15 lost Chinese restaurants people in Liverpool miss the most

San San Restaurant on Lime Street, Liverpool
-Credit:Trinity Mirror Copyright


Chinese New Year is just days away and with the oldest Chinese community in Europe, Liverpool will be continuing its long tradition of spectacular performances and celebrations in the city. Chinese New Year 2025, The Year of the Wood Snake, falls on Wednesday, January 29.

And you'll find everything you need to know about Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, as well as full coverage of the day itself, on our website. But this time of year also reminds us of celebrations of years gone by, some at popular and well-loved restaurants we've since said goodbye to.

A huge part of our celebrations and memories growing up, we've said goodbye to a number of favourites through the years in the city centre and beyond. And as we enter a new lunar year, many will find themselves reminiscing about the ones they'd love to see come back, the Liverpool ECHO previously reported.

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Some were only open for a short time, whereas others have been closed for years or were the first Chinese restaurants we ever visited. Here, we take another brief look back at 15 city-centre restaurants we've said goodbye to over the years.

This list isn't intended to be comprehensive, we've included a number of popular Chinese restaurants, as well as oriental buffets and venues serving a variety of Asian dishes. See how many you remember in our list below.

15. Yuet Ben

Terry Lim, owner of Yuet Ben restaurant in Chinatown, Liverpool
Terry Lim, owner of the Yuet Ben restaurant -Credit:Photo by Iain Watts

Liverpool's oldest Chinese restaurant said farewell to customers after 56 years in the city centre in December. At the time, the ECHO reported how Yuet Ben on Upper Duke Street announced the closure of the popular restaurant as the owners begin their retirement.

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Since 1992, the business had been run by Theresa and Terry Lim after Terry was taught the trade by his father-in-law, Yuh Ho Yau, as a waiter decades ago. Serving traditional Northern Chinese recipes passed down the generations Yuet Ben, whose name means "honoured guest," first opened in 1968.

14. Liu Shi

Liu Shi restaurant on Hope Street
Liu Shi restaurant on Hope Street, Liverpool -Credit:Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo

Asian restaurant Liu Shi, based at 60 Hope Street, closed its doors in August 2024. Located on the street between the Anglican and Metropolitan Cathedrals, the venue occupied the 60 Hope Street address and was famed for its extravagant floral exteriors.

Liu Shi first opened in January last year serving a range of flavours from all over Asia, including Thailand, Korea, China and Japan. A bar named The Fuzzy Duck, which acted as a sister venue, opened downstairs that May.

13. Yums

Interior shots of Yums on Bold Street, 2006
Inside Yums on Bold Street, 2006 -Credit:TRINITY MIRROR COPYRIGHT/REACH CONTENT ARCHIVE

Back in 2005, Yums Oriental Restaurant opened its doors in Bold Street, Liverpool city centre. At one point, the venue boasted more than 60 dishes, from starters such as hot and sour soup, sui mai or crispy aromatic pork to main meals like fried chicken in satay sauce, honey roast char sui and kung po beef.

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With seating over two floors, the restaurant catered for couples, family gatherings and office get-togethers. Yums closed around a decade ago and the Bold Street site has since housed businesses Miyagi, Dia and Noche and now Kassap Meat House

12. The Golden Phoenix

Golden Phoenix Chinese restaurant on Hanover Street, Liverpool. September 2008
Golden Phoenix Chinese restaurant on Hanover Street, Liverpool city centre -Credit:Liverpool ECHO

The Golden Phoenix is said to have been the first Chinese restaurant to arrive in the city, opening its doors during the 1960s. A popular choice for diners in the city, it was located close to where the Premier Inn now sits on Hanover Street.

The popular restaurant was later demolished by Liverpool ONE developer Grosvenor in 2009 to make way for new leisure and retail space. In 2012, it was announced that Liverpool's "largest" restaurant, Tai Wu, was to open on what was the Golden Phoenix site.

11. The Shanghai Palace, Pier Head

The Shanghai Palace restaurant at the Pier Head, Liverpool, February 2002
The Shanghai Palace restaurant at the Pier Head, Liverpool. February 2002 -Credit:Liverpool ECHO

Now home to Matou, one Liverpool waterfront site was previously home to the River Rooms, Berni Inn - and then The Shanghai Palace. In 2001, the ECHO reported how the famous Mersey riverfront restaurant was set for a £400,000 makeover, as Liverpool city council were considering plans to turn the old steak house at the Pier Head into a Chinese restaurant.

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The plan was the brainchild of businessman Joe Farley whose company, J.O.E. Leisure, imported luxurious fixtures and fittings from China to transform the building. A popular choice for diners in Liverpool, it remained the Shanghai Palace Chinese restaurant, until that was bulldozed in 2007 as part of the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Pier Head.

10. Kong-Nam

Located at 27 Lord Street, Kong Nam was based close to where Boodles is in the city centre now. It was a basement restaurant, which many Scousers will remember for being ridiculously cheap, as you could pay around £1.99 for a three course special at the venue which looked like something out of a "James Bond set."

On November 21, 1964, the ECHO reported how due to the Kong-Nam's "overwhelming reception in Liverpool," Mr. Wong was proud to announced that sister venue the Kong San restaurant was also open. Kong San was located at Covent Garden, Rumford Street.

9. The Shangri-La

The Shangri-La restaurant in Victoria, Liverpool
The Shangri-La restaurant in Victoria Street, Liverpool -Credit:Peter Byrne/PA

For over 40 years, customers from across Merseyside headed to the Shangri-La on Victoria Street. Many will remember popping in before a night on the town, after a night on the town, for Sunday supper or perhaps for the famed karaoke.

In 2012, The Shangri-La was closed immediately after an Environmental Health visit and remained shut for two weeks and following a court case, there was a change in management. The business later changed its name to Mr Ho’s and launched a new website promoting its Vietnamese and Cantonese cuisine.

8. The Far East, Berry Street

Far East Restaurant Berry Street, Liverpool
Far East Restaurant on Berry Street -Credit:Trinity Mirror Copyright

Purpose built as a garage with showrooms on a long-vacant plot in the 1920s, 27-31 Berry Street was also once home to The Far East restaurant. For years, it served Cantonese and Peking style food, and banquets costing £9 per person.

For decades, the building just a few hundred feet from Chinatown continued to host Chinese restaurants, including both New China and China Palace simultaneously. Now it's largely dormant on a street that's seen several new additions.

7. The Red Pearl

Many will remember The Red Pearl based on the corner of Church Street. The late restauranteur Jack Yue owned the restaurant, as well as the Square Café in Williamson Square.

But after years in the city, The Red Pearl disappeared. Mr Yue, who died in 1995, was the first member of Liverpool’s Chinese community to receive an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II.

6. Golden Yuen

Exterior shot of the Golden Yuen restaurant in Berry Street, Chinatown. May 12, 2010
The Golden Yuen restaurant in Berry Street, Chinatown. May 12, 2010 -Credit:Trinity Mirror Copyright

The Golden Yuen was once located on Nelson Street, China town. But by 2003, the restaurant closed and remained derelict for years. In 2010, the Liverpool ECHO reported how Cam Ly brought the Golden Yuen in 2003 planning to re-open it after a re-fit., but that the following year Liverpool City Council slapped a compulsory purchase order (CPO) on the property, meaning the refurbishment had to be halted and the restaurant mothballed. In 2012, a fire broke out at the site and today, the building is completely gone.

5. Tso's

Tsos Oriental Buffet Restaurant in St Johns House, Queen Square, in the city centre
Tsos Oriental Buffet Restaurant in St Johns House, Queen Square, Liverpool -Credit:Trinity Mirror Copyright

With traditional Chinese décor and aquarium, Tso's served buffet-style Oriental cuisine in Liverpool city centre from 1994. The famous buffet once boasted more than 60 dishes and customers could also eat as much as they liked for a set price.

In 2019, the ECHO reported how the Queen Square staple had been shut by bailiffs. At the time, an official statement from High Courts Enforcement officers Andrew Wilson & Co was posted in the window of the restaurant announcing that the premises had been repossessed.

4. The Mandarin

The Mandarin Restaurant on Victoria Street
The Mandarin Restaurant on Victoria Street, Liverpool -Credit:Trinity Mirror Copyright

A family run restaurant from 1988, the Mandarin was a stunning venue with its stained glass and tropical fish. Located on Victoria Street, it was once one of the most modern and attractive Chinese restaurants in Liverpool and boasted huge portions. But by 2015, the building appeared to be to let on the busy street. Today, the building is home to Ascend properties.

3. The Central Chinese Restaurant, London Road

Many will remember The Central Chinese restaurant on Nelson Road. The venue was a massive part of the area for decades, with archive ECHO reports mentioning the business all the way back to the 1950s.

Many will remember spotting the purple exterior on the busy street and popping in there with family over the years. By 2020, the building was painted bright blue with new signage called the Happy Brother Canteen.

2. The San San

San San Restaurant on Lime Street, Liverpool
San San Restaurant on Lime Street, Liverpool city centre -Credit:Trinity Mirror Copyright

Getting off the train and heading down Lime Street, there's a chance you walked past and stopped inside The San San for a meal or two. Located next door to the lost Futurist cinema, the building was demolished as part of the Lime Street development, seeing new retail, leisure, hotel and student accommodation on the well known street.

In recent years, we've seen new buildings on the site and now the street looks unrecognisable to the days San San called it home. Now, a Neapolitan wood fired artisan pizza and bar is stood on the former San San site.

1. Buffet Star

Buffet Star on Hanover Street, Liverpool
Buffet Star on Hanover Street -Credit:Trinity Mirror Copyright

For years, birthdays, dates and after school treats were had at Buffet Star on Hanover Street. Customers would head underground to enjoy food at the ‘all you can eat’ Chinese and Thai restaurant.

The venue opened in 2005 in the city centre and later became City Buffet. Now, the venue is home to Liverpool's newest 'Instagrammable' cocktail bar Tonight Josephine.