China Live in San Francisco: photos, reviews, menu

About

Top Choice Award

2025 Restaurants

China Live, located in the vibrant San Francisco Chinatown, offers a distinctive dining experience that transcends the traditional Chinese restaurant model. This bustling venue seamlessly combines a variety of culinary offerings with a tea and gift shop, all set against an industrial interior design that adds to its unique charm. Known for its extensive and authentic menu, China Live serves a wide range of Asian and Chinese delicacies, with popular dishes like Taiwanese beef noodle soup, fried rice, and sweet and sour chicken earning high praise.

Diners are greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere, highlighted by friendly and attentive staff who ensure a pleasant experience from start to finish. The standout robot waiter is a delightful addition, efficiently weaving through the usually busy dining room. For those celebrating special occasions, such as anniversaries, the establishment offers the perfect blend of ambiance and cuisine.

Guests can enjoy meals outdoors or make reservations to secure a spot in this popular location. With convenient features like credit card payments, on-street and paid parking, takeout options, and delivery services, China Live caters to both locals and visitors seeking a memorable meal. The venue also boasts an impressive selection of beverages, including wine, whiskey, and an assortment of teas and cocktails, rounding out a delightful dining adventure in one of San Francisco's most iconic neighborhoods.

Price

$$$$ 50 - 100 $

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

Cuisines

Asian, Chinese, Vegetarian

Services

Delivery, Takeaway, Drive-thru, Reservations available, Outdoor seating, Dine-in, Reservations recommended

Dietary options

Vegan options, Vegetarian options, Healthy options, Organic options

Offering

Serving alcohol, Serving desserts, Small plates, Serving cocktails, Serving beer, Serving wine, Serving coffee

4.2

based on 2,822 reviews

Google

4.2/5 2,822 reviews

Luke Preczewski

Food: 4
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5

Great spot for a big group. Big energy and solid food. Specifically recommend the duck.

Steven Straus

The Chinese food I had delivered to my address was some of the best Chinese food I ever had. The chicken dish with peanuts 🥜 both looked and tasted so amazing. It was like heaven in my mouth 👄. I highly recommend people stop by this restaurant if they are ever in china town San Francisco. I garentee you will never be disappointed. I give them 5 stars ⭐️ all around

Karla Velasco

Food: 3
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4

Single diner experience: on the surface this restaurant delivers nice dining. The restaurant is clean, remodeled, open, not too loud (it wasn’t busy when I was there). The service was also helpful, friendly and attentive. The food was tasty. So why the 3 stars? It’s certainly a tourist trap 😃 main dishes are about $25-$40+ and the portions are supposed to be larger to share family style, they aren’t. The portions were medium sized, at best. Two people could have split my order and would have been hungry. The XLB dumplings were 6 for $17! They lacked soup too, it was sip of broth at best. Between my entree (firecracker chicken $30 + small bowl of rice ($4) and XLB, the meal was $51. The value just isn’t there. The food was good, just not enough to justify the expensive costs. So how did I spend $74? They add a 25% service surcharge to cover employee health benefits? Of that portion, the server receives less than 10% and the restaurant and back of house receive the rest. What is that about? They encourage you to still tip your server. I would have been better off going to another place. When I return to this city, this will not be on my list of places to revisit.

What is the address of China Live?
China Live is located at 644 Broadway, 94133, San Francisco, North Beach, USA.
How is China Live rated by visitors?
China Live has an average rating of 4.2 based on 2,822 reviews across platforms such as Google.
What dishes and beverages are served?
The restaurant offers a selection of dishes such as beef, beer, bouillon, cheese, chicken, chocolate, coffee, duck, dumplings, fish, fried chicken, scrambled eggs, fried rice, french fries, fruitcake, along with a variety of drinks.
What is the average price for a meal at China Live?
The average price for a meal is 50 - 100 $ (it is moderate - $$).
Does the venue offer vegetarian or vegan options?
Yes, vegetarian or vegan dishes are available on the menu.

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China Live in San Francisco