The Best Places to go for Dumplings in Chinatown

Soft ones, crisp ones, tender ones; oh, there’s so many dumpling types to adore. Here’s where to find the best in the West End.

Steamed, baked or fried: however dumplings are prepared, we can’t get enough of these perfect pillowy packages housing mouth-watering fillings. Dim Sum translates to ‘touch the heart’, and dumplings are all about nourishing the soul via tasty morsels rather than gorging on a huge feast. When in London’s West End, go dumpling mad at these excellent dim sum restaurants. Typically a daytime dish, you’ll find dumplings served until 4pm.

Plum Valley

You’ve had dim sum but have you had luxury dim sum? The super chefs at slinky Chinese eatery, Plum Valley elevate the humble dumpling to something almighty with their upscale remix of the dish. The offering is limited but exceptionally executed, think; prawn ravioli with XO sauce, scallop dumpling and their masterpiece: goose foie gras dumpling with pork.

Plum Valley – 20 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JQ

Dumplings’ Legend

Sure, the name’s bold and confident, but when your dumplings are this good it’s cool to shout their legendary status from the rooftops. Dumplings’ Legend’s specialty is xiao long bau – that is, the traditional Chinese soup dumpling. Tweeze one carefully with your chopsticks from its bamboo steamer, dip into the dunking sauce, transfer to your spoon and voila, take a bite!

Dumplings’ Legend – 15-16 Gerrard St, London W1D 6JE

Tao Tao Ju

One of Chinatown’s more elegant eateries, Tao Tao Ju serve a small pan-Asian selection of dim sum. There’s crystal scallop dumplings, siu mai dumplings and even seafood dumplings in soup. Best of all are their unctuous har gau, thin dumpling wrappers generously stuffed with juicy prawn.

Tao Tao Ju – 15 Lisle St, London WC2H 7BE

Bun House

Take your shumai and har gau dumplings home with you and save them for a rainy day. You can now grab ’em frozen from Bun House to so yo can get that taste of Chinatown at home.

Bun House – 26-27 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA

Beijing Dumpling

What’s that you say? You want your dumplings fresh? Beijing Dumpling make theirs to order so rest assured they’re going to be super-tasty and fresh-from the kitchen. The small-but-sweet spot has a modest dumpling menu including chicken or crab-stuffed xiao long bau and pan-fried pork, but it’s certainly been perfected. You can watch the chefs at work too, behind towering stacks of bamboo steamers.

Beijing Dumpling – 23 Lisle St, London WC2H 7BA