Restaurants

Located inside a nondescript hotel on a nondescript swathe of waterfront, this restaurant looks more like a pit-stop for business travellers than a gourmet dining destination. The sleek, dark, modern decor is attractive, but the ambience suffers from the room being perpetually half-empty. Endure any lack of atmosphere, though, as Chino Latino serves up some of the best, most innovative pan-Asian and fusion cuisine in London. The menu – divided into starters, sushi/sashimi, tempura, meats and seafood – is filled with tempting dishes that look and taste even better than they sound. Seared marbled beef with garlic chips and yuzu vinaigrette is a melt-in-the-mouth sensation of flavours and textures; duck and nashi pear dumplings with plum wine jelly and port reduction is a rich, fruity twist on the gyoza. Lobster and lychee rolls were generously stuffed with fresh lobster tail, though the delicate flavour was in danger of being overpowered by the accompanying mango coulis. Don’t miss the seafood jungle curry, which boasted hefty cuts of lobster, pan-fried scallops and prawns: each individually cooked to perfection before being lowered into a soupy, yet creamy and spicy sauce. Service throughout was friendly and faultless.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009