Best restaurants in Chinatown

Speedboat Bar burst on London’s food scene in ???, and has been serving up some of the city’s best (and eye wateringly spicy) Thai food ever since. You can also enjoy cocktails from the equally exciting drinks menu and challenge friends to a game of pool or two whilst you’re there.

Orient is owned by one of the oldest families in Chinatown - the Yeungs - and they’re sticklers for tradition. All the food served here mirrors how it has traditionally been made, and whilst the whole menu is pretty epic, it’s the seafood you really come here for.

If you’re looking for somewhere to live out your Korean barbecue and soju dreams, Pochawa delivers on both fronts in a welcoming, retro-style Pocha bar. There are other classic Korean dishes on offer from savoury pancakes with kimchi and mozzarella, to pan-fried dumplings and pork with boiled tofu.

Although Chinese cuisine is the name of the game here, Plum Valley is also inspired by Malaysia and Singapore. The à la carte features sweet and sour chicken and Vietnamese pork belly, but the dim sum offering is absolutely not to be missed.

Shu Xiang Ge is home of the hotpot; a DIY meal of bubbling broth and copious amounts of meats and vegetables to dip and cook in it. Expect eye wateringly spicy meat options, as well as more mild vegetarian options, and it’s a great space to head to with a group of friends.

Split across two floors, diners can choose between the light-filled ground floor and moody basement level, while the menu here is a role call of popular pocket-friendly Malaysian dishes, including roti canai, satays, noodles and signature dishes such as nasi lemak. 

One of Chinatown’s more youthful, contemporary new inhabitants, YiQi mixes up a swathe of pan-Asian influences across a huge menu. Similar restaurants can often be disappointing but the food at YiQi is excellent - the cordyceps mushroom and chicken broth is a must order, but frankly, you can’t go wrong with the excellent menu.

If you’re looking for some lip smackingly good buns in Chinatown, Bun House is a no brainer - and you’ll find them rustling up fresh batches throughout the day so you can pop in for lunch or dinner for some of these steaming hot delicacies.

Wong Kei is a regular on London’s cheap eats lists, and is a go to when you want some serious bang for your buck. It may not be known for its warm hospitality, but we can look past that for the generous portions of food at such a modest price.

This is a resolutely traditional Chinatown experience, featuring the infamously brusque service and intruguing dishes like spicy pig’s foot or pork lung. If you’re not in the mood to experiment, stick with the kung po prawns and salt and pepper squid.  

Moved over Korean fried chicken, because the Taiwanese alternative is where it’s at. So committed to tradition, the team actually imported their fryer from Taiwan, and have been making some of London’s best fried chicken ever since. Word to the wise - order the popcorn chicken.

Chinatown Bakery has long been one of the top choices when looking for baked goods in the area, and will often catch the eye of passers by with its fish-shaped waffles in the window. Inside they’re filled with a warm vanilla custard and they’re every bit as addictive as they seem.

Four Seasons has always been highly regarded as one of the best spots for a decent meal in Chinatown, and there’s one dish in particular that gets tongues wagging. The famed roast duck has previously been referred to as the ‘best roast duck in the world’ for good reason and if you don’t believe us, give it a go for yourself.

This Chinatown café makes a big claim with its bold name, and reportedly makes 8,000 fresh dumplings each day. Find them on the menu in the form of pork dumplings with crab roe and xiao long bao, best enjoyed at lunchtime.

This Vietnamese street food joint has won legions of fans and turns out a selection of casual dishes, such as hearty pho, buns filled with the likes of lemongrass pork, and egg fried rice topped with beef and spring onion.

Not only is Tokyo Diner one of the best spots for a decent Japanese meal in Chinatown, but any tips that are left for staff aren’t accepted (as Japan doesn’t do ‘tipping’), and are instead sent to St. Martin-in-the-Fields’ unit for the Homeless.

C&R cafe is proof that good things come in small packages, with it’s compact restaurant tucked away down a side street in Chinatown. Whilst you can tuck into anything from chicken curry to prawn pad thai, it’s the laksa that people really come here for. There’s also a small shop with extra seating across the street!