Ma La Sichuan in City of London, Westminster

What a great restaurant. Such friendly staff and a comprehensive menu. We had lamb with spring onions and ginger, chilli chicken (lovely and spicy) and rice and noodles. The food was fantastic! The meat was really tender and the sides brilliant. There is a lovely pub, The Speaker, a couple of minutes away for an aperitif. Both the restaurant and the pub are highly recommended.

i went there for lunch and it was lovely. i took some noodles and they were delicious. the service was excellent and the waiters are really friendly and nice.

super efficient and helpful waiters, the food arrives quickly and is very good. quality/price is ok for London standards. clean bathrooms, quiet place and good food; I am very satisfied I recommend.

Love this place! I often go here with a group of friends. The team here always look after us, welcoming us back, they are always attentive & the food is always superb! 4 of us enjoyed the crispy duck so much last week we ended up ordering a second half duck for the 4 of us. Naughty but very nice! We also enjoy the fragrant chilli chicken as it’s nice & hot! Definitely recommend this restaurant

So much more than a nice restaurant. The staff are welcoming in a very nice way that I can only describe as understated excellence, with a twinkle in the eye. The menu has so much to offer, you have to find out for yourself. For me flawless: spring rolls, cumin lamb, vegetables, jasmine rice, Singapore noodles... I've eaten around but this is such a treat, if I'm in this part of London, I'm coming back. A truly special restaurant with memorable food.. tast buds are still buzzing

Very Nice place Food is delicious and we were very well served ! We recommend !

Food was okay, was better when i ate in 2019. service staff is rude to the point where you cannot ask how long the wait is without getting shouted at. At the end of the meal I asked for the discretionary 12.5% service charge to be taken away as i felt the service was not justified and they already made me pay £2 for a small plate of cut chilli’s i was not even allowed to take home. (They had not informed me of the charge of chilli) Because I understood chinese, the waitress decided to lecture me in Chinese about how horrible it was of me to ask for the service charge to be taken away. Never patronising from here again. This is my third time here but never coming back again, the food is not good enough to compensate the horrible service.

It's not bad, but not authentic Sichuan food, not very spicy or numbing

It was a very nice place with great Chinese food.

Stopped by on a Saturday lunchtime. It wasn't busy but busier than I expected. I had the hot and sour soup, which was excellent, followed by the special chicken (I forget the exact name) and Egg fried rice. Delightful. I've been here a few times before but its not local to me - I really should make the journey more often.

Fantastic Sichuan style Chinese. We cleaned the plates, and will definitely be back!

The staff here are truly warm and attentive. They went out of their way to pamper my young kids, helping them settle down at the table. The rotating center table is brilliant —you don’t have to stretch for food; it effortlessly comes to you. I was delighted that my favorite Sichuan dish, cumin lamb, did not disappoint. The bold flavors paired perfectly with a steaming bowl of white rice. If the spice gets too intense, you can balance it out with Cantonese dim sum. And for a taste of Shanghai, their soup dumplings are a must-try—all in the same place! The chefs are incredibly talented, crafting authentic dishes from different Chinese cuisines with remarkable skill. Their food rivals the best I’ve had in Flushing, New York, which is home to some of the finest Chinese cuisine in the U.S.

Heard about this restaurant from a few different people, so I came to check it out when I was in the area. I’ll start by saying the service was excellent and really some of the best service I’ve had in a while in London. I ordered the “dry wok chicken”. They served the chicken they use to make La Zi Ji, which is a lightly battered chicken. In this dish they served it in a sauce which made the chicken very soggy and the batter became gelatinous and mushy. It was very unappetizing and I suspect the chicken was sitting in the sauce for a while before cooking. I’ve traveled throughout Sichuan, never tasted anything like this. Perhaps I ordered the wrong dish but I don’t intend to return. £23 for 1 dish or nearly $29. London what is there to say anymore

The best authentic Chinese restaurant in London

Summary: Truly excellent food. Perfect service, professional, attentive and prompt, as well as friendly. Thanks to all who served me, especially San San. Lovely atmosphere. Details: The food is really, really tasty. It’s very well presented. It’s clearly totally fresh. Perfect. I was a “walk in” at 6:30 pm or thereabouts on a Wednesday, and I was lucky they had a small table available, as it was clearly already busy- a very good sign. A mixture of customers who all looked happy. I’d always recommend booking if you can, but if you’re just in the area, make the effort to call past in case they’ve got a table. If they have, I think you’ll be very happy you did. Service, right from the start, hit what I think can sometimes be a difficult- to-achieve balance. Very professional, very prompt without ever making me feel at all rushed. San San was my main “server”, with a few others helping out such as brining a drink from the bar, or food from the kitchen etc. and all were proper professionals. San San was more than happy to advise on dishes, and give me her personal option and favourites. Little details will make the difference to some people, such as you get asked whether you would prefer western cutlery to chopsticks- no feeling of stigma attached. (I always persevere with chopsticks, to the point of comedy, though). Food and drinks arrive quickly. I dare say if you were in a hurry to get to a theatre so such, and you let them know, you’ll be fed and watered in no time if that’s what you need. Yet I also felt no hurry or pressure at all to pay or vacate my table. The atmosphere is exactly how I like it, there’s a nice buzz without any loud thumping music. The decoration is nicely done, the furniture exactly what you need for a good meal. Seats comfortable. Everything nice, clean and tidy. Plenty enough space between tables so I certainly didn’t feel squashed in. I tried an “exotic/unusual” dish that I’ve not really had before. It was delicious. All the things I had here were, the starter, main, rice and even the wine. I’d say don’t be afraid to try something unusual. It wouldn’t be on their menu if it wasn’t good. I will be back, asap.

We celebrated an auspicious Lunar New Year for 2025 here. Our meal of soup, dumplings, dry wok, and chicken noodles – Szechuan style – arrived quickly, freshly made and tasty. The restaurant was packed, a testament to the quality of this traditional cuisine. Our deep fried banana with ice cream was a nod to our childhood memories of Chinese indulgence.

Tuvimos una maravillosa comida de San Valentín aquí. Desde el principio, el servicio fue atento y amable. Entrantes de Calamar Sal y Pimienta y Pato Crujiente. Mains de filete de lubina y langostinos Gongbao. Todo perfectamente cocinado y muy sabroso. Tarde terminada con una taza gratis de dulces para llevar a casa. Ambiente cálido y una muy buena comida.

Delicious food, had take away. Very friendly staff

Amazing chinese restaurant! It was my best chinese dishes in my whole life

first time coming here and i must say really good food, nice staff and very accommodating to taste and adjusting spice level. will be back

Been wanting to try this place for a while. The atmosphere was warm and the decoration feels very oriental. The service was absolutely on point and the staff was extremely welcoming. Onto the food: I ordered the beef in chilly oil (水煮牛肉), chose the regular spicy option. In hindsight, perhaps I should've gone for the extra hot since it's not as spicy as I had expected it to be (comparing to other Sichuan establishments spice level in London). It does tasted quite nice, the beef was tender. The portion could've been a bit bigger. They do come with a less spicy option as well. Overall, I would recommend it, especially if you can't quite handle spicy food but want to experience it.

Good food, friendly service and good valoe

Definitely not my favorite Chinese place in London. I was very hungry, ordered 3 items. Couldn't even finish the first two, payed for them, and didn't want to try the third.

TLDR: No mala spice in a restaurant called Ma La, very mild food. I went there looking for authentic Sichuan food. I ordered the mapo tofu, which is my goto dish to try out new Sichuan restaurants, I've eaten this in Cheng Du, and it is one of my favourite dishes. Unfortunately it did not live up to the restaurants name, there was no ma'la taste, no numbing spice, which was quite disappointing. The rest of the food was also extremely mild, even dishes marked as 2 chillies on the menu. Overall the food was nice and service good, but the lack of Sichuan peppercorns and barely any spice made it disappointing. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mild food.

The taste is good, the quantity is sufficient, and the price is a little higher. . .

I only did take-away but wish to eat in one day. I ordered a beef noodle soup and it was so good, and I didn't end up drinking gallons of water afterwards like I usually do after eating from some Chinese restaurants. Service was good too, didn't treat me less nice because I only did take outs. Will defo use again when I visit the area.

Authentic sichuanese food. It is one of my favorite types of chinese food and this place definitely met my expectations. Good amount of mala. I recommend their noodle dishes and tofu. Very friendly service.

Excelente! Comida muito boa, ambiente agradável, banheiro limpo e cozinha bem organizada e limpa. Atendimento impecável e rapidez na entrega dos pedidos. Cardápio bem variado e preço acessível . Vale a pena a visita.

Restaurante surpreendente! Não fica numa rua badalada mas está convenientemente localizado a 600mts dos hotéis próximos ao London Eye. Ao chegarmos, a fachada não impressionou muito mas quando entramos (as 19horas) o restaurante já estava cheio, pegamos a última mesa (recomendo reservar) e se percebia que eram pessoas locais. O serviço foi rápido, preciso e atencioso e a comida estava muito boa! O melhor de tudo foi o Crispy Duck da entrada, muito crocante, imperdível! E o preço bem acessível considerando que estamos em Londres.

Had dinner here with two other friends and all three of us ended up having stomachache for a few days. Food was passable and overpriced.

¡Un lugar brillante! La comida era increíble y el servicio era maravilloso! Mi marido y yo estábamos de visita en Londres y llamamos por casualidad y no nos decepcionó ... . . el restaurante estaba ocupado, pero tuvimos una comida auténtica encantadora ... . . muchas gracias Ma La, ! ! X

Our hotel staff recommended this restaurant so we decided to give it a try and we weee not disappointed. The four of us shared a few small plates and a few larger plates. All the food was fresh and delicious. We also shared a couple of desserts which were excellent. The staff was very friendly and attentive and they provided some good recommendations. I would definitely recommend one back the next time I’m in London and definitely recommend this restaurant.

One of the places in town that has a few vegetarian options for my fav sichuan items… Mapo doufu/tofu vegetarian was elite

Excellent quality Asian restaurant. The food is delicious and the staff's attention is very good. Advisable.

what a wonderful discovery - utterly charming staff, impeccable service and delicious food. Lisa the Maitre d'hotel is brilliant! Can't wait to go back

The dinner set for two was large, cost-effective, and delicious.

The food was great, the staff friendly and super efficient with just the right level of attentiveness. Highly recommended.

Great restaurant with some of the friendliest service in London! Food was fantastic - we especially enjoyed the lamb and salt and pepper crab! Dumplings weren’t as good as we hoped but everything else was excellent.

The cuisine is really good, however the welcome is very disappointing. We announce a limited time to occupy the table. We had difficulty with the dishes because they are French and the descriptions do not necessarily correspond to what we have in Chinese restaurants in France, and the Chinese name is not in our alphabet either. At no time when it was apparent that we were lost was we offered any advice or assistance. They were just in a huge hurry to clear it out. Our table neighbors were sent away with a doggy bag because their allotted time was up... They hadn't finished eating! We felt like we were intruding and it ruined our meal. On the other hand, a table of ten was treated like kings and they were given all the time... Very disappointing. However, we were delighted with the culinary discovery. Incidentally the prices are quite prohibitive. More than 50 pounds for two simple dishes, rice and a portion of 4 steams (we couldn't find our way on the menu, that's limiting.... And the treatment took away our desire for wine or dessert !). Very very disappointed.

Love the restaurant itself - on the expensive side, and the sauce was too thick. Good taste and authentic.

If you are Chinese, better to avoid this restaurant. Expensive but not tasty

Delicious food for very affordable prices in central London. Will be my new go to for Sichuan cuisine. Service was warm and friendly as well.

Honestly, best service I’ve ever had in London. Thank you so much to the team here who were so friendly, cheerful and helpful. And our meal was DELICIOUS! Great options for vegetarians (the vege duck pancakes were amazing) and really great desserts. Highly recommend.

Delicious food and really quick service. Always make a booking. This restaurant is very popular every day of the week so walk-in diners will be disappointed

The first came out quickly and was freshly cooked. Will definitely go back if I'm in the area

I had a phenomenal dinner at Ma La Sichuan! As a gluten free diner, I felt very well taken care of throughout the entirety of the meal. There was a separate menu, and the staff continuously provided information in regard to the measures taken to ensure my meal was safe. My favourite dishes were the Chicken with Mixed Vegetables, the Salt and Pepper Tofu, and the Broccoli with Garlic. My only complaint is that I didn't think there was enough variety in the dishes offered - both chicken dishes tasted relatively the same. I do hope the kitchen experiments and becomes a bit more adventurous with their gluten free offerings in the future. I need to mention the service - it was superb! Genuinely some of the best in London. The entire team went above and beyond to make sure I had a pleasant time. Everyone I spoke with was kind, funny, and overall pleasant. Very highly recommended!

Mi marido y yo comemos aquí a menudo - es nuestro restaurante favorito en Londres en este momento. La comida es fabulosa (cocina abierta para que pueda ver detrás de escena) , y el servicio siempre spot on. El pollo fragante es algo maravilloso... realmente me encanta aquí. Muy recomendable.

Excellent chinese food dining, ideal for team lunches. Friendly helpful staff. Enjoyed every mouthful!

Great Chinese restaurant! Excellent service—fast and efficient. The food was amazing. Definitely recommend!

We love it here. Have been on quiet week days and busy weekends. The food is always incredible and we get extra to take home! Staff are friendly, quick and helpful. The place itself is a lovely spot and I would recommend to anyone: big group or couple; tourist or regular. Thank you!

Outstanding food and service. Went twice in 3 days!

Mala was a very nice and relaxing place for Chinese. The service was amazing, the atmosphere was very good, all the staff was very sweet! Also, the food was amazing!! I really recommend Mala for you to have some Chinese!

La peor comida de mi vida. No sé cómo se califica este lugar. Los platos de pollo que tenemos eran tan juguetones, que el pollo Szechuan no debe saber así. Las salsas eran terribles. Me picaron la lengua. Estaba realmente preocupado después de comer esa comida. Porque no estaba seguro de lo que estaba comiendo. Mi marido pidió un plato de carne y salieron con un plato de alguna cosa que parece pajitas en una salsa. Nunca dejo malas críticas porque me gusta dar a los restaurantes el beneficio de la duda, pero este restaurante necesitaba esta opinión.

This is one of my favourite places to eat in London! This is the second time we went and even since the first time I kept day dreaming about going back. The food is honestly so delicious and what’s also impressive is it comes out incredibly quickly! We ordered and then I quickly went to the toilet and by the time I came back the food already started being served! On top of this, what really makes the experience for me is how nice the vibes are here. Really warm and welcoming and the staff are super friendly, kind and attentive. Before I was about to ask if we could order more rice or another drink, they already predicted this and we felt really looked after the whole time. Especially one of our waiters we had to ask his name (Kein) to give him a shout out as he is just so lovely and his warmth and jolly nature was contagious and really brightened the whole restaurant! Thanks Kein and everyone for all your hard work to make it a great and welcoming experience for every customer. The customer service alone is one of the best we’ve had and that alone is enough to make it a lovely experience but the fact that the food is just as good makes it an excellent time 😊

Si la ecuación de valor es importante para usted, entonces esto es bueno, ya que obtiene en mi opinión calidad x precio + servicio = excepcional. Si vas a un restaurante para que te vean y tomes fotos y no se trata tanto de la comida como del medio ambiente y la presentación, entonces esto no es para ti. Después de haber vivido en China durante 4 años, esto fue lo más parecido a lo que hemos disfrutado hace todos esos años. Nada nos deja bajar de los dumplings de vieira al plato de langostinos de la firma (lo siento, olvidé el nombre) a las costillas, brócoli / ajo todo era excelente, el servicio era rápido pero aún así amable. Si desea una noche libre de los restaurantes de lujo muy caros y disfrutar de algo de comida real de Sichuan no se decepcionará, obviamente volveremos y la próxima vez dejar espacio para los postres que el resto del restaurante estaban disfrutando!

First meal at london! Found this restaurant near our house here. The foods are delicious and suit to my taste! Serve fast and the staffs are friendly too! Recommended!

Expensive but hey that's London & was expected. All was delicious & very enjoyable & the staff were lovely & very helpful & attentive & had no problem sorting a doggy bag for us as we had eyes bigger than our stomachs . The stand out dish for me was the wanton soup , I just wanted to kidnap the chef but they wouldn't let me . Guess I'll just have to come back instead . Highly recommended 👌

This restaurant is by far the best Chinese food I have ever eaten. It is in a League if it’s own. The food , service and atmosphere is 100%. Thank you Lisa for making us feel so welcome .

Very good, authentic, warm welcome and fair prices.

Super friendly staff with humor. The food was really delicious.

Very good and tasty food. Take away service is great, quick and efficient. Very good, very tasty food. Fast and efficient take-out service.

I enjoyed it so much!! It was delicious so I went twice. Dantanmen, Kkanpunggi, Dumplings with sesame sauce, Kkanpunggi, Sweet and sour pork I ate it It was my first time eating tantanmen and I enjoyed it (my husband said noodles aren't his style). The Kkanpunggi was not very spicy, but it was spicy. The dumplings were also a total treat. They were spicy and spicy👍 The style of sweet and sour pork was different from Korea, but it was good.

Totally different chinese food experience. I love the flavors. Fantastic!

It's a bit similar to the taste of dandanmyeon I used to eat in Korea, but much more delicious (I didn't like Korean dandanmyeon). The staff are also friendly. I recommend it

Excellent service. I dropped a chopstick and one magically appeared within a minute. Food came out quickly and it was delicious. Singapore rice noodles with chicken and spring rolls.

Amazing food, amazing service, amazing place to satisfy my nostalgia

Solid Chinese food! Very friendly and attentive staff! We had a fantastic time here!

Fue temprano ( 19 : 30) un sábado por la noche. Las reservas son obligatorias porque todas las mesas fueron tomadas y rellenadas tan pronto como un grupo se fue. Si no te gusta la comida de Sichuan no será feliz aquí. Los tres platos que tuvimos fueron excelentes (Ma Po Tofu, Hormigas subirse a un árbol y langostinos salados y de pimienta). El menú es extenso y cuenta con muchos artículos que no se encuentran en los restaurantes del barrio. Servicio rápido eficiente y amable. Los precios eran “medios” pero acordes con la calidad de los alimentos.

Amazing and delicious food. Incredible service, staff is friendly and makes you feel welcomed. If you know, Szechuan cuisine, then you won’t be disappointed coming here.

Food was delicious! Service was fast even though it was busy. Would definitely go back the next time we're in town.

Great menu, which includes one of Chairman Mao's favourite dishes, and execution.

Food was delicious and authentic! Definitely recommend it!

It's super delicious！！！As a Chinese people I feel like home, very native and traditional Chinese dishes, especially MAPO tofu! Strongly recommend!

Wooooow. This is the best Schezwan food I've had. What was equally impressive was the service. No one was ever standing around doing nothing. They were always working together to ensure a smooth and stream line operation. I wish I could get my office to work this efficiently! Nice work management and team!! Regarding the food, we had Schezwan soup, veg dumpling, crispy beef, chili chicken, and Singapore noodles w/ chicken. Yummy!! We left with our tummies very happy. Highly recommended!!

Stumbled upon this popular and buzzy local Chinese. Reasonable and decent food!

Reservations are a must and can be done on line in advance. Must you must call the restaurant if asking for reservations on the day you wish to dine. Open for lunch then close and reopen for dinner. We dined at 5:30 and felt very welcomed. Very attentive waiters. In fact almost overly attentive. Beware -dishes can be very hot with spice. But you can request less spicy. We asked for broccoli beef and although not on the menu it was prepared for us. The dry wok entrees are quite unique and very tasty. The preparation uses less oil. Husband’s birthday so they brought him a complimentary dessert of mango pudding with a candle. So cute but I really enjoyed the green tea ice cream. Reasonable prices and easy to share. For 3 diners we had won ton soup ( huge to share) 2 entree dishes and 2 rice dishes. Plenty of food.

Exceptional service: a caring team! Delicious food above all 🤗

Very good food and generously served. Very fast and helpful service. I ordered mint tea and it was actually made with mint, not tea from a bag. We really liked it.

Best Chinese food in London. The veggies were phenomenal, the sichuan oil boiled beef was epically flavorful, and the staff is really friendly and informative. Homemade mango pudding sealed the deal. Amazing food at really great prices — get yourself a reservation and enjoy!

Great, friendly service and great food. The pork ear was spicy and tasted fresh. The dim sum platter lived up to expectations - fresh Prawns and good texture on the skin. Highly recommended (from an Asian/Aussie (&Cantonese) palette). Locals come here and it seems like a really good place for Chinese (sichuan/szechuan) food. Tiger beer on tap too which is a plus. Chilli oil was really nice as well. Highly recommended.

We enjoyed a fabulous dinner here tonight. The service was amazing. Super friendly. The food was delicious. We tried the vegetable spring rolls, hot & sour soup, wonton soup, & 2 main dishes. All were amazing. Good size portions —we had to get to go boxes. Highly recommend!

This is our favourite Chinese restaurant in London. The flavours you get from Sichuan chillies and salt is quite different from any other cuisine. Highly recommended if you're looking for something unique and different from the usual Chinese food options.

We walked in without a reservation during peak dinner hours, and were seated within minutes. The staff was so kind and attentive, and the food was incredible! The hot & sour soup was so delicious that we ordered a second serving after devouring the first. Everything we ordered was mouth-watering, and we loved every interaction with the staff. We'll definitely return the next time we're in London!

The food there is great cinema. The employees are super nice too! I can recommend without exception.

This was the best chinese food i’ve had in a while! Not too salty, not too fried, and not too spicy!!

It is good. It was exceptionally excellent

Absolutely amazing food and service. Thanks to all will definitely be back when we return to London.

From today, for me, the best experiences of China cuisine

Tucked away in Westminster, a 5-minute walk from St James's Park underground station, this well-run place is an absolute gem, one of a dying breed of Sechuan Chinese restaurants in London which still offers great value for money, great service and delicious, well-cooked food. Steer clear of the rip-off, tourist-trap restaurants in Soho and elsewhere in Central London and pay Ma La chinese restaurant a visit instead. You won't be disappointed.

This restaurant was super central but had a cosy and very relaxed feel. The staff were friendly, kind and very attentive. We loved the food - we went for a Set Menu A and the starter came out very quickly. Also we found the drinks to be very reasonably priced. The duck was delish! Thank you for a lovely dining experience!

Chinese people don’t lie to Chinese people. This restaurant is super delicious. It doesn’t feel like it’s in a Chinese district. I was worried that the taste might be average, but it actually tastes amazing. The most important thing is that Lisa has a super good personality and a happy dining experience, which adds another atmosphere in terms of taste and vision. Recommended spicy chicken, twice-cooked pork, boiled beef, and dry-cooked sausages

I felt very looked after as a gluten free customer. They had a gluten free menu. They properly served The gluten free food. After I inquired about The soy sauce they made sure to communicate that the soy sauce delivered is gluten and even marked IT! The food is tasty and almost fullfilled my dream of a Chinese restaurant. They took good care of the gluten free customer. They have a gluten-free menu card. After asking about soy sauce at first, they later announced that the soy sauce provided was gluten-free and also described it on the reusable bottle. The food is delicious and almost my dream come true for a Chinese restaurant.

Authentic Chinese food in a clean, calm dining room. I can recommend the home-style tofu and the egg noodles are tasty.

Cerquita de Westminster, es un chino a la antigua usanza, con buena cocina. El dim sum está muy bueno y las gambas sichuan también… el plato de aperitivos merece la pena y lo que fue espectacular fue el “morning glory”. Verdura gloriosa, realmente. Eso si, pedimos unas rodajas de guindilla adicional, y nos cobraron dos libras. Un poco demasiado… Pero en general, rico y asequible de precio.

Visited two times so far and will go back again. You know you’re in an authentic Chinese restaurant when the service is pragmatic and operational 😅 and they don’t disappoint with the food. Quick service. I usually make a reservation when I go to restaurants, this time I didn’t, but they didn’t turn me down, which is good as I was hungry and didn’t have a lot of time. The place was busy for a weekday lunch, which is always nice to see. It creates a good vibe. The veg dumplings are not overcooked, which is a tough balance to achieve when dealing with thin translucent dumplings, but they know what they’re doing.

Everything was incredible and the treatment was magnificent. They serve quickly.

A delicious and tasty dinner! Very pleasant staff.

Amazing! Really enjoyed the whole experience.. thank you

Classic Chinese restaurant inside, prices are good for London Standard. Ate duck spring rolls and prawn dumplings (both really good), the mains (king prawn udon noodles and stir fried rice with chicken) were ok. To highlight some traditional dishes like pork ears (big bonus when a Chinese restaurant has them). Really great service, they also came outside to give the umbrella I forgot inside. Overall a nice place to have quick nice Chinese meal. Try it out!

Warm welcome, fresh food, great service.