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China Live, San Francisco, CA

China Live

4.7
4.7
3243 Reviews
$30 and under
Chinese

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2 people
19:00
Booked 117 times today
  • Lively
  • Good for groups
  • Hot spot
China Live, Eater's "Restaurant of the Year," features fresh, seasonal Chinese cuisine cooked from specialized stations that merge traditional Chinese and Western culinary equipment. Our main dining area, with views of our exhibition kitchens, plays centerpiece, appointed with chairs and tables all handcrafted in China from reclaimed Chinese elm. We also offer outside dining.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Asian, Sichuan
  • Hours of Operation
    Sun 16:00–21:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 12:00–21:00 Fri 12:00–21:30 Sat 16:00–21:30
  • Phone number
    (415) 788-8188
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    George Chen
  • Catering
    We offer delivery via multiple Delivery Services (i.e. DoorDash, Caviar, GrubHub, etc), plus Zesty & Moby Dish. If interested in learning more please email events@chinalivesf.com
  • Private party facilities
    China Live can host everything from intimate parties of 10 people to large reception-style events for up to 825 with multiple sensory experiences.
  • Area
    Chinatown
  • Cross Street
    Stockton & Grant
  • Parking details
    In addition to Street Parking, there are also several public parking options: North Beach Public Parking @ 735 Vallejo St. and Vallejo Parking Garage @ 766 Vallejo St.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 3,243 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Chinese

  • San Francisco

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
China Live in San Francisco's Chinatown offers a vibrant atmosphere with "phenomenal service" and "delicious food." Known for its diverse menu, the restaurant features standout dishes like dim sum, Peking duck, and innovative cocktails. Although it's lively and sometimes noisy, the "creative and tasty" offerings make it a "wonderful dining experience" worth returning to.

3,243 Reviews
  1. angela

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined today

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    The wait staff was outstanding. Very attentive, yet unintrusive, friendly, professional. Thank you! The food was terrible: expensive and not fresh. Very hyped and touristy. I guess you can get a good experience on the second or third floor. The duck and the Peking duck salad was not fresh. It was chewy tasted old. The lettuce was not fresh. The dough for the potstickers tasted as if it had been frozen before cooking. The tamarind ribs were dry and flavorless. I was very excited to come here to celebrate a very special birthday with my twin sister, and I left with an upset stomach. The food was just not good. There were so much hype and it was expensive, but it was not anything close to the deliciousness they describe dis appointing. The best thing we had for crab meat and shrimp rolls, which did taste very fresh and delicious. Everything else was less than mediocre. Tourist trap no the chrysanthemum tea was also very good and the martini espresso and vodka was interesting but certainly not an $18 martini shame on You, China Live.

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  2. Patrick

    San Francisco

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous shared plates. Ordered six plates for three people. Excellent flavors and presentation. Comfortable seating. Very active and fun! Excellent pre-game bar upstairs beforehand (Cold Drinks).

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  3. Shanna

    Boise

    5 reviews

    2.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Mediocre at best. Felt like a cafeteria. Over priced.

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  4. Howard

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Better than average quality, above average prices. Some portions are a tad small. Pork ribs too fatty. Clean venue. They charge 5% SF health fee, 20% service fee (tip??) no matter the party size. These fees are charged before tax is calculated. You pay tax on the fees. Additional line on credit card receipt for tip with words encouraging you to recognize exceptional service. Really? Chutzpah. This detracts from the experience.

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  5. Cynthia

    San Francisco

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very very busy for a Wednesday night, but the hostess and all the servers, and wait person were very attentive and courteous. I especially appreciate our wait person suggesting that we might have over ordered and to perhaps limit our choses! She was absolutely correct. What we ended up ordering was just enough with a little veggie to take home! All the dishes were a good amount, though I wished we had more of the lychee ice cream with our dessert at the end. What I didn’t enjoy was walking around the shop area after our meal and finding that patrons were also being served dinner in the same area. It was difficult to leisurely browse when there’s tables amongst the merchandise and diners chatting away.

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  6. Hongfei

    VIP

    New York City

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    fantastic place to relax and have fun … worth a trip

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    VIP

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    China Live never disappoints. Service starting at host stand till check its great. Food is fantastic in a lively atmosphere

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  8. eileen

    VIP

    San Francisco

    58 reviews

    5.0

    58 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was very good except for the vegetarian pot stickers. There was too much spinach! Actually it’s the first time I’ve ever had spinach in my pot stickers & it’s not very good!

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  9. Richard

    Dublin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing experience as always and staff are amazing! Best Chinese restaurant in SF

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  10. TJ

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 12 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food, drinks, and service are all fantastic. Yes, it's a bit pricey and noisy inside, but it's worth it. Highly recommend.

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FAQs

China Live does offer delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats.

China Live is rated 4.7 stars by 3243 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 117 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for China Live

644 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Stockton & Grant
  • Area
    Chinatown
  • Hours of Operation
    Sun 16:00–21:00 Dinner Mon–Thu 12:00–21:00 Fri 12:00–21:30 Sat 16:00–21:30
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Chinese, Asian, Sichuan
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    In addition to Street Parking, there are also several public parking options: North Beach Public Parking @ 735 Vallejo St. and Vallejo Parking Garage @ 766 Vallejo St.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    George Chen
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, High Tea, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (415) 788-8188
  • Catering
    We offer delivery via multiple Delivery Services (i.e. DoorDash, Caviar, GrubHub, etc), plus Zesty & Moby Dish. If interested in learning more please email events@chinalivesf.com
  • Private party facilities
    China Live can host everything from intimate parties of 10 people to large reception-style events for up to 825 with multiple sensory experiences.
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