Neighborhood · Leicester Square / Shaftesbury Avenue
Chinatown
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London's Chinatown is a compact, lively quarter in the heart of the West End, between Leicester Square and Soho, a few pedestrianised streets strung with red lanterns and marked by ornate paifang gates, packed with Chinese and wider East Asian restaurants, bakeries, bubble-tea shops, supermarkets, and roast-duck windows. Gerrard Street is the buzzing core, especially atmospheric in the evening when the lanterns glow and the restaurants fill.
It's primarily a place to eat and soak up the atmosphere rather than a sightseeing stop, come hungry for dim sum, hand-pulled noodles, roast meats, or egg tarts, and browse the Asian grocers and gift shops. It's at its most spectacular during Chinese New Year, when central London hosts one of the largest celebrations outside Asia. Right by the theatres, it's a perfect pre- or post-show dinner spot.
Don't miss
- Lantern-strung streets and ornate paifang gates
- Dim sum, roast duck, noodles, and bakeries
- Bubble tea and East Asian grocers
- The buzzing evening atmosphere on Gerrard Street
- The Chinese New Year celebrations
Tickets & tours
Ways to visit Chinatown
You don't need a tour to visit — entry is free. A tour is worth it if you want transport, a guide, or to combine Chinatown with nearby sights in one day. That's what these do well.
Cheapest way inHistorical Chinatown Walking Tour4.9★ · 41 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$17 per personSee dates →
Most bookedWicked Westminster: The Original London Ghost walk4.6★ · 3,305 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$27 per personSee dates →
Private & flexibleNight Street Food Tour of Bangkok's Chinatown4.9★ · 196 travelers~3 hoursFrom$56 per personSee dates →Good for
How travelers rate it
Know before you go
- It's mainly an eating-and-atmosphere destination, not a sightseeing one, come hungry.
- Evening is most atmospheric with the lanterns lit; lunchtime is great for dim sum.
- It's right by the West End theatres, ideal for a pre- or post-show meal.
- Chinese New Year brings huge celebrations to the surrounding streets.
A bit of history
London's original Chinese community centred on Limehouse in the East End; the current Chinatown in Soho developed from the 1950s–70s as Chinese restaurants opened around Gerrard Street, growing into the West End's vibrant East Asian dining quarter, marked by its ceremonial gates.
Common questions
What is there to do in London's Chinatown?
Primarily eat and soak up the atmosphere, dim sum, roast duck, noodles, bubble tea, and bakeries along lantern-lit, gate-marked streets in the West End.
When's the best time to visit?
Evening for the lanterns and buzz, lunchtime for dim sum, or Chinese New Year for one of the largest celebrations outside Asia.
Where is it?
In the West End between Leicester Square and Soho, centred on Gerrard Street, by the theatres.
Is it a sightseeing stop?
More an eating-and-atmosphere quarter than a sight; it pairs perfectly with a West End show or a Soho wander.
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