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17 Must-Try Asian Restaurants in London, From Street Food to Fine Dining
London’s Asian food scene is one of the most exciting and varied in the world.
Across the capital, you can find hand-pulled noodles, Japanese barbecue, Taiwanese buns, Sri Lankan hoppers, fiery Thai curries and elaborate tasting menus. There are tiny counter restaurants made for a quick lunch, lively sharing spots for groups and glamorous dining rooms designed for celebrations.
The enormous choice can make deciding where to eat surprisingly difficult. Tripadvisor currently lists thousands of London restaurants under its Asian category, while OpenTable’s selection ranges from Singaporean hawker-inspired cooking to high-end Japanese and pan-Asian dining.
To make choosing easier, here are 17 Asian restaurants in London worth adding to your list.
1. Kiln, Soho
Best for: Fiery Thai cooking
Location: Brewer Street, Soho
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
Kiln is a small, energetic Soho restaurant inspired by the food of Thailand and its borders with Myanmar, Laos and China’s Yunnan province.
Much of the cooking takes place over fire, with clay pots, grills and woks producing deeply smoky flavours. The menu changes regularly, but expect punchy curries, grilled meats, fresh seafood and dishes with a serious chilli kick.
Counter seats put you close to the cooking, although the compact dining room means you may need to wait at busy times.
What to order: A clay-pot noodle dish, grilled meat and at least one curry to share.
2. BAO Soho
Best for: Taiwanese buns and small plates
Location: Lexington Street, Soho
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
BAO helped turn Taiwanese steamed buns into one of London’s favourite casual dishes.
Its signature buns are soft, pillowy and filled with combinations such as braised pork, fried chicken or seasonal vegetables. The wider menu moves beyond buns into Taiwanese-inspired snacks, small plates and imaginative desserts.
The original Soho restaurant is small and lively, so it is best suited to couples or compact groups rather than a large celebration.
What to order: The classic pork bao, fried chicken and a fried bao dessert.
3. Hoppers
Best for: Sri Lankan sharing food
Locations: Soho, Marylebone and King’s Cross
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
Inspired by Sri Lanka and South India, Hoppers specialises in richly spiced curries, dosas and bowl-shaped fermented rice pancakes known as hoppers.
The best way to eat here is to order several dishes for the table. Pair an egg hopper with a fragrant curry, sambols, chutneys and a portion of bone marrow varuval or black pork.
The restaurants are lively, atmospheric and well suited to a social dinner.
What to order: Egg hopper, black pork curry and a selection of sambols.
4. Singapulah
Best for: Singaporean hawker favourites
Location: Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
Singapulah celebrates the dishes and food brands found across Singapore’s hawker centres, cafés and neighbourhood restaurants.
Its menu includes familiar favourites such as laksa, nasi lemak, beef rendang and chilli crab-inspired dishes. The dining room is colourful and contemporary, but the food remains closely connected to Singaporean comfort cooking.
OpenTable diners particularly praise the restaurant’s laksa, rendang and nasi lemak, describing the flavours as reminiscent of eating in Singapore.
What to order: Laksa, nasi lemak and kaya toast to finish.
5. Fatt Pundit
Best for: Indo-Chinese dishes made for sharing
Locations: Soho and Covent Garden
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
Fatt Pundit explores Indo-Chinese cooking, a cuisine associated with the Chinese community of Kolkata and the blending of Chinese techniques with Indian ingredients and spices.
The restaurant’s momos are an essential starting point, followed by plates such as chilli paneer, sticky sesame vegetables, spicy chicken and sizzling seafood.
Most dishes are designed to be shared, making Fatt Pundit a particularly good option for groups that want to try a little of everything.
What to order: Kid goat momos, chilli paneer and crackling spinach.
6. The Duck and Rice
Best for: Chinese food with craft beer
Location: Berwick Street, Soho
Price: ÂŁÂŁÂŁ
The Duck and Rice blends the atmosphere of a stylish British pub with a menu centred on Chinese dishes.
Downstairs, the bar serves beer and cocktails in a lively setting. Upstairs, the restaurant offers roast meats, dim sum, seafood and sharing plates.
OpenTable currently places The Duck and Rice prominently among its featured Asian restaurants in London, highlighting its mix of tradition, modern design and energetic Soho atmosphere.
It is a smart choice when half the group wants a proper meal and the other half mainly wants drinks.
What to order: Cantonese roast duck, char siu and several dim sum plates.
7. Kintan Japanese BBQ
Best for: Interactive group dining
Locations: Oxford Circus and Holborn
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
At Kintan, every table has a built-in smokeless grill, allowing diners to cook their own meat, seafood and vegetables.
The interactive format makes it ideal for birthdays, dates and group dinners. Choose from marinated short rib, skirt steak, pork belly, prawns and vegetables, then grill everything to your preferred level.
Set menus make ordering easier and can offer better value when dining in a group.
What to order: Kalbi short rib, pork belly, garlic rice and grilled vegetables.
8. Junsei
Best for: Japanese yakitori
Location: Marylebone
Price: ÂŁÂŁÂŁ
Junsei is a Japanese restaurant focused on yakitori, the art of grilling skewered chicken over charcoal.
Rather than concentrating only on familiar cuts, the menu uses different parts of the bird, each prepared and seasoned to suit its texture. The result is a meal that can move from delicate chicken tenderloin to richer thigh, skin and wing skewers.
Junsei appears near the top of Tripadvisor’s current Asian restaurant results for London, with diners rating it particularly highly for its Japanese barbecue experience.
What to order: Let the kitchen guide you through a selection of yakitori, accompanied by sake.
9. Koya
Best for: Handmade udon noodles
Locations: Soho, City and Hackney
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
Koya is one of London’s best-known destinations for Japanese udon.
Its thick, handmade noodles have a firm, springy texture and can be served hot or cold, in broth or with a dipping sauce. The restrained base dishes are complemented by imaginative daily specials and Japanese small plates.
The Soho branch is compact and atmospheric, while the other locations offer slightly more space.
What to order: Buta miso udon, vegetable tempura and whatever is written on the specials board.
10. Din Tai Fung
Best for: Soup dumplings
Locations: Covent Garden, Selfridges and Centre Point
Price: ÂŁÂŁÂŁ
Din Tai Fung is internationally known for its xiao long bao, delicate steamed dumplings containing seasoned pork and hot broth.
The dumplings are made in open kitchens by specialist teams, allowing diners to watch every wrapper being rolled, filled and carefully folded.
Beyond xiao long bao, the menu includes wontons, noodles, fried rice, greens and other Taiwanese dishes. It is polished and dependable, making it suitable for family meals and group celebrations.
What to order: Pork xiao long bao, prawn and pork wontons, and egg fried rice.
11. Rasa Sayang
Best for: Affordable Malaysian and Singaporean comfort food
Location: Chinatown
Price: ÂŁ
Rasa Sayang is a casual Chinatown favourite offering Malaysian and Singaporean dishes at comparatively accessible prices.
The menu covers nasi lemak, curry laksa, char kway teow, Hainanese chicken rice and roti canai. Portions are generous, the atmosphere is informal and the food arrives quickly.
It is particularly useful when you want a satisfying central London meal without paying central London fine-dining prices.
What to order: Roti canai, beef rendang and nasi lemak.
12. Flesh & Buns
Best for: Japanese-inspired sharing plates
Locations: Covent Garden and Oxford Circus
Price: ÂŁÂŁÂŁ
Flesh & Buns takes inspiration from the Japanese izakaya, creating a lively restaurant built around sharing food and drinks.
The centrepiece is a choice of grilled or roasted fillings served with steamed buns, pickles and sauces. Crispy duck, pork belly and teriyaki salmon are among the most popular options.
The restaurants also serve sushi, sashimi, fried dishes and Japanese-inspired cocktails, making them well suited to group meals and celebrations.
What to order: Crispy duck with buns, Japanese fried chicken and kinako doughnuts.
13. Shack-Fuyu
Best for: Japanese comfort food with a modern twist
Location: Old Compton Street, Soho
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
Shack-Fuyu began as a temporary pop-up before becoming a permanent Soho restaurant.
Its menu focuses on yoshoku, a style of Japanese food influenced by Western cooking. Dishes can include Korean fried wings, prawn toast, katsu curry, grilled meat and rice bowls.
The restaurant’s most famous dish may be its kinako French toast, served with matcha soft serve and a deeply caramelised crust.
What to order: Prawn toast, Korean fried wings and the French toast.
14. Amrutha Lounge
Best for: Plant-based Indian and Sri Lankan cooking
Location: Earlsfield
Price: ÂŁÂŁ
Amrutha Lounge is a relaxed South London restaurant serving vegan dishes inspired largely by Indian and Sri Lankan cooking.
Meals are generous, colourful and designed for sharing, with curries, salads, rice, flatbreads and rotating daily dishes. Its welcoming service and informal atmosphere have helped it build an enthusiastic following.
Amrutha appears among the highest-rated restaurants in Tripadvisor’s current London Asian category, supported by a substantial number of diner reviews.
It is a particularly strong choice for mixed groups that include vegan or vegetarian diners.
What to order: Choose one of the sharing feasts and let the team introduce the day’s dishes.
15. Babur
Best for: Modern Indian dining in South London
Location: Forest Hill
Price: ÂŁÂŁÂŁ
Babur has been serving Indian food in Forest Hill for decades, combining regional flavours with polished presentation and an inventive drinks list.
The menu goes beyond familiar curry-house standards, exploring dishes from different parts of India through carefully sourced meat, seafood and vegetables.
Tripadvisor lists Babur among its popular Asian restaurants in London, with diners frequently praising the food, service and attractive setting.
Its South London location also makes it a useful choice for a special meal without travelling into the West End.
What to order: A selection of regional starters followed by one of the restaurant’s grilled meat or seafood dishes.
16. The Ivy Asia
Best for: Celebrations and theatrical interiors
Locations: Mayfair, St Paul’s and Chelsea
Price: ÂŁÂŁÂŁÂŁ
The Ivy Asia is designed to make an impression.
Each London branch features richly decorated interiors, dramatic lighting and a menu of sushi, sashimi, robata-grilled dishes and pan-Asian sharing plates.
This is less about a quiet bowl of noodles and more about turning dinner into a full evening out. DJs, elaborate desserts and decorative sharing dishes make it popular for birthdays and special occasions.
The Mayfair restaurant remains one of the most frequently booked venues on OpenTable’s London Asian restaurant page.
What to order: Sushi and sashimi to begin, followed by a robata dish and one of the theatrical desserts.
17. Umu
Best for: Fine Japanese dining
Location: Mayfair
Price: ÂŁÂŁÂŁÂŁ
Umu sits at the fine-dining end of London’s Japanese restaurant scene.
The restaurant specialises in elegant Kyoto-influenced cooking, with carefully prepared sushi, sashimi and seasonal tasting menus. Ingredients, presentation and service are treated with close attention, creating a refined experience suited to anniversaries and major celebrations.
Umu currently occupies the leading position in Tripadvisor’s Asian restaurant results for London, where it is categorised as a high-end Japanese and sushi restaurant.
This is one to book when the meal itself is the main event.
What to order: Choose the tasting or kaiseki menu for the most complete experience.
Which Asian Restaurant Should You Choose?
With 17 very different options, the best restaurant depends on the kind of meal you are planning.
Best for affordable food
Try Rasa Sayang for Malaysian comfort food, BAO for Taiwanese small plates or Koya for a restorative bowl of udon.
Best for groups
Kintan is ideal for an interactive meal, while Fatt Pundit, Hoppers and Flesh & Buns all offer menus designed for sharing.
Best for a date
Kiln’s counter seating, Junsei’s charcoal grill and Koya’s intimate dining rooms all work particularly well for two.
Best for a celebration
The Ivy Asia offers the most theatrical setting, while Babur provides a more relaxed South London alternative. Din Tai Fung is a dependable option for families and larger mixed-age groups.
Best for fine dining
Choose Umu for a refined Japanese tasting menu and meticulous service.
Best for vegetarian and vegan diners
Amrutha Lounge is entirely plant-based, while Hoppers, Fatt Pundit, Koya and Rasa Sayang generally offer several meat-free choices.
Tips for Booking Asian Restaurants in London
London’s most popular restaurants can fill up quickly, especially on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
Book in advance when possible, and make sure you understand whether the venue offers reservations, walk-ins or a mixture of both. Smaller restaurants may limit table times during busy periods.
For group meals, check whether you will need to select a set menu. Many restaurants simplify bookings of six or more by offering a fixed sharing menu.
It is also worth confirming dietary requirements before you visit. Several Asian cuisines use ingredients such as fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy, sesame, peanuts and gluten-containing sauces, even in dishes that may initially appear vegetarian or allergen-free.
Menus, prices, locations and opening times can change, so check directly with the restaurant before making a special journey.
Explore London’s Asian Food Scene
The joy of eating Asian food in London lies in its variety.
You can spend less than ÂŁ20 on roti, noodles and curry in Chinatown, cook your own Japanese barbecue in Holborn or book a sophisticated tasting menu in Mayfair. Each restaurant offers a different route into the traditions, ingredients and dining cultures found across Asia.
Start with the style of meal you are craving, choose a neighbourhood and work your way through the list.
For food, drinks and events in South London, you can also visit Prince of Peckham before or after your meal. Its Peckham location makes it a convenient meeting point for groups exploring the restaurants and nightlife south of the river.
