Nestled into a little spot between Soho and Leicester Square, Chinatown in London attracts thousands upon thousands of visitors every year who come to walk the streets and sample the restaurants of this unique culture landmark. For those in search of some of the best regional Chinese cooking in the capital, Chinatown is a natural first destination and these days you'll find a mixture of old-school family-run heritage restaurants and more modern Asian businesses serving everything from bakery good and snacks to bubble teas.
Believe it or not, Chinatown wasn't always located here. When Chinese immigrants first arrived in London in the 18th century they settled in the East End, and a large Chinese community sprung up in Limehouse, with lots of restaurants and shops built around the many new Chinese inhabitants who lived there. It wasn't until the 1950s that London's post-war Chinese community moved towards Soho, attracted by the nightlife and cheap commercial rents. London had started to get a taste for Cantonese food in particular, and the south side of Soho quickly became the Chinatown we know today.
A few of those family-run restaurants from the 1950s still exist today, and as you walk down one of Chinatown's major streets you'll see roast meats hanging in windows just as they have for decades. Chinatown today boasts a huge range of businesses, not just restaurants - there are also lots of health clinics, massage parlours, bakeries, bubble tea vendors, supermarkets, ice cream parlours and more.