Lai Ling

Absolutely love this place, regularly go, we get great service and great food - never have any complaints
You have to pay for your food and first drink up front which is fair enough as I’m sure they’ve had people walk out without paying - don’t see why anyone would have a problem with this.
We always go home full and definitely get our moneys worth, favourite Chinese to eat out at
Starters come on one big plate which we enjoy as we all share and have a bit of everything, small portions are great as reduces the waste as I don’t like wasting food but if we finish it and wanted more we just order more.

This place has been here for years and is still amazing.
Food is superb , buffet deal is cooked to order so is always fresh and hot. As a result I very rarely make it to the main courses.

AT time of writing the 3.8 rating seems unfair. We were immediately warned to enter car reg on arrival, the place was warm and the main lady serving very pleasant. Most importantly the starters were generous and very good, the mains also quite happy with. Main concerns with chinese these days is the sauces were largely a bit more unique, they were not overly sugary/gloopy and more effort had gone in to some unique /distinct flavour. Noticed the hygiene rating is now up to 5 which it wasn't previously. I'm not saying all was perfect, some dishes (e.g. veg) were far to too salty, yes some of the sauces I suspect were bottle/ shortcut sauces but as I say 3.8 rating not fair it's more 4.3-4.5 based on this visit... so have given 5 stars to offset that a little... I appreciate the improvements since I last visited some time back.

Food was lovely as always.. However some dishes were forgotten and service was slow. One member of staff seemed stressed and erratic, rushing around trying to take orders and serving. Other staff looked uninterested and unfriendly, however it was Xmas so obviously didn't want to be working. Atmosphere wasn't anything special and inside could do with a bit if decorating.

My husband and I absolutely love Lailing, we visit every year for Valentines and love the service and staff members there. We always compare other places when we eat with friends to Lailing and have never found anything that is as good. We have brought our friends and family here in the past (pre covid) as we love the atmosphere. The portion sizes are amazing, quality of food is excellent, and everything comes out quickly and to an exceptional standard. This year due to Covid we had our Lailing delivered to home, and it was once again perfect. It was a different experience to usual but we are glad that we could still support our local and favourite. It arrived quicker than expected ~30mins (and actually arrived within 10-15 mins). Would happily order for delivery again and can't wait to visit again in person!

Staff are very welcoming and the food is very good and fresh.

Thanks to all🙏

Food was amazing, staff were attentive and cleared the table as soon as food was finished with. Service was great and restaurant was really clean.

Came here for the first time in 20+ years last night. It has become an at table buffet since my last visit.

The food is freshly prepared. It is delicious. It May appear slightly expensive, especially if you do not eat a lot. However the food and service were amazing.

Smallish portions of each thing you order which is fine because you just order more if you want more.

Will definitely be coming back and will be recommending it to everyone who will listen.

In other reviews i read that the atmosphere is slightly lacking. But in all honesty, the atmosphere is what you make it.

Amazing overall *****

Very good food.. couple of pints of sunlip!staff bang on and proper plates here

Lovely food good service I would call again

We had takeout the food was fantastic best noodles and duck in plum sauce I have ever tried

Another great night at the Lai-Ling. Food was hot and delicious and came out quickly in sufficient quantities.
We ordered three rounds of starters before moving onto main dishes.
Staff were friendly and attentive. Always checking if we had enough drinks and did we want more food from the menu.
Thank you for a lovely evening.

Despite the few negative comments for here, we decided to go anyway. 4 people went and found the food fresh, hot and tasty and well presented. The service was excellent, and staff was very attentive so we couldn't fault the restaurant. We will definitely return.

A very well managed Chinese restaurant. Two very good menus and a service second to none. You will all enjoy this restaurant.

Had Lai Ling as a takeaway for the first time last night. Now, when we roll the takeaway dice and it lands on Chinese, I must admit that I sigh and order something else or cook myself. I find Chinese takeaways samey. Honestly, how many times have you ordered sweet and sour Cantonese chicken and it could be from any one of a hundred establishments? I'd never had a delivery from Lai Ling before so I thought I would give it a go and, as usual, never order from here again. How wrong I was.

The quality of food and portion sizes were outstanding! I ordered the Special Curry for £7.50 and am currently eating it for lunch while I write this - the portion was HUGE! What a delightfully complex curry sauce with just the right amount of heat to not put off those who can't handle the spice. There were 4 different types of meat - prawns, beef, char siu pork and diced chicken breast. Each were perfectly cooked in their own right which is very difficult to achieve when added to a curry sauce. The prawns tender, chicken juicy, pork was flavoursome, and beef had just the right amount of chew. Also ordered a few other dishes, all of which were excellent. Samosas could probably do with a bit more filling but that is me being fussy and in no way deserve to lose a star over.

For the first time ever I am excited to have Chinese when the opportunity next arises. Well done that chef!

Been here a few times and the food has been consistently good. I like that the buffet is brought to you, rather than food sitting on a hot plate all night. You can order as much as you can eat. The crispy beef is a particular favourite. The portion sizes are perfect, so that you can try several dishes without having a massive portion. The staff are lovely, nothing is too much trouble. The interior could do with a refurb but it's no frills, good food and it's always busy whichever day of the week we visit.

First time here.
It was really quiet when we went in (Wednesday late afternoon). Service was fine. Food was tasty. The place was filling up by the time we were leaving.

Absolutely love this place. The only Chinese restaurant you can go to and have a little of everything you like, cooked fresh, without paying a huge amount.

Great little restaurant, we've been twice now and they have excelled on both occasions.

This time a busy Friday night with friends, six of us. Order whatever you want from the menu without restriction and it's with you pretty quickly.

Sometimes these style restaurants compromise quality ahead of quantity but these guys maintain beautiful, authentic flavours with fresh food AND they stack it high too. You really can only eat so much but so wish you could eat more!!

Book a table, it's only little here but well worth a visit.

Me and hubby have been there twice now .amazing food ribs so meaty everything great 💯 it's a must try to any one that loves Chinese freshly cooked to order you won't be disappointed see you next month laylings keep up the good work ..