Royal China

Queues for London restaurants are commonplace these days but Royal China on Baker Street is one of the OG spots that’s had a line outside long before any algorithm. The more casual sibling to Royal China Club across the road, this legendary Cantonese restaurant channels the atmosphere of a dim sum convention, an airport terminal, and a wedding you’ve crashed—all at once. A faintly Orwellian tannoy crackles and calls numbers for the twitchy crowd waiting for their table, though that fades into the background for everyone in the vast, red-carpeted room because the focus is on dim sum.

Slippery char siu cheung fun and wonderfully textured turnip cake should be on your table, and a bowl of crispy chilli beef never goes amiss. Although, frankly, everything hits. FYI it doesn’t take bookings on weekends, hence the bustle of families and friends at the door eager for xiao long bao, and if you’ve got a flare handy, it may be worth bringing for when you want more chilli oil.