Bloomsbury, Chinese Restaurant Guide

“Hand-made and pulled noodles are the stars of the show” at this “authentic” canteen in a side-street near Russell Square, offering “fantastic Xi’an cooking” from chef-proprietor Wei Guirong. It attracts an “odd but pleasing mix of mainland Chinese businessmen & students, with tourists and the odd culinary adventurer” – and is much easier for most to visit than its sibling, Xi’an Impression near Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

“Best Asian restaurant I’ve eaten in!” – these “beautiful” nightclubby haunts (“quite why they keep them so dark is beyond me”) have maintained an impressive standard for over 20 years, and the Tottenham Court original has since been replicated not just in Mayfair but in numerous cities around the globe. Their ratings have fluctuated over many years, always around the same concerns – “success has got the better of them…”; “chaotic” and/or “attitude-y” service; punishing prices. The believers still carry the day, though, saying they are “always a special experience” with a “delectable” mix of dim sum, Peking duck (with or without caviar) and other classic Chinese dishes – “definitely take a big wallet, but I love it!”

2021 Review: “Great food at a good price” continues to win acclaim for the Deptford branch of this Sichuanese duo, whose chilli-hot and numbing cuisine makes it one of SE8’s brighter culinary sparks. No feedback in the last survey on its less noteworthy Goodge Street branch.

2022 Review: “A basic restaurant with many fiery dishes” – this student-friendly canteen in Bloomsbury is known for its good prices and lip-tingling Sichuan noodle dishes.

Considering its prominent location in ‘The Now Building’ on Oxford Street, this glossy two-year-old from an Insta-friendly Manchester-based group inspires surprisingly little feedback. Most is positive, but it’s not without the one or two disappointments, and some ongoing concern about high prices.