Hutong (Bar, Restaurant)

Top 10 things to know about Hutong:

1) In a matter of seconds you’re whizzed above the clouds - literally, and figuratively on near-perfect days.

2) There is no better view of London (without needing a passport). Prepare for a spike in Instagram followers. Look down on St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the Thames river, and a thousand sunlight reflections winking from myriad rooftops and passing vehicles. Karma turns any good deeds you’ve performed that day into a window seat reward.

3) You’re here at The Shard in London Bridge to amaze: your darling Mum on Mother’s Day; those precious clients from Chicago; your beautiful wife on your anniversary (your beautiful mistress when your wife’s away); your loving boyfriend on date night; your best pals on a girls’ night out. Look around; everyone has dressed to impress, so join in!

4) Your credit card may not be quite as impressed, so have a word with MasterCard or MsVisa to let them know that this is one of those special London occasions that requires a little flex on their part.

5) Hutong is sister to Aqua Nueva restaurant in Soho, so expect a stylish backdrop to frame the majestic scene: hanging red lanterns, dark Chinese wood furnishings, and semi-private dining rooms in which suits quaff 1985 Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1er Grand Cru.

6) Settle, as the experienced sommelier finds you a velvety Chilean Lapostolle Cuvee Alexandre merlot to pair with your food.

7) The menu is a weighty tome; an opus filled with Northern Chinese characters and plot twists. A rule of thumb when navigating through this Chinese odyssey: order menu dishes that bear the tempting red Hutong signature symbol. If you’ve booked a daytime visit, the tale begins at lunch, when the best dim sum in London makes its entrance: tiger prawn and black truffle dumplings, alongside baked Wagyu beef puffs, are the ideal ways start.

8) Follow these with a giant bowl of crispy soft shell crab served in a sea of Sichuan dried chillies; or the most satisfying roast Peking duck this side of the Himalayas, excitingly served two ways!

9) Enjoy a self-congratulatory exhale in the coolest toilets in London (see previous point about the view). Well done, your life has reached this lofty point.

10) Hang a handwritten note on the restaurant’s wishing tree before leaving: “I want to come back to Hutong, the best chinese restaurant in London”....read more