The Duck & Rice

The Duck & Rice was Alan Yau's answer to a question few had thought to ask: what happens when you cross a proper British pub with a serious Chinese kitchen. Since 2015 it has done exactly that from 90 Berwick Street, in a handsome building where beer flows on the ground floor and dim sum arrives from the restaurant above.

Yau, the restaurateur behind Wagamama, Hakkasan and Yauatcha, built the Chinese gastropub in Soho as two experiences at one address. Downstairs keeps the feel and the taps of a pub, with lager poured from gleaming copper tanks; upstairs is a full Chinese dining room serving dim sum and comfort classics. It has been a Berwick Street fixture for a decade.

What to expect from this Chinese gastropub in Soho

The split works because both halves are done properly. The ground floor is a genuine pub, good for a pint of tank-fresh lager and a plate of salt and pepper snacks; the upstairs room turns out dim sum, roast meats and Chinese comfort food. It suits a quick drink and a bite as much as a longer sit-down meal, which is rare on a busy market street.

Food and drink

Expect Chinese comfort cooking, from dim sum and crispy duck to rice and noodle dishes, matched with a drinks list that leans on tank and craft beer alongside cocktails and wine. It sits by Berwick Street Market among other neighbourhood kitchens, and you can find another Berwick Street restaurant in our directory at Fatt Pundit, with more in our Soho restaurants listings.

How a visit works

The Duck & Rice opens daily from noon, to 11.30pm early in the week, midnight on Friday and Saturday and 10.30pm on Sunday. Walk in for the pub downstairs or book a table upstairs for the restaurant. Current menus are on its official site, and the opening was covered by the London food press, including Hot Dinners.