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Local stapleA reliable neighbourhood regular. Solid, worth knowing, not always the headline.DinnerOpen for dinner — the usual LocalBite recommendation.

BaoziInn Soho

Chinese · Soho

25-27 Dean Street, W1D 3LL

Budget £30 · typically ~£28 pp·5 min walk

Location

80Score
LocalBite score from taste, value, discovery, authenticity, and local confidence — not Google stars.

Taste

8.5

How good the cooking actually is.

Value

8.0

What you get for the money.

Discovery

6.5

How easy it is to stumble on, versus already famous.

Authenticity

8.0

How true it is to the cuisine — not a diluted version.

Local confidence

7.5

Whether locals who care about food actually go.
Tourist locationWell-known and easy to find. The cooking can still be excellent — just don't expect to stumble on it.

Dean Street dumpling house with 9,000+ Google reviews. The xiao long bao are cheap and good, but this is the Soho Chinese visitors already have saved before they land — fast, central, and on every list.

Why we recommend

Dean Street dumpling house — soup buns, Shanghai classics, and prices that undercut most Soho Chinese. Not fancy; just reliable, fast, and exactly what you want before a show or late table.

  • Standout orders

    Classic pork and fried chicken, and highlight the flavorful 40-day aged beef steak rice — named again and again in recent reviews

  • Atmosphere & service

    Reasonable prices for the quality and the cozy, intimate atmosphere

  • Atmosphere & service

    Visitors consistently praise the friendly, attentive, and helpful staff

What to order

  • Soup dumplings (xiao long bao)

    Our pick

    Order a steamer first — this is the dish people come back for.

  • Shanghai wontons

    Our pick

    Dean Street dumpling house — soup buns, Shanghai classics, and prices that undercut most Soho Chinese.

  • Spicy aubergine

    Our pick

    A curator staple at BaoziInn Soho — the dish we'd send a first-timer toward.

  • Dan dan noodles

    Our pick

    Hearty, shareable plate — good for balancing the richer barbecue dishes on the table.

  • The classic pork and fried chicken

    From reviews

    Shows up in review after review — worth ordering if you have room.

Good for

Exceptional valueSomething amazingNew cuisine

Practical notes

Often busy — arrive early or off-peak. Dean Street casual.

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