Guide to the best restaurants in Chinatown

Come to Food House for filling portions of Sichuan cooking packed full of spice and complex flavours. The classic interior has red paper lanterns hanging up. The menu features a wide range of affordable dishes including barbecue skewers, dumplings, hotpot, offal, and a classic dish of noodles drenched in red chilli oil.

Speedboat Bar takes inspiration from Chinatown in Bangkok, delivering a piece of the district to the heart of London. This cosy spot features an upstairs bar with signed portraits of canal speedboat racers, plus a downstairs dining room. Expect Thai-Chinese dishes like drunken noodles and stir-fries, plus signature cocktails.

Rasa Sayang takes inspiration from the vibrant hawker scene in Malaysia and Singapore. This bustling restaurant has a simple dining area and serves a menu that's completely halal. Food options include small plates, curries, noodles, and vegan recipes. There's a small selection of alcoholic drinks, plus soft drinks and tea.

Try classic Korean barbecue at Olle. The venue is noisy, bustling, and full of distinctive character. Both classic and traditional dishes are available, with heaps of items to grill yourself at your table. Choose from options like ox tongue, wagyu beef, and scallops. Bigger groups are welcome here too.

Cosy eatery Café TPT is one of Chinatown's favourite dining spots. This intimate venue has a bustling atmosphere and serves an array of Chinese street food and Malaysian specialities. You can try options like soup, sizzling hotpots, seafood, and Peking duck. Food is served in a bright and simple setting.

With three locations in Chinatown, Four Seasons is a stalwart of Chinese food in London. Expect ducks rotating as they roast in the window and a whole array of comforting Chinese dishes. You can eat indoors or on the terrace whilst you soak up the lively atmosphere of the area.

When you're craving dim sum in Chinatown, Dumpling's Legend is a popular place to eat. In the cosy and modern dining room you can see into the open kitchen where mountains of dim sum are made every day. On the menu you'll find inventive twists on classic recipes, including a vegetarian version of xiaolongbao.

For refined Chinese cooking in opulent surroundings, check out Chuan Royal China. This sophisticated restaurant is full of colour. The menu celebrates the diversity of Sichuan cooking, with a range of dim sum as well as seafood, noodles, and plenty of spicy dishes. There's a considerable range of drinks and private dining is available.

Head to Bun House for an affordable and authentic meal. This spot specialises in fluffy steamed buns. The spacious and lively venue is set across two floors. You can try out a variety of Cantonese small plates like century egg salad, plus buns and dumplings stuffed with a range of tempting fillings.

In the past Wong Kei was well-known as London's rudest restaurant. Whilst the attitude has calmed down a bit now it's still one of Chinatown's biggest and most popular eateries. This classic restaurant serves Cantonese dishes in a simple space, including set menus. A small selection of wine is also available here.

Er Mei Restaurant was the first in Chinatown to focus on Sichuan dishes. This smart and simple venue still offers signature recipes that you can't find anywhere else. Try dishes like marinated jellyfish with chicken, stir-fried frog's legs, hotpot, and noodles. A varied range of wines are available to complement a meal here.

Discover Chinese hotpot at Shu Xiang Ge. These guys are experts, offering a choice of soup bases, spices, and sauces, as well as ample meat, veggie, and seafood bits to cook yourself in the simmering broth. It's a relaxed and casual space where you can customise your meal - choose pieces like scallops, Wagyu beef, or fresh vegetables.

Chinatown is home to two branches of Jinli, including the flagship restaurant. These spacious eateries are modern and serve classic Chinese dishes that are perfect for sharing. There are set menus if you're not sure what to choose and on the main menu there are options like spare ribs, deep-fried bean curd, and chicken with cashew nuts.

Enjoy Cantonese cooking in an elegant environment at The Eight. One of Chinatown's newer restaurants, it's already made a splash here. The setting is laid-back and you can try a variety of specialities at this Hong Kong-style tea house. There are options like dim sum, curry fish balls, and wonton noodles.

Leong's Legend has some serious pedigree, being the first to introduce gua bao buns to UK diners. It's a secretive but sought-after spot where you gain entry by knocking on the locked door. Inside the restaurant has a traditional style. Dim sum are made to order and other treats include spring onion pancakes, ribs, and congee.

Cute and colourful restaurant Misato is a destination for Japanese cuisine. The vibrant exterior with a beckoning cat motif waves you inside to an equally vibrant dining space with a welcoming and busy atmosphere. Try sushi platters and bento boxes or hot food like noodles, donburi, and katsu curry. 

Try modern Vietnamese street eats at Viet Food. The restaurant is spacious and contemporary with exposed brickwork and lots of light flooding in. Sample classic recipes like bun, pho, and Vietnamese bento boxes that are great for lunch. Set menus and the chef's table experience are also available in the evening.

At Beijing Dumpling you'll see dim sum being freshly made in front of you. The restaurant is cosy and bustling, serving freshly-steamed dumplings plus other Chinese favourites. Try plates like xiaolongbao and prawn toast plus meat, seafood, tofu, and vegetable dishes, as well as rice and noodles. Alcoholic drinks are also available here.

Discover Southern Chinese cuisine at Tao Tao Ju. This cosy spot has a traditional feel and serves generous portions of dim sum and other classic dishes like noodles, spare ribs, and squid. There's a fully vegan menu available plus a set menu. A considerable choice of wine is on offer.

Sample the rich flavours of Malaysian laksa at C&R Café Restaurant. This friendly and compact restaurant serves streetfood favourites – think noodles, rice, and aromatic curries. Dishes here are affordable, no bookings are taken, and service is speedy, making it an ideal dining spot at anytime.

At bold and colourful establishment Ji The Chicken Shop you can sample the flavours of Taiwanese fried chicken. This modern eatery uses traditional methods and secret spices for an unmistakable flavour and crunch. Try chicken dishes, seafood, or crispy tofu, washed down with a fruity or milky bubble tea.

Visit Orient London and you'll find an elegant and sophisticated eatery serving comforting Chinese classics in a refined setting. This family-run restaurant has a considerable choice of seafood dishes and dim sum, but other options include wonton soup, crispy shredded beef, and sweet and sour tofu. Alcohol and Chinese tea is also on offer.

Family-run restaurant Plum Valley puts its own contemporary twist on classic Cantonese dishes. The restaurant's interior features intimate booths and there's an outdoor terrace too. Food here is carefully presented and full of flavour, with dim sum fillings like chicken and sweetcorn or pork and asparagus, plus colourful rainbow platters of dumplings.

Blue-fronted restaurant San Chiu Dim specialises in dim sum and Chinese dishes. Dumplings are made in front of you at this bustling and laid-back eatery. As well as a big choice of dim sum, you'll see options like lettuce wraps and crispy duck. Colourful cocktails and a varied range of wines are also on offer.

It's worth checking out Lido if you're in Chinatown - it opened in 1969 and is the oldest Chinese restaurant in the area. It's a bustling venue with a classic dining room. Dim sum and other Chinese dishes are the speciality. You can choose from fried and steamed dumplings plus classics like congee and stir-fries. Set meals are on offer as well.

A Chinatown undertaking by the entrepreneurs behind Barshu and BaoziInn, Eight Hundred Flavours zeroes in on the flavours of the Qingdao region, highlighting street-food-inspired choices like their signature steamed fish dumplings. They also offer grilled specialities, including BBQ skewers and other dishes that make for an easy-to-carry takeaway.

YiQi presents a fresh pan-Asian dining concept, emphasising a cosy and welcoming environment enhanced by its wooden decor and comfortable furnishings. Guests have the opportunity to select from an array of fresh seafood, vegetables, and meats, which are then expertly prepared using their preferred method – sous vide, binchotan, or teppanyaki.