Peninsula at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel

You wouldn’t stumble by chance on this vast Chinese restaurant. Peninsula occupies the ground floor of a Holiday Inn Express, in a retail park near the O2 arena, but it’s worth the trip for superb dim sum & flipping-fresh seafood. At weekends, the place gets packed with families & large groups munching dim sum (served until 5pm). The usual steamed & fried dumplings are supplemented by more unusual combinations such as ducks’ tongues in garlic sauce. Diners in the know ask for the speciality menu, which includes a suckling pig platter as well as live seafood dishes (king scallops being a favourite). Canada crab & Scottish lobster can be plucked from the tanks displayed near the entrance before being cooked to order – try them steamed with ginger & spring onions.