8 Places to Eat at London’s Chinatown

Chinatown is a vibrant and distinct district in the heart of London’s West End, conveniently located between Soho and Leicester Square. The area is home to many Chinese restaurants, shops, supermarkets, and bakeries, and is popular among both tourists and locals.

If you are in the area and craving some authentic Chinese food, Chinatown has a lot to offer. Here are some of the most popular restaurants that you should try when you are in Chinatown:

Four Seasons

Four Seasons is one of the most famous restaurants in Chinatown London. It has been around since the 1990s and has gained a reputation for serving high-quality Cantonese roast meats. There are three Four Seasons restaurants in Chinatown, each with its own menu. Of the three, the one at Gerrard street is the most prestigious. In particular, they are most well-known for their roast ducks that are cooked to perfection with a crispy skin and juicy meat that melts in your mouth.

🗺️ Address: 12 Gerrard St, London W1D 5PR

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday - 12pm to 11:30pm, Friday & Saturday - 12pm to 12am, Sunday - 12pm to 11:30pm

🍽️ Menu: https://www.fs-restaurants.co.uk/s/Four-Season-Main-Menu_Chinatown_297x-210mm_21Nov2022.pdf

🔗 Reservations: https://www.fs-restaurants.co.uk/reservations

Gold Mine China Town

We can’t miss Gold Mine when it comes to roast duck in London. Gold Mine is one of the best Chinese restaurants in London, and has always been a direct competitor with Four Seasons when it comes to roast duck and Cantonese food fare. Both brands have their own groups of supporters, but between the two, Gold Mine appears to have the upper edge. Gold Mine’s main branch is located at Queensway, but they have just opened a branch at Wardour Street in 2021. If you are at Chinatown and looking for the best roast duck in London, you should definitely also consider Gold Mine! For those who are not so into duck, Gold Mine also has very good dim sum which you should try.

🗺️ Address: 45 Wardour St, London W1D 6PZ, United Kingdom

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday - 12pm to 11:30pm, Sunday - 12pm to 11pm

🍽️ Menu: https://www.facebook.com/100065401182740/menu/

🔗 Reservations: Call 02072877277 or email goldminewardourstreet@gmail.com

Dumplings’ Legend

Dumplings' Legend is a popular restaurant in Chinatown London that specializes in Chinese dumplings and dim sum. Some of their most popular dishes include items that are most commonly seen in dim sum menus, such as Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings), Har Gow (prawn dumplings), and Cheung Fun.

💡 Tip - How to eat Xiao Long Bao: The essence of Xiao Long Bao lies in the soup within the dumpling — so be careful not to break the delicate skin of the Xiao Long Bao and waste the soup when taking it with your chopsticks! Take the Xiao Long Bao and plop it onto your soup spoon, take a small bite of the skin and slurp the soup before eating the rest of the dumpling!

🗺️ Address: 15-16 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JE

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday: 11.30am - 11pm, Friday to Saturday: 11.30am - 3am, Sunday: 11.30 am - 10pm

Wong Kei

Wong Kei is probably best known for its service, or the lack of — it was once known as the ‘rudest restaurant in London’. Service levels have since improved following the refurbishment of the restaurant in 2014. Despite the service levels, Wong Kei is highly popular among locals and tourists. Wong Kei specialises in Cantonese cuisine, and their must-try dish is the Beef Brisket and Rice Vermicelli in Soup — a thick and flavourful soup base, complimented with rice vermicelli and slowly-cooked beef.

🗺️ Address: 41-43 Wardour St, London W1D 6PY

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday - 11:30am to 11:30pm, Sunday - 11:30am to 10:30pm

Shu Xiang Ge

The two-floor Shu Xiangge on Gerrard Street is the place to go if you are looking for Sichuan-style hotpot, especially perfect for rainy days or colder months of the year. A signature of Sichuan-style food, Shu Xiangge is best for its flavourful and mouth-numbingly spicy broth. There are also slightly lighter options for those with more sensitive palettes. Choose from a variety of ingredients such as sliced beef, fishballs, tofu, mushrooms and more. Dip these ingredients into the bubbling broth and cook your own meats.

🗾 Address: 10 Gerrard Street, London

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12pm - 10pm

🔗 Reservations: https://www.thefork.com/restaurant/shu-xiang-ge-hotpot-chinatown-r745114

Cafe TPT

Cafe TPT may have a small exterior that is easy to miss, but they have an extensive menu of Cantonese and Malaysian dishes. Expect lots of tasty dishes like Bak Kut Teh (a spiced pork ribs soup), Zha Jiang Mian (black bean paste noodles), to seafood offerings like Deep Fried Crispy Oyster and Crab Sautéed with Salted Eggs. Café TPT also serves bubble tea with a variety of flavours like a refreshing Watermelon with Pearls or traditional Milk Tea with Pearls.

🗺️ Address: 21 Wardour St, London W1D 6PN

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 12pm - 4.15pm and 4.45 pm - 10pm

Good Friend Chicken

If you are not hungry enough for a full meal in one of the restaurants, but feeling peckish enough for some bites, check out Good Friend Chicken. Good Friend Chicken specialises in Taiwanese-styled fried chicken similar to the ones that are available in Taiwan’s night markets. Their chicken is a good amount of crispiness without being overly greasy, making it great for a mid-day snack. They have three different chicken options on their menu, with the popcorn chicken being the most popular. Typical of Taiwanese street-food, you will also get to douse your chicken with any of their seasoning powders to get an extra layer of flavours.

🗺️ Address: 14 Little Newport St, London WC2H 7JJ

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 12pm - 9pm

Olle Barbecue

If you are not in the mood for Chinese food, Chinatown also offers a selection of other Asian cuisine, such as Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Olle Barbecue on Shaftesbury Avenue is a Korean BBQ eatery with magnificent meats. From Wagyu beef and Iberico pork, to globally sourced seafood you’ll find premium cuts only here, you can grill these meats to perfection on your own tabletop stove. Olle also specialise in Korean stew, perfect to have along with your grilled meats.

🗺️ Address: 86-88 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5AY

🕤 Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12pm - 10.30pm