Bloomsbury, Chinese Restaurant Guide

“Gloriously textured noodles and flavoursome sauces” draw a wide-ranging crowd (including plenty of Chinese students studying nearby) to Wei Guirong’s “friendly” Shaanxi canteen near Russell Square. It’s a sibling to Xi’an Impression near the Emirates Stadium and the new Dream Xi’an at Tower Bridge. Top Menu Tip – “for the price you pay, the cold chicken in sesame sauce and the biang biang noodles are amazing”.

“Divine dim sum” served in a moody, nightclubby setting (“very dark basement lighting” at the original) has helped this slick pan-Asian chain go from an obscure basement near Tottenham Court Road tube (which opened in 2001) to become a glam, international chain with 11 locations from Miami to Mumbai. Prices have always seemed a bit “excruciating” and performance generally is “not as good as it once was”, but this remains one of the Top-50 commented-on brands in our annual diners’ poll; and there’s still lots of praise for its “attractive” style, “fantastic” cooking (the dim sum in particular, as well as the duck) and “wonderful cocktails”. Less so for the “perfunctory” or “artificially polite” service, which, over the years, is increasingly acknowledged as just part of the package.

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.

Insta-friendly backdrops of interior trees festooned with blossom and desserts served with smoking dry ice help characterise the eventful experience at this “fantastic”-looking three-year-old in Oxford Street’s ‘Now Building’. Inevitably the pan-Asian food is not always centre-stage, but it is rated consistently solidly in our reports and no concerns are noted this year. Top Tip – you can dip your toe in the water, pre-theatre, Saturday lunchtime and all day Sunday with the ‘Taste of Tattu’ menu from £33.50 per person for two courses.