Mayfair, Chinese Restaurant Guide

“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.

This glossy Mayfair venue modelled on ‘the supper clubs of 1930s Shanghai’ “has a real buzz” with “wonderful singers and a band to add to a great night”. But while some diners feel the food is outstanding, ratings are undercut by the view that it’s “middle-of-the-road Chinese that’s well executed but nothing special and soured by the bill”.

This “atmospheric Cantonese restaurant in the Dorchester” was designed by the late Sir David Tang 20 years ago, and “whisks you to 1930s Shanghai when you walk in”. “One of the finest Chinese restaurants in London”, its menu lists “some mind-boggling but expensive dishes”, such as Japanese size 18 abalone at £388 or Peking duck with 125 grams of Kristal caviar at £480. Dip your toe in the water with the dim sum menu (which is served in the evenings as well as at lunchtimes). Or, from late 2024, pop into the Harrods Food Halls, where there’s a new ‘China Tang’ stall.

Empress MiMi – keeper of the most revered Chinese culinary secrets – is the fictional inspiration for Samyukta Nair’s chic, Shanghai-inspired three-year-old: “an old converted Mayfair townhouse turned into a really charming three-storey restaurant”. Feedback on its luxurious Chinese cuisine is relatively limited, but says that “every dish is spot-on”. It is fully priced though, especially if you start straying into the ‘signature’ parts of the menu featuring lobster, caviar and Peking duck.