Asian Food London: Best Dishes, Restaurants, and Hidden Spots

When you think of Asian food London, a vibrant, diverse collection of cuisines from across East, Southeast, and South Asia, served in everything from bustling Chinatown restaurants to unassuming street stalls. Also known as East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine in London, it’s not just about noodles and rice—it’s about flavor layers, regional traditions, and food that feels like home, no matter where you’re from. This isn’t just one type of food. It’s Chinatown London, the heart of British Chinese cuisine, packed with family-run eateries serving everything from crispy Peking duck to steaming bowls of wonton soup, and it’s also dim sum London, the weekend ritual of small plates, tea, and shared tables, best experienced in places where the carts never stop rolling. You’ll find Thai food London, bold, spicy, and aromatic, with curries that wake up your senses and street food that costs less than a coffee in spots like Soho and Elephant & Castle, and it’s not just Chinese or Thai—it’s Korean BBQ, Japanese ramen, Vietnamese pho, and Indian tandoori all woven into the city’s food fabric.

What makes Asian food in London different from other cities? It’s the mix of authenticity and adaptation. You can get hand-pulled noodles in a basement kitchen in Wembley that taste like they came straight from Xi’an, or a vegan sushi roll in Shoreditch that’s got more creativity than half the menus in Tokyo. The best places aren’t always the flashiest. Some of the most unforgettable meals happen in places with no website, no Instagram page, and a sign in Mandarin or Cantonese you can’t read. That’s the point. This isn’t tourist food. It’s what Londoners eat after work, on Sunday mornings, or when they’re craving something real. The food here isn’t imported—it’s lived in. Families have run these spots for decades. Ingredients are shipped in weekly. Recipes are passed down. And the heat? It’s always turned up.

So if you’re looking for more than just a meal, you’re looking for a culture. Whether you’re here for the Asian food London scene, the late-night dumpling runs, or the quiet corner spots where the staff knows your name, there’s something waiting for you. Below, you’ll find real recommendations—from the best dim sum spots to the hidden Thai stalls that locals swear by—curated from the city’s most trusted food explorers. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just where to go, what to order, and why it matters.