Dining
Every BAO in London, Ranked
Seven London BAOs, ranked. Unlike most groups the menus genuinely differ: a walk-ins-only original in Soho, a charcoal grill house in Borough, two beef noodle shops and a karaoke flagship.
In short: our top picks are BAO Soho, BAO Borough and BAO Noodle Shop Shoreditch. 7 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Most restaurant groups repeat one menu across a city and leave you choosing a postcode. BAO does the opposite, which is why picking the wrong one is a real risk: the Soho original is a xiao chi house that takes no bookings at all, Borough is a charcoal grill house built under the railway, Shoreditch and Battersea are beef noodle shops, and the City site is really a karaoke venue that serves dinner. Several dishes exist at one address and nowhere else. Here is how the seven compare, and what each is actually for.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| BAO Soho | Soho | ££ |
| BAO Borough | Borough | ££ |
| BAO Noodle Shop Shoreditch | Shoreditch | ££ |
| BAO Noodle Shop Battersea | Battersea | ££ |
| BAO City | City of London | ££ |
| BAO King's Cross | King's Cross | ££ |
| BAO Marylebone | Marylebone | ££ |
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Editor’s choice
BAO Soho
Why we pick itThe one that started it in 2015, described by the group as a poetic translation of the Taiwanese xiao chi house, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand holder for nine years running. Several dishes are marked exclusive to Soho, so it is the only branch where the menu is the full original.
Worth knowingWalk-ins only: BAO Soho takes no reservations at all, so go at opening or expect a wait.
The original, and still the one
-
BAO Borough
Why we pick itThe group's late night grill house under the railway tracks, built around an imported Tokyo grill: 40-day aged Denver beef from Warren's Butchers in Cornwall, ox heart skewers and yellow chilli chicken thigh, none of which you will find elsewhere. Counter seating, terracotta floors, and a window looking down into a red-lit karaoke room. It won an Eater award for its interiors.
Best room, and the grill
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BAO Noodle Shop Shoreditch
Why we pick itTaiwan's beef noodle shops, reproduced properly: the noodles are made with 3% gluten flour imported from Taiwan, the rich bowl uses beef cheek braised for 24 hours and the light one thinly sliced aged beef. The Log Room downstairs seats sixteen in leather banquettes and Ercol chairs.
The noodles, done first
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BAO Noodle Shop Battersea
Why we pick itThe noodle shop again, on the top floor of Battersea Power Station in Turbine Hall A, where you perch at a wrap-around counter with the chefs working in front of you and 1940s heritage architecture above. The Danzai, slow braised soy mince in a light prawn and pork broth, is served here and nowhere else.
Same noodles, grander room
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BAO City
Why we pick itThe restaurant and karaoke flagship, with two KTV rooms flanking the dining room. The Taipei Room holds twenty-three under a wrap-around immersive LED screen; the New York Room seats ten for dinner or twelve for singing, behind a soundproof window into the restaurant.
Worth knowingClosed on Sundays, and the karaoke rooms go weeks ahead for weekend nights.
Go for the karaoke, not the menu
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BAO King's Cross
Why we pick itA reimagined take on nostalgic Taiwan: xiao chi, rice bowls and noodles inside, bao buns and bubble tea to take out to the canal. The private mezzanine seats twelve for two hours behind retractable windows overlooking the dining room, with a button to call for service.
The flexible one
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BAO Marylebone
Why we pick itA xiao chi house set back from the tracks of Oxford Street in St Christopher's Place, built for a fast lunch of freshly folded dumplings and snacks rather than a long dinner. The one branch making a point of halal options, including the marinated grilled chicken, and it has a Hong Kong karaoke room of its own.
Handiest off Oxford Street
Before you book
Soho is walk-ins only, so go early or expect to wait; everywhere else takes bookings and says plainly that it is the way to avoid the waitlist. The karaoke rooms need booking well ahead: the Taipei Room at BAO City holds twenty-three, the Log Room in Shoreditch sixteen, the mezzanine at King’s Cross twelve. BAO City closes on Sundays, and the noodle shops close on Tuesdays, which catches people out.
Common questions
Which BAO is best in London?
BAO Soho is our editor's choice: The one that started it in 2015, described by the group as a poetic translation of the Taiwanese xiao chi house, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand holder for nine years running. Several dishes are marked exclusive to Soho, so it is the only branch where the menu is the full original. BAO Soho, BAO Borough and BAO Noodle Shop Shoreditch lead the guide, with 7 places in total, all chosen on merit.
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