The best Chinese restaurants in London

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Brits love Chinese food. Following the Second World War, immigration from Hong Kong increased, with many migrants opening restaurants. At a time when food was still rationed, Chinese cuisine was novel and exotic – even if it was often adapted to suit local tastes. This anglicised iteration gave rise to the comforting staples we know today.

In recent years, there’s been a shift toward authenticity when it comes to Chinese restaurants – Sichuan, Hunan and Cantonese traditions have expanded the British palate beyond egg-fried rice and sweet-and-sour pork. A new generation of restaurateurs is leading the charge with hotpot spots, dim sum parlours and bubble tea shops.

Chinese restaurants remain beloved staples in the UK, but they have evolved. No longer confined to Chinatown, they now span a vibrant array across London, reflecting the extraordinary richness of Chinese cuisine. We have rounded up some of the best below.

The best Chinese restaurants in London

Chai Wu

Since 2015, Chai Wu has brought refined Chinese dining to Harrods, courtesy of restaurateur Eddie Lim. The fifth-floor, 90-seat space, designed by Harrison, is sleek and moody, drawing inspiration from the Chinese philosophical elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water. On the menu: upscale dim sum such as sea bass dumplings with gold leaf; mains like sizzling Beijing duck, carved table-side; a great green-tea chocolate fondant; and a selection of Chinese teas. Anna Solomon

Chai Wu is located at Fifth Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL; harrods.com

Mei Ume

The Four Seasons Hotel’s Asian fusion restaurant, Mei Ume, features interiors by AB Concept which blend Eastern and Western design – think silk panels and bamboo screens within the Grade II-listed grandeur of Ten Trinity Square. The menu fuses Chinese and Japanese cuisines, offering everything from Peking duck to sushi and dim sum. Highlights include truffle and mushroom dumplings, hot-stone scallops and an expansive sushi bar. AS

Mei Ume is located at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ; fourseasons.com

Yu Ge

Opened in 2024 within Park Hyatt London River Thames, Yu Ge offers a sophisticated take on Cantonese cuisine. The low-lit setting marries traditional Chinese motifs with contemporary architecture, while the kitchen, helmed by Chef Eng Soon Yeo, delivers precise, premium dishes rooted in classic Chinese techniques, from Peking duck to dim sum filled with lobster, prawn and black-truffle mushroom. Expect thoughtful surprises too, such as cold jellyfish with pork. AS

Yu Ge is located at 7 Nine Elms Ln, Nine Elms, London SW8 5PH; hyattrestaurants.com

Tattu

The first thing that strikes you when you step inside Tattu, set above Tottenham Court Road’s Outernet building, is a huge cherry blossom installation which presides over a seductive space by Joyce Wang Studio. Dishes follow a loose chronology of dim sum, small plates and mains, with highlights including chicken truffle shumai and seven-spice seared tuna. For dessert, the panna cotta – topped with aquamarine jelly and chocolate koi fish – is a work of art. AS

Tattu is located at The Now Building Rooftop, Outernet, Denmark St, London WC2H 0LA; tattu.co.uk

A. Wong

The only Chinese restaurant outside Asia to hold two Michelin stars, Andrew Wong’s smart but relaxed Pimlico dining room applies the fine-dining format to regional Chinese cooking. Sit at the chef’s counter to fully experience the craftsmanship that goes into each tiny course that refashions the culinary traditions of China’s 22 provinces. Ben McCormack

A. Wong is located at 70 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1DE; awong.co.uk

Canton Blue

Brooklands might be the restaurant with the two Michelin stars at The Peninsula, but given the hotel group’s Hong Kong origins, Canton Blue feels most authentically at home in the luxurious Asian-style surroundings. Classics such as XO prawns are done exceptionally, as well as the lunchtime dim sum. Spare some time for a drink in the bar, worth a visit for the dramatic spiral staircase alone, lined with an undulating wall of ceramic vases. BM

Canton Blue is located at The Peninsula, 1 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HJ; peninsula.com

Gouqi

Tong Chee Hwee is the chef who won Hakkasan its Michelin star in the noughties; now he’s teamed up with former Hakkasan assistant manager Alan Tang in this stylish spot just off Trafalgar Square. Luxury ingredients are treated to a light touch, while groups of four should book one of the semi-private tables in the anteroom at the back. BM

Gouqi is located at 25-34 Cockspur Street, London SW1Y 5BN; gouqi-restaurants.co.uk

Hakkasan

The restaurant that showed the capital (and the world) that Chinese restaurants could be every bit as alluring as Japanese remains an electrifying experience at its two London outposts. If the entrance to the Hanway Place original feels too grungy, Hakkasan Mayfair is glamorous from the word go. BM

Hakkasan is located at 17 Bruton Street and 8 Hanway Place, London W1J 6QB; hakkasan.com

Hunan

An insider secret among London’s Chinese cuisine cognoscenti, serene Hunan removes the stress of choosing from a lengthy menu by doing away with the menu altogether. Simply tell the staff your favourite things to eat and how spicy you like it and 18 miniature dishes (mainly a mix of Cantonese and Taiwanese) will arrive from chef YS Peng, with service overseen by sommelier son Michael. BM

Hunan is located at 51 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8NE; hunanlondon.com

Hutong

One might assume that a restaurant on the 33rd floor of the Shard would be a tourist trap but ownership by the Hong Kong-based Aqua group means that Hutong is authentically at home in its skyscraping surrounds. The cooking is less spicy than the name suggests, and there are a couple of terrific Chinese wines, too. BM

Hutong is located at Level 33, The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY; hutong.co.uk

Imperial Treasure

Singapore-based Imperial Treasure is a very big deal in Asia, where among 20 restaurants, the Guangzhou and Shanghai outposts have two Michelin stars. The Red Guide has yet to shine over this St James’s satellite, though the slick service, imposing surroundings and classic Cantonese cooking all merit star status. BM

Imperial Treasure is located at 9 Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4BE; imperialtreasure.com

JM Oriental

Almost the end of the Northern line and a 10-minute walk from Colindale station, JM Oriental emerges as a gem of a restaurant, where kind staff welcome guests to a glossy dining room that feels glamorously at odds with the suburban location. It’s the cooking from chef Andrew Hung that is the main attraction, however: dreamy dim sum by day, contemporary Cantonese cuisine come the evening. BM

JM Oriental is located at 28 Heritage Ave, London NW9 5GE, jmoriental.co.uk

MiMi Mei Fair

The Chinese spoke in restaurateur Samyukta Nair’s ever-spinning Mayfair wheel (she also owns Indian Jamavar, Italian Nipotina and Japanese/Thai Koyn), MiMi Mei Feir is as pastel-coloured pretty as a box of sugared almonds. Don’t miss the apple-wood-fired roast Peking duck with pancakes, practically a meal in itself. BM

MiMi Mei Fair is located at 55 Curzon Street, London W1J 8PG; mimimeifair.com

Min Jiang

This tenth-floor hotel dining room, seemingly floating above the treetops of Kensington Gardens, would be worth a visit for the view alone even if it didn’t have a showstopper of a signature dish. Beijing duck served in two courses – first with pancakes, then as a soup, stir-fry or a lettuce wrap – was introduced to London here and has yet to be bettered. BM

Min Jiang is located at the Royal Garden Hotel, 2-24 Kensington High Street, London W8 4PT; minjiang.co.uk

Royal China Club

The original Bayswater branch of Royal China (now alas closed) was the restaurant that introduced Londoners to dim sum, but top-notch dumplings are on offer at the remaining four outposts at Baker Street, Canary Wharf, Chinatown and Harrow. Best of all is the more upmarket Royal China Club, where high-end ingredients prepared with refinement include seafood fished out of tanks and cooked to order. BM

Royal China Club is located at 40-42 Baker St, London W1U 7AJ; royalchinagroup.co.uk

For more dining recommendations, see the new London restaurants to book now