Lanzhou Lamian serves up affordable, authentic, hand-pulled Chinese noodles in a bustling, no-frills Covent Garden spot with late-night hours.
"This vaguely signposted Chinese spot in Covent Garden is home to some of London’s best made-to-order noodles. The stripped-back space is utilitarian, and the same goes for the service. Plop down on one of the shared tables and attempt to get someone’s attention as soon as possible. Noodles la mian (hand-pulled) or dao xiao mian (knife-cut) are your choices. The former are round and slippery, the latter flat and chewy. Both are top-tier and the broth for soups, depending on the day, can be good too." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak
"Until 4:30am on Friday and Saturday Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar does tasty Chinese hand-pulled noodles (la mian) until 1:30am most nights and until 4:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s basic in setup—cheap and cheerful cafe interiors—but if you just want a delicious, satisfying bowl of noodles, it’s a good call late at night when your options involve either a lamb doner or a night bus. Go for the roast pork or beef brisket noodle soup." - jake missing, sinead cranna
"Order: Beef Brisket Noodle Soup The sign outside Lanzhou reads ‘Noodle House’ because that’s exactly what it is. The low-key Chinatown spot pulls proper lamian until the early hours of the morning and for the hungry night owls of London, it remains an IYKYK kind of spot. The beef brisket is our 2am-phone-propped-up-behind-the-bowl choice. Springy noodles, a hearty, umami-ish soup, and a nap on the bus home incoming. " - jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak
"Lanzhou Lamian is one of those IYKYK spots that, actually, quite a few people know about. The noodle bar is right opposite Covent Garden station, and glows with a window of chow mein, fried rice, and sweet and sour chicken. But look past this tempting array of beige and you’ll find the home to some of London’s best made-to-order noodles. Find a spot in the basic upstairs or downstairs seating area, choose either noodles la mian (hand-pulled) or dao xiao mian (knife-cut), and your topping. The beef brisket is a classic." - jake missing
"At the front of Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar is a starkly lit mini buffet counter filled with glowing orange pieces and piles of Singapore noodles. There’s nothing wrong with loading up a box from here, but it might feel inadequate given there’s a chef pummelling handmade noodle dough and twirling it like a marshmallow twist inches away. The barely marked Chinese spot in Covent Garden is home to some of London’s best made-to-order noodles. The stripped-back space is utilitarian as is the service. Plop yourself down on one of the shared tables and get someone’s attention as soon as possible. Noodles la mian (hand-pulled) or dao xiao mian (knife-cut) are your choices. The former are round and slippery, the latter flat and chewy. Both are top-tier and the broth for soups, depending on the day, can be good too. " - Jake Missing
