Din Tai Fung

Din Tai Fung began life in Taiwan in 1972 as a cooking oil retailer before turning into one of the most recognised dumpling brands in the world, and its first London restaurant opened on Henrietta Street in Covent Garden back in December 2018. The format hasn’t changed much since: an open kitchen where you can watch chefs folding xiao long bao by hand, and a menu built almost entirely around getting that one dish exactly right.

The soup dumplings are, unsurprisingly, the reason to visit, thin skinned parcels holding a properly hot, well seasoned broth inside that requires a bit of technique to eat without scalding yourself or losing the liquid onto the plate. Beyond the classic pork version, the menu extends into fried rice, noodle dishes and a reasonable vegetarian selection, though the dumplings remain the clear headline act regardless of what else you order.

The room itself is functional rather than atmospheric, bright and efficient in the way that suits a restaurant built for consistent, fast turnover rather than a lingering meal, and it books up quickly given how central the location is and how well known the brand has become internationally.

A meal with a couple of dumpling baskets, a noodle dish and a drink comes to around £30 to £40 a head, reasonable for Covent Garden and for the quality of the signature dish, even if it’s not especially cheap for what is, at its core, a fairly simple format executed very precisely. It suits a quick, reliable meal in the middle of a day out in Covent Garden, and it’s a genuinely good option for diners eating alone at the counter as much as for groups.

The honest caveat, raised by several reviewers, is inconsistency: some visits deliver dumplings as good as the brand’s reputation suggests, while others have reported blander flavours and higher prices than expected compared with other international branches. Bookings are accepted and worthwhile for dinner, though solo diners can often get seated at the counter without one.