Chinese Cricket Club

Chinese Cricket Club opens with a clear culinary promise the moment you arrive: regional Chinese cuisine executed with precise technique and confident seasoning. As a London Chinese restaurant inside the Hyatt Regency London Blackfriars, it stands opposite Blackfriars station and offers direct access for City meetings or Southbank evenings. In the dining room the pace suits midweek power lunches and unhurried dinners; the menu places dim sum, mains and theatrical plates front and center to create a memorable meal from first dumpling to last spoonful. The name Chinese Cricket Club appears on reservations and reviews as a place where technique and flavour take priority over gimmickry.

Chef Tony Truong leads the kitchen with a clear vision: traverse China’s regional styles while maintaining contemporary plating and ingredient quality. Truong’s approach blends Hunan heat, Szechuan aromatics, Shanghai silkiness and classic Beijing techniques into a cohesive menu. The restaurant references a long-angle backstory tied to 19th-century Shanghai cricket captains, and recent guest reviews describe the food as both authentic and refined. While there are no Michelin or major award claims in the provided sources, critics and diners repeatedly note attentive service, consistent execution and surprisingly good value for a hotel-based fine dining option in central London.

The culinary journey at Chinese Cricket Club focuses on signature preparations that showcase technique and ingredients. The Smoked Peking Duck is smoked and presented tableside under a glass dome, then carved and served with pancakes, hoisin, cucumber, leek and pineapple for balanced sweet-savoury contrast. Creamy Prawns arrive in a milk-and-butter sauce, lightly battered and finished with chives for a rich, silky mouthfeel. Dim sum is a highlight: Royal Har Gow uses premium prawns wrapped in translucent skins, while a vegetarian xiao long bao pairs black truffle and shimeji mushrooms with a concentrated umami broth. Ma Po Tofu comes Chengdu-style, with silky tofu, fermented bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns delivered at controlled heat. Mains such as Hunan Lamb with scallions and Wok-fried Beef Fillet in black pepper sauce show the kitchen’s command of wok technique and seasoning. Seasonal ingredients rotate through the menu, and set lunches and tasting menus offer focused samplings—recent reporting notes a five-course option priced about £58 per person, positioning the restaurant as accessible compared with other central London fine-dining experiences.

The interior keeps the focus on food: an 80-seat, L-shaped dining room with contemporary lighting, restrained calligraphy and minimal cricket imagery creates a warm, inviting atmosphere without overstatement. Tableside moments—especially the smoked-duck theatre—provide showmanship while the general design stays calm and functional. Service style is personalized; guests name servers and bartenders in reviews, and staff pace meals for business lunches (efficient) and dinners (leisurely). A full bar and a well-regarded wine list support pairings, though the exact cellar details are not published in the sources. Practical touches include clear lunch and dinner windows and an environment that suits both corporate groups and regulars seeking authentic regional dishes.

For essential planning, Chinese Cricket Club accepts reservations and recommends booking for dinner, especially Friday and Saturday evenings when City diners and tourists converge. Lunch runs Monday through Friday, 12:00–14:30, while dinner service operates Monday–Saturday, 18:00–22:00; the restaurant is closed on Sundays per recent reporting. Dress code leans smart casual—think tidy business wear or elevated weekend attire—and guests report attentive, unhurried service. If you seek value, try the set lunch or the five-course dinner; they offer a structured way to taste the restaurant’s range at predictable pricing.

Whether you come for the tableside Smoked Peking Duck, the hand-crafted dim sum or the regional tasting menus, Chinese Cricket Club in London delivers clear, appetizing reasons to book. Reserve a table to experience Chef Tony Truong’s regional menu, theatrical moments and the convenience of a City location near Blackfriars station. Book early for evening slots and enjoy a focused, flavour-forward meal that highlights classic techniques and contemporary presentation at this distinctive hotel restaurant.