Royal China Chinatown

Royal China brings the polish of its well-known dim sum group to Gerrard Street, a smarter, more refined option among Chinatown's busy kitchens. Part of the respected Royal China stable, it built its name on classic Cantonese cooking and a dim sum service that many Londoners rate among the best in town, served in a black-and-gold dining room a cut above the street's more workaday rooms.

For a proper weekend feast of dim sum in Chinatown, it is a destination. The daytime trolleys and steamer baskets deliver the full range, from har gau and siu mai to cheung fun and barbecue pork buns, while the evening menu moves into seafood, roast meats and Cantonese classics. It manages to feel like an occasion while sitting in the heart of the neighbourhood.

Where to find the best dim sum in Chinatown

Come at lunch for the dim sum: delicate steamed dumplings, crisp fried parcels, rice rolls and buns, best ordered widely and shared. In the evening the kitchen turns to seafood, roast duck and a broad Cantonese menu. The cooking is precise and the room more comfortable than most on the street, which makes it a reliable choice for a special lunch or a group dinner.

The group and the room

Royal China's reputation for consistency and quality carries into its Chinatown branch, giving Gerrard Street a more refined Cantonese option. It sits among the street's dim sum names, near Golden Dragon, with more of the area's tables in our Soho restaurants listings.

How a visit works

Royal China serves dim sum by day and a full Cantonese menu into the evening in the heart of Chinatown, taking walk-ins and bookings; reserving ahead is wise for weekend dim sum. Menus and details are on the official site, and it is featured among the area's best by Hot Dinners.