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Now updated for 2008: See http://www.dimsum.co.uk/food/top-london-dim-sum-restaurants-2008.html for the latest listings!
 Given our enticing name, many visitors come to this website looking for recommendations on restaurants to go to for dim sum. Although they find much more here, they leave not fully satisfied because their initial goal was unfulfilled. So we have decided to help those lost souls with something that Dimsum.co.uk has never done before – a list of ten restaurants in London for dim sum!
The listings below were decided by our committee of foodies after much discussion. We wanted to make sure we chose restaurants that were authentic and good quality. In the end, the dim sum restaurants we chose for the top ten fell into two types: the traditional dim sum restaurants with typical Chinese restaurant décor and indifferent service but solid, well-priced dim sum and the ‘modern’ ones with award-winning décor, Western service, and Western prices but equally high quality dim sum.
Modern Dim Sum
Until a few years ago, there was no such thing as modern dim sum restaurants in London. Most dim sum places were in Chinatown with the exception of the excellent Royal China chain, which tended to sit in wealthy areas around London.
However, with the arrival of Hakkasan, this all changed. Hakkasan completely revamped the image of dim sum and Chinese restaurants by turning the cuisine on its head. British-born Alan Yau has crafted a masterpiece of a dim sum destination with a restaurant that won a Best Restaurant Design award, earned a Michelin, and packed the hard-to-find basement restaurant with celebs. However, Hakkasan made sure that the real star of the restaurant shined – the food.
Following in Hakkassan’s footsteps came several excellent copy-cats: Shanghai Blues, Ping Pong, Royal China Club, and Yauatcha (sister restaurant to Hakkasan).
Hakkasan
8 Hanway Place, London, W1T 1HF
Tel: 020 7927 7000
With a design award, a Michelin star, and destination site for celebs, this pioneer is still the place to be seen and to eat exquisite dim sum. It’s in the basement of a dodgy alley off of Tottenham Court, but that only adds to its dark, sultry allure.
Yauatcha
15 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 0DL
Tel: 0870 780 8265
With the success of Hakkasan, especially for the lunchtime dim sum offerings, the owner decided to open a second restaurant to focus on dim sum all day, not just for lunch. It opened to instant success with difficult to secure reservations where diners are given 90 minutes to order, eat, and vacate their seats.
Royal China Club
40-42 Baker Street, London W1U 7AJ
Tel: 020 7486 3898
The Royal China chain is every Chinese person’s favourite dim sum restaurant. Their dim sum is the best you can find in London at such reasonable prices. Recently, they have opened the Royal China Club to copy the success of Hakkasan. The décor is tasteful unlike the gaudy Royal China chain. The food is of equal quality but with more innovative flair and expensive ingredients (e.g. lobster, abalone, sharks fin).
Shanghai Blues
193-197 High Holborn, WC1V 7BD
Tel: 020 7404 1668
Shanghai Blues was the first restaurant to copy Hakkassan and we have to agree that the décor and the food is on the same level. However, their Holborn location and lack of celebrity status has limited their success. Regardless, if you want Hakkassan quality dim sum and décor without the pretentious clientele and hard to secure table, this is the place.
Ping Pong
45 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7JL
(also Westbourne Grove, Marylebone Village, Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Goodge Street - see website for details)
Tel: 020 7851 6969
Ping Pong has generated a lot of buzz for nice modern décor and good quality dim sum at reasonable prices. It is the only restaurant in this category that have similar prices to the ‘traditional dim sum restaurants’.
Traditional Dim Sum
When it comes to traditional dim sum, it is all about value. The key criteria being great tasting food at a low price and if they have great service and nice décor those are an added bonus. In terms of value, we’re looking at dishes around £2-3, so a fulfilling meal can be had for around £10 including tea.
Blindly entering Chinatown looking for good dim sum can be a daunting task, with a fair number of restaurants with similar names and similar looking restaurant fronts, the odds are not in your favour. And if you haven’t learned already, in London, you can’t expect a place is good just because there is a crowd or queue. So save yourself the trouble, start with our list and hopefully you’ll find a favourite for a regular weekend dim sum get together with friends.
Royal China
13 Queensway, Bayswater, W2 4QJ. Tel: 020 7221 2535
24-26 Baker Street, W1U 3BZ. Tel: 020 7487 4688
30 Westferry Circus, Riverside, E14 8RR. Tel: 020 7719 0888
68 Queens Grove, St. Johns Wood, NW8 6ER. Tel: 020 7586 4280
With four locations within London, there is no doubt Royal China is popular, and for good reason. Each location maintains the Royal China standard and offers great traditional dim sum, with many swearing it is the best in London. Be prepared to take a ticket and queue if you come on the weekends.
New World
1 Gerrard Place, W1D 5PA
Tel: 020 7734 0396
New World is one of the only restaurants in London where you can have the traditional dim sum experience. In the centre of Chinatown, waitresses come to your table with trolleys of dim sum dishes - simply choose what you fancy. Good for dim sum beginners as there is no need to know the names of each of the dishes. However, it is best to come on a weekend lunchtime when it is most busy and the dishes the most fresh.
Imperial China
25a Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA
Tel: 020 7734 3388
This restaurant is a dim sum gem tucked in Chinatown. You would be mistaken to think this was just any other restaurant; you enter over a little wooden bridge spanning a small pond to arrive at the main seating area. It’s very nicely decorated and you almost expect it to be more expensive than it is. The service here is excellent and the food is equally good.
Lido
41 Gerrard Street, W1D 5QF
Tel: 020 7437 4431
Also in Chinatown, Lido is excellent choice for freshly made to order dim sum. Particularly good are the cheung fung (rice noodle rolls). Lido offers the best value of the restaurants here, with good quality dim sum in a comfortable environment at surprisingly cheap prices.
Golden Dragon
28-29 Gerrard Street, W1D 6JW
Tel: 020 7734 2763
Golden Dragon is a popular place for dim sum and is often very busy on the weekends - reservations are helpful. Food is generally to a high standard although the service can sometimes be a bit sultry, and the decor is beginning to look a little dated. Nevertheless, it's a safe bet for an afternoon snack or weekend brunch of dim sum right in the centre of Chinatown.
Of course, food is very much a subjective and contentious issue. Is there anywhere we have missed? Don't rate some of our choices? Know some great dim sum places outside of London? Let us know below.
Image courtesy of knoizki.
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