Green Cottage

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!!

Well done service but pricey FOOD We ordered 4 main dishes which were sweet and sour chicken, fried beef Ho fun, egg fried rice and crispy prawn. The dishes do not come with any rice at all or plain rice, they are just on their own, except for fried beef Ho fun which came with noodles. The portion of the dishes varies, like the fried beef Ho fun can satisfy one person though can still be shared. The crispy prawn felt like a starter dish because there were about 10 of those prawns, and my sweet and sour definitely is just for one person. The taste of the sweet and sour chicken was so unique, I know the taste of sweet and sour chicken and their shape is usually round or sphere. I was surprised this shape was longer in size and the taste was almost like crispy shredded beef. This is not a bad thing, it is a good thing, it felt like an authentic sweet and sour chicken, because the emphasis is based on the sauce itself not the actual chicken. The crispy prawn was very delicious. I wasn't too fond with the fried beef Ho fun, it felt acceptional to me. Also the dishes we ordered came with their own sauce, the waiter asked us if we wanted sweet and sour sauce for the crispy prawn in which we accepted. For the drinks, we just ordered water. Water was volvic and it was nicely chilled as you can see when poured on the glass. There were 3 of us and we shared our dishes and I came full up or satisfied. SERVICE Amazing 5 star service! Waiter who seated us and also served us was very nice and polite. Despite the restaurant being small in size, we were treated like it was a 5 star restaurant! The waiter even came to pour and also top up our glass of water! Everywhere was so clean, the windows were clean as you cannot see any streak marks. All tables were clean as well as chairs. Chopstick, forks were also clean. Even one guy was seen cleaning one of the window as we dined. I was shocked the menu were clean, usually restaurant's menus overtime are covered with food and sauce stains which sometimes puts me off. When the waiter came to give us our starter drinks with glasses, I looked at the glass thinking it had a stain, the waiter immediately took it and provided a new one! Toilet was located downstairs just by restaurant entrance, though I didn't try it to see how it looked or how clean it was. Inside decor was nice, felt very Chinesey and asian which I like. Price of the food is very poor because they are pricey, this is the downside! Service is just impeccable! OVERALL I was very happy with the impeccable service, amazing 5 star service. I wish I knew that waiters name so I commend him. Food taste were very good and I never tasted sweet and sour chicken this way before. Portion of the good was meh or good and bad. Price of food is very poor. Our dish order came to almost £50 (around £46-48) including service charge. The picture of the menu I took might be old, I think they changed their prices because of the inflation. I would recommend this restaurant if you want to try your favourite Chinese dish with more authentic taste, and also if you want a 5 star service experience. But only approach this restaurant if you have money to spend for your usual Chinese dish. I feel like going back there and trying out their crispy shredded beef.

Having been here many times this is one of my favourite Chinese restaurants in London. Perfect for authentic Cantonese dishes - they even have steamed minced pork with salted fish (鹹魚蒸肉餅) a very household dish in Hong Kong that I have never seen in any Chinese restaurants in the UK. The dishes are made with authentic ingredients such as straw mushrooms (草菇) and water chestnuts. The roast duck is juicy and flavoursome.

This was the second time we have been here and it was as good as the first time; I must say is the best chinese restaurant I have been. Great food and fantastic customer service. I came with 3 other friends and we all agreed, everything was just delicious.

Looking at the Chinese name of this restaurant, I am pretty sure that it was established by HongKonger, it makes me feel interested in it. To be honest, this dish is definitely not in Hong Kong style, I prefer to have a simple soy sauce with roasted meat more than a lot of sauce with starch, which ruin whole dish. One thing I need to appreciate that, they microwaved the food before serving, of course in Hong Kong we don’t do due to the high demand of roasted meats. About the roasted meats, I am disappointed too. They chopped Char Siu in a very thin way, plus it was very tough. With the large amount of starch sauce, I can’t really the taste of Char Siu. For roasted duck, same problem. Because roasted duck need to be in large pieces, now I know why they chopped Char Siu to be that thin, it would be hard to tear a tough Char Siu when it is thick. Luckily, roasted pork belly is pretty nice, the pork skin is still crispy even after microwaved. And the texture is nice, soft and having some fat - it would be hard to get a tough pork belly though. Roasted meat is the most important part of a Cantonese restaurant, but this restaurant serve western style Cantonese roasted meat, that’s bad.

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.

My family and I love this family-run Chinese restaurant and have been going for years and we went last night to celebrate New Year with the extended family - there were 14 of us, and everyone enjoyed the meal. The restaurant has a simple interior, nothing fancy, but is comfortable and food is served quickly, hot and fresh. Staff on the whole are friendly and the children are always treated very well, particularly by our favourite staff member, Mr Chee who is incredibly kind and fun. Dishes are a good size and average price for London. Food is fresh and tasty. We particularly enjoy the BBQ roast duck off the bone, crispy belly pork, salt and pepper squid and prawns, prawns with seasonal vegetables, chicken with bamboo shoots and mushrooms, alongside noodles with bean sprouts. The kitchen is happy to change dishes, e.g my daughter likes her noodles completely plain and sauces left on the side, rather than on top, and they always accommodate. I recently ended a meal with the fresh lychee and loved it! It was so refreshing, cold and sweet! You can take home any left overs as well - always a plus! If you're looking for a good, traditional Chinese restaurant that isn't over-priced or fussy, then I highly recommend Green Cottage.

Great selection of Chinese food in London! Prompt and friendly service by the owners. A staple restaurant in the area. Two floors to serve the never ending fleet of customers. Gets busy during peak dining hours. Been here for years on special occasions and quality of food is always consistent!

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.