Radlett, Chinese, Dim Sum Restaurant Guide

“If you’re talking street food, then just go along and take it all in!” – this vast Oriental food court in Colindale offers “20+ options, huge flavours and huge portions”. It’s “so much fun” but can be “hit and miss between the different units” – and watch the prices as “certain dishes are more expensive than in the Golden Dragon restaurant downstairs”. Top Tip – “bring Tupperware to take any left-over food home”.

This “always reliable” and “slightly upmarket” Cantonese group “remains the standard that all other dim sum places should be judged against – exemplary is an overused term here but is very much justified”. But a somewhat dark cloud has hung over the operation since its prominent Baker Street branch was stripped of its licence to sell alcohol and fined £360,000 after a series of Home Office raids over six years discovered multiple cases of illegal immigrants working, in one case for 66 hours a week at almost half the minimum wage. As of August 2024, the Fulham Road branch is ‘Temporarily Closed’.

The Lou family’s stalwart fixture is approaching its half a century in Acton (it opened in 1976). What’s sustained it over all these years? – a “consistently high standard of cooking, which combines with friendly service in a well-decorated dining room that’s usually nicely buzzing”. Top Menu Tip – “I’ve yet to have better spare ribs anywhere – including China!”

“Good-to-very-good dim sum”, “excellent seafood” and “good duck” are the hallmarks of this “wonderful Cantonese” venue in a modern basement setting in Paddington Basin – although it has yet to recover the stellar ratings it achieved before the pandemic. Top Tip – it’s often recommended for a family meal with kids in tow.

A “great traditional Chinese restaurant” seating 250, with “striking décor” near Baker Street tube that boasts “a huge menu”, listing more than 300 dishes, including dim sum. Of its type, it’s one of London’s best and draws fans in our annual diners’ poll from all points of the compass. Top Menu Tip – “the crispy noodles are the best in town”.

At the foot of a large, Hong Kong-owned hotel beside Shepherd’s Bush Green gyratory, this modern (rather anodyne) dining room has built a reputation, since it opened nearly ten years ago, for “absolutely wonderful” dim sum and superior roast duck from a wide-ranging menu. The food rating dropped a notch this year on the back of one or two reports of “average” results.

“Excellent dumplings” and other Cantonese and Shanghainese dishes are served in “good portions” at this London outpost of a Shanghai-based group. Harsher voices say the Marylebone office-block interior is “miserable but spacious”, but it’s a popular destination nonetheless.

This “always reliable” and “slightly upmarket” Cantonese group “remains the standard that all other dim sum places should be judged against – exemplary is an overused term here but is very much justified”. But a somewhat dark cloud has hung over the operation since its prominent Baker Street branch was stripped of its licence to sell alcohol and fined £360,000 after a series of Home Office raids over six years discovered multiple cases of illegal immigrants working, in one case for 66 hours a week at almost half the minimum wage. As of August 2024, the Fulham Road branch is ‘Temporarily Closed’.

“The food is always good” at the Marylebone flagship of the Royal China group, while the “well-spaced tables, attractive presentation and attentive service” contribute to a somewhat more stately atmosphere than at other branches. It is, though, “pricey”: “it feels like the same food as Royal China but costing 30% more”.

2021 Review: Between Selfridges and St Christopher’s Place – a “busy and quite noisy” haunt, where some reporters are very impressed by its Pan-Asian small plates (including sushi and dim sum dishes), but others feel that they’re “not exciting, but OK”.

“As good as anywhere in town, never mind the views” – “amazing!”; this deluxe Chinese dining room at the top of a five-star hotel in Kensington remains an unusually impressive all-rounder. It’s “best to go in daylight, because of the panoramic view of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park” and offers “a most professional and delightful experience from start to finish”. Thankfully, this includes the exceptional Chinese cuisine. “The Peking Duck, ordered in advance, is the best ever” and “dim sum is special” too: “cannot be beaten for quality or presentation!”. Top Menu Tip – “you could pass over the pre-order duck and concentrate instead on working your way through other options, such as the Gong Bao king prawns with cashew nuts and chilli (brilliant) and the beef with black pepper sauce. Not to forget the delicious range of teas, which is topped up regularly”.

“Just like a hole-in-the-wall in Hong Kong” – “if you can stand the long wait on grimy King’s Cross Road” and “are prepared to eat sitting on someone else’s lap because there’s no space inside (all part of the charm!)” then you can enjoy some “excellent” dim sum at this cheap eat of contemporary urban legend – “we just wanted to keep ordering and eating everything on the menu!”

“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.

“Consistently excellent dim sum” served in a vibey setting that “even after so many years is still a fun, cool place to be” ensures continuing plaudits for these sleek venues (founded by Alan Yau in 2004 and nowadays an international brand owned by Tao Group Hospitality with three siblings in India and one in Saudi Arabia). Food aside, its two London branches are very different – the original, intimate ground floor and basement in Soho contrasting with the more “spectacular”, large, “light-filled” modern unit in the City’s Broadgate development. Both scored highly this year – “service appears to have become a bit less standoffish”; and “the only drawback is eating too much!”. Top Menu Tips – “Cheung fun, Venison Puff, Sichuan pork wonton and Wagyu beef puff are some of the tastiest things you can eat”.

“You can’t go past the xiao long bao” – “soup-filled dumplings hand-made onsite and steamed to order” – say fans of this Taiwanese-based global chain with three London outlets (in Covent Garden, CentrePoint and Selfridges). “All the other dishes are a bit hit and miss”, though, while a well-travelled minority reckon they’re “nothing like the original restaurants in Asia”, with prices – by comparison to e.g. Singapore – that are “off the scale”. But you must go: “cute robots help clear the plates!”

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”.

“Brilliant, lip-numbing” northern Chinese cooking has put this Soho fixture from Wei Shao firmly on the map, and it serves a flexible menu of skewers, noodles and rice, wok dishes and other dim sum options. Some feel its Borough Market offshoot is “weak” by comparison (“it’s as if the Soho one benefits from the proximity of Chinatown but they don’t expect anyone with any discernment in SE1!”).

‘Blini Baron’, Arkady Novikov’s London outpost remains a magnet for glossy Mayfair eurotrash types, with its luxe pan-Asian menu of sushi, sushi rolls, robata, wok and hot pot dishes (there is also a completely separate Lake-Como-comes-to-London back room, serving Italian cuisine, that’s never as highly commented on). It’s never been a choice for anyone remotely concerned about value. (PS. Next time you hop over to the Balearics, you can drop in on his newish spin-off at Ibiza Gran Hotel).

“You can see the staff making the very fresh dumplings from scratch” as you enter this modern take on the traditional dim sum experience in Chinatown – they claim to make 8,000 a day! “Clean-tasting and fast food” is the result – “expect big queues at the weekend”. Top Menu Tip – “the BBQ meats are ace, too”.

“Huge Cantonese restaurant” over two floors on Chinatown’s main drag, praised for its “sensibly priced and fine-quality dim sum”, along with “good crispy duck with pancakes”. “Service is brisk but friendly”, and its capacity makes it “good for walk-ins”.