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  • Shun Lee West

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Shun Lee West
Shun Lee West

Shun Lee West Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.shunleewest.com
  • Email: admin@shunleewest.com
  • Phone: (212) 595-8895
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Monday - Friday: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, Saturday: 11:30am - 3:00pm, Sunday: 11:30am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Saturday: 3:00pm - 12:00am, Sunday: 3:00pm - 10:30pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Chinese, Asian
  • Executive Chef: Sun-Dao Man
  • Dress Code: Smart Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Takeout, Wine
  • Catering: Catering is available to anywhere in Manhattan, for 20 to 1,000 people.
  • Private Party Facilities: Private party options are available for 80 to 200 guests, semi-private events are available for 10 to 25 guests.
  • Private Party Contact: Dennis Wang or Steven Ng (212) 595-8895

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Columbus Avenue
  • Public Transit: 1 train to 66th Street.
  • Parking: No
A word from Shun Lee West
Conveniently located across from Lincoln Center and a startling revelation in shiny black lacquer, Shun Lee exudes Asian chic with grand authority.
For haute Chinese cuisine, it’s among New York City’s best. Regional offerings include crispy Grand Marnier prawns with honey walnuts (Canton),… braised sea bass in hot bean sauce (Hunan) and shredded beef with leeks and hot peppers (Szechwan). Specialties include beggar’s chicken baked in lotus leaves and clay (requires one day’s notice), Hunan tripe, sweetbreads with black mushrooms and of course, Beijing Duck.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerChinese
Diner Reviews
  • "First of all this restaurant always forgets to notify Open Table that you were there. Second we were rushed through our meal. Waiter brought our bill without even asking if we wanted dessert and coffee. We did so he had to take the bill back. We felt rushed."
    Dined on 4/18/2014
  • "Most restaurants have less than a twenty year life. NYC and Shun Lee now share a far longer history. The waiters are experienced and fast. The food arrives promptly and is served graciously. It is legit..save the patrons..everyone is Chinese. Because its location is east of Broadway..the hum drum of Lincoln Center tourist crowd pressure is relieved. Yet, the food is on the ordinary side..and portions are almost too plentiful. None the less we would return. Andy Morse"
    Dined on 4/19/2014
  • "Deliciious food. Quick service for pre Lincoln Center performances."
    Dined on 4/19/2014
  • "This Chinese restaurant is old fashion service. They plated our meal. Even wrapping the moo show pork in pancakes perfectly. Who still does that! Plus really high quality food in a restful atmosphere"
    Dined on 4/14/2014
  • "Frenetic scene pre-theater. Harried wait staff but they did get everything right. Food uninspired lots of gluey sauce masking any subtle flavors."
    Dined on 4/12/2014
  • "I was rather disappointed in our visit. From the reviews I was expecting a special restaurant. Living in New York there are many opportunities for excellent Chinese food. For the prices being charged I was expecting something at least a notch above the average. That was not the case, though the service was excellent."
    Dined on 4/12/2014
  • "Had lunch there recently. The place which is quite large was empty, barely any guests and that's a bit creepy. The waiters were quite pushy, trying to get us to order more. The food was mediocre. Not a great experience. I have eaten there many times of the years and it has definitely declined."
    Dined on 4/11/2014
  • "But fading. The food was good, but not as good as elsewhere, and much more expensive. Yet the extraordinary setting made it worth bringing my Brazilian guests who had to go there."
    Dined on 4/10/2014
  • "One of the best and by far one of the classiest restaurants in Manhattan. Management always gives a warm welcome and the staff is the connumate of professionalism. However, the restaurant's strenghth lies in its selection of entries and superb ingredients. Thank you!"
    Dined on 4/6/2014
  • "A great place for dinner before a Lincoln center performance"
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "Loved it! It was my daughter's 16th birthday and they offered us complimentary vegetable spring rolls, then delivered a great meal. All in all, terrific!!"
    Dined on 4/1/2014
  • "I opted for the Prix Fixe option and it was quite filling. I would skip the BBQ ribs as an appetizer as they weren't very good. My friend got them to make a special order of Dim Sum for her (not on the Prix Fixe menu) that was very good. The Prawns with garlic and scallions were to die for. The Eggplant Szechuan was good but paled in comparison to the shrimp. For dessert we choose ice cream which is not really something that can be messed up. I like the booths here. Very tall and private. You cannot see/hear neighboring diners and it creates a nice ambiance. Our server also happened to be the manager and he was quite entertaining. Will definitely be back."
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "Had not been here in years. Food is sublime. Well worth the price. White glove attentive service from a staff that knows what they are doing. Dinning room is looking a bit worn and dated Could use done fluffing up. Look beyond that and you can treat yourself to a great evening. They even wrapped up our leftovers and kept the for us to retrieve after the opera. Go ahead and top that for service"
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "I have been to the main dining room many times for dinner. I always walk out wondering why I spent so much money. It's not bad food; it's not a bad atmosphere. Honestly, it's a perfect decent, fine meal. But it doesn't excel in any respect, and therefore it's absolutely not worth the prices. This most recent time, there were four of us, it was $250. I think that's crazy for "pretty good" Chinese food (for that's all it is). I will probably still go here from time to time and still walk out wondering why I did so. High end, excellent ethnic food is totally possible. See Kittichai, Junoon, Tamarind, etc. Honestly, you're better off taking a cab to Congee Village than going here."
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "We had a delicious dinner at Shun Lee West before going to the opera. The Whole Crispy Fish with szuechuan sauce and the shrimps and scallops with hunan sauce were outstanding."
    Dined on 3/17/2014
  • "This place never lets me down. I can bring anyone here and they are delighted. I've been coming here since the 80s and I've never been disappointed. Professional service with eclectic selections ranging from street food to gourmet creations. Put yourself the their hands and they'll take care of you."
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "Food was excellent and interesting as usual. Service is quick and maybe overly attentive. They do watch over you for the time if you are trying to make the Opera, which is nice."
    Dined on 3/12/2014
  • "I like the upscale setting and presentation of the served platters more so than the faster dining in other neighborhood restaurants and the quality of the ingredients is higher as well. Paying a little more is worth the relaxed atmosphere and consistently delicious food."
    Dined on 3/12/2014
  • "Been going here for years. Last night was just disappointing. Food was just bland. Used to go there for high end chinese. Doubt i will go back."
    Dined on 3/12/2014
  • "Service is vary good. Exotic decor. Food is very well prepared and tasty. A really fun and semi-casual/semi-formal mix perfect for pre-show dining."
    Dined on 3/8/2014
  • "Service was slow to start. Once we were noticed the service and food was great."
    Dined on 3/7/2014
  • "Best Chinese food on the west side! Service is always rushing and they would love you to order right away."
    Dined on 3/8/2014
  • "Had been a while, and recent reviews were mixed, but we went to the opera and it was restaurant week, so decided to try it again. Glad we did. Everything was really excellent, and service was particularly spectacular. The place hasn't changed much, but it's very comfortable and open, and also fairly quiet, so we could actually hear each other talk. The spare ribs were good (not fatty and greasy as one reviewer said). The pan fried dumplings were excellent. The dry sauteed beef was outstanding and the fish dish we ordered was good. We each had pineapple for dessert and each got 1/4 of a fresh pineapple, and I even liked my fortune cookie. Our server was outstanding. We felt like royalty there, and I'd definitely go back again!"
    Dined on 3/3/2014
  • "attention to detail, service and to the diner is not to be rivaled!"
    Dined on 3/6/2014
  • "Three of us dined deliciously. The menu is broad and inclusive with choices for all palates. The ambiance is rather elegant, very comfortable and conducive to conversation."
    Dined on 3/6/2014
  • "I hadn't been to Shun Lee in a number of years but I was going to a show at Lincoln Center so I met a friend there for dinner. The food is authentic and delicious AND expensive. They make a mean Mai Tai. Definitely someplace worth going to treat yourself every once in a while."
    Dined on 3/5/2014
  • "Service is good. but food is tasteless. They try to americanize the chinese food. The taste became wired. It is overpriced."
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "The worst food and waiters and atmosphere ever. Skip it"
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "When I am going to Lincoln Center and would like to have a delicious pre-theater meal, I always think of Shun Lee. Every that I've had here is very good. Although the menu is pricey, it has lots of interesting finds and the service is superb."
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "The menu, decor and staff are tired and need to be re-examined."
    Dined on 2/24/2014
  • "I was excited to eat at Shun Lee. I'm an Upper West Sider and yet I'd never tried it. It has a great reputation and I convinced my party to go there despite many other places on the list that they were interested in. Boy am I embarrassed. It was terrible. One of our party sent two of her dishes back - and for good reason. One app. was identified as "grilled scallops". What came was tiny chunks of scallops in a weird mayonnaise sauce. Everything was beyond mediocre. I could have done better at a handful of Chinese joints in the 5 block radius of my building. Red Farm anyone?! Check it out!!"
    Dined on 2/27/2014
  • "The ambience of the restaurant was great, my friend and I wasn't impressed with the food. It's like what's the chance of two people not liking there food, very slim. But not in this case, we both give it two thumbs UP! For the restaurant having an A rating, my expectation was higher. Very disappointed!"
    Dined on 2/24/2014
  • "I went to Shun Lee West during Chinese New Year. They had a wonderful traditional Chinese meal for Chinese New Year and it was very well prepared and delicious. I loved the ambience of the restaurant, hip but traditional. The staff was excellent, described each meal as it was presented. My friend and I had a lovely time and I would recommend Shun Lee for lunch and dinner."
    Dined on 2/6/2014
  • "After reading reviews of shun lee I was excited to check it out during restaurant week before the ballet. It seems like 30 hrs ago it was great place to go. There are tons of waiters and service is pretty good. However, the food was worse than standard Chinese food, but way overpriced. If you want good Chinese food, go to china town. My beer was warm and the food was not satisfying. Green tea ice cream was great and my husband had almond tofu which was very good as well. Not enough to get me to go back though."
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "We had never tried this place before despite its proximity to Lincoln Center. Now I know why. The menu is ridiculously overpriced for a mediocre (at best) experience. The hot and sour soup was decent but the vegetable dumplings tasted old and off. The curry shrimp and other entrees (Buddha's delight, Grand Marnier shrimp, fish with black bean sauce) were just ok. The decor is somehow reminiscent of an early 80's prom theme and it just felt and smelled like it could use a thorough cleaning. If the meal had cost half of what it turned out to be I don't think I would have been quite as annoyed. My friends and I would never go back."
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "We went to Shun Lee West for an early dinner before a 7:30 curtain at the Metropolitan Opera. The staff was aware of our need to order and be served quickly, and it showed. Although there were four of us ordering several different dishes, the food was served in a timely manner and was delicious as usual (we've eaten there before). Despite our need to keep an eye on the time, the meal did not seem rushed. The ambience is very nice and quiet enough for conversation. We highly recommend the restaurant and will certainly return there."
    Dined on 2/20/2014
  • "We always love Shun Lee, and visited for Restaurant Week. Unlike most other pricey restaurants, which make serious 'adjustments' to menu choices, portion sizes, service and overall dining to accomodate Restaurant Week's lower price tags, at Shun Lee it was hard to know we were eating a discounted meal. The choices were ample, the food its usual superb, and service was excellant."
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "Enjoyed lunch at Shun Lee West. Food, atmosphere and service couldn't have been better. Great selection of dishes and very attentive staff. Will definitely go there again when in the mood for some great Chinese cuisine,"
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "It was our second time at Shun Lee West, so convenient to Lincoln Center. Staff could not have been more accommodating. Food is great -- had the Peking duck. Very relaxed atmosphere."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "Have been looking for an upscale Chinese experience on the West side.. And finally found one! Great food, loved the duck spring rolls, lobster special and baby eggplant.. Service was good, and ambiance warm and open. Dragon design around the room was interesting - lots of space, not the usual packed tables layout... Definitely will go back!"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
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