Westminster, Chinese Restaurant Guide

“High-quality and sometimes very punchy Sichuan food” is the order of the day at this understated-looking spot on a Westminster corner. Chef Zhang Xiaozhong presides over a “huge menu” which takes in some unusual dishes “including offal”, while the proximity of Parliament brings a “changing cast of MPs, lords and sundry politicos, which makes people-watching fun”.

“Probably the best Chinese gastronomic experience in the UK” – Andrew Wong “has changed the game for Chinese cuisine” in the West and “the progress he has made over the years is phenomenal” at this Pimlico HQ (which began life as his parents’ restaurant, Kym’s). “The hype is deserved” for food that’s “exceptional, original, and utterly delicious”: “he really sets the bar and showcases that Chinese gastronomy can go head-to-head against the likes of French and Japanese traditions when it comes to this level of cooking”. (“You can see the refinement and constant drive to make each and every element of a dish better and better”). At lunch, “exquisite dim sum” is served à la carte (and there’s also a lunchtime tasting option). In the evening, there’s the “pure theatre” of a lengthy tasting menu for £200 per person (“I don’t do tasting menus anymore, but this was a wise exception to my rule and an absolute triumph”). To a striking extent, no-one questions the quality here. Even so, some do bristle at the ultimate bill (“the food is exceptional, but you might prefer a week in Greece for similar money?”). “Still, despite the huge money, he’s full, so there are plenty of takers”. Top Tips – “Keep your eyes on instagram for last-minute bookings”. And “if visiting, ensure you have a drink in the basement bar, which very much has an old HK vibe”.

“Our Hong Kong and Singaporean friends rate this as the best in London!” – this “top-drawer” West End venture is now over five years old and the first European outpost of a 20-strong Singapore-based group with spin-offs in HK, Shanghai, Beijing and also one in Tokyo. It occupies a swish, converted banking hall in the West End, where the styling is “modern and chic while still being comfortable”. “The Peking Duck (which must be ordered in advance) is delicious, but the other menu choices are also terrific”. The catch is obvious – notwithstanding its excellence, “it feels expensive for the experience”.

“Great dim sum” backed up by more substantial Cantonese and Sichuan dishes have established this unshowy venue as one of the area‘s best bets. It’s easy to find: it’s right by the archway at the entrance to Chinatown!

“The best roast duck in the world? I have no idea, but it’s certainly superb” at these Cantonese canteens… and “you definitely don’t go for the ambience. No, You go for the duck… if you’re really smart, the roast pork… or even better, the pork and the duck!”. “But the service is comically, disastrously rude – and your arteries will probably thank you if you don’t go too often”. Launched 35 years ago in Queensway, the group now has outlets in Chinatown, Soho, the Hippodrome (Chop Chop), Colindale’s Bang Bang Oriental food hall and Oxford.

“Huge Cantonese restaurant” over two floors on Chinatown’s main drag, praised for its “sensibly priced and fine-quality dim sum”, along with “good crispy duck with pancakes”. “Service is brisk but friendly”, and its capacity makes it “good for walk-ins”.

Many long-in-the-tooth Londoners regard this “no-nonsense”, multi-floor Chinatown veteran as their “go-to Chinese restaurant in the West End”. “The legend of Wong Kei was the sheer rudeness of the staff. Nowadays they are just casually brusque but still provide a wide range of well-priced Chinese dishes” – “where else to have a complete meal in the West End under a tenner? Wonton Soup with noodles is ordered even before the menu gets slapped on the table”. Top Tip – “all dishes come with free green tea”.

“Fantastic dim sum with good-quality ingredients” make this family-run Cantonese “a good Gerrard Street standby”. Now entering its fifth decade, the decor is “slightly cooler than in your average Chinatown restaurant”.

“The best roast duck in the world? I have no idea, but it’s certainly superb” at these Cantonese canteens… and “you definitely don’t go for the ambience. No, You go for the duck… if you’re really smart, the roast pork… or even better, the pork and the duck!”. “But the service is comically, disastrously rude – and your arteries will probably thank you if you don’t go too often”. Launched 35 years ago in Queensway, the group now has outlets in Chinatown, Soho, the Hippodrome (Chop Chop), Colindale’s Bang Bang Oriental food hall and Oxford.

“The best roast duck in the world? I have no idea, but it’s certainly superb” at these Cantonese canteens… and “you definitely don’t go for the ambience. No, You go for the duck… if you’re really smart, the roast pork… or even better, the pork and the duck!”. “But the service is comically, disastrously rude – and your arteries will probably thank you if you don’t go too often”. Launched 35 years ago in Queensway, the group now has outlets in Chinatown, Soho, the Hippodrome (Chop Chop), Colindale’s Bang Bang Oriental food hall and Oxford.

“Sublime” and “well-executed Sichuan dishes in all their spiciness” (“crazy Chinese cooking like I’ve never experienced anywhere else!”) make this “a sensational go-to” foodie destination for its many long-term fans (who reckon it’s “back to late-noughties form”). The decor is relatively “soothing” by the standards of the area, with no agreement over whether sitting upstairs or downstairs is best.

This glossy Mayfair venue modelled on ‘the supper clubs of 1930s Shanghai’ “has a real buzz” with “wonderful singers and a band to add to a great night”. But while some diners feel the food is outstanding, ratings are undercut by the view that it’s “middle-of-the-road Chinese that’s well executed but nothing special and soured by the bill”.

“The signature duck and rice is delicious” at this Oriental gastropub on Berwick Street in Soho, which offers a broad range of options from dim sum and ‘small chow’ to Lobster Cantonese at £68. And the stylish interior works well too. But, despite consistently solid marks, this place (created by Hakkasan and Yauatcha impresario, Alan Yau) has never made huge waves. Indian-in-a-pub is finally starting to work as a concept – maybe Chinese-in-a-pub will have its day too…

“Consistently excellent dim sum” served in a vibey setting that “even after so many years is still a fun, cool place to be” ensures continuing plaudits for these sleek venues (founded by Alan Yau in 2004 and nowadays an international brand owned by Tao Group Hospitality with three siblings in India and one in Saudi Arabia). Food aside, its two London branches are very different – the original, intimate ground floor and basement in Soho contrasting with the more “spectacular”, large, “light-filled” modern unit in the City’s Broadgate development. Both scored highly this year – “service appears to have become a bit less standoffish”; and “the only drawback is eating too much!”. Top Menu Tips – “Cheung fun, Venison Puff, Sichuan pork wonton and Wagyu beef puff are some of the tastiest things you can eat”.

An “interesting menu” – with “the spicing just right” – is offered at this “great concept”, serving the cuisine developed by the historic Hakka Chinese community in Kolkata. The only complaint relates to the “very cramped tables” at its two venues, in Soho and Covent Garden.

“Divine dim sum” served in a moody, nightclubby setting (“very dark basement lighting” at the original) has helped this slick pan-Asian chain go from an obscure basement near Tottenham Court Road tube (which opened in 2001) to become a glam, international chain with 11 locations from Miami to Mumbai. Prices have always seemed a bit “excruciating” and performance generally is “not as good as it once was”, but this remains one of the Top-50 commented-on brands in our annual diners’ poll; and there’s still lots of praise for its “attractive” style, “fantastic” cooking (the dim sum in particular, as well as the duck) and “wonderful cocktails”. Less so for the “perfunctory” or “artificially polite” service, which, over the years, is increasingly acknowledged as just part of the package.

For a Chinese meal in the City, a number of reporters recommend this venue at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Blackfriars (fka the Crowne Plaza, reopened post-refurb in summer 2023). The unusual name marks the debut of the Chinese national cricket team in 2009, the year the restaurant opened. Classic dishes range from dim sum and Peking duck to xiao long bao.

This “atmospheric Cantonese restaurant in the Dorchester” was designed by the late Sir David Tang 20 years ago, and “whisks you to 1930s Shanghai when you walk in”. “One of the finest Chinese restaurants in London”, its menu lists “some mind-boggling but expensive dishes”, such as Japanese size 18 abalone at £388 or Peking duck with 125 grams of Kristal caviar at £480. Dip your toe in the water with the dim sum menu (which is served in the evenings as well as at lunchtimes). Or, from late 2024, pop into the Harrods Food Halls, where there’s a new ‘China Tang’ stall.