Restaurants

Barshu

Just reopened

Soho: 28 Frith Street, W1D 5LF

China Palace

Formerly known as Superstar, this popular establishment has reinvented itself with a new management and new chefs – but thankfully the food is as good as its...

Docklands: 2 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock North, E16 1DR

Dragon Castle

Ever since it opened in the unpromising surroundings of the Walworth Road in 2006, this smart restaurant has been wowing the critics and delighting its customers. The...

Elephant & Castle: 100 Walworth Road, SE17 1JL

Gold Mine

Your table may not be ready when you arrive at Gold Mine – the latest addition to Queensway’s clutch of reliable workaday Chinese restaurants – but you won’t...

Bayswater: 102 Queensway, W2 3RR

Hakkasan

Hakkasan was sold to an Abu Dhabi-based company by Alan Yau in January 2008, but so far, it seems it's business as usual; Mr Yau is still involved in the day-to-day...

Fitzrovia: 8 Hanway Place, Fitzrovia, W1T 1HD

Mandarin Palace

You’re in for a nice surprise if you assumed a 30-year-old Chinese restaurant on a busy roundabout next to Gants Hill tube would be a desolate takeaway joint with...

Ilford: 559-561 Cranbrook Road, Gants Hill, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6JZ

Royal China Club

This sleek establishment may be part of the popular Royal China chain, but the word ‘club’ – added to imply exclusivity (though membership is not required) –...

Marylebone: 40-42 Baker Street, W1U 7AJ

Cha Cha Moon

Modern Chinese noodles in Soho

Soho: 15-21 Ganton St, W1F 9BN

China Tang

Frequented by Kate Moss and other celebrity friends of David Tang (the entrepreneur behind this opulent Cantonese restaurant in the Dorchester Hotel), China Tang was...

Mayfair: The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA

Haozhan

Haozhan brought a flash of glamour to Chinatown, with its modern decor and its fusion cuisine inspired by Hakkasan . On our early visits we were impressed by the...

Chinatown: 8 Gerrard Street, W1D 5PJ

Little Lamb

The image of 13th-century Mongolian soldiers brewing a meaty broth in their helmets before battle is a colourful one, but feels a million miles away from this...

Chinatown: 72 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6NA

Pearl Liang

Rich barbecued pork in puff pastry is a perfect example of the delicate touch with dim sum to be found here. Nothing is greasy, and fried dishes are kept light by...

Paddington: 8 Sheldon Square, W2 6EZ

Phoenix Palace

Dim sum at Phoenix Palace is classic and dependable: har gau were perfectly steamed and prawn and chinese chive dumplings were full of flavour. Hot and sour soup was...

Marylebone: 5 Glentworth Street, NW1 5PG

Yauatcha

Service at Alan Yau’s ground-breaking dim sum destination is hit and miss; on this occasion, the three waiting staff at the door were too busy schmoozing with a...

Soho: 15 Broadwick Street, W1F 0DL

Yum Cha

Dim sum done right

Chalk Farm: 28 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AG

Alisan

The owners of this trendy Chinese opposite the new Wembley Stadium must be thrilled by their star signing. Dim sum chef CC Wong was poached from prestigious Yauatcha -...

Wembley: The Junction, Engineers Way, Wembley, Middx, HA9 0EG

Baozi Inn

Street food of Sichuan and Beijing

Chinatown: 25 Newport Court, WC2H 7JS

Café de Hong Kong

Cheesy Cantonese pop blares constantly, the lighting’s garish and the plastic booths can get uncomfortable, but the food here is anything but cringeworthy. All the...

Chinatown: 47-49 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0AN

Café TPT

The acronym stands for ‘tai pai tong’, a type of open-air food stall popular in Hong Kong. Appropriately, the food is fast, cheap and good, but thankfully the...

Chinatown: 21 Wardour Street, W1D 6PN

Canton

Canton isn’t much of a looker. The rack of glistening poultry, slabs of pork belly and neon-orange squid hanging in the window obscures the legion of sated diners...

Chinatown: 11 Newport Place, WC2H 7JR

Chinoise

The grand interior of this little neighbourhood restaurant – from the elegant dragon-shaped chopstick holders to the shimmering gold napkins, mirrors and framed...

Barnes: 190 Castelnau, SW13 9DH

Crispy Duck

With its nondescript exterior and not-so-attractive interior, Crispy Duck wouldn’t be a dining destination were it not for word of mouth. The firm operates a...

Chinatown: 27 Wardour Street, W1D 6PR

Crispy Duck

Chinatown: 7 Gerrard Street, W1D 5PH

Feng Shui Inn

Right in the heart of Chinatown, Feng Shui Inn has its interior brightly decked out in shades of red, hung with festive decorations and furnished with faux Ming...

Chinatown: 4-6 Gerrard Street, W1D 5PG

Four Seasons

This Queensway veteran has long been cited as having the best roast ducks in the street. But are we the only ones to have noticed their decidedly blackened...

Bayswater: 84 Queensway, W2 3RL

Golden Dragon

Further evidence that Chinatown is on the up, Golden Dragon has become a slick operation. Inside the large dining room, tradition reigns: the air-conditioning hums,...

Chinatown: 28-29 Gerrard Street, W1D 6JW

Golden Pagoda

Eating in Chinatown can be a frustrating experience: cramped tables, smoky surroundings, abrupt service, hackneyed menus and rushed cooking. Proprietors argue that...

Chinatown: 15a Gerrard St, W1D 6JD

Golden Palace

Fans praise the legendary dim sum here, but the evening menu is becoming more of a reason to visit. Many Chinese people are attracted. Golden Palace is a spacious...

Harrow: 146-150 Station Road, Harrow, Middx, HA1 2RH

Goldfish

The chocolate-box high street of Hampstead seems an unlikely location for this adventurous Asian fusion restaurant with its signage that is reminiscent of a nightclub....

Hampstead: 82 Hampstead High St, NW3 1RE