Yauatcha Soho

“A real go-to for fantastic dim sum”, cool Yauatcha still provides thrills galore – whether you’re grazing in the noisy street-level canteen or dining in the more atmospheric brick-lined basement room with its illuminated fish tank, candlelit tables and twinkling lights. Wherever you sit, expect ultra-professional service, but with lots of winning smiles.

The comprehensive menu is populated by “consistently good” dumplings ranging from prawn sui mai with chicken to ‘crystal wraps’ with pumpkin and pine nuts, but it also pays to consider other luxe Chinese morsels such as spicy soft-shell crab with almond, Wagyu beef puffs or pork and preserved egg congee. 

Elsewhere, the kitchen shows its mastery of forward-thinking Chinese cuisine with bigger plates ranging from stir-fried scallops with fried tofu and winter bamboo shoots or braised Yangchun noodles with roasted duck to spicy aubergine with sato beans, okra, French beans and peanut. To finish, the pretty macarons “are to die for”, although gorgeous-looking chocolates and petits gateaux such as lemon sesame tart or a toasted hazelnut and yuzu Paris-Brest (from the in-house patisserie counter) are equally hard to resist.  

Given that Yauatcha is also billed as a teahouse, you’d expect a stellar selection of rare and fragrant teas – and you wouldn’t be wrong. Otherwise, imbibers can look forward to an impressive line-up of sophisticated sips including a top-drawer list of classy international wines, premium sakés and a host of killer cocktails. In short, this is a consistently exciting and diverting Soho package.  

Known globally for its high-end dining experiences, the Tao Group has countless restaurants around the world, having launched Yauatcha in both India and Saudi Arabia before opening up in London. Yauatcha’s Soho branch sits right in the heart of the capital, offering the winning combination of traditional dim sum with larger Cantonese plates.

The restaurant itself boasts the sort of refined backdrop you’d expect from Yauatcha, with dimmed lighting, and slick back decor. An open kitchen sits at the centre of the restaurant, allowing guests to sit back and watch as dumplings are handmade before them. A sprawling bar spans one side of the room, drawing eyes with its integrated fish tank that sits below the expert mixologists.

From the a la carte menu, diners can tuck into glass noodles with pomegranate or cucumber and sesame salad to start, followed by cheung fun, a selection of bao, as well as dim sum which comes serves steamed, baked, or fried, depending on your preference. Enjoy bold flavours such as seafood black truffle, spicy pork Szechuan or crispy prawn dumplings with a coriander sweet soy sauce. Delve into stir-fried scallop and prawn, classic sweet and sour pork or vegan mapo tofu with shiitake mushrooms to follow.

Elsewhere, guests can choose from a variety of signature set menus. For a full taste of the Yauatcha experience, opt for the ‘Prosper’ or ‘Spirit’ menus with a mixed selection of dim sum, crispy duck salad, stir-fried rib eye beef and a selection of sides, all available. If you’re looking for a unique take on Sunday brunch, then Yauatcha’s ‘Infinite Yum Cha’ menu could be exactly what you’re looking for. Guests will receive unlimited bao and dim sum options, followed by a choice of main, such as sweet and spicy cod curry or crispy prawns with wasabi mayo, complete with a side, and signature souffle pancakes.