Check restaurant websites for further details on reopening dates
Imperial Treasure
9 Waterloo Pl, St. James's, London SW1Y 4BE
Imperial Treasure is, hands down, the grandest Chinese restaurant in London. Its sister restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai have Michelin stars and one imagines the first London outpost has similarly lofty ambitions. Just off Pall Mall, it's covered in marble up to its high, original ceilings, with cool, contemporary wooden fittings giving an intimate feel to the enormous, opulent space. Though unquestionably Chinese, there is an East-meets-West vibe going on in the menu – with dishes like honey-glazed Ibericó char siu pork, roast French quail and Foie Gras all appearing alongside Chinese classics. The Peking duck, their signature, doesn't come cheap and has to be preordered – matured for 40 days, it's carved in front of you by the chef. But there's plenty more on offer: past dishes include soft-shell crab covered with crispy soya 'crumble', chicken with Szechuan chilli that comes sizzling merrily in a claypot, soft and deliciously salty aubergine and tofu. The cocktails are killer, and the puddings without doubt worth holding out for: the pretty, gold-brushed steamed charcoal buns with custard are just the way to end a night of indulgence.
Min Jiang
2–24 Kensington High Street, London W8 4PT
If you're used to dining in grand, hotel-based Chinese restaurants in Asia, you'll feel right at home in Min Jiang, located on the 10th floor of the Royal Garden Hotel. Service is slightly formal and clipped, the lighting a touch (only a touch) too bright, but the food – the main event – is sublime. The star dish is wood-fired Beijing duck in two servings, the second with a choice of four types of preparation. No matter what you choose, though, you'll eat like an emperor. One Chinese mogul is said to come straight from Heathrow and then eat lunch and dinner here every day of his week-long stay.
Yauatcha
15-17 Broadwick Street, London W1F 0DL
Many claim that Yauatcha is the very best place in London for dim sum, and we would probably say the same. Try them once and you will never forget the taro croquettes or the venison puffs, so light they practically need to be weighted down. And drinking oolong tea here mid-afternoon, when Yauatcha morphs into a tea house, you can almost imagine yourself in rural China - it's that authentic.
Uli
5 Ladbroke Road, London W11 3PA
Fans of the minuscule Uli Chinese/Asian on All Saints Road were gutted when it shut a few years ago. Two of them, Graham Rebak and Adam Wilkie, decided to relaunch the restaurant, along with founder Michael Lim. It's small but smart and an outdoor terrace adds space. With accessible dishes like Szechuan chilli prawns and crispy shredded beef alongside Thai and Malaysian faves, this is 'entry level' Asian cooking, which is precisely what makes it so yummy.
Mei Ume
10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
In principle we're opposed to a combined Chinese/Japanese restaurant. However, in the case of Mei Ume, at the cracking Four Seasons hotel, we make an exception - because it's so damn good. On the Japanese side, wok-fried wagyu is the real deal and there's a live sushi station. But the Chinese menu - from ex-Royal China chef Tony Truong - gets our vote for pure refinement. Wok-fried Dover sole and braised pork belly with spinach and bacon are both stand-out dishes.
Park Chinois
17 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8EA
The first thing to know about Alan Yau's Mayfair restaurant, inspired by the golden era of French chinoiserie and with more than a nod to old Hollywood glamour, is that it's beautiful. The second is that the live jazz is so good, the vibe so smoochy, it should have an X certificate - the world's first X-rated restaurant. And the third is the food. Dish after ambrosial dish, like spicy king crab with lotus, washed down with Ruinart, the house champagne and one of our faves.
China Tang
53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA
China Tang was founded by the late, extraordinary Sir David Tang. Only he could have created a restaurant where the Cantonese food would satisfy the most discriminating diner and an environment where the Sultan of Brunei, Kate Moss and Kanye would all feel equally at home. We love this swellegant place and will always think of Sir David when we're here.
Chai Wu
87–135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL
Tucked away within Harrods, dishes at this Knightsbridge restaurant aren't cheap (the signature Beijing duck is £96 for the whole or £56 for half), but we all need to spoil ourselves once in a while. And here's an uplifting surprise - excellent inflation-beating cocktails, including an exquisite lychee Chai Wu martini. Plus you can go straight from a decadent lunch to a luxury shopping spree, which might just be the perfect afternoon.
Subscribe now to get 3 issues of Tatler for just £1, plus free home delivery and free instant access to the digital editions
More from Tatler
