Ping Pong

A Letdown Behind the Hype

Having heard a lot about Ping Pong Southbank’s reputation for stylish dim sum and vibrant cocktails, I was looking forward to finally experiencing it for myself. Unfortunately, the reality didn’t quite live up to the hype.

From the outset, the service was strangely inefficient. Despite the restaurant not being particularly busy, it took three staff members to confirm our reservation—something that should have been a quick and seamless process. Once seated, there was no greeting or orientation from the waiter. No “Have you dined with us before?” or explanation of how the menu works, which is something you’d expect, especially at a restaurant where the ordering system isn’t immediately intuitive.
Speaking of ordering, the paper menu with a tick-box system is practical, but impersonal. While it speeds things up in theory, in practice we still had to flag someone down to take our order, which further highlighted the disjointed service. A bit more attentiveness would have gone a long way in making the experience feel more welcoming.
On the food front, it was a bit of a mixed bag. The prawn crackers came with an excellent variety of dips—bold, well-balanced, and flavourful. The cocktails were another highlight: well-mixed, creative, and full of flavour, definitely living up to expectations.
However, the mains fell a little flat. The chicken and tofu katsu were both passable, but underwhelming. The portion of katsu sauce was surprisingly stingy, which left both dishes feeling a bit dry and lacking the rich umami punch you expect from a good katsu.
In terms of atmosphere, the decor is modern and inviting, but the overall dining experience didn’t match the energy or the premium that the brand seems to promise. We left feeling underwhelmed rather than impressed.
Verdict: Ping Pong Southbank might be decent for a quick bite or a couple of drinks, especially if you’re in the area for a show or a stroll along the river. But for all the hype it gets, the service, food consistency, and overall experience fall short. Perhaps the buffet option is a better value if you arrive with a big appetite, but if you’re going expecting a standout dim sum experience, you may be left disappointed.

Really good dim sum restaurant, although expensive with lots of options - there is a fixed price option too. The chicken katsu curry was really good as were the kebabs. Atmosphere is really good and well located in Southbank.

Been to most of the branches, this one is nice and is in a great location. Staff are generally friendly and helpful albeit a bit too busy.

The food is good and well presented, however pricing is a bit stretched for what it is. The paper/pencil tick ordering method is clumsy, especially when you want to order multiple same items. They need to modernise this.

Cocktails are good, especially the lemongrass one most come in mock-tail form and are equally enjoyable.

We didn't know you had to book to get the 50% discount between 1-12 Jan, but sat down anyway. Nice buns and dumplings, orderly delivered on time. Nice vibe added by Sarah, who didn't serve us but always cleared our table with a nice smile. Lovely energy. A keeper.

My first visit to ping pong. The menu mechanic had to be explained to us by the waiter, and it makes very little sense. You mark down what you want on a paper menu with the supplied pencil, manually writing any multiples. The waiters then come over and copy it down. Why not just order conventionally and not have to throw the menus away after every customer leaves? Service was attentive considering how busy the restaurant was. Food is decent, if you like dim sum. The Gyoza are quite authentic. At £180 for three people, I felt the restaurant was expensive for the "fast food" experience provided. If I returned, I wouldn't go for the £40 set menu, which was costly for the small amount of food provided for it.

Our chicken and beef is Halal. The Soy marinated chicken skewers are certified by The Central Islamic Council of Thailand. Our chicken is Halal slaughtered in the UK. And our chicken wings are from a Halal-certified supplier in Poland. All beef is raised and slaughtered Halal in Ireland. We serve non-Halal items including Pork, Duck and alcohol however each menu item is cooked separately.

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