The best restaurants in London’s Chinatown

A meal at Food House is to choose between parallel universes. Option one is family style sharing in the brightly-lit, carpeted ground floor where you’ll select from an extensive menu of Northern Chinese dishes. Option two promises the upstairs dining room, reserved for those enjoying an all-you-can-eat hotpot experience: a completely different ambience with dramatic red wallpaper, dim spotlights and mirrors casting atmospheric shadows. Out of the sharing dishes, highlights include the flat, dry-fried green beans, while barbeque chives are addictively salty. But the headliner is whole roast sea bass served on a large boiling platter and soaked in radioactively-red chilli oil and Sichuan peppercorns.

Time Out tip Book a table downstairs if you want a (relatively) more low-key and calmer dining experience, but head upstairs if you’re looking for something more raucous.

An ideal size for lunch or a quick bite before a West End show, Chinese Tapas House is really just a countertop serving crispy jianbing, excitingly prepared in front of you on sizzling hot plate stoves. Jianbing has a surprisingly long history, believed to have originated in 220-280 AD during a period of war on the eastern coast of China, when soldiers lost their woks on the journey and military general Zhuge Liang made them cook batter on shields held over open fires. Also known as Chinese crepes, they’re still a hugely popular snack on street stalls in China today, made of egg and crispy dough sticks, then coated in hoisin and spicy chilli sauce. If you eat meat, then add the pork belly for a more intensely savoury flavour.

Time Out tip You can also grab bubble waffles here. While the quintessential HongKonger way is to eat them plain, they also offer ice-cream toppings.

There is some seriously sophisticated cooking going on at what at first glance seems to be a simple Rupert Street party restaurant. The bright and boozy Speedboat Bar is inspired by canteen food in Bangkok’s own Chinatown and features cult dishes such as chicken skins with zaep seasoning and chicken matches with green mango kerabu. The hero dish though is the massive pot of tom yam mama noodles, with squid, pork and prawns swimming in a creamy broth. Food here is hot; there's serious spice in a salad of chicken matches with green mango kerabu, and heat-seeking prawn ceviche missiles come dotted with a bullseye of garlic and chilli as a warning.  

Time Out tip There's a 1am weekend licence, so mark this one down as a perfect post-party feast spot. Upstairs you'll find a pool table a great cocktail menu. Fun and extremely drinkable, try the Phed Pokati marg sang with green mango tequila, makrut lime leaf, green chilli and mango salt.

If you’ve ever found yourself in Central London at 3am, you’ll already know the city is no competition for places like New York or Tokyo when it comes to late-night eats. What we do have though is Chinatown’s secret weapon – thick and freshly hand-pulled noodles at Lanzhou Lamian, a cramped eatery that closes at 4.30am on weekends. If there wasn’t always a long queue of hungry Asians outside, you could mistake it for a more westernised Chinese takeaway, with slightly dried out, fluorescent sweet and sour pork in the window. Upon entering though, you know you’re in safe hands with the chefs effortlessly stretching their famously chewy, thick noodles. While technically on the outskirts of Chinatown, it’s a must visit for freshly-made noodles at an unbeatable price point.

Time Out tip While it’s pretty hard to go wrong with your order, the beef brisket, crispy siu yok or fried pork chop with noodles (soup option!) are eternally popular. For a meatless meal, the spicy peanut noodles always deliver.

Rasa Sayang is an oasis on the edge of bustling Chinatown, with a glass entrance that floods the restaurant with natural light, featuring a central bar decorated with bright turquoise tiles. Their Malaysian menu is extensive, but stick to their specialty dishes; the beef rendang (a dry curry with extra soft beef), nasi lemak (fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves, often considered Malaysia’s national dish), nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice), Hainanese chicken rice, char kway teow (a stir fried flat rice noodle dish) and mee goreng (egg noodles stir fried with a mix of vegetables, meat and prawns). If you have to prioritise, their Hainanese chicken is the best in London according to many Malaysian friends, with poached chicken strips served in soy sauce and adding a subtle salty flavour. 

Time Out Tip Try their special in-house recipe for Teh Tarik, the unofficial national drink of Malaysia: a popular milk tea concoction made with condensed milk.

Since opening in the 1980s, Wong Kei has become one of Chinatown’s most iconic hallmarks, specialising in Cantonese dishes as well as famously blunt service. Minimalist decor of white walls, pale blue table tops and red velvet chairs creates a chacaanteng (Hong Kong diner) frozen in time, and while portions aren’t the most generous, taste and quality are always reliable. I’d particularly recommend their Malaysian-style tung choi, water spinach with shrimp paste, which Wong Kei makes especially flavoursome but crucially not overly salty. You also can’t go wrong with their gōn cháau ngàuh hó: arguably the most quintessential chacaanteng noodle dish, a comforting blend of oily, chewy and beefy. While it’s impossible to find anywhere in London that has the same consistency of noodles as wonton mein in Hong Kong, Wong Kei’s broth and wontons still deliver when it comes to umami depth of flavour.

Time Out tip Out of the Cantonese roast meats hanging in the restaurant’s window, skip the traditional char siu pork and choose siu yok (pork belly) instead, which always promises more succulence. Also good is their roast duck, which they barbecue in the morning before serving at room temperature for the rest of the day.

Amongst the sizzle of oily grills and humming exhaust fans, Korean BBQ is a ceremonious experience to be collectively shared and enjoyed. It’s known for sweet tasting meats, involving smaller, tender pieces marinated with soy sauce, garlic, sesame and sugar. At Pochawa Grill, I would recommend skipping the less flavoursome gimmari and pancakes to focus instead on the KBBQ set menus, which feature high quality meat at very reasonable price points for Central London - and obviously don’t forget the kimchi, which packs a strong, tangy punch. As advised by our helpful waiter: according to Korean tradition, the optimum way to eat your meal is to gradually build flavour. So in KBBQ, that means cooking and consuming the raw, unflavoured meat first, before moving onto the marinated meats, then finishing with the heavier flavours like noodles or rice dishes.

Time Out tip If you’re in the area during the day, Pochawa has an excellent lunchtime deal of £11 for a jjigae (kimchi stew) with three banchan (vegetable) sides.

Tucked away down a small alley, this long-standing Malaysian hub, a quaint and casual eatery with basic interiors, has been serving over 100 bowls of laksa a day for the last 20 years. The owner, a warm Malaysian aunty called Rosa, set up the business with her husband in 1998 after moving to London from Johor - deeply missing her favourite street foods from back home. The whole team is made up of Rosa’s welcoming, smiley family, which is honestly reason enough to visit before you’ve even looked at the menu. Alongside their laksa, the Malaysian spicy coconut noodle soup – which they make pleasantly creamy without being too overly thick – other hawker stall favourites to try are char kuey teow (a smoky stir fried flat rice noodle dish - not to be confused with pad thai, having similar ingredients but different flavours), wat tan hor (flat rice noodles served in a savoury gravy-like sauce with choi sum vegetables and assorted seafood) and hokkien mee (originally from Fujian province in China, these thick noodles are often served in a dark soy sauce with prawns, cabbage and pork).

Time Out tip Add a touch of tantalising crispiness to your meal with the lor bak: five-spice marinated pork wrapped in bean curd skins and deep fried.

Since the original Four Seasons opened in Queensway back in 1990, there are now three in Chinatown, with two side-by-side on Gerrard Street, alongside a third on Wardour Street. They’ve earned their reputation for good reason: their signature Hong Kong-style Cantonese roast meats, in particular the siu ngo (roast duck) and siu yok (pork belly). While all branches have the same menu, dining at the original Chinatown branch at 12 Gerrard Street, with its old school, unchanged decor, gives the best insight into the history behind the iconic institution. They have always specialised in Cantonese classics: from lobster noodles in ginger and spring onion sauce (which had the optimum amount of cornflour, coating the meat but not coagulating too much), and generous portions of water spinach stir fried in garlic, to deeply comforting crab and sweetcorn soup. They’re also happy to cater to off-menu Cantonese street food cravings; e.g. ‘Three Fried Stuffed Treasures’, a popular snack from the streets of Hong Kong and Macau, featuring tempura-battered vegetables stuffed with prawns or dace fish meat. 

Time Out tip For an alternative to Chinese tea, try their refreshing homemade soy milk, which they pride themselves on not making overly sweet.

Despite the multitude of incredible dishes within its repertoire, Taiwanese food - known for their herbal broths and umami flavours with a hint of sweetness - is surprisingly underrepresented in London. That’s what makes Leong’s Legend such an important piece of the Chinatown puzzle. It’s an atmospheric place, with fairy lights, brightly-lit red lanterns and Chinese calligraphy-style art on the wall. But most importantly, they do the quintessential Taiwanese dishes justice. The oyster omelette has an added spinach layer and the perfect balance of sweet sauce, while the slow cooked braised pork over rice is the ultimate comfort food. The three cup chicken and fried chicken are different enough in flavour to order both – one saucy, the other crispy – while the spicy wontons and plump xiaolongbao are a welcome addition to any meal.

Time Out tip Ask for one of the two tables by the front window if you want both the quietest spot to catch up with friends and the best place for people watching on the streets outside.

Since opening in early 2024, YiQi blends Chinatown's comforting familiarity with a freshness and creativity to their southeast Asian repertoire. Upon entering, the place feels trendy and modern, with stylish oak wood furniture and striking turquoise walls. In an area where many restaurants have similar offerings, the variety and uniqueness of YiQi’s menu immediately stands out, featuring irresistibly crispy Iberico pork with preserved red bean curd, a zingy king oyster mushroom and kumquat salad and deeply seasoned Nyonya pandan chicken wrapped in banana leaves. Try the specially designed mocktails: the sally sour plum drink is ubiquitous on a sunny day in Malaysia, the tamarind drink tastes tart and refreshing and the cendol, made with coconut and bits of pandan-flavoured green rice flour jelly, gives a pleasantly nutty flavour.

Time Out tip Go wild with the seafood options; there’s everything from sea bass and lobster to Singaporean crab. The must-order though is the spicy yuzu skate fish, coated in a tangy, citrusy sauce that gradually builds in spice.

Bun House is a convenient take-out spot to pop into for a fluffy steamed bun (they’ve got six different fillings to choose from, including the must-order custard lava bun) as well as a rustic, cosy cafe across two floors, where you can sit in and enjoy Cantonese small plates. When it comes to bun fillings, their vegetable option is mushroom-heavy with some serious depth of flavour, while the slow-cooked beef filling is extremely tender. But the stand out is the lamb: extremely peppery with rich notes of spring onion-induced umami. Other highlights include the homemade-style shumai and cheung fun with peanut sauce, which is extra delicious once you add a little extra chilli oil. You also have to try the addictively crispy ‘hot and sour waffles’. 

Time Out tip For the ultimate sweet treat (in addition to the custard bun), try the Kaya french toast; triple stacked bread slices with custard between each layer, topped with a generous helping of jasmine clotted cream.

Taiwanese fried chicken was popularised by night market stall owners in the late 1970s, as they tried to recreate western-style chicken nuggets, but ended up making a deep fried, boneless bite-size version or what we now call popcorn chicken. While there’s always an intimidatingly long line trailing out of Good Friend’s bright yellow storefront, luckily it moves quickly, with staff operating at breakneck speed. For the most classic Taiwanese options, the popcorn chicken or karaage are go-to orders, but there’s also crispy squid, chicken skin, crispy tofu and sweet potato options if you feel like branching out.

Time Out tip Their boneless chicken thigh is always moist and flavourful from a generous slick of oil - but it’s not one to order if you’re in a rush, as the wait for them to be prepared fresh can be up to 20 minutes.

You can easily become overwhelmed when contemplating where to have dim sum in Chinatown, but I find myself repeatedly drawn back to New Loon Fung, the homely restaurant next to the sprawling Asian supermarket of a similar name, Loon Fung. Reliable and affordable, they specialise in Cantonese cuisine, originally opened by Lee Shun-bun, one of the final restaurateurs left from the generation of immigrants that built London’s Chinatown in the 1970s. Andrew Wong, head chef of London’s A. Wong (the first Chinese restaurant outside of Asia to gain two Michelin stars) described Shun-bun as ‘what Chinatown stands for’ when it comes to his contribution to the UK food scene. Their dim sum closely mirrors what would arrive on your table in Hong Kong: so feel at ease ordering all the usuals, like char siu bao (pork buns), har gau, shumai and more.

Time Out tip For an afternoon of dim sum, make sure you get there comfortably before 5pm, as that’s when they stop serving it.

For an area that makes as many bowls of noodles as Chinatown, it’s surprisingly rare to find ones that are fresh and traditionally hand-pulled. So Kung Fu Noodle, with their dedication to the craft, was a hugely welcome addition when it opened in 2022. Founded by Alex Xu, who also owns Happy Lemon, the hugely popular bubble tea chain, they specialise in Gansu-style noodles from northwestern China: a region emblematic of the Hui Muslim people who reside there. The noodles are known for their halal meat accompaniments and clear broth flavours, interestingly omitting soy sauce, arguably the most popular sauce across the rest of Chinese cuisine. With hot, cold and soup noodle options on the menu, their signature bowl is the famous Lanzhou beef noodle soup, served with melt-in-your-mouth hunks of beef and a generous amount of chilli oil.

Time Out tip For each bowl, you can choose between hand pulled or knife cut noodles. I’d recommend opting for the latter, which gives you a more wheaty but slightly sweet flavour. They also soak up whatever elements they’re cooked in especially well.

Chinatown’s ‘dessert alley’ is sweet treat heaven, made up of Asian ice cream, dessert and bubble tea stores, featuring everything from matcha, taiyaki and much-loved Filipino parlour Mamason’s Dirty Ice Cream, playfully named after the traditional Manila method of using bare hands to make ice-cream. It’s a small but buzzing cafe decorated with tropical palm-printed wallpaper, electric neon signage and drawings of desserts on the wall which works as a giant visual menu. It’s a great pit stop for a sugary boost, with options like Halo Halo (a Filipino dessert made of colourful shaved ice) and east and southeast Asian flavours such as purple ube and red bean.

Time Out tip While their signature is the ube bilog (an ube ice-cream filled sandwich), I prefer the ube ice cream and brownie combination, which is (slightly) less sweet.

There are few Chinatown restaurants that give you as quintessential an experience as Dumpling’s Legend. Its menu is almost as long as the Bible, the changeover of guests are often greeted with blunt service, and if you’re sitting in one of the middle tables, the surrounding din is close to deafening. But it’s all part of the experience, and a unique chance to try so many regional Chinese flavours rolled into one kitchen. Owner Geoffrey Leong, who also runs nearby Leong’s Legend which specialises in Taiwanese cuisine, has created an extensive menu that celebrates dishes from Dongbei, Guizhou, Manchuria, Sichuan, Xinjiang and, of course, Cantonese, the most prevalent cuisine in Chinatown, all under one roof.

Time Out tip Perhaps controversially, I’d skip dumplings and dim sum and instead opt for the more flavoursome sharing dishes. The stand-out is egg tofu with enoki and mushrooms, which is stewed in a lightly umami sauce. For spice lovers, try the Sichuanese classic of whole sea bass with mixed chillies, lotus root and potatoes.

Every Chinatown meal can be significantly improved with dessert at the cutesy named Candy Cafe. Their menu paints a sugar-fuelled rainbow across Asia, covering everything from bubble teas and smoothies, to Cantonese-style mango sago, matcha, taro, durian flavours and Filipino halo halo – also offering customisation options with toppings, such as grass jelly, taro balls or tapioca. Given London's weather usually feels like winter, my go-to order is the comforting Taiwanese dessert, tang yuan: glutinous mochi rice balls served in a soothing hot ginger soup with peanut or sesame fillings.  While the cafe specialises in sweet treats, they also serve simple but satisfying noodle bowls: including Hong Kong-style luncheon meat and eggs or Korean-style black bean ramen, as well as savoury snacks like mantou: fluffy white buns, deep fried and dipped in condensed milk.

Time Out tip On Fridays and Saturdays, they close at 11:30pm (instead of 10pm on weekdays), so late night, post-pub visits are encouraged.

Chinatown Bakery is a playground of baked classics, including the iconic bolobao – officially deemed part of Hong Kong’s ‘intangible cultural heritage’ in 2014 – also known as a pineapple bun because of its patterned top, despite not having any pineapple in the recipe. It’s worth trying the swirly sesame bun, the wife cafe (a more acquired taste, with a winter melon paste filling and flaky texture) or the spring onion and pork floss bun: a more savoury bite in the sea of sweet bread. There are two branches in Chinatown on Newport Place and Wardour Street, but we prefer the latter for both its bigger size and larger menu selection. Don’t forget to try the taiyaki (small fish-shaped sweet pastries) which are cooked fresh in their front window. 

Time Out tip Alongside bread, Chinatown Bakery sells its own douhua. It’s a light and mild-tasting Chinese snack made with silken tofu, which can be served hot or cold (and savoury or sweet, depending on how much syrup you add.) Chinese people worldwide will have happy memories of eating it at makeshift hawker stalls on a hot summer’s day.

Part of Chinatown’s original 1970s wave of Cantonese restaurants, Plum Valley’s name comes from an ancient Chinese fable about an isolated utopian village, whose happy existence was untouched by the chaos of the outside world. Sure enough, this family-run eatery provides a welcome respite from the streets outside, as you cosplay a slightly fancier dining experience but still get to pay normal Chinatown prices. With plush pleather seating, intimate spotlights and dark oak furniture inspired by China’s imperial gardens, Plum Valley is a solid option for dim sum: must-orders are the fried radish cakes with XO sauce, haam seoi gok (translated as ‘salt water corners’: deep fried glutinous rice dumplings that are crispy on the outside) and gon caau ngau ho (beef fried flat noodles).

Time Out tip Never order a claypot rice – here, or anywhere else in Chinatown. It will never taste right if it’s been cooked in a central London kitchen instead of over a charcoal fire in Hong Kong.