China Lane

I’ve been wanting to try this place for ages, and luckily they fitted us in on a whim without a booking.
The staff are friendly and attentive, while the banquet is top value. You won’t leave hungry.
Another reviewer says the food is better than Mr Wong, but I disagree. The food is good here, but not great.
I love the setting in Angel Place with the outdoor seating and the bird chirps. Inside, the music is tasteful and cool in that Oceans 11 kind of way, without being overbearing.
My only quibble is at the end of our meal, our waitress ignored us while she attended to other guests. The place was so busy no one wanted to take our money.

I can’t believe I hadn’t visited this place sooner! Sister to my all-​time favourite restaurant, China Doll, it’s safe to assume the same high quality is maintained. The restaurant is tucked away in Angel Place so its a nice escape from the bustling George St and Martin Place. It’s also a great place for a work lunch/​business meetings as the chefs are trained to cook within the strict work time frames (without lowering their quality either). The food is absolutely delicious and the cocktails are a treat too.

Come here for a work function. Set menus are always a bit of a gamble, too much food, too little food, too much of stuff no one likes. We’ve all been there. The set menu banquet at China Lane though was really good. Lots of food. Everything was tasty. Everyone had plenty to eat.
I was sitting next to our team’s gluten free eater and they brought out a full sized gluten free variant of everything. Since full sized was enough to feed 4 people, I got to sample heaps of the gluten free versions. Even they were good. In most cases almost indistinguishable fro the gluten present ones. The only one that wasn’t as good was the battered squid. The gluten free batter wasn’t nearly as light and crispy. Not bad, you understand, just not as good.
The food was good. The service was good. The company was as good as can be expected at a company function. I have no idea how much it all cost because work was paying. I would happily go again and pay for the meal myself.

Love love love this place!
Been here twice and just think the food is 10 times better than it is at Mr Wongs.
We didn’t have reservations on a Friday night but they were able to accommodate us within 30 minutes. I would definitely recommend going with a larger group so you can try more food.
Stand outs this Friday were the lobster and truffle dumplings. Not only was the dumpling amazing, but so was the sauce they were sitting in. I could have only eaten these.
We also had the pork buns and duck pancakes which were both amazing.
For main we did the pork belly and the masaman curry. Everything was amazing. Especially the Pork belly because it didn’t taste overly fried and the pieces were small.
My favourite place for quality Chinese food in Sydney.
And when you eat here, don’t forget to look up when you’re in the bathroom as there are tvs on the ceiling!

Came here with my colleagues, the food was amazing. Fresh, tasty delicious. We ordered the prawn san Choy bao– wow highly recommend it. We also got the prawn dumplings– another outstanding dish. We also ordered the shiitake mushroom croquette ohh soo good the eggplant dip was sooo yum.

Not bad, but didn’t wow me.
We ordered the banquet menu and I thought there was too much time between items, especially in the first half of the meal. You get a mouthful of food… and then wait 10 minutes for the next mouthful. No bueno. Doesn’t feel like much of a banquet.
I have to concur with another reviewer that while everything we had was «good» nothing really stood out to me. The desserts were really mediocre. Essentially two sweet rice dishes with garnish.
Yes, the bird cages are really cool though.

Wow. Wow.
Great food and really great service. I was a little bit worried that maybe the set menu wasn’t going to be enough, but it was perfect
It was a Tuesday night and it was packed, we managed to squeeze in without a reservation.
Great experience.

While the food was good and the service not bad, what makes me give this restaurant only 2 stars is the fact that we were told 3 times that they needed the table back by 8pm, and this was after the email confirmation for the booking stated the same fact. You don’t feel very welcome when you are told 3 times in the span of 20 minutes they need the table back! We were told by the guy that seated us and also the same waitress twice and this was all before 6.30pm. I understand that some restaurants have 2 sittings but this was ridiculous! On a side note, the $ 32 John Dory dish is definitely not worth it. It tasted great but was only one very small fillet.

Great happening night spot. Wait staff was quick and friendly and made great suggestions since the menu was very authentic and we had no idea what to get.
The food we got was excellent. so good we want to order it again at other places but I don’t know what to call the food we ate.
Highly recommend this place for ambience, friendlyness, and great food.

I wish I could give it more, but service was satisfactory for a moderately busy night. My main gripe here was food. If you don’t know good Asian food, you’ll probably enjoy this restaurant, but if you are spoiled for choice as Sydney-​siders tend to be, then the food is just OK. With so many other yummier choices nearby, food its not the reason to come back.
Having said that, perhaps its because we had the banquet and expected to be wowed. Lesson learned — if you decide to eat here, leave expectations at the door.

Pros:
–ambiance, especially the outdoor seating –the multitude of hanging bird cages adds a mystical air.
–great service
Cons: the food was mediocre. being Asian, i’m usually quite critical when going to a restaurant serving Chinese cuisine. my husband and I ordered the banquet set so we could try several dishes. we were a bit disappointed that a few items were overly salty and overall we didn’t feel that the dishes were particularly unique. :(

The first thing I liked about China Lane was that it is hidden deep down a laneway. Being Melbourne born and bred, I know that some of the best and most interesting finds are often hidden is such places. China Lane was no exception. I was luckily enough to grab an outside table when a prior table reservation turned out to be a no show. The service, great. Attentive, yet trendy. Some of the staff sported some the most artsy and über cool tatt sleeves I’ve seen in a while.
The menu is also something to rave about. It is the type that makes you want to order everything. To me, this is a sure sign I’ll be back again. We ordered the lobster and truffle dumplings however received the prawn dumplings instead. A problem? Not at all. They were on the house and, in my mind, were even tastier than the lobster dumplings subsequently did arrive. The seven spiced lamb, terrif! The pork belly, some of the best I have had. Meaning, that crispy melt in your mouth type that makes you eat more than you thought you ever could. Washed down with Italian shiraz and great company, it was the perfect autumnal (laneway language ya see) night. Onya China Lane.

Best food in Sydney. Had 6 dishes, all were delicious. The combination of flavors were masterful. Great service, beyond expectations. I would recommend the restaurant to anyone that wants to experience a wonderful, complete dining experience.

First came Woolloomooloo’s China Doll, then came Manly’s China Beach and now, along comes the cbd’s very own China Lane.
China Doll has been a long standing favourite amongst the slick corporate set for years, providing not only a place to dine on exceptional Asian cuisine, but also a place to see and be seen. On a stroll past the restaurant at the Finger Wharf, it’s not uncommon to see celebrities rubbing noses with high profile CEO’s, luxuriating in long lunches and decadent dinners.
Unsurprisingly, China Lane also appeals to the citie’s suits. Set in the heart of the cbd, tucked away in a quiet laneway in Angel Place, beneath the chirping, overhead hanging bird cages, you will find the newest addition to the China clan.
It’s a smooth and stylish fit out, all old school glamour with banquette seating, glossy floorboards, bright splashes of greens and reds and clever lighting. It’s a style they describe as ‘Shanghai meets Mad Men’ and the shoe fits.
Chef Ben Hayward, who has trained under Raymond Blanc and Heston Blumenthal and was formerly sous chef at China Doll, has created a stunning modern Asian menu. But, don’t let the name fool you. It’s not just Chinese on the menu here, you’ve got influences from other Asian cuisines, but it’s not fusion either.
Mrs G and I, appropriately dressed in our corporate attire, join for lunch on a Thursday and the place is full to the brim with the citie’s professionals. Bankers, lawyers and who knows who else partaking in high powered business lunches, or at least so it appears, perhaps the suits are just having a chin wag, as we certainly intend to.
We sit down to our table and peruse the rather extensive food and wine menus.
We eventually decide on our menu as follows:
* Pork & prawn sui mai with flying fish roe
* Prawn, asparagus & water chestnut dumpling with Chinese red vinegar
* Pork San Choy Bau
* Duck pancakes with hoi sin, cucumber & shallot
* Salt & Pepper Prawns with chilli
It’s hard not to notice the food is beautifully presented and I have to say, each dish is a knockout. If I had to choose a favourite, I would be hard pressed to go past the ‘DIY’ Duck Pancakes — oh my! No wonder the cities corporates have embraced this new addition to the cbd dining scene.
So, when you’re looking for your next city lunch or dinner venue, why not try China Lane for yourself? Just make sure you make a booking!