The best Chinese restaurants in London

A byword for elevated Chinese dining, A.Wong holds two Michelin stars due to the creativity and sophistication of its food. You can explore the rich and vibrant regional cuisines of China through menus that emphasise sharing and communal dining, including innovative bites such as crispy wontons and mushroom and truffle steamed buns. The menus change regularly, blending classic flavours with contemporary cooking techniques and quality ingredients, and wine pairings are available with all tasting menus.

In Mayfair you'll find Kai, a Michelin-starred restaurant serving some of London's most highly-rated Chinese food. Inspired by the southern coastal regions of China, this upmarket spot has a sophisticated look and serves elegant and well-presented dishes. Expect plenty of seafood and plenty of veggie options too. The restaurant also does a distinctive afternoon tea. Private dining is available here.

The signature Four Seasons roast duck has been a mainstay of London’s Chinese cuisine since first landing in Bayswater in 1990. Enticing London’s passers-by with a rich, greasy smell, not to mention the hypnotic window display gyrations, the birds have been hailed as the best in the city. Though they're afforded top billing, the duck is far from the only thing on the menu. At the four locations around town, you can choose from an array of comforting Chinese specialties.

Around the corner from its sibling Wun’s Tea Room & Bar, Bun House is a café-style venue across two floors that serves steamed goodness in the form of fluffy Cantonese buns. You can choose from fillings such as BBQ pork belly, curry chicken, beef brisket or custard, or sample some of the other small plates, for example salt & pepper fritter, fried milk ribs or squid ink congee.

Unlike most restaurants, Hunan eschews menus in favour of serving you food based on your preferences. Just tell your server your likes and dislikes, select the suitable spiciness level, and let the chefs work their magic. The resulting menu of around 12–18 tapas-style courses is tailored to you and there’s no guarantee what you might get – fried chicken, clams, poached fish, dumplings, the list goes on.

Hakkasan serves upmarket Chinese cuisine with a focus on Cantonese delicacies. Both Hakkasan restaurants take you through the region's flavours via signature tasting menus. You can also sample dishes off a sophisticated main menu, or drop by around lunchtime for the special dim sum menu. Pair your meal with a selection of wines and cocktails from the bar.

The Xi'an group eateries around London – Xi'an Impression, Xi'an Biang Biang Noodles and Master Wei Xi'an – are spearheading the big boom of Xi'an province street food in the city. Whichever one you hit up (or manage to get into, as they're quite popular), you'll be offered intriguing street-style options such as shredded bread in broth and Xi'an-style burgers, the province's famed hand-pulled noodles, and other specialties.

Hakkasan and its parent group won Michelin stars and became an international culinary powerhouse thanks in no small part to chef Chee Hwee Tong. He left the group in 2019, returning to London a few years later with Gouqi. The sophisticated yet understated eatery with two private dining rooms and art on the walls finds its flavour palette all over China, adding European haute cuisine twists and luxury ingredients. Signature dishes include Peking duck with Oscietra caviar, slow-cooked wagyu, dim sum platters and more.

The BaoziInn restaurants are influenced by the culinary tradition and communal spirit of Northern China. At their various eateries around town, they serve hearty street-style food. Sample traditional jiaozi dumplings, dim sum, wontons and other small plates in a variety of authentic flavours and fillings. Vegetarian options are available as well.

Imperial Treasure offers sophisticated Chinese dining in a lush setting to both gourmands and casual diners. The international group has won numerous accolades for its establishments. Its London outpost is located in a Grade II listed building, with an interior of dark panelling and dim lighting. The restaurant strives to provide an exceptional dining experience through authentic Chinese delicacies, quality ingredients and impeccable service. Signature dishes include dim sum, live seafood and Peking duck.

Yauatcha’s window displays catch the eye with delightful macarons and petit gateaux treats, precisely crafted and inspired by Chinese heritage and ingredients. There’s more to these teahouses than just dessert, however, as they offer all-day Cantonese dim sum in a variety of signature set menus. There's also a weekend brunch feast to really get your fill.

Enticing Mayfair’s diners with a vibrant turquoise exterior, the elegantly decorated townhouse setting of MiMi Mei Fair encompasses multiple dining rooms, including spaces for private hire. The high-end Chinese cuisine on the menu explores cooking throughout the ages with sophisticated dim sum and mains. The signature special is the Peking duck, which is carved at your table.

Din Tai Fung's delicately folded dumplings – exactly 18 folds per dumpling! – are a globally renowned specialty, hailed as the best dumplings in the world and even winning the Asian chain's first Hong Kong branch a Michelin star. This stylish and highly popular eatery doesn't rely just on dumplings, however, serving a broad array of Chinese specialties and signature dishes such as pork chop with egg fried rice.

Tattu’s sumptuous decor, styled after a traditional Chinese courtyard house beneath cherry blossom trees and the night sky, is guaranteed Instagram clout, especially when combined with the imaginatively arranged dishes. The Chinese cuisine on offer has been updated for contemporary times with intriguing combinations and ingredients, though the dishes looking like a dragon’s egg or a goldfish bowl almost make it a shame to sink your teeth in.

With bare wooden tables and benches, Silk Road might not appear to be a major draw for London’s Chinese food aficionados, but those in the know, well, know. The simple joint is one of South London’s most beloved spots for specialties from the Xinjiang region, for example hand-pulled noodles, hearty stews and skewers of fatty meats roasted over charcoal.

New York's viral sensation brings its fresh, Western approach to classic Chinese cuisine to London with team-ups such as cheeseburger spring rolls and bacon & egg fried rice. The real claim to fame and social media clout, however, are the arrangements, for example the Pac Man shrimp dumpling that’ll have you going wakka wakka as you manoeuvre it towards your maw.

The pioneering Royal China Group has several locations around the city, with Marylebone’s refined Royal China Club the most luxurious of them all. Pay them a visit if you’re in the mood for Hong Kong classics such as roasted duck and noodles, giving a classy makeover with the help of upmarket ingredients such as foie gras, lobster or black truffles.

The original Mr Chow in Knightsbridge reinvented fine dining by combining authentic Beijing delicacies with elegant European-style service, becoming a fixture of global Chinese dining in the process. The creative chefs at this refined eatery have developed new and exciting recipes, resulting in classic dishes such as Green Prawns and Chicken Satay, and the food prep is part of the draw – Mr Chow brings out a chef to perform original hand-pulled Beijing-style noodle making each night, for example.

Residing on the 33rd floor of The Shard, Hutong’s stunning views will soon have you wondering whether it’s possible to see the Great Wall of China from space. The luxury Northern Chinese restaurant offers specialties such as roast duck, carved at your table, platters of scrumptious dim sum and more on its à la carte and various set menus. It also has a bar where you can get signature cocktails and a wide selection of global spirits.

The feel-good Mamalan eateries started out as a supper club before settling down in a permanent location in Brixton. Today, they offer comfy and authentic Chinese street food, for example steamed bao buns, noodle dishes and chilli wings, as well as the popping joys of bubble tea. The food is primarily intended as takeaway, though there is usually some seating to be found as well.

Facing Heaven, the successor to the beloved Mao Chow, is a neon-lit venue with dazzling disco toilets and the characteristic fully vegan array of Sichuan specialties. At this new iteration, however, the LA-raised chef has added Puerto Rican and American influences into the Chinese mix. Expect plant-based delights such as snack jerky and the bombastic Hong Kong French toast – and beads of sweat as you try to maintain your cool after a particularly potent hit of the spicy cone pepper that the place is named after.

Located in the heart of Paddington, Pearl Liang is a stylish contemporary restaurant with a dining room dominated by a full-length cherry blossom wall painting. The inviting setting is just the thing for indulging in the signature dim sum and specialties such as stir-fried lobster, softshell crab, Peking duck and more. You can also hire parts of the venue for private events, and there’s an on-site cocktail bar as well.

From its tenth-floor perch next to Kensington Gardens, Min Jiang boasts spectacular views of the park and London’s skyline. The menu at this suitably upscale eatery is headlined by its legendary wood-fired Peking duck, which is carved at your table by gloved waiters. You can also sample various dim sum platters, rice and noodle dishes, spicy chicken satay and other classic Chinese favourites here.

Soho's The Duck and Rice encompasses a stylish British pub with copper beer tanks downstairs and an elegant Chinese restaurant upstairs. In addition to the eponymous signature dish, the menu features Asia-inspired cuisine such as prawn wontons, chop suey dishes and more. There's a selection of beer cocktails on offer in which both worlds collide, as well as plenty of other beverages to choose from.

Er, please don’t come knocking on the door of the crummy flat this writer lived in during uni – My Old Place might be as laidback as that one was, but the culinary offerings are certainly on a whole 'nother level. The casual eatery deals in h-o-t-t hot Sichuan specialties, with place of honour given to the trademark red chillies and featuring special appearances by various rarely seen cuts, such as sliced pig ears and tripe.

Immersing you in 1930s Shanghai through live music acts, thrilling cabaret performances, plush decor and culinary delicacies, Park Chinois strives to be the final word when it comes to experiential dining. The luxurious venue encompasses a dining salon, cabaret club, two refined bars and a number of stunning private dining options. It will set you back a tidy sum, but it does deliver full sensory overload.

Providing sophisticated pan-Asian dining in the iconic Harrods department store, Chai Wu’s cuisine is inspired by the many different flavours and culinary traditions of Asia. At this refined eatery on the fifth floor, you can sample delicacies from all over the continent, including different sushi rolls, Peking duck, platters of dim sum platters, Korean lobster and more. The chefs use upmarket ingredients such as Alaskan crab, caviar and black truffles to elevate the classic dishes.

It’ll take a hefty chunk of your time just to get through the full range of authentic Chinese specialties listed on the menu at Phoenix Palace. Thankfully, the traditional Chinese setting, with lanterns, high-backed chairs, unrestrained decor and round tables, provides a timeless ambiance to relax in. There are also various set menus you can choose from.

Cafe TPT is a cosy, intimate place on Wardour Street, serving up an extensive assortment of street food delicacies in a light wood interior. Among other things, the menu features various soups, sizzling hot pots, meat and seafood dishes and Peking duck, as well as a selection of Malaysian specialties such as the national favourite, nasi lemak. This is one of Chinatown’s most popular eateries for a reason.

The cuisine at Etles Uyghur is rarely found even in China, as it’s the domain of the Turkic ethnic minority found in the north-western part of the country. It isn’t just the exclusivity that places the award-winning Etles Uyghur among London’s best, however. The traditional specialities here include never-ending hand-pulled noodles, skewers, stir-fried potatoes, offal dishes and giant bowls of tea, all memorably flavourful.

Indulge in simmering hotpot with fiery Sichuan flavours at Dragon Inn Club. This atmospheric restaurant takes style notes from eighth-century China, full of wood panelling and bamboo. Lots of types of hotpot are on the menu including fixed options, vegan versions, and the choice to build your own with your fave ingredients.

Right in the heart of the city, Barshu serves Sichuan food made with imported peppers and chillis for an authentic taste. Food here is complex and spicy with dishes like dumplings in chilli oil and chicken in a pile of chillis. The decor is traditional and elaborate. Drinks include cocktails and Chinese wines.

If you want an upscale Chinese meal in a refined space, China Tang is a great option. This elegant venue combines Art Deco interiors with traditional Chinese painting to create an upscale environment. Private dining is available too. There's a special dim sum menu plus à la carte treats like lobster noodles and Peking duck.

Head to Feng Shang Princess and you can enjoy a Chinese meal in the unique surroundings of a floating pagoda. Parked up on Regent's Canal, the dramatic exterior is an appealing and unexpected sight. The restaurant is a popular choice for special occasions. Expect attentive service, elaborate interiors, and a menu of Chinese and Asian favourites.

Dim Sum Duck is a sought-after Chinese restaurant in King's Cross – hungry Londoners are willing to queue for a seat here. The venue is intimate behind its bright blue exterior. Fresh and sizeable dim sum are a big attraction here but you can also try rice and noodle recipes and, of course, barbecue duck.

Wong Kei has quite the reputation. Once notorious as London's rudest restaurant, the attitude is now a bit more sedate but it remains one of the biggest and most popular spots in Chinatown. It's a simple and classic venue that serves a wide array of Cantonese dishes along with a small selection of wines.

Serving Chinese food in West London since 1978, Mandarin Kitchen is a popular restaurant that claims to have invented lobster noodles. The dish is still a big draw on the menu today but other seafood and Southern Chinese recipes are available too. The bustling dining room is straightforward and classic.

Lido opened back in 1969, making it the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. It remains a popular dining destination, serving steamed and fried dim sum plus other Chinese dishes like soup, congee, stir-fries, and set meals. Inside the restaurant you'll find a simple but bustling dining area full of locals and tourists.

Er Mei is a popular spot for Sichuan cuisine in Chinatown, and was the first in the area to specialise in this type of cooking. The venue is smart and simple, serving up specialities you won't get anywhere else. Dishes include stir-fried frog's legs, marinated jellyfish with chicken, and fried noodles.