster done many different ways, a signature Three Treasures dish (with Iberico pork, char siu, and Wagyu beef), noodles, and desserts, including mini tapioca bunnies. You could dine here weekly for a year and never work your way through this inspired menu.
Highlights
The staff! It’s so rare these days to get wait staff with character, who take the time to connect – and that’s exactly what you get here. And the location.
