London’s Chinatown is a dense, restaurant-packed neighborhood in the heart of London. It can be overwhelming choosing between Dim Sum (点心 diǎnxīn), Hot Pot (火锅 huǒguō), Sichuan food (川菜 chuāncài) and all the other great choices on offer. Sometimes it's best to keep it simple and go for the old reliable: dumplings! Here are our top 5 favorite spots to grab the best dumplings in London Chinatown:
Order the pork fried dumplings. That's it. Go do that. You will be happy. Paired nicely with some cold cucumber and 木耳 mù'er appetizers.
While it's less of a 'fine-dining' experience, Beijing Dumpling has the best clean, relaxed vibe of any restaurant we've visited in London’s Chinatown. The dumpling-masters themselves are rolling out the dough and 包'ing the 饺子 right in the window. The waiters are extremely kind, especially if you are a simple 老外 who wants to practice some mandarin. It's always been a blast bringing our students here. We recommend the fried pork dumplings (猪肉煎饺), and, if you want to get real crazy with it, go with the spicy water dumplings (辣汁水饺).
Sha-Xian is a great little restaurant right in the heart of Chinatown. The service is extremely fast and the waiters are very friendly. While they might not seem like a top 5 dumpling location, you will be happy with the dumplings! Particularly when it comes to their soup dumplings. The broth is scrumptious and the dumpling skin does not over-power. Go check out these tasty soup dumplings.
Chuan Royal China is a classy restaurant with exquisite food, and definitely a top spot for entertaining guests in a grand style. But don't let the fancy interior fool you. This restaurant has a simple, killer soup dumpling. The Shanghai Soup Dumplings (上海小笼包) are absolutely delicious. Pair them with the Lotus Leaf Fried Rice (荷葉飯) and the Honey Roast Pork Puffs (密汁叉燒酥) and you are not going to have a bad time.
If you are looking for a great variation of dumplings in Chinatown, look no further! You may likely have to wait in line to get a table, as there are no reservations. But if you're dining with Manhattan Mandarin on one of our Chinatown food tours...or if you use Mandarin to ask politely, you may be able to cut the line. Don't be thrown off by most of the clientele being 老外 (Westerners and the like). Stick to the strengths here and try all the dumplings, soup dumplings, and dim sum you can.
We hope these suggestions are helpful! If you think we've missed a better dumpling, let us know @manhattan_mandarin_uk
If you're interested in learning Mandarin with us, book a free private trial lesson at https://www.manhattanmandarin.co.uk/freetriallesson