Good dim sum in London?

April 1, 2007 5:14 PM

Please recommend a great restaurant for dim sum in central London (UK).

I am familiar with Gerrard Street but have never had dim sum in London. I would be interested in recommendations in that area, or anywhere else in central London.

I want to take my mother, so quality is more important to me than price.

I have searched old questions, but can't find one where people actually name London restaurants in the dim sum context.

Thanks!

posted by sueinnyc to food & drink (10 answers total)

If price is really not an issue, then Yauatcha is definitely top of the pile.
posted by roofus at 5:23 PM on April 1, 2007

And for a follow up, Royal China is really excellent too.
posted by roofus at 5:26 PM on April 1, 2007

Royal China is staggeringly good - both at the Baker Street and St Johns Wood branches.

Not strictly central, but I'm a big fan of Shanghai, a restaurant in Dalston. The Dim Sum selection is good, as is the rest of their menu. What makes it really interesting is that the restaurant is in what used to be a traditional London Pie & Mash shop. They've kept much of the original features - in particular the bench seating in the front dining room, and the beautiful tiles as well.

But for Dim Sum in the centre of town, Royal China is hard to beat in my book. Just be prepared to wait if you go on a Saturday or Sunday lunchtime. It's worth it, though.
posted by coach_mcguirk at 6:06 PM on April 1, 2007

I was introduced to dim sum by a Chinese friend who took me to Harbour City on Gerrard Street. The food there is excellent. Efficient service and good prices too.
posted by jonesor at 6:34 PM on April 1, 2007

A friend of mine enjoyed Ping Pong when she went a couple of months ago.

I have never been myself, but I'm told it's very reasonably priced. No idea how good the food is though - a recent review I saw gave it 70%.
posted by mr_silver at 12:45 AM on April 2, 2007

Royal China (traditional) and Yauatcha (modern) are the two that are best thought of, by quite a long way. You might also find this thread on egullet useful.

Ping Pong is a chain that caters to the UK office lunchtime crowd mainly. It's alright I guess, but don't bother with it if you want to the whole "dim sum experience".
posted by bifter at 1:31 AM on April 2, 2007

Most dim sum afficianods I know swear by Chuen Cheng Ku or New World for the Hong Kong-style dim sum experience ie the waiters come to your table on trolleys, you pick what you want based on what you see and it all gets totted up for later.

Damn, haven't had dim sum in ages. Or been to London for that matter...
posted by electriccynic at 2:42 AM on April 2, 2007

Seconding Harbour City on Gerrard Street. Since the general view is that the restaurants in the picturesque heart of Chinatown aren't the very best in the city, it's great to find one that is both excellent and in the best location.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 3:20 AM on April 2, 2007

Seconding CCK, or Chuen Cheng Ku or whatever its called. When I lived in London as a kid, my parents took us there all the time. I havn't been back in a while, but my brother says its still pretty great.
posted by OldReliable at 7:06 AM on April 2, 2007

Go at lunchtime, being the correct time of day, and visit Joy King Lau, Leicester Street, just off the square.

It's not the cheapest place but you'll never see dim sum done quite like that anywhere else in town. Killer hot and sour soup, also.

[Since it's still there and I know it from first being taken there as a kid back in 1980 or thereabouts, and it's a *huge* four-storey restaurant, I'm assuming it still unsucks despite my not having visited for a few years.]
posted by genghis at 6:55 PM on April 2, 2007