W1 London / Where to eat / Chinese restaurants

The Best Chinese Restaurants in W1: Six Picks, From Mayfair Dining Rooms to Chinatown Roast Duck

The best Chinese restaurants in W1 cover two very different nights out. In Mayfair, Cantonese dining rooms such as Hakkasan, Kai and China Tang serve dim sum and Peking duck with cocktails and dress codes to match. A ten-minute walk east, Chinatown and Soho trade on roast meats and regional cooking at a fraction of the price. We picked six, checked against each restaurant's own website in October 2026. Two big changes since last year: Yauatcha Soho has closed for refurbishment until late 2027, and the original Hakkasan on Hanway Place has closed. None of the six holds a Michelin star in the 2026 guide.

The six at a glance

1. Hakkasan Mayfair, Bruton Street

Hakkasan put modern Cantonese cooking into a nightclub-dark dining room, and the Mayfair branch at 17 Bruton Street (W1J 6QB) is now the London home of the brand. The interior is by Christian Liaigre, the drinks list is a big part of the evening, and the menu runs from lunch to a full dinner menu. Lunch is served every day from noon to 4.30pm. Dinner runs from 5pm until 11.15pm Sunday to Wednesday and until 11.45pm Thursday to Saturday, which makes it one of the few smart Chinese restaurants in Mayfair for a late table. It held a Michelin star until 2023.

2. Kai Mayfair, South Audley Street

Kai, at 65 South Audley Street (W1K 2QU), describes its cooking as "liberated Nanyang", Chinese food shaped by South East Asian influences, respectful of tradition but not bound by it. The restaurant held a Michelin star for 15 years before losing it in the 2025 guide, and it remains one of the most polished rooms in the area: quieter than Hakkasan, with serious service. Lunch is from noon to 2.30pm and dinner from 6pm to 10.30pm. An afternoon tea runs from 3pm to 4.30pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

3. China Tang, The Dorchester, Park Lane

China Tang was created by the late Sir David Tang and sits beneath The Dorchester at 53 Park Lane (W1K 1QA). From a low-key Art Deco entrance on Park Lane you go down into a dining room inspired by pre-war Shanghai. The menu is classical Cantonese, with dim sum, Ma Po tofu, char siu and, as its centrepiece, Peking duck. This is the one to book for a birthday or a visitor who wants old-school glamour.

4. Park Chinois, Berkeley Street

Park Chinois at 17 Berkeley Street (W1J 8EA) is the most opulent of the Mayfair options, a lavish room with its own bars, an entertainment dining programme and three private dining spaces. The menu stretches from business lunches and weekend dim sum to long dinners, and it suits groups who want an evening out rather than just a meal. Book ahead for weekends.

5. Barshu, Frith Street, Soho

Barshu, at 28 Frith Street (W1D 5LF), has been cooking Sichuan food in Soho since 2006, and calls itself one of the oldest Sichuan restaurants in London. Expect dishes built on dried chillies and Sichuan pepper, and a long menu that rewards a group sharing several plates. It is close to the Soho theatres and a short walk from Chinatown, and the bill is a fraction of a Mayfair dinner.

6. Four Seasons, Gerrard Street and Wardour Street, Chinatown

Four Seasons is about one dish: Cantonese roast duck. The restaurant says the Financial Times called it "the best roast duck in the world", and the queues suggest plenty of people agree. In Chinatown it has branches at 12 Gerrard Street and 23 Wardour Street, plus a smaller Little Four Seasons at 11 Gerrard Street. Go for a fast, inexpensive meal before a show; it is not a place for a long evening.

What has changed

• Yauatcha Soho on Broadwick Street, known for its dim sum, has closed for a major refurbishment and says it will reopen in late 2027. Deliveries continue through Deliveroo.
• Hakkasan Hanway Place, the Fitzrovia original, has closed. Hakkasan Mayfair is the London branch.
• Michelin stars: Hakkasan Mayfair (until 2023) and Kai Mayfair (until 2024) have both lost theirs. In 2026 the only starred Chinese restaurant in London is A. Wong in Pimlico, just outside W1, with two stars.

Tips for eating Chinese food in W1

• Book Mayfair, walk in to Chinatown. The Mayfair rooms need reservations, especially at weekends; most Chinatown restaurants take walk-ins, with queues at peak times.
• Check dim sum times. Some restaurants serve dim sum only at lunch or at weekends, so look at the menu before you go.
• Order to share. Chinese menus are built for the table: a group of four can cover far more of the menu than two.
• Pre-theatre: Barshu and Four Seasons are both a short walk from Shaftesbury Avenue.

For more of the area, see our Chinatown London guide, our cheap eats in Soho and Chinatown list, and the full Michelin star restaurants in W1. Other cuisines: Japanese, Indian and Italian.

Sources: each restaurant's own website, October 2026; Michelin Guide, every Michelin-star restaurant in Great Britain & Ireland 2026.