Greater London, Chinese Restaurant Guide

Northern Chinese fare including “authentic and tasty dumplings and noodles” make either of Wei Shao’s duo (Borough Market and Soho) “a great standby for a quick and fun meal”. “A Chinese that’s worth a visit for an evening bite and not just for dim sum – and which doesn’t break the bank – is a rare find in London.”

“You could be in Hong Kong” at this “barn-like” Chinese venue near Elephant & Castle, where you’ll find “truly authentic”, “super-fresh dim sum, alongside old-school Cantonese favourites”. “So pleased it has found its mojo again” after a long post-pandemic closure.

2023 Review: This modern pan-Asian in Covent Garden – an import from NYC – offers “playful dim sum”, alongside other “cut-above” dishes. There are “relaxed long tables for groups or cosy red-checked spots for two diners”, and the atmosphere is set by the “fun 90s playlist and friendly team”.

“What could be nicer than sitting on the 38th floor of the Shard with fantastic views of London”, while lingering over a “lovely unrushed afternoon tea” or – later in the day when the mood is “very romantic” – sampling its “fresh Asian-inspired dishes”. Not a huge volume of feedback, but ratings are better this year as it escaped the customary complaints for overpricing.

“You pay for the view… it stings the wallet…”, but they seem to have pulled their socks up at this well-known Asian venue on the 33rd floor of the famous London landmark. True, “large numbers of diners seem more interested in taking photos of themselves and their food rather than eating it… it’s definitely an Insta trophy”. But it avoided the usual harsh critiques this year and practically all reports acknowledged the “surprisingly good Chinese cooking AND nighttime vistas over London”.

“Expensive, but worth it for a treat!” is the positive view on this West End fixture – part of a Singapore-based group, whose London outpost occupies an expensively converted former banking hall in the West End, whose atmosphere has ended up somewhere between impressive and stilted. “Very good, classic Chinese cuisine is reverently served by a stream of waiters… but the prices!… £200 for Peking duck with caviar anyone?” Indeed, such is the size of the bill that there is a school of thought that the level of value doesn’t stack up and that – irrespective of its many qualities – the overall experience is overpriced and/or disappointing.

2021 Review: In Chinatown’s shiny, new, Central Cross development, this “functional but bright and clean” 150-seater opened in spring 2019, and early days feedback says it’s a good, modern addition to the area. “My wife and I know Shanghai food from both Hong Kong and Shanghai – this is good, with generous portions at good-value prices”. “Staff, despite being rushed off their feet, were pleasant and helpful, though few spoke English”.

“Fresh and very tasty dim sum” ensures that this 30-year-old Cantonese over three storeys on the edge of Chinatown “soon fills up with regulars”. “It may be a blessing that the ambience is not exactly chic – it keeps the tourists away”.

2023 Review: “Top egg yolk buns” are a big draw at China-born architect Z He and chef Alex Peffly’s well-known Chinatown pit stop, which provides an “excellent bustling ambience and wonderful heart-filling food”.

2021 Review: “In a crowded Chinatown field”, this three-story Cantonese institution just off Leicester Square “is a dependable crowd-pleaser” with a “good price-to-quality ratio”: “the queues outside speak for its popularity”. Highlights from the “reliable menu” include “fab dim sum every time”, “yummy char sui” and “legendary soft shell crab”, all delivered by staff who “although rushed off their feet are generally smiley and friendly”. Top Tip – “the ground floor is a better experience than the higher floors”.

This “very busy” Cantonese stalwart is “a cut above its rivals” on the Chinatown main drag. There’s “nothing special about the environment, but it serves some of the best and best-value dim sum available in London”.

“It’s worth the spartan interior and mixed service to eat the roast duck and/or char siu pork” at these Cantonese canteens, where “the best roast duck in the world is the claim” – from no less an authority than The FT – “and it must be up there” with “meat and crispy skin so well done (no pun intended)”; and don’t forget “the crispy pork belly – an especial fat-lover’s treat!”. Launched in Queensway 34 years ago, the group now has three venues around Chinatown plus the new Chop Chop nearby in the Hippodrome Casino. Further afield there are outlets in Colindale’s Bang Bang Oriental food hall, Oxford and Leicester.

With its “marvellous selection of dim sum” raised to a “fantastic” level; “amicable and chatty service”; and its “well-spaced tables”, this low-key-looking venue “stands a cut above the usual Chinatown standard” in all respects.

“It’s worth the spartan interior and mixed service to eat the roast duck and/or char siu pork” at these Cantonese canteens, where “the best roast duck in the world is the claim” – from no less an authority than The FT – “and it must be up there” with “meat and crispy skin so well done (no pun intended)”; and don’t forget “the crispy pork belly – an especial fat-lover’s treat!”. Launched in Queensway 34 years ago, the group now has three venues around Chinatown plus the new Chop Chop nearby in the Hippodrome Casino. Further afield there are outlets in Colindale’s Bang Bang Oriental food hall, Oxford and Leicester.

“It’s worth the spartan interior and mixed service to eat the roast duck and/or char siu pork” at these Cantonese canteens, where “the best roast duck in the world is the claim” – from no less an authority than The FT – “and it must be up there” with “meat and crispy skin so well done (no pun intended)”; and don’t forget “the crispy pork belly – an especial fat-lover’s treat!”. Launched in Queensway 34 years ago, the group now has three venues around Chinatown plus the new Chop Chop nearby in the Hippodrome Casino. Further afield there are outlets in Colindale’s Bang Bang Oriental food hall, Oxford and Leicester.

“The dim sum is pretty good for this price range” (“all the stalwarts are available” as well as one or two “unusual/Hakkasan-like creations”) at this Cantonese stalwart in Chinatown.

“Spicy, authentic Sichuan cuisine” makes this Chinatown destination “worth hunting out” – it’s “way above the bog-standard fare nearby”, with “amazing taste sensations including a lot more besides the fragrant heat of the eponymous Sichuan pepper”. And “friendly staff made choosing from the huge menu easier”. Top Tip – find a table downstairs if you can, to avoid the “weak ambience on the first floor”.

“No frills, no smiles but always fast and reliable” – this “Chinatown standby” has fed generations of West End revellers and theatre-goers with “great cheap Cantonese food”, serving up to 500 people at a time over several floors. “Service is not what it was – the staff are no longer rude!” – but “the speed with which scoff arrives at the table remains utterly predictable”. Top Menu Tip – “still love their Singapore noodles”.

“Without a shadow of a doubt the very best Chinese restaurant in town” – Andrew Wong is “such a talent” and his “genius” cuisine inspires unending superlatives regarding his Pimlico HQ (previously run for decades by his parents as Kym’s). “Exceptional craft is on display” in the preparation of the “exquisite dim sum” and other “clearly Chinese dishes” (“none of your fusion nonsense here!”) and for some reporters it is “one of the most extraordinary culinary experiences ever”. But since the award of a second Michelin star (the first ever for a Chinese establishment) a meal here risks becoming “prohibitively expensive”, with minimum spends for lunch and tasting menus only in the evening. On most accounts it’s “worth it despite the high cost”, but the equation is more evenly balanced now, and the levels of service and ambience have struggled to keep up with the “hellish” bill. Even so, “there’s scarce table availability even with the extension into the outer terrace”.