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Shun Lee West, New York, NY

Shun Lee West

4.3 (3549)
$31 to $50
Chinese
43 West 65th Street, New York, NY 10023

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for business meals
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.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Asian
  • Hours of operation
    Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Fri 4:30 pm–9:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Wei Li
  • 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.
  • Neighborhood
    Lincoln Square
  • Cross street
    Columbus Avenue
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    1 train to 66th Street.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wine

What 3,549 people are saying

Shun Lee West reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.7Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Shun Lee West, a New York institution since 1965, is renowned for its "exceptional food" and "impeccable service." The ambiance, with dragon motifs, adds charm, making it a popular pre-theatre spot. While some find it pricey, others praise its "classic New York Chinese cuisine" and "generous portions."
3,549 Reviews
  1. cecilia VIP

    New York City9 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Food quality went downhill! There gnats biting under the table, we used to love this restaurant and eat here very often for many years, but NO MORE. Crispy beef is crispy batter, no beef!

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  2. Nancy VIP

    New York City32 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Stunning restaurant- excellent service and cuisinr

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  3. gene VIP

    New York City8 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 4, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Shun Lee West has been around for decades. This used to be one of my favorite restaurants growing up in Manhattan and one of the best Chinese restaurants in NYC. Expensive but excellent food. Last night’s dinner was truly poor. Not just poor in comparison with how it was in the past, but poor in comparison with any random Chinese restaurant in the city. When I spoke to the manager about this, he said that the regular chef wasn’t in that day. That’s not an acceptable excuse . The restaurant is still beautiful and I truly hope they find a new chef and it gets back to what it once was.

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  4. Andrea

    New York City20 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Shun Lee West is our go-to restaurant for Lincoln Center events, because the service is fast and good, several dishes are excellent, and we get a kick out of the dragons lining the walls. This visit was at lunch time, and the four of us ordered from the dim sum menu and the regular menu. Best dishes were the vegetable spring roll and scallion pancake, the szechuan eggplant, and the fish in rice wine sauce. We found the mushroom dumplings and vegetable shu mai too bland and would not order them again. With fast and excellent service, Shun Lee is still our go-to.

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  5. Morrie VIP

    Los Angeles16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The best Won Ton soup we’ve ever had’. The Moo Shu chicken , soup dumplings, and chicken lo mein were fantastic. The standout entree was the special ginger sea bass. This is a must-have meal choice. Old school restaurant from 1965, so they must be doing something right! Our waiter Yap was also amazing. The mai tais and lychee martinis were absolutely delicious, too! You must come here when visiting New York to experience fine Chinese cuisine.

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  6. maya

    New York City20 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service, good and reliable vegetarian food in a perfect atmosphere.

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  7. Ken

    Orlando / Central Florida East12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Exceptional food, exceptional service, and an exceptional experience.

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  8. Triste VIP

    New York City164 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the grand Marnier prawns...and shrimp dumplings...ginger mojito was fabulous... service always impeccable

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  9. Laurie VIP

    New York City28 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    It was packed and they didn't have enough servers last night but everything else was great as usual. I'm excited to see it after renovations!

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  10. Bill

    Washington, D.C. Area3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was excellent. The portions were mkre than ample. I had the seafood combo which had large pieces of seafood, our other diahes were equally filling.

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FAQs

Shun Lee West offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 595-8895.

Shun Lee West is rated 4.3 stars by 3549 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. New York City
  4. Manhattan
  5. Lincoln Square

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
Google Map for Shun Lee West

43 West 65th Street, New York, NY 10023

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Columbus Avenue
  • Neighborhood
    Lincoln Square
  • Hours of operation
    Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–9:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Fri 4:30 pm–9:30 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Asian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    1 train to 66th Street.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Wei Li
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Takeout, Wine
  • Phone number
  • 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.
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