Red Panda

Well we enjoyed the two course meal. It began with a mixed starter: 2 vegetable spring rolls, 5 lightly battered prawns, 2 chicken satay, salt & chilli squid and a small portion of boneless ribs in Peking sauce. Sides of sweet & sour sauce, satay sauce and a hoi sin sauce served in 3 tiny dishes. If only our local Chinese takeaways could make sauces as good as this. Mains then took ages to come, a honey chilli chicken which was excellent and a sea bass with minced pork which I really didn’t like because the light batter was soggy. Imagine fish fingers with soggy breadcrumbs. The main portions were big but the rice portions are served in small bowls. It’s as well we enjoyed the food and it left a good taste as the price was a stonking £15 a head a two course lunch and tea or coffee. Then an extra 10% service charge was added to the total bill including the drinks making it £16.50 a head and the slowest service we’ve experienced here in a long time. Now the rip off pricing left a bad taste. This is unabashed daylight robbery. Might as well put a hand in my pocket and take my money. There’s no genuine defensible reason for this unacceptable rip off behaviour. Most of the year their lunch deal for two is £9.90 or £4.95 a head so adding the starter and a tea today cost an extra £11.55 a head or to put it briefly we were just ripped off. I dislike this treatment and I will choose to lunch in other places before I choose here. Let’s put this in perspective to other food business — if Starbucks did this over Christmas a tall latte would rise to over £7, a Big Mac medium meal would become £14 and a pint of beer again about £14. A litre of diesel would rise to over £3 or just multiply the normal price you pay by three add 10% and that’s the equivalent.

I’m a fan of Red Panda. I always enjoy eating in this restaurant and have never been disappointed at all. Delicious Chinese food, lovely service and nice wine. Plus they offer a great Early Bird menu. Super restaurant to which I can’t wait to return.

I love this restaurant. The staff is really really accommodating and friendly. The staff is helpful and explain the menu and give any information needed about whats favorite and whats tasty. I tried the Duck with roti. That was very very good. I order a second. I recommend the Duck with Roti.

Authentic Chinese food. Service was really nice. They have cantonese porridge, suitable for an empty stomach after a whole day’s walk in the strong winds. Highly recommended.

Good food but the place is big and open and can get pretty loud at weekend. not really the place for a quiet romantic meal.

After having visited this place a couple of weeks ago I thought to myself why does Chinese food lend itself so well to ‘all you can eat’ buffets? I’ve had pretty good Indian ones before but for some reason an English ‘all you can eat’ fills me with some kind’ve disgust.
Anyway’s, surmising over I must admit despite being very popular, the Red Panda isn’t one of the better Chinese restaurants in town. The food is mediocre, the staff are a bit cold and I always seem to end up getting stuck on some random table bunged into a pokey corner.
Having said that the selection of food is good (not cheap though) and you can have a perfectly enjoyable night here if you focus more on the décor and are in good company. But then again you could just invite your friends round for superior takeout and save yourself all that hassle and cash.
Pros: Nicely done up, big menu.
Cons: Average food and service.

Chinese food isn’t my favourite cuisine, although, done right it can be pretty delicious, and the food in here is pretty yummy.
Personally, I’m a fan of the crispy dick pancakes. Mmmm… crispy duck pancakes…
Wait…what? Sorry, I’ll carry on. I’ve been in here a good few times, and have never had any complaints with either the food or the service. It can sometimes feel a little rushed, but I don’t really let that affect me (I’ll leave in my own time, thank you very much!)
It’s a great place to go if you’ve a big group of people — it’s easy, tasty and not overly expensive — win!

The Red Panda will do very nicely thank you very much. If you’re after a good, solid Chinese restaurant without the frills, Red Panda will suit you down to the ground.
This place is *always* busy, so reservations are a good call. It’s a popular one for birthday parties, having been to a few here myself, as well as being witness some poor diners undergoing an excrutiatingly embarrassing rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’, followed by the regimented ‘carrying out of the birthday cake’. Yep, it’s the place to be.
Food is excellent, I can particularly recommend the black bean sauce, and the honey chilli chicken (not at the same time mind you… what a strange concoction that would be!). The waiters are fantastic — once, at a birthday dinner I was at, we had the most amusing server, who kept leaping into photos and pulling faces. Needless to say, he went down a treat.
The service is unbelievably quick. 30 minutes it took me and my boyfriend to sit down, fill our tummies, pay the bill and leave. 30 minutes! Indigestion = inevitable, but we were in a rush.
Thoroughly recommended, for a high-​speed dining experience.

Two stars review usually signal something terrible has happened and that you must avoid this restaurant at all costs. Don’t let me give you that impression. I went here with my parents before they took off to a concert (those young ones nowadays, i dunno…). We went here primarily because they were staying in Days and as the Red Panda is conveniently located beside them and not me, we met here.
The food was grand for what chinese food is but as far as going to a restaurant for a chinese, you expect much better. If it were a takeaway I would think «that was fine, I may go back if I am down that end of the town». however it is a restaurant and the entire place was just a bit of a «can’t-be-bothered», the food was boring, the staff seemed like they were going through the motions, and overall chances are I’m not going back.
Bland

I went here on two occasions, one for a birthday party and another just for a meal. These two situations left me with two quite different views of the restaurant.
On the night of the Birthday, we were placed around a big round table and given complimentary shots (always a good method to increase tip percentage) and were treated very well. They even brought out the cake and the staff joined in, in singing happy birthday to the birthday girl and for some reason, mostly to her embarrassment, got her to stand on the chair.
The second time, being just a meal between two people was a completely different affair. We were rushed in, sat down and left for around 12 seconds before they demanded our orders and stared at us in terror when we dared to order starters. If you have a large group of people coming, then don’t give two people a table and try and force them through a meal to make a little extra money, it’s off putting. I haven’t been back since.

I have visited a few times — service has ranged from very average to very poor.
The food has never impressed me too much, and the overall feel of the place is far too impersonal.
If they want to regain their previous reputation, management should fill fewer tables and use a Matre D’ type person to add more character and a more welcoming atmosphere.
Food also needs to improve, otherwise it can seem like the Red Panda are trading off their previous reputation but, in the end, are simply short-​changing their customers.

I really don’t understand why people come here. Belfast is coming down with chinese restaurants, and I’d say that most of them are head and shoulders above the Red Panda in every single way.
The food is alright, the décor is alright, the service is alright, but nothing remarkable in any way. I wouldn’t recommend it but at least it’s better than the Odyssey branch, I suppose.

The food is great and they have great offers at lunchtime. I really love to try lots of different things so it is great to go with friends and share the dishes. It is a reasonably priced restaurant and very nice décor.

Ive nipped in here many times for a spot of lunch to get wee break from work as its a great location for lots of the offices in belfast. Ive also been on many team lunches and its great for a team as the atmosphere is welcoming and food lovely.

I really like this chinese. They serve amazing food that has a kick but won’t blow your head off, there is a great atmosphere ou are in a group the big round tables make it easy for everyone to be involved. It also has a takeaway service. The food is reasonably priced, its great in a big group as there is always so much food there are loads of opportunities to share and try new dishes. I highly recommend it.

I was there recently for a friends birthday and the staff were lovely. Excellent choice of menu and prompt service. Food beautiful and well presented. Relaxed and unhurried atmosphere, well located to compliment a night out in belfast city centre.

Sadly not as good as it used to be, quite expensive and seem to use a lot of MSG! On the plus side it is an excellent venue for a work do out as the atmosphere is always lively.

Way overpriced and overrated. Much better chineses in Belfast cheaper. Small portions too

Used to really like The Red Panda but they seem to have gone downhill lately. They tend to stick you at a table that is cramped with little elbow room for moving about or feeling comfortable. The last time i went i got stuck next to a fire exit & there was a draught coming in the whole time. When i asked to be moved i was told the other tables were reserved even though they stayed half empty for the next hour! Service was very slow & food was cold when i got it! I ordered the honey chilli chicken which used to be lovely but it was greasy, rubbery & disgusting! They have put their prices up too & staff are now quite rude & rushed! wouldnt go back.