A Chinese meal in London once meant Cantonese in Chinatown; now, the cuisine of the world’s second most populous country is not only reflected in the regional diversity on offer in the UK capital but also served in contemporary surroundings that would look straight out of a modern metropolis like Shanghai or Chongqing. Here, we have selected eight of the best Chinese restaurants in London.
The best Chinese restaurants in London
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Royal China Club is located at 40-42 Baker St, London W1U 7AJ; royalchinagroup.co.uk
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