Best Chinese Restaurants in the UK and Ireland

The Chinese restaurant scene in the UK is as diverse and colourful as the astonishing variety of regional Chinese cuisine itself. From bare-bones eateries serving up unpretentious yet soulful comfort food, to the sleek, glistening Michelin-starred establishments offering a more refined dining experience, the country is graced with a glorious array of Chinese culinary gems. This unsung culinary landscape captures the essence of China's gastronomic traditions and more contemporary interpretations. Within the constellation of high-end Chinese restaurants, quite a few glittering stars signal sophistication and gourmet delight. Notable is Hakkasan - a culinary brainchild of Alan Yau - with its Michelin star, contemporary Cantonese cuisine and sleek, sexy ambience. Park Chinois, another of Yau's ventures, stuns with its lavish interior, live music, and upscale Chinese dishes. Another beacon of Chinese haute cuisine is Andrew Wong's eponymous restaurant A.Wong, in Victoria. A.Wong boasts a Michelin star and a reputation for skilfully bridging the gap between traditional Chinese food and the sophistication expected of London's fine dining scene. Meanwhile, at the Shard, the lofty Hutong impresses not only with a vertiginous gaze over London but with its Northern Chinese cuisine that bears the signature authenticity and inventiveness of the globally-renowned Aqua Restaurant Group. And of course, how could we forget Ken Hom, the venerable ambassador of Chinese cuisine in the UK, whose TV shows and cookbooks have acclimatised British palates to the unique flavours of China. His influence - often indirect - is felt across restaurants nationwide. This myriad of establishments keeps the Chinese food banner flying high, making the UK Chinese restaurant scene a vibrant and exhilarating arena for epicurean explorations.