China Live

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1. s

   smdom97

   Philadelphia

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined today

   overall3food5service2ambience2

   Took a really long time for anyone to even address us. We were seated with a pencil and menu with no instructions. We figured it out but it took another 25 minutes before anyone came and took the order. Once we ordered food came out in a reasonable time. Good didn’t seem super hot and we were outside so could have added to the issue. After we were done again took an exorbitant amount of time to clear plates and ask if we wanted dessert. At that point we just wanted to get going.

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2. J

   Jeff

   Baltimore

   26 reviews

   3.0

   26 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall3food3service5ambience3

   Excellent service. Appetizers the best part of the meal, especially the dumplings. Noodles okay, not much protein in the entree.

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3. JW

   JesseW

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   What a fun dining experience! Our two school aged kids loved trying many new things on the menu. One of the owners came by with fun practice chopsticks for the kids when he saw they were practicing using chopsticks. Service was attentive and the food amazing!

   Report
4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Chicago

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Whole staff was amazing and food was delish! Fun atmosphere.

   Report
5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Diego

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   It’s our favorite go-to! Always a great experience dining there.

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6. e

   eddieeeee

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 4 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Our server Kiyoshi was amazing and attentive. Staff was very friendly. Definitely going back.

   Report
7. B

   Brad

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall3food3service3ambience5

   Pretty Americanized. And expensive. Loved the space. But otherwise not impressed. And my wallet hurts.

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8. 1

   1966mg

   San Francisco

   22 reviews

   5.0

   22 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Great as always

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New Mexico

   1 review

   vip
   3.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall3food4service2ambience5

   We love China Live and have been there numerous times. This time was very different. Our server did not serve our drinks until our meal was half way over. Contacted the manager and although he gave us a free round, he seemed like this kind of situation was status quo. A huge disappointment for our evening Please get it together!!

   Report
10. TI

    TIffy

    San Antonio

    15 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on 18 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing service, beautiful atmosphere, and awesome tasting food! Can’t wait to go back!

    Report
11. l

    lizo

    New York Area

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 18 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great vibe, amazing food, friendly staff. We sat at the counter at the noodle and rice kitchen areaa. Loved watching the crew crank out delicious dishes.

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12. AC

    AlejandroC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 18 June 2022

    overall3food4service3ambience2

    Muy caro de precio y la mesa estaba fuera de mi solicitud

    Report
13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 17 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Every dish we ordered was so delicious! Great service, great atmosphere and cool vibe! Love this restaurant and highly recommend it.

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14. M

    Michael

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 June 2022

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    Super not worth it. It's Chinese food made by people who have no idea what good Chinese food tastes like.

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15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 14 June 2022

    overall1food2service1ambience3

    Poor service. We really had a hard time calling a waiter even if the restaurant isn’t busy. We had to go to the cashier/counter to call their attention. We were very hungry at the time and the food took too long and served in small servings. We didn’t get the value of our money. Won’t recommend this if you’re hungry. Not the best Chinese restaurant in SF there is.

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16. CC

    CarrieC

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 14 June 2022

    overall1food1service5ambience3

    My mother and I got sick after eating there

    Report
17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 12 June 2022

    overall5food5service3ambience3

    Great food and drinks!

    Report
18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 12 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Everything was delicious and our server, Mike, was extremely personable and attentive. It was also the best value of any of the meals we had all weekend on our trip to SF.

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19. Q

    Quincrusher

    New York Area

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 12 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Fun, cool, hip atmosphere with a great menu for sharing and super friendly service! Highly recommend for a night with friends!

    Report
20. b

    brentf

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    4.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 12 June 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Good place. Service was good...a little slow getting food out to us but the food itself was very good. Portions were very small and very expensive, but that's pretty much what you get in SF these days. btw. Too much pork on the menu...very little chicken which wasn't great for us. Would be good if there was more beef and chicken as options vs Pork and Duck.

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21. F

    Foodforever69

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 11 June 2022

    overall3food5service3ambience1

    We were sat in the shop side which seemed to be overflow for tables and it was extremely hot. There was food missed in our order, water was left unfilled and lack of check in. We love China live so it was sure a bummer after we hyped it up to our friends.

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22. MM

    MelbaM

    San Antonio

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 11 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    My husband and I have dined at fabulous restaurants around the world, from Michelin starred establishments to hidden gems frequented by locals. While many of those establishments were exceptional, China Live far exceeded our expectations and set a new standard that will be hard to beat!! Our party of 4 visited China Live to celebrate the upcoming marriage of our friends, and our experience was more than what I imagined it would be. The staff is exceptional, all the way from the General Manager, Brian Basmajian, to the manager, Michelle Lu, and our wait person, Ian Torres, every single employee was absolutely phenomenal! We were promptly seated at our reservation time, and Ian took the time to explain the menu in detail and made several wonderful recommendations. Ian was incredibly attentive to our table and exuded professionalism. He was patient, demonstrated exceptional product knowledge, and made sure our needs were met the entire time! We had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Lu, the manager, who truly went above and beyond to make sure we celebrated our friends' to the fullest! She highlighted the Chef's specialties and even gave us a tour of the restaurant, including their famed Eight Tables! Lastly, we met Brian Basmajian, the general manager, who was equally kind and shared more of China Live's history and the restaurant's philosophy, which we greatly appreciated. It is so rare to meet managers who take the time to engage with patrons, and thanks to Brian and Michelle we left China Live truy feeling like a part of the China Live family. It goes without saying that the food was AMAZING, and the service was an added bonus! We cannot wait to visit again the next time we are in San Francisco!

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Mexico City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 10 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Mis vacaciones en San Francisco cerraron con broche de oro, es un lugar muy bonito, la comida deliciosa y el servicio espectacular!!! Volvería sin dudarlo, el precio justo para lo que recibimos!

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24. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Las Vegas

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 9 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Second time in. It was a wonderful experience. We’re visiting from Florida and a few different folks told us to hit China Live and we couldn’t be more happy and satisfied.

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25. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 9 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Everything was absolutely amazing. Service, food - FANTASTIC!

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26. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 8 June 2022

    overall1food3service1ambience4

    They rushed us the second we sat down to eat. I booked this reservation over a week in advance for 9 pm. If they close at this time they need to not book reservations at this time if they do not want to service at this time. We had five minutes to pick our selections and I have never dined here before and was not able to take time to pick what we wanted to eat. We never got offered a drink and for the high prices we left feeling like we got ripped off since we could not take out time or enjoy the food.

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27. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on 7 June 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Venue is quiet unique which makes for a special experience. The food was so tasty. A bit pricey for the type of food it is but still a nice experience.

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28. N

    Nope

    San Francisco

    17 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 6 June 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing service and delicious food! We can’t wait to come back!

    Report
29. A

    Angela

    San Francisco

    10 reviews

    3.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 5 June 2022

    overall3food4service2ambience4

    The food never disappoints. This review is solely on service, though our waiter wasn’t bad, we saw him all of 3 or 4 times throughout our entire dinner. When we needed something the busboy helped us at random segments in our meal. We sat and watched another waiter in our section zipping back and fourth to each of his table really taking care of his customers. The restaurant automatically include 20% tip, we weren’t happy paying it but we did anyways. Didn’t care to spend the energy to argue a mute point after a happy meal. But if your wait staff is not going to provide service please do automatically add that to our check.

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30. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 4 June 2022

    overall1food5service1ambience5

    Let me start by saying our server, Mike, was fantastic! Also, this is probably the 15th time we’ve been to China Live over the past few years and the food always holds up. That said, tonight we had a horrible experience that was worth reviewing. After waiting 30-40 minutes between our appetizers and main course(s), two individuals (which presented themselves as management) came up to us as we were finishing the food on our plates (and had 1/2 of a liter of wine left) and told us we had to leave because they had a party waiting for the table. The second manager went as far as beginning to wipe down the table as we were finishing eating.. he also stood directly next to us staring as we swallowed the rest of our wine because of how uncomfortable the situation was. Let’s also note that we were a party of 4 that was sat at “the only big table in the restaurant.” This wasn’t by request. This was incredibly rude and ruined what would’ve been a very nice meal. It was so bad that multiple waiters came up and apologized us for the actions of the two managers.

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31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Fort Lauderdale

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 June 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience5

    Great lively ambiance with delicious food what more could you want!

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32. MS

    MadcitySRJ

    Chicago

    33 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    33 reviews

    Dined on 1 June 2022

    overall4food5service3ambience5

    Food is exceptional, service was exceptionally bad. But I would love to go back and explore more from the menu. Everything is wonderful. I think the key to the service is to make sure to order everything you want at once because you can't expect your waiter to return. Note that the dishes do not come with rice automatically as we normally expect. You have to order it separately. And the dishes come like dim sum, as they are prepared. So the starters may come at the middle or even the end. No matter, it's all great.

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33. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Seattle

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 31 May 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Loved this place. Great food and great service. A must for good Chinese food while visiting San Francisco

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34. BC

    BillyC

    San Francisco

    29 reviews

    4.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on 31 May 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience5

    For a different Chinese cuisine experience, China Live is the place for you. The food is good, but it's not what you get at your typical Chinese restaurant. For different and good, try China Live.

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35. NV

    NarayanV

    New York Area

    20 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on 31 May 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience4

    Food was great. Service could have been better.

    Report
36. RO

    RafaelO

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 30 May 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience3

    Excellent food. The cucumber skins are a must! The price does not match the decor; it felt a bit “chain-like”. Service was good, fast, and efficient. Definitely recommend.

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37. JH

    JenniferH

    Los Angeles

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 29 May 2022

    overall3food3service5ambience4

    sat at the dumpling bar and watched the ladies steam and fry all the deliciousness. the award winning noodles were great. firecracker chicken was a big miss: almost no flavor and too many peanuts. wish i’d gotten the char siu. our waiter Ian was fantastic and had great recommendations. not a destination must-have but a decent upscale meal at the edge of chinatown.

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38. m

    myteachermsfleming

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 29 May 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This place is our new favorite restaurant. My in-laws are very picky about restaurants. I can't even count the number of times they have complained to a manager about some aspect of the service or food. Even they though this place was perfection itself. We will be regulars.

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39. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    London

    4 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 29 May 2022

    overall4food5service4ambience4

    Really great food but the 20% service charge + tip is exorbitant

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40. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 28 May 2022

    overall5food5service3ambience5

    This is one of my favorite restaurants and love to come back. However, we had to sit in the gift shop and our drinks came out after we had finished our food.

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