Riverside Cantonese Restaurant

Horribly disappointed I’m afraid. I came here with my partner for our anniversary dinner and were so unsatisfied we went to Five Guys straight after.
Given all the past glowing reviews, I’m genuinely surprised it was as bad as I experienced. Maybe it went downhill?
~ Atmosphere:
The fact that there was literally no one else there 6 PM on a Friday night should’ve been a major red flag. Unfortunately, we didn’t want to feel awkward by just walking out so we decided to just stick it out. Bad move. The décor was unimpressive, but not gaudy. I’ve never been the one to care too much about décor, but let’s just say it didn’t create much of a romantic date-​like atmosphere.
~ Customer Service /​Food
I lump these two together because it’s important to do so. I’ve never felt so ripped off at a restaurant before. I can’t fault the food. It was unimpressive and tasted like a random Chinese takeaway rather than the authentic Chinese food I craved and travelled from Cwmbran for (and yes, I am Cantonese). However, the food genuinely wasn’t bad. But holy shit is it overpriced. When I first looked at the prices I didn’t think it was too bad, but when the food came out and I took a look at the portion sizes I was pretty shocked. £15 for 2 and we still had grumbling bellies at the end.
Not to mention, the man who served us sat us down and said straight away «I’ll get you some Chinese tea.» No consultation, nothing. I thought it was complimentary based on how nonchalant he seemed about adding an order to my fucking bill. But no, that was an extra £2.50 charge.
Oh yeah, and the size of their scallops are pitiful.
I feel mugged.

Terrible food, very rude service and heartless dated contempory surroundings with menu prices that’s way over price for what is provided. Trust me please and avoid.

Great place, Great food, friendly staff. Will custom again! Also very nice to Students. Very good price too.

The exterior decoration provides some clue as to what to expect inside at the Riverside Cantonese Restaurant. It is incredibly well maintained, despite the general dilapidated look of the immediate area surrounding it.
I would go so far as to say that this is the best Chinese restaurant in Cardiff, it’s certainly my favourite. Renowned for their inexpensive dim sum on a Sunday, getting a seat can be pretty tricky. But they serve dim sum every night — you just have to ask for the special menu.
The staff are great, they’ll stop to have a laugh and joke if you are inclined to get conversational, but regardless of this the service is prompt. They really know what they’re doing.
The interior is light and airy with well spaced tables and decent décor. It’s easy to spot a well cared for restaurant, and the food always corresponds to the standards

Cardiff has a couple of really good Chinese restaurants, and the Riverside Cantonese is one of them.
Take no notice of the slightly plain-​looking exterior, because inside it’s quite smart, very friendly and serves great food every time.
Their crispy duck is delicious, as is the grilled satay chicken — and besides many meat dishes they also have some lovely fish mains on the menu, including dishes with Monkfish, Scallops and Red Snapper — and plenty of veggie options. Apart from offering a varied menu, they also have a number of Set Menus which are good for sharing — offering excellent value.
I’ve only ever eaten here in the evening, and didn’t realise until reading other reviews that they also serve dim sum in the afternoons — so that’s now on my list of things to try sometime!

Never really had a bad meal here over the years. Seems to be very consistent cooking.
Doesn’t look to great from the outside but its a real gem. Small, intermate and always friendly. Kinda feels like your being welcomed into someones very large living room!
I love the crispy beef they do and sauces are never too gluteny! The set menu’s are quite varied and good value for money and they also do Take-​away so if it is too busy you can get your food to go.
Oh they also have a huge selection of Dim Sum which they serve between 12pm and 5pm daily!

Wow. How am I only just finding out about this place now, when I’ve lived in Cardiff for over a decade? It just goes to show that you’ve got to make an effort to get to know where you live and hunt out those places that are a bit special.
And Riverside Cantonese is definitely a bit special.
Four of us went for dinner on Friday night and we were all delighted with the food, the wine, the décor, the staff, the food and the prices.
We skipped starters and stuck with prawn crackers to share and then had a main course each and rice to share. I had an Asparagus & Sweetcorn dish and shared with a friend who had Beancurd in Blackbean Sauce. Both were utterly delicious and I can’t wait to try some more dishes.
The wine list is very decent. We decided to treat ourselves and shared a lovely New Zealand white (£19.50 a bottle but well worth it — it was really lovely).
The staff were courteous and funny and brought forks to the table when we needed them!
It’s light and airy and the tables are placed really well, with loads of space in between them. The toilets are superb, spotless and gleaming complete with autoflushing lavs!
I’m gutted that I didn’t know about this place before, but I’m determined to make up time and will be back very soon indeed.

Doubtless the best Cantonese in Cardiff. Consistently fresh, delicious food and great service. I’ve been here with family, friends and my boyfriend and have enjoyed myself every time. No complaints about the set menus either. It’s not the cheapest place in Cardiff but I wouldn’t say you’re paying over the odds either.
It’s also really worth a visit for dim sum — you have to request the menu. Yum.

Their dim sum in the afternoon is great!

The best Chinese restaurant in Cardiff, if only by dint of the fact it serves dim sum on a Sunday, and the staff seem relatively friendly. Although Sunday offerings are so popular getting a seat can be quite tricky.

Great service, great food and not badly priced. Give it a try on Sunday lunchtimes for amazing (and cheap) Dim Sum, far superior to both the Happy Gathering, Pearl and Ba Orient.