“ Amazing food and drinks! We lucked out and got a table without a reso but most of the tables were booked up. Staff were attentive and took the time to give cocktail recommendations. Standout food choices are the puff pastries, xo chicken dumplings, char siu buns and definitely the warrior cage (spicy goodness!). Drinkwise, we liked the opium, courtier and belladonna. All were very savoury and robust. Would definitely come back in a heartbeat - the head bartender Claire is a gem! Yay Canadians Also burlesque shows every Friday and Saturday around 10pm #nippletassles. ”

“ I love me some dim sum. We arrived on a Sunday evening (I think) and it was really quiet. The place is beautifully lit and it makes the feeling cozy and mysterious. My husband and I ordered 3 different dumplings and 2 different buns. The dumplings were very yummy- salmon & seabass, magic mushroom, black prawn. They all had very nice flavour and were pretty! The two buns we got were fluffy and delicious, and I especially remember the pumpkin curry bun to be extra nice. Unfortunately I wasn't really a fan of my cocktail- cucumber elderflower- it tasted a bit too sweet and "fake" to me. Yes, it tasted fake, idk how else to describe it. Our server was not the brightest crayon in the box (when we asked him what something was he sort of made something up or said he needed to ask his colleague), but I think he was new, so I'll give him a break. ;) Overall it was a nice experience and I'd come back for the dumplings! ”

“ We live in Brixton and we were looking for an alternative to the busy (amazing) Brixton Row and Brixton Village Friday night. We decided to try the Courtesan after reading an article in the Time Out. We were delighted by the look of the place. Definitly a great joint to hang with friends. The music was really good (mellow french oldies, Eric Satie...). We ordered two drinks (Sour Sour and Courtier). The drinks were good, but strong in flavors. I would suggest to have it before or after dinner, since the pairing with the food might be odd. Other than minor complaints (had to ask for water, only one dipping sauce, not enough space for all the dishes on our tiny table...), the service was fine. As for the food, some dishes were definitly worth the visit. The steamed wasabi prawn dumpling were amazing! (And, I have to say, looked way better than the picture of it that we saw on Yelp). The seaweed were good as well. The crab fritter and the jerk chicken (even though I didn't get what was "jerk" 'bout that chicken) were honest, but I wouldn't recommand it.The steamed pumpkin curry bun and the pork bun were the star of the dinner. The sweet bun dough was fluffy and moist, and the filling was flavorful. I am still a bit confused about the indian/caribean/asian flavors, but in a positive way. I can't say that the dinner was boring and every dish was challenging my brain with unusual mix of flavors I thought I was used to. Over all, we really enjoyed our experience. There is some things to work on to make it a "buzzing place" but, hey, If it's just a step away from being amazing, I wouldn't complaint about a "more than decent", not crowded, not too expensive, nice chinese-fusion joint in London. After a big week in London transit, it feels good to relax in a cozy place like the Courtesan without waiting to get in, or being pushed to get out. We'll definitly come back with friends. And, bonus point, the chinese chef is a woman! :-) ”

“ We popped in here by chance as we parked up to go to Fujiyama. We peered in to the spartan hardwood interior and it looked cool, whilst the menu looked exotic and more than tempting. We're happy to report that the food was exceptional, the service friendly and looking at the drinks menu I can't wait to bring some friends here of an evening on that rare occasion we manage a babysitter. Wholeheartedly recommended. ”

“ I hope people start coming here. I know there is buzzing Brixton Village/Market just up the street and this place can look a bit dark from the outside, but the dim sum is surprisingly lovely. I grew up in a Cantonese family so can vouch that this (aside from a few fusion items on the menu) is the real deal! Their shrimp dumplings (har gow) have chunks of shrimp in them and the wrapper has a good slightly chewy texture. The rice wrapped in lotus leaves are yummy (nice sticky rice, infused with the flavour of the lotus leave) and the cheung fun is excellent (we tried the one with prawns wrapped in deed fried bean curd sheets - lovely contrast of textures). On top of the dim sum, you can also order an array of alcoholic drinks and get everything outside of the normal brunch/lunch hours of most dim sum restaurants. The one drawback is the price. It's quite expensive compared to other dim sum houses but it's worth the quality you get. A good addition to the area! ”