Opium

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.

The soft lighting and darkly elegant tones of the décor add to the feeling of opulence and decadence suggested by this restaurant’s name. In addition to offering a well-balanced mix of Chinese, Thai and Malay influenced dishes on the select menu the restaurant also proudly boast a Hong-Kong trained chef specialising in dim sum. A comforting fragrant bowl of home-made crab and sweetcorn soup is sweetly fragrant while the chicken sui mai dim sum are moist and meaty, well-packed dumplings of prawns and pork expertly shaped into generous parcels and make for an impressive beginning to the meal. This immaculate presentation and attention to detail is then borne out in the main courses as spicy prawns are theatrically served in a giant prawn cracker, the prawns themselves retaining a bite and the accompanying sauce full of dark soy and chilli flavours, while glossy soft strips of stir-fried rib eye of beef contrast with crunchy greens. Extravagant exotic cocktails complement the food menu and a genuinely warm welcome from management and effortless service make a visit here an indulgent treat.

• High point: Dim sum specialities
• Low point: High prices