#1
OshPaz
Covent Garden·$
Chicken Manti
£8.50
Steamed dumplings with a chicken filling, served with sour cream and carrot salad.
Tip: If you can't decide between beef and chicken manti, the chicken is lighter and arguably more delicate. Worth trying both if you come with a friend.
#2
OshPaz
Covent Garden·$
Vegan Manti
£8.00
Steamed dumplings filled with pumpkin, served with sour cream alternative.
Tip: The pumpkin filling is traditional in Uzbek cooking, not a token vegan swap. Ask whether the sour cream accompaniment is vegan — they have a dairy-free version.
#3
Royal China Club
Marylebone·$$$
Siu Mai (Pork and Prawn Dumplings)
£7.80
Open-topped steamed dumplings with pork and prawn, topped with fish roe.
Tip: Siu mai and har gau are the two essential dim sum dishes -- order both to compare. Here, the siu mai are slightly cheaper and more filling than the har gau.
#4
Phoenix Palace
Marylebone·$$
Pork and Prawn Siu Mai
£5.50
Open-topped steamed dumplings with seasoned pork and prawn filling.
Tip: When ordering dim sum for a table, start with the steamed items (siu mai, har gau, cheung fun) first, then add fried items. The steamed dishes deteriorate fastest so eating them fresh matters most.
#5
Yauatcha
Soho·$$$
Har Gau
£12.00
Classic steamed prawn dumplings in translucent rice flour wrappers.
Tip: Har gau is the dish that tells you how good a dim sum kitchen really is. Yauatcha's are consistently well-made — thin wrappers, plump prawns. Order these alongside the shui mai to compare.
#6
Etles
Walthamstow·$$
Chöchürä Dumplings
£7.50
Handmade dumplings filled with meat and spices.
Tip: These boiled dumplings filled with spiced lamb and onion are the way you should start every meal at Etles. The chochure soup was great according to reviewers.
#798% recommend
DakaDaka
Mayfair·$$$
Khinkali with Iberico Pork and Beef
£14.00
Large, hand-folded Georgian soup dumplings with tarragon and savory spices.
Tip: Eat them with your hands! Hold the 'top knot' (which you don't eat), take a small bite to sip the soup, then finish the rest. Don't use a fork or you'll lose the broth.
#897% recommend
Dim Sum Duck
King's Cross·$$
Har Gau (Prawn Dumplings)
£6.50
Handmade dumplings with plump whole prawns in a translucent skin.
Tip: The wrappers are perfectly translucent — a sign of a very skilled dim sum chef. Eat them in one bite to get the full burst of flavor.
#995% recommend
Dim Sum Duck
King's Cross·$$
Xiaolongbao (Pork Dumplings)
£7.50
Large handmade soup dumplings with a savory pork and broth filling.
Tip: Use the spoon! Place the dumpling on the spoon, take a small bite to release the broth, then enjoy the rest. They are very hot!
#1095% recommend
Dumplings' Legend
Chinatown·$$
Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
£6.50
Delicate steamed dumplings with thin wrappers filled with meat and rich broth.
Tip: Bite a small hole in the dumpling and sip the hot broth inside before eating the rest. Don't just pop the whole thing in your mouth or you'll get burned.
#1194% recommend
Yauatcha
Soho·$$$
Scallop Shui Mai
£16.00
Steamed dumpling topped with a whole scallop and tobiko caviar.
Tip: The scallop shui mai is included in the Theatre Menu at £35.50pp and the Infinite Yum Cha at £45pp — both are better value than ordering a la carte if you're having three or more dim sum dishes.
#1293% recommend
A. Wong
Pimlico·$$$
Xiao Long Bao (XLB)
£8.50
Delicate soup dumplings with just the right dough thickness and warming broth.
Tip: Bite a small hole first to sip the broth before eating the dumpling whole. This prevents the hot soup from burning your mouth.
#1392% recommend
HOKO Wonton Noodles
Seven Dials Market·$
Crispy Fried Wontons
£7.50
Golden crispy wontons with a prawn filling, served with sweet and sour sauce.
Tip: The sweet and sour sauce has a great tang that really lifts the fried dumplings. Great for sharing between two people.
#1492% recommend
Hutong
London Bridge·$$$$
Iberico Pork Xiao Long Bao
£14.50
Handmade soup dumplings filled with premium Iberico pork and a savory broth.
Tip: Eat them carefully! The broth is very hot. Place on a spoon and take a small bite to release the steam first.
#1592% recommend
Royal China Club
Marylebone·$$$
Crystal Prawn Dumplings (Har Gau)
£8.20
Translucent steamed dumplings filled with whole prawns in a delicate wheat starch wrapper.
Tip: These are the litmus test for any dim sum restaurant. The wrappers here should be translucent and slightly sticky but not soggy. If yours arrive opaque or thick, flag it -- they should be fresh from the steamer.
#1692% recommend
Poon's
Strand·$$$
Pork Wontons with Chilli Oil
£10.00
Plump pork wontons with silky skin, served with deeply flavoured chilli oil.
Tip: These became cult hits during lockdown deliveries. The filling bursts with ginger and garlic — let them cool slightly before biting or risk burning your mouth.
#1792% recommend
Dumplings' Legend
Chinatown·$$
Spicy Pork Siu Long Bao
£6.80
Soup dumplings with pork filling and Sichuan pepper-laced broth.
Tip: For heat seekers, this version adds Sichuan pepper's numbing sensation to the traditional soup dumpling. The broth carries the spice throughout.
#1891% recommend
Cay Tre
Soho·$
Banh Cuon (Hanoi Pillow Dumplings)
£7.50
Delicate rice flour sheets filled with pork, prawns, and wood ear mushrooms.
Tip: Banh cuon is a rare find in London. Cay Tre does it authentically — wrap the soft rice pancake in lettuce and dip in the nuoc cham sauce.
#1990% recommend
Ognisko
South Kensington·$$$
Siberian Pelmeni
£11.50
Small, delicate dumplings filled with seasoned meat and served with sour cream.
Tip: One order is enough for two people to share as a nibble with drinks while you wait for your mains.
#2090% recommend
OshPaz
Covent Garden·$
Beef Manti
£8.50
Steamed Uzbek dumplings filled with cumin-spiced beef, served with sour cream and carrot salad.
Tip: These are a proper meal on their own — five dumplings per portion is filling. If you're sharing, one portion of manti plus a plov bowl between two works well.
#2190% recommend
Hung's Chinese Restaurant
Chinatown·$$
King Prawn Dumplings
£6.80
Steamed dumplings filled with whole king prawns and pork.
Tip: These are bigger and have more king prawn than the wontons — worth the extra cost for the generous filling.
#2288% recommend
Dumplings' Legend
Chinatown·$$
Fresh Crab Roe Siu Long Bao
£7.50
Soup dumplings with crab roe and light seafood broth.
Tip: This is the refined luxury option. The crab roe adds subtle briny sweetness to the delicate broth - more refined than the pork version.
#2388% recommend
Phoenix Palace
Marylebone·$$
Crispy Lobster Dumplings
£7.50
Deep-fried dumplings filled with lobster meat in a crunchy golden shell.
Tip: These sell out on the trolley rounds quickly during Sunday service. If you see the trolley with fried items approaching, flag it down immediately. You can also order from the menu directly if you miss the trolley.
#2488% recommend
Darjeeling Express
Soho·$$
Darjeeling Chicken Momos
£7.50
Steamed dumplings from the foot of the Himalayas, filled with seasoned chicken.
Tip: Eat the momos whole with chilli oil or tamarind dipping sauce. They're moreish — order extra if you're sharing.
#2587% recommend
Dumplings' Legend
Chinatown·$$
Crystal Prawn Dumplings
£6.20
Steamed dumplings with whole prawns in a translucent wrapper.
Tip: Reviewers say these always taste very good. The translucent wrapper lets you see the fresh prawn inside - a dim sum classic done right.
#2685% recommend
Noodle & Beer
Chinatown·$$
Choo-Shou (Sichuan Dumplings)
£8.80
Hand-made dumplings with minced chicken, lotus root, and Sichuan spicing.
Tip: Dip these in the spicy peanut sauce provided — the heat complements the juicy chicken and lotus root filling without overpowering it.