Green Cottage London

Amazed it wasn't packed even in spite of parking. Been open for decades and amazing food, value and service. Their duck and rice is the best in North London and even Chinatown in my opinion.

I recently dined at the Green Cottage in Swiss Cottage and had a wonderful experience. The service was top-notch and truly impeccable. The staff were attentive, ensuring my jasmine tea pot was refilled promptly without me having to ask. They also cleaned the table between courses, which I greatly appreciated as I value cleanliness.The food was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the prawn dumplings, roast duck, and prawns with seasonal vegetables, all of which had lovely flavors. However, I was a bit disappointed with the barbecued meats. The fragrance was not as pleasing as I had hoped, which was a letdown. Despite this, the overall experience was excellent. The service and most of the dishes were outstanding. I would highly recommend Green Cottage and will definitely visit again.

I love their crispy pork berry on the rice so much❣️

Good tasty food including the duck & rice. Staff are sombre & one occasion were shouting at the diners & telling them to eat what had been served to them & then the diners took turns to shout at each other! Entertaining & hilarious? After which a service added on the bill was not paid which led to more arguments with the Chinese staff! Parking is a problem. 27.3.22 Tasty food served by friendly & helpful staff in a nice atmosphere. 26.2.24 Tasty food with rocketing prices served in a clean environment by friendly staff. 10.6.25 Tasty soup, honey prawns , garlic chilli 🌶 fried rice , pat choi , mixed meat with ho-fun noodles served by friendly staff in a clean environment. 21.9.25 Tasty soups , honey prawns, duck, pat choi & egg fried rice served by friendly staff in a clean environment. Parking is a problem.

Classic Cantonese restaurant. Beef ho fun was excellent and good value. As we're other dishes and soups. Also had roast duck noodles although thay wasn't as good as the ho fun though. Staff were very friendly

Food was absolutely delicious, completely exceeded my expectations and was the best meal I’ve had in a long time. will definitely be going back soon

15 of us went early on Sunday and we were able to have two tables upstairs. The food was great and authentic Cantonese cooking. It wasn’t too salty and I don’t feel very thirsty either after the meal like many other Chinese restaurants. Highly recommended!!

This is probably my favourite Cantonese restaurant ever. I come here often for takeaways since I live near by. Their duck is phenomenal (and is better than their competitor a few doors down). I enjoy their fried rice, their vegetables dishes and more. The environment caters for small casual meetups to more large scale gatherings. Highly recommend!!

As I'm still to scared to go out to eat, here's another London restaurant that I used to frequent. The Green Cottage was my parents favourite place. It's been there for 20 years plus which in London is a recommendation in and of itself. I don't usually have starters but it's quite impossible not to order the crispy lamb. So succulent beneath the crisp exterior. Followed by Cantonese roast duck and/or crispy belly pork. Sensational, especially the pork. Or, even though it's Cantonese, they do Peking Crispy Duck which you can have either as a starter or main. Dried crispy shredded beef with Chili is another favourite. Service is friendly and the price very reasonable. A great mix of styles. Highly recommend. Easy to get to by tube or bus.

I used to go there when we lived in London and still do whenever we are there. I first found it 40 years ago, and it is the yardstick that I measure Chinese restaurants with.

went here because my mom went to this place with her siblings all the time 40 years ago. very average meal, nothing to write home about and a couple of the dishes were lacking flavor especially compared to the chinese food i've had in the united states. cashew chicken was absolutely flavorless, the black bean and chili beef did not have any spice, the spring rolls were very oily, and the egg fried rice tasted like plain white rice. however, sweet and sour pork and lemon chicken were good and the food came out quickly

Oh my! Have to confess that I was not expecting this place-- which I once ate at 25 years ago -- to be this good but it is among the favorite Chinese food meals I've had. The "25" for food on Zagats seems spot on while the decor is nothing special. The service was good and even replaced a soup which I misordered. Speaking of soups, the hot and sour soup was outstanding-- some of the finest I've had. And I've had literally dozens of them. Not too heavy on the pepper, it was chock full of yummy vegetables and pork. Loved this soup. The main dishes were all knockouts but the crispy half duck and the veal with salt were among he standouts. But I could also have the chow mein and the fried scallops too. Overall, an excellent example of how a Chinese restaurant can stick around through the years and still reinvent itself each day. Hurray!

The restaurant looks nice and clean from inside with good choices of dishes. A bit pricey considered the location (side of a trafficked road and far from the center or from the nice areas of nearby Swiss Cottage or Hampstead) so you would expect a great food. Unfortunately I had a terrible night after dinner there due to the food.

Green Cottage is a superb chinese restaurant that has a great atmosphere and funny waiters to boot! There is one guy in particular who doesn't smile in the slightest but has the funniest wisecracks, asking people if they're driving when ordering alcohol to just being naturally funny with very little effort. Some people might find this behaviour rude or patronising, but our group enjoyed it very much. The food itself is extremely well done. It's maybe a little pricier than chinatown but being a little out the way, can afford to be. The dishes were delicious and portion wise great. They were happy to bring lots of chilli oil to our table and extremely attentive without being overbearing or overstating as some waiters are sometimes guilty of. On the whole, it was a good experience. I probably wouldn't make a special trip there it being quite out the way, but if in the area, it's nice to know there's a safe quality destination to eat at. The jellyfish dish is a must try for the adventurous foodie!

I ADORE "The Village". Let me tell you why. If Chinese restaurants were Star Wars characters, this one is mother digging YODA himself. Little, green and cooks really mean food like a bawsss! People who complain about this place expect service comparable to the Queens Corgi trainer. Please, if Yoda tells you "WHAT YOU WANT?", do you ask if his tone is rude? No, you just make up your damn mind fool. That giant menu reads like Michael Jacksons greatest hits because it all killer. If you want my tip, any BBQ meats and the fried rice will complete your padawan training. The force is strong in this restaurant Luke!

I was quite surprised to get a good Chinese restaurant so close to home~~ I thought I might need to go all the way to china town~~ It was Soo yummy~! Definitely recommend the crispy duck with thin pancakes~ also tried this crispy seafood noodle dish that was good too~! But they are known for their duck~~ and they gave me extra pancakes for free... Be friendly always and smile :) I liked: 1. Proximity 2. Food (duck)

Nice ambience. Local, a short walk from Swiss Cottage station. Good Chinese food. Cannot wrong with the duck or BBQ meats. If you live north west of London and do not want to go out to China Town, a good alternative.

I have to admit, I may be biased when it comes to Green Cottage because it holds more than a little nostalgic value for me. I remember many dinners there during my childhood because my parents knew the owner through some esoteric, and possibly supernatural, pan-Asian familial/convivial web. It's cramped, it's dingy, it's grim, but despite that, I still remember the food as being very good, especially the crab la mien, the warm, noodles sopped in fragrant crustacean sauce, crowned with fat Sri Lankan crabs. The crispy fried beef with a citrusy sauce was always a favourite of mine, with the right amount of gooey and the right amount of crunch. Finally, I remember the big, generous bowls of lai tong (house soup), all the leavings and trimmings and bits simmered together into a rich, velvety broth, floated with bitter winter melon. All this could just be me looking back through a gel-edged lens, but I think Green Cottage has some pretty quality Cantonese food.

What a little gem on Finchley Road! Before dining at Green Cottage, I was told that I had not yet experienced "proper" Chinese food, as the only Chinese I have tried has been in the states. And it was true, Green Cottage did not let me down. The menu at Green Cottage is quite extensive with TONS of options: meat, pork, vegetarian, seafood, the list goes on. It helped me to ask for suggestions from our waiter, who recommended the "hot pot" with mixed seafood for me. As for my boyfriend, he didn't hesitate to order the duck, which was the supposed speciality of the restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised by my order, with all the incredible, fresh mixed seafood and scrumptiously flavoured bean curd (tofu). My boyfriend devoured his whole duck order in one go. To satisfy my massive sweet tooth, for dessert I enjoyed the lychee fruit, which was AMAZING. Seriously, I could have had about 5 orders, but I resisted.

Eating at the Green Cottage does two things to you. 1. It shows you how terrible every Chinese meal you have ever eaten has been (unless you are very, very lucky). 2. It makes you that guy, the person who when someone takes them to 'the best Chinese ever' goes ...'yea...I know a better one' every single time. Every single Chinese restaurant I have been to doesn't even come close to the quality of the food served here and considering the pricing is not much above average that is very impressive. I've taken one star off for the graveyard like atmosphere but to be perfectly honest with food that good and a group of friends you soon forget about it. The best of every single Chinese restaurant I have been to, and then some (and I have been to quite a few).

This place was strongly recommended by a friend and boy did it disappoint. All of the dishes were swimming in gravy. Salty gravy. Don't worry about what to choose on the menu because all you get is salt. Order loads of white rice so you can get through the meal. As an example, roast duck called Cantonese style was served with a bug scoop of gravy. Who does that? Well restaurants that serve bad duck with soggy skin. Tries to hide the poor underlying dish.

I have moved temporarily to the area and have been here twice in 1 week (I am doomed to major weight gain I think!). The restaurant has had a refurb, possibly change of hands but the food was exactly what I wanted. Beef hofun (dry) with gai lan both visits!

Green Cottage serves fresh, flavoursome and honest Cantonese food which makes a refreshing change from your usual Chinese takeaway. The restaurant is peaceful with nice decor, miles better than most places I've been to in Chinatown which just aim to get you in and out. We had the stir fried scallops, roasted pork belly and special fried rice. All dishes were delicious, not at all greasy and full of flavour. So happy to have found this place, will definitely be going back.

I've been going here since I was a child. It is the best Chinese restaurant in the area, pone of the best in London. I'd be willing to fight the likes of Zagat to defend that statement. This place is all about the duck. If you go here you must try the duck either on crispy noodles or, traditionally, on steamed rice. Unfortunately the owner, who obviously spends a lot if time there, has never noticed me when I feel he has seen me grow up. A little recognition would be nice but it hasn't effected my rating. Strongly recommend this place to Chinese food enthusiasts.

Although the food is good at The Green Cottage it is nothing special and the decor and the atmosphere leave a lot to be desired. Dark and cold the interiors are unwelcoming and the man carving up chicken in a glass box at the front hardly encourages one to walk in off the street. There is a strip of Chinese restaurants at this end of Finchley Road all of which look exactly like The Green Cottage. Good for take aways but too depressing to eat in.

Great authentic Chinese food. Roast duck is one of the best in town. There are many genuine Cantonese dishes (some off the menu, so ask nicely!) A genuine London classic!!

i drool when i dream of Green Cottage's crispy duck and char siew. not to mention their seafood noodles. and lobster. *drool* if only i lived closer :( it's cozy, it's vintage, and it's neighborhoodly, come in your most comfortable and stretchiest pants to accommodate the healthy portions of food and oodles of items to order on the menu. service is quick and quaint, very much akin to the native HK. it may be a bit hard to find - look for the green awning. ps. hi mr. and mrs. li! hi daniel!

This has become my go to Chinese take away restaurant in NW area. Its very flavorful without the greasy and oily taste that you often find in other Chinese restaurants. Also 10% discount if you pickup your takeaway order.

I think most families/individuals have that Chinese Restaurant that they fall back on when they're too lazy to make dinner or leave the couch. Green Cottage is that place for my family. When we moved to London three years ago, we went looking for a Chinese Restaurant that we could order from time after time again--my mom's half Chinese so we can be picky at times. After years of mediocre take out in the states, we were pleasantly surprised by how much more authentic the food was at Green Cottage and in London in General. We tried Green Cottage, liked it, tried other places to test the water, and then came back to Green Cottage, satisfied that we probably wouldn't find a place as fast and as delicious. The prices are a little steep, but the food is worth it.

You know what you are going to get when attending this Chinese establishment. Well cooked Chinese Cantonese food at a reasonable price. Tonight's dishes included half a duck which was enough for four, prawn toast which was pretty good as I have been disappointed on many an occasion. Mains mango chicken for me and Singapore noodles and lamb. Little to say the table was full of food and we were full due to the food and not msg.

Yum! Not the most creative menu, but everything here is pretty well done. It's always full with Chinese people, so I take that to be a good sign. Service is fast and the prices are even better. I don't eat pork, but friends who have had their barbecue say that it's pretty tasty stuff - they do seem proud of it, displaying it proudly in front. Best of all? Open until 11 pm.

Green Cottage is tiny and cramped, and the service is prompt but grimly functional. I expected all of that, more or less, from reading the reviews here. I also expected sensational Chinese food, and what we got was good Chinese food. Not great, not mind-bending, not a big change from what I've gotten in other (good, carefully chosen) places in the US and UK. We found the prices fine but on the high side, the portions fine but on the small side. Perhaps some of the other dishes are better; many looked very good, and they were easy to see, given the crowding of the tables. Green Cottage was certainly good enough to try again, and I'll update this if I find myself more impressed on a subsequent visit. Based on trying a few dishes on a first visit, however, I have to say it was four-star food, losing one for the environment.

You don't go to the cottage for interior design, or smiling waiters. No. You go to green cottage for the finest roast duck I've ever had, and the squid in chilli and sea salt ain't bad either! Quite simply, this place is an INSTITUTION. The waiters are efficient and sometimes friendly. People come here decade after decade because they appreciate quality without pretension.