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Chopsticks at the ready: celebrate Lunar New Year in style with our pick of the best Chinese tables to book in the capital.
27 January, 2022
Chinese food sometimes gets the short end of the straw amid London's crowded international food scene. Look past the sticky sweet-and-sour chicken and soggy fried rice at your local takeaway joint, though, and you'll find a whole world of culinary delights just waiting to be explored. From fluffy buns to fiery Sichuan numbers, the venues in our best-of round-up prove why Chinese fare is still very much on the menu in London.
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Marylebone
This classic Cantonese restaurant is renowned for its dim sum. Don't be put off by the seemingly formal atmosphere - once the food arrives all pretension is thrown out the window as the room is filled with oohs and ahhs of content. Book ahead to avoid the queue that often snakes its way down Baker Street, and settle down to order plates of fried gyoza, soft dumplings, roast pork buns and crispy spring rolls.
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Highbury
Opposite Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, this no-frills restaurant serves Chinese food in unpretentious settings. Whitewashed interiors ensure that all focus is placed entirely on the food - and rightly so. Piled-up plates of sticky dumplings and thick udon noodles (the Xi'an Liang Pi Cold Noodles are a must-try) command all attention as they crowd the small tables, and disappear quicker than you can say bao bun.
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Soho
At face value, this stalwart pub in Soho seems an unlikely addition to this round-up. While drinks are served in the buzzy ground floor bar, head upstairs for the real deal. Chinese food is served in the intimate dining room - be sure to order the Cantonese-style roast duck, hand-reared at a local family-owned farm.
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Pimlico
Helmed by London-born chef Andrew Wong, this Chinese restaurant seamlessly switches between a delightful dim-sum menu during the day and heaped plates of authentic cuisine in the evening. Try the 10-course tasting menu, which showcases the best of Wong's culinary finesse.
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Mayfair
This chinese restaurant brings Shanghai's 30s jazz lounges to London's Mayfair. Beyond its decadent red doors, the interiors pair rich velvets and fringed furnishings with sophisticated cocktails and raved-about food. Book into the Salon de Chine to sample the Asian menu in sophisticated surrounds, or slide into a booth downstairs at Club Chinois, where food is often served alongside curious entertainment.
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Soho
Fragrant noodle dishes, meat-filled wontons and lip-smacking curries are served at Yauatcha on Soho's Broadwick Street, where dimly lit interiors are adorned with sleek furnishings. Be sure to save room for dessert - try the "Winter Sun", an exotic fruit mousse served with black-sesame cream and a banana-toffee compote, or the praline brownie topped with salted yuzu caramel.
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Fitzrovia
This trendy Chinese hotspot does what it says on the tin - but with style. Originally a food stall, this restaurant prioritises quality over quantity, with a relatively short menu consisting of popular dishes such as steamed baos packed with juicy meat and veg. Round off the meal with a fried bao filled with ice cream - you won't regret it.
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Lower Clapton
This popular Hackney dumpling restaurant often has queues out the door. Arrive early to nab a table, settle down in view of the kitchen and watch your dishes being skillfully prepared. Sample the restaurant's dim-sum menu - we're ordering the crispy wontons, steamed buns and fried potstickers.
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Belgravia
If unnecessarily lengthy menus leave you sweaty-palmed and stressed, Hunan is the place for you. Leave the hard work to the experts at this menuless restaurant, which is tucked among Pimlico's galleries and antiques shops. Dine like an emperor on a series of small plates followed by heaps of hand-pulled noodles and fiery sauces.
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City of London
Another restaurant by Chinese master-of-all Andrew Wong, Kym's is one for the Instagrammers. Pink-hued interiors coupled with a cherry-blossom tree make a picture-perfect setting for your evening meal. Yet this isn't all style over substance - dishes such as Cantonese crispy pork belly or Iberico pork char siu steal the focus every time.
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Brixton
In bustling Brixton Village, Mamalan specialises in northern-Chinese street food inspired by the owner's experience of watching her mother run a market stall in Beijing - the restaurant is even named after her. Huddle into the crowded restaurant for beef and pork potstickers, veggie dumplings and hearty noodle soups.
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Camberwell
This cheerful restaurant in Camberwell serves food from China's Xinjiang province. Slide onto communal benches and peruse a refreshingly short menu before promptly deciding to order the lot. Hand-pulled noodles, fluffy dumplings and spicy stews prove that Chinese food is more than your typical sweet-and-sour chicken or beef in black bean sauce.
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Chinatown
Dumplings' Legend offers dim sum with a twist. Try the fried turnip cake (luóbo gāo), stuffed rice noodles (cheung fun) and, of course, plenty of meat-filled dumplings. A glass-fronted kitchen allows diners to gawp at the chefs' magic while it happens.
This article was updated on 27 January 2022.