A robot works in a restaurant in Jinan, Shandong province. [Photo/Life Daily]

JINAN - Service with a smile also comes with a mechanical voice at the Dalu Robot restaurant, where the hotpot meals are not as famous yet as the staff.

The restaurant is touted as China`s first robot hotpot eatery, where "Star Wars"-like droidscircle the room carrying trays of food in a conveyor belt-like system.

More than a dozen robots entertain, serve, greet and receive customers. The eatery opened this month in Jinan, Shandong province.

"They have a better service attitude than humans," said Li Xiaomei, 35, who was visiting the restaurant for the first time.

"Humans can be temperamental or impatient, but they don`t feel tired, they just keep working and moving round and round the restaurant all night," Li said.

Inspired by space exploration, robot technology and global innovation, the restaurant`s owner, Zhang Yongpei, said he hopes his restaurant will show the world China is a serious competitor in developing technology.

"I hope this new concept shows that China is forward-thinking and innovative," Zhang said.

As customers enter the dimly lit restaurant lined with blinking neon lights to simulate a futuristic environment, a female robot decorated with batting eyelashes greets people with an electronic "welcome."

During the meal, crowds of up to 100 customers, are entertained by a dancing and talking robot that looks more like a mannequin with a dress, flapping its arms around in a stiff motion.

Zhang said he hopes to roll out 30 robots _ which cost $6,000 each _ in the coming months and eventually develop robots with human-like qualities that serve customers at their table and can walk up and down the stairs.