New Loon Fung

New Loon Fung is one of the largest Chinese restaurants in Soho's Chinatown, at 42-44 Gerrard Street. The dining rooms run across three floors with a lift between them, and the first floor looks out over the street through tall windows. The scale is the point here: it is built to seat large numbers, which makes it a practical choice for big tables, family gatherings and group bookings that smaller Chinatown rooms cannot take.

The restaurant has traded in Chinatown for more than 30 years. It reopened recently after a full refurbishment under new management, the interior stripped out and refitted in a mix of modern and traditional styles with a new team brought in. It sits beside the long-running Loon Fung supermarket on the same stretch of Gerrard Street.

The kitchen is known for Cantonese cooking and seafood, with a menu of more than 100 dishes drawing on Cantonese, Sichuanese, Shandongese and Hunanese cuisines. Listed dishes include Ma Po tofu, braised pork belly and abalone with mushrooms, alongside a daytime dim sum selection such as prawn har kau and siu mai. A single table can order across light steamed plates, noodle and rice dishes, and richer braised and seafood mains.

This is a full-service restaurant rather than a quick counter, geared towards seated meals, shared plates and larger parties. Gerrard Street is the pedestrianised core of Chinatown, a short walk from Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus stations. Opening hours and current dim sum service are best confirmed directly with the restaurant before a visit.