Jinli

"Jinli is 30 seconds from Leicester Square and if you’re craving Sichuan food, this is one of the spots to hit in Chinatown. The hot and dry pots, in particular, are perfect for a big group meal, and the whole deep-fried sea bass covered in chilli oil is a must-order. It’s crispy, it’s moist, and you’ll find yourself mining for more fish among the oil, dry chilli, and Sichuan peppercorns. If you’re moving in numbers and more than happy to eat out of the same (hot) pot, this is a good option." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, daisy meager

"Jinli is 30 seconds from Leicester Square and if you’re craving Sichuan food, this is one of the spots to hit in Chinatown. In particular, the hot and dry pots are perfect for a big group meal, and the whole deep-fried sea bass covered in chilli oil is a must-order. It’s crispy, it’s moist, and you’ll find yourself mining for more fish among the oil, dry chilli, and Sichuan peppercorns. If you’re moving in numbers, this is a good option." - Team Infatuation

"The best of the new Sichuan restaurants changing the face of Chinatown and introducing central London to bludgeoning chilli heat and ma la. The original location on Leicester St is better than the shiny new one, and it’s best to bring a group: the things to get here are the huge and customisable dry hot pots, whole splayed sea basses atop an unstable island of tofu in an ocean of chilli oil, and the crawfish — red on red on red — in which Sichuan peppercorns are hidden in every crevice." - Jonathan Nunn

"If a group trip to the West End is on the cards, this original branch of the Sichuan specialist on Leicester Street is an unbeatable option — pick from a list of hot pot ingredients then share the results. The sizzling seabass in numbing chilli oil (a house special) is spectacular, as are the beef with vermicelli-fine shredded potatoes and the chicken skewers." - Emma Hughes

"Chinatown restaurants Joy King Lau, Jin Li, Long Ji, and Young Cheng have all closed for “maintenance”." - James Hansen