Dim Sum Library Review: Silky Har Gau, Peppery Puffs and Playful Cocktails

Last Updated on December 18, 2025

A Stylish Setting for Modern Dim Sum in the Heart of London

Located right on Long Acre at the bustling edge of where Covent Garden meets Chinatown, Dim Sum Library brings modern Cantonese dining to London. The OG branch launched in Hong Kong in 2016 and has been brought to London by the Aqua Restaurant Group – the same team behind high-profile restaurants like Aqua Shard, Hutong and Shiro- so the bar is already set high.

Stepping inside from the crowded streets, we felt a sense of immediate calm. Founder and CEO David Yeo has created an elegant space which feels open and spacious with tones of gold and black. Vintage Chinese posters, wall-to-wall mirrors and elegant decorative touches give the space its own character. As we waited to be seated, we were immediately drawn in by the open dim sum demo station just by the entrance, where chefs were effortlessly making a variety of dumplings for us and passers-by to see. A simple trick, but the theatre of seeing the chefs showing off their skills always makes me hungry.

A carefully curated cocktail menu

The cocktail menu offers tea-inspired cocktails where classic gins, whiskeys and tequilas are paired with Chrysanthemum or Oolong tea and/or Asian inspired ingredients. I chose the Smoky Sichuan with Ilegal mezcal, Patron Silver tequila, guava, lime and Sichuan pepper. It was elegant in its gimlet-style glass. As we sipped, Katie took us through a little history and gave us tips on the menu. We chatted for far too long about the streets of Sham Sui Po and the dying tea house culture in Central. I appreciated her childhood recollections of visiting dim sum houses and the tricks she played to get her favourite dishes before they ran out. It took me back to my own experience at Lin Heung Tea House – one of the oldest tea houses in Hong Kong – where servers wheel the dim sum around on trolleys, calling out what is available. You need all your wits about you to make sure you get what you want!

Expansive Cantonese-inspired dishes

At Dim Sum Library, it’s much easier to order. The menu is split into appetisers, dim sum, cheung fun, mains, rice and noodles, vegetables and dessert. I was greedily already thinking about my prawn cheung fun that I completely missed the appetisers. Next time, I’d definitely order the Chilled Octopus with Ginger and the Crispy Tofu with Seven Spice Salt like the table next to us. Having said that, the cheung fun came, and it was all the chewy glory I wanted.

Moving on to the dim sum menu, the first thing I noticed was the choice of seafood. As a pescatarian, I am usually a frustrated dim sum diner, with maybe one veggie option and a shrimp dish without pork, if I’m lucky. Not here. Here I chose Black Truffle Har Gau, Crystal Har Gau and Shunde Style Seabass Dumplings, which were all so moreish that I could have easily gone another round.

The spring rolls are intriguing, too. I must admit I wasn’t sure about the King Crab and Sea Urchin, but they were full to the brim with spiced crab and the right amount of salty umami from the sea urchin pate. The Crispy Fried Purple Cabbage Roll was exactly that – crispy! A nice variation to the other textures on our plate.

Chef also recommends the Ginger Lobster Bao with Spring Onion. It was a velvety, smooth mixture inside the lightest of bao. Dipped into Chilli Oil, these were one of the menu highlights for me. I could have eaten all three by myself, but I was getting full already.

Little did I know the best was yet to come. Steamed Alaskan Black Cod Fillets with Chinese Chives and Sichuan Pepper – not any old pepper but a green oil that ignites the numbness in your mouth. (Side note – which one learns when dining with a Chemistry major – the numbing sensation caused by Sichuan Peppers is a result of hydroxy-alpha-sanshool. It activates the touch receptors on your tongue, which in turn cause vibrations that translate to that numb feeling.  This was exciting, but not as exciting as the Stir-Fried Scallops with Asparagus. Oh my. The sauce, which oozed through the flecks of white and green, should be bottled in very large jars and sold to take home. I’m certain the four other tables around us having the same dish would agree.

Finally, I must tell you about the egg fried rice, for it is no ordinary egg fried rice. No, this is Egg Fried White Rice with Truffle. Studded with crispy rice and spring onion and drizzled with sesame oil, this is quite possibly the best egg fried rice I’ve ever eaten. It is a large portion, but I suggest ordering one for yourself. I certainly will next time.

Needless to say, we were pretty full after all this. Dishes came fast, and so we expanded onto a second table to keep pace. We didn’t have room for the Oolong Crème Brulee or the Pistachio Chocolate Mochi. Another time, perhaps as part of the restaurant’s Dim Sum Style Afternoon Tea, which is priced at just £25 on weekdays. Definitely something to come back for. 

One mystery remains…

The only mystery that still remains is how Chef will leverage the beautiful wood-fired oven left by the previous owners. We placed bets with Katie on a Chinese-style pizza offering launching in the New Year. She promised we would be the first to know. That aside, we will return soon to try the Wok Tossed Kai Lan, Seared Prawns with Chinese Basil and the Steamed Matsutake Mushroom Bun at the very least, as it was impossible on this visit to fit in every dish we wanted to try.

My verdict? Dim Sum Library should be on your must-eat list for London. It’s an instant refuge away from the exhaustion of shopping, an afternoon treat, a light pre-theatre lunch, a sophisticated cocktail spot and an elegant dinner date all rolled into one.

Dim Sum Library | 136 Long Acre, London WC2E 9AD | Call 020 3953 6820 to reserve a table or book here

Other Chinese restaurants we recommend are Three Gorges Cantonese, Hakkasan Mayfair, Liu Xiomian at The Stranded.