The top line: A Cantonese restaurant on Covent Garden’s Long Acre offering a broad selection of elevated dim sum. Dim Sum Library was born in Hong Kong and has been brought to London by David Yeo’s Aqua Restaurant Group, which operates several restaurants in the capital including Hutong, Shiro and Aqua Shard, Aqua Kyoto and Aqua Nueva. The opening takes the group to 25 sites globally and marks the international debut of Dim Sum Library. The concept broke the mould when it launched in Hong Kong’s Admiralty district in 2016, eschewing the traditional cart service associated with dim sum and blending different culinary influences to create a more international-feeling offer.
On the menu: The menu is relatively tight by Chinese standards, with just under 50 dishes in total. Much of this centres on dim sum, or dim sum-adjacent dishes, including ginger lobster bao with spring onion; king crab and sea urchin spring rolls; steamed matsutake mushroom bun; and a take on xiao long bao inspired by the flavours of dan dan noodles. Elsewhere, dishes include prawn cheung fun with yellow chives; wok-tossed wagyu beef with wasabi and garlic sauce; and steamed Alaskan black cod fillets with Chinese chives and Sichuan pepper.
The vibe: Located on the former site of Aqua Restaurant Group’s short-lived casual Italian restaurant and deli concept, Luci, Dim Sum Library is set across two large floors, with an open dim sum kitchen on the ground floor greeting guests as they enter. The bright interiors take their cues from Hong Kong street food culture, with design details including vintage Chinese posters, dark woods and luxe finishes.
And another thing: While pricing firmly places it in the premium bracket, Dim Sum Library is positioning itself as an all-day destination rather than a special-occasion-only restaurant. The restaurant is designed to shift seamlessly from quick, casual lunches to afternoon tea, after-work drinks and dim sum, before transitioning into a pre-theatre and evening dining offer.
136 Long Acre, London WC2E 9AD