Top Dining Spots in London's Chinatown

The alleys surrounding Gerrard Street in Soho are packed with Asian eateries, offering flavors as satisfying as a perfectly filled dumpling.

This is London's Chinatown, a vibrant Asian enclave since the 1950s and one of the most exciting and varied places to dine in Central London—if you know where to go.

Located near some of the city's busiest tourist hubs, including Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, the sheer number of dining options can feel overwhelming. With nearly 80 restaurants, there's a real risk of stumbling upon bland meals, outdated decor, and poor service.

Dinogo Travel ventures into the heart of Chinatown to bring you an essential guide on what to eat, where to find it, and why it's worth your visit.

Cantonese

Originating from Guangdong Province, Cantonese cuisine is the most recognizable Chinese culinary style in the West, thanks to the large number of immigrants who opened restaurants worldwide.

The Cantonese roast duck at Four Seasons (12 Gerrard St, W1D 5PR; 020 7494 0870) is legendary across London and beyond. The Financial Times has even praised its perfect balance of crispy, caramelized skin and juicy meat as the best roast duck in the world. There's also a second branch next door and another nearby on Wardour Street.

The decor here, much like many restaurants in this area, is a bit worn and retro. Many of these spots have retained their 70s or 80s charm—something that only adds to their character.

For a more contemporary and upscale dining experience, Plum Valley's sleek, dark wood design might be more to your liking (20 Gerrard St, W1D 6JQ; 020 7494 4366).

Sichuan

Sichuan cuisine is renowned for its bold, fiery flavors, and the vibrant, energetic atmosphere at Jinli (4 Leicester St, WC2H 7BL; 020 7437 1528) matches the intensity of its dishes perfectly.

Upstairs, the ambiance takes on an '80s nightclub vibe, with a menu filled with fiery red-pepper warnings. The star attraction here is grilled fish in chili oil. When the heat really kicks in, there's also KTV karaoke—an essential Chinese entertainment experience.

Baozi Inn (25 Newport Court WC2H 7JS; 020 7287 6877) specializes in buns, noodles, and dumplings, while the newly opened Shu Xiangge (10 Gerrard St, W1D 5PW; 07445366666) serves comforting, spicy Sichuan hot pot, made with a blend of 12 different spices and over 80 ingredients.

Dim Sum

Chinatown offers many places where you can satisfy your craving for steaming baskets of bite-sized dumplings, buns, and rolls.

Xiaolongbao, the famous Shanghai-style soup dumplings, are the signature dim sum at Dumplings’ Legend, a branch of the beloved Taiwanese chain Leong’s Legend.

Dumplings' Legend offers nine varieties of these tender dumplings, filled with flavorful broth and ingredients ranging from crabmeat to black truffle and pork. A glass-walled kitchen near the entrance lets you watch the skilled dumpling makers in action.

Dumplings' Legend, 15-16 Gerrard Street, W1D 6JE; 020 7494 1200

Leong’s Legend, 39 Gerrard St, W1D 5QD; 020 7434 0899

Hot Pot

At Shuang Shuang (64 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6LU; 020 7734 5416), a conveyor-belt hot pot restaurant, you create your own meal.

It's like an Escape Room experience for food lovers, with egg timers, utensils, and guides to help you assemble your dinner as you spin colorful plates of ingredients and broth. It’s a fun, interactive way to dine, but if you prefer a quick, no-fuss meal, it might drive you crazy.

Hot Pot (17 Wardour St, London W1D 6PJ; 020 7287 8881) offers a chance to experience the ancient Mongolian tradition of DIY dining, but without the conveyor belts.

Japanese

Craving sushi, Japanese curry, freshly baked cakes, or ice cream? Shibuya Soho (110 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5EJ; 020 7439 8393) has it all. They also serve bingsu, a Korean-style shaved ice dessert, with a variety of toppings from mango to espresso.

The newly opened Ichibuns (22 Wardour St, W1D 6QQ; 020 3937 5888) boasts friendly staff and a fun Manga-inspired interior. This Japanese twist on classic diner fare features Wagyu burgers and ramen, but one of the main attractions might just be the restrooms.

Yes, you can experience a true high-tech Japanese toilet right here in Chinatown.

Malaysian

If you’re in town for Lunar New Year, Rasa Sayang (5 Macclesfield St, W1D 6AY; 020 7734 1382) is the spot to try yu sheng, a traditional Malaysian and Singaporean New Year dish, available to enjoy in-house or take away.

Family and friends gather to share a colorful mix of ingredients—carrots, ginger, jellyfish, wontons, and more—all symbolizing good fortune, wealth, and health. During the lo hei (“toss high”) ritual, everyone tosses the ingredients into the air with chopsticks while chanting their best wishes for the year ahead.

Burmese

Myanmar cuisine made its debut in Chinatown in 2017 with the opening of The Shan State, a stylish restaurant at 100-102 Shaftesbury Avenue, featuring communal wooden benches and colorful umbrellas on the walls.

For an authentic Myanmar experience, try lahpet, a fermented tea leaf salad served with peanuts, dried shrimp, garlic, and tomatoes.

Feeling fancy?

A stunning new spot from the creators of the beloved Bao, Xu (30 Rupert St, W1D 6DL; 020 3319 8147) channels a 1930s Taiwanese tea room vibe, complete with private Mahjong game rooms.

The indulgent menu offers upscale dishes like lotus crisps and char siu Iberico pork collar.

After dinner, head around the corner to the speakeasy-inspired Opium parlour (The Jade Door, 15-16 Gerrard St, W1D 6JE; 020 7734 7276; above Dumplings' Legend) and sip on a Zodiac cocktail based on your birth sign. In 2018, it's the Year of the Dog.

The Dog cocktail is served in an adorable ceramic puppy, made with raisin-infused Chivas Regal whisky, noisette, biscuit syrup, chocolate bitters, and mead. It’s sweet enough to make you howl, but the novelty is well worth it.

Cheap eats

At Chinese Tapas House (15 Little Newport St, WC2H 7JJ), a no-frills, hole-in-the-wall spot, traditional Shandong breakfast crepes, or jianbing, are made fresh right before your eyes.

The thin dough is spread on a hotplate, then an egg is cracked on top, followed by fresh coriander, scallions, hoisin, chili sauce, crunchy wontons, and your choice of fillings—Chinese sausage, belly pork, crispy pigskin, or pickles.

Next door at Good Friend Chicken (14 Little Newport St), you can grab a large paper bag of crispy, flavorful Taiwanese popcorn chicken for just £0, seasoned with your choice of seven different spices, ranging from plum to seaweed.

Sweet treats

Just around the corner at 7 Newport Place (WC2H 7JR), Chinatown Bakery has a constant stream of customers, serving everything from Taro buns to vibrant green Pandan Swiss rolls.

Many people stop by just to watch the taiyaki machine in the window, where freshly made fish-shaped waffles spill out, filled with creamy, custardy goodness.

For those who consider photographing their food as crucial as eating it, head to Bake and Bubble Wrap, located at No. 9 and No. 24 Wardour Street.

The most Instagram-worthy treat at Bake is their soft-serve matcha tea ice cream, served in a fish-shaped taiyaki waffle cone, topped with a playful wafer.

Bubble Wrap specializes in Hong Kong-style egg waffles, served with ice cream and topped with everything from Oreos to red bean sauce. They’re visually stunning, but be ready for a serious sugar rush—the peanut butter option is sweet on an epic scale, straight from Hong Kong.

If you’re curious about how Hong Kong custard tarts compare to the Portuguese originals, Wonderful Patisserie (45 Gerrard St, W1D 5QQ; 020 7734 7629) offers both for a side-by-side taste test.