Liverpool has one of the oldest and most established Chinese communities in Europe — and the city’s Chinese restaurant scene reflects that depth and history. Chinatown on Nelson Street, anchored by the largest Chinese ceremonial arch outside of China, is the obvious starting point — but the best Chinese food in Liverpool stretches well beyond it: into a landmark brewery conversion in the Baltic Triangle, a buzzing Pan-Asian cocktail bar at the entrance to Chinatown, a bohemian Lark Lane restaurant doing some of the finest dim sum in the city, and a family-run kitchen near Liverpool ONE with a devoted Instagram following. Here are the eight best Chinese restaurants in Liverpool worth visiting in 2026.

Chy opened in 2015 and has since become Liverpool’s most loved Chinese restaurant — serving a delicious mixture of authentic and speciality dishes in beautiful modern surroundings in the heart of Liverpool city centre, just a stone’s throw from Liverpool’s Lime Street and Central stations. In 2018, Chy underwent a full interior refurbishment, incorporating Chinese-inspired murals by local artists Danny O’Connor and David Cain, and the dining room is now one of the most visually impressive of any Chinese restaurant in the city.

The menu features specialties like wok-fried fillet of seabass served on a bed of pak choi with chopped chillies, red onion, garlic and soy sauce, alongside a CHY Appetiser Platter — BBQ ribs with honey glaze, meat spring roll, sesame prawn toast, satay chicken skewers and seaweed — that consistently draws praise as one of the finest shared starters available at any Chinese restaurant in Liverpool. The Singapore-style fried vermicelli and the sliced fillet steak in Cantonese sauce are two further standout dishes.

Chy — 5–9 Renshaw Street, Liverpool L1 2SA | chyliverpool.co.uk

Chamber 36 originally opened on Berry Street — home of the biggest Chinese arch outside of China — focusing on Asian fusion and Asian-inspired cocktails, before expanding in June 2021 with a new Smithdown Road site, having established themselves as the place to be for Pan-Asian food and cocktails. Inspired by the Shaolin monk’s quest for inner peace, Chamber 36 brings a vibrant culinary journey through East Asia with an exceptional selection of flavours — from delicate Chinese dim sum to Korean specialities and Japanese delicacies, all delivered in a tapas-style format that makes sharing broadly across the table the natural way to eat here.

Chamber 36 is an upmarket choice combining the decadence of bespoke cocktails with Chinese and Pan-Asian dishes — during Chinese New Year they display their very own traditional Chinese lion dance shows, encapsulating all the authenticity of this major event in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese dim sum is considered some of the best in the city, and the mixologists produce a cocktail list ambitious enough to make Chamber 36 as credible a destination for drinks as dinner.

Chamber 36 — 45–49 Berry Street, Liverpool L1 9DF | chamber-36.co.uk

Maggie Fu is a family-owned independent Asian restaurant on Hanover Street in Liverpool — from incredible salt and pepper chicken, roasted three meats with choi sum and fried rice, to the ridiculously popular king prawn pad thai, there is something for everyone. The restaurant has built one of the most loyal followings of any Chinese restaurant in Liverpool city centre — in real life and on social media — through consistent, high-quality cooking and a warm, welcoming approach that keeps regulars coming back week after week.

Maggie Fu is a family-owned and operated chain of Asian restaurants serving authentic Chinese street food, with a focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients — the menu featuring a wide variety of dishes including salt and pepper chicken, roasted three meat with choi sum and fried rice, and king prawn pad thai. The roasted meat dishes — char siu pork, crispy belly pork, and roast duck served over steaming jasmine rice — are among the best Cantonese roast meat preparations in the city.

Maggie Fu — 37–39 Hanover Street, Liverpool L1 3DN | maggiefu.co.uk

North Garden is a beloved, family-run Chinese restaurant that has been serving the Liverpool community for over 30 years — located in the heart of Chinatown on Nelson Street, known for its authentic Cantonese cuisine and warm, welcoming atmosphere. North Garden is particularly renowned for its Fried Vermicelli Noodles, featuring a delightful smoky taste infused with spices, and the Half Roast Duck, which pairs perfectly with sticky rice and savoury sauces — two dishes that have become the benchmark dishes that regulars measure every other Chinatown restaurant against.

The Liverpool Chinese Business Association lists North Garden among its recommended restaurants — citing the skill in preparation and the combination of flavours, the value for money, and the standard of service, with favourite dishes including salt and pepper king prawn and Chinese roast duck and vermicelli soup. Open until 12:15am on most nights — and 1:15am on Fridays — North Garden is also one of the best late-night Chinese restaurants in Liverpool, making it as useful after a night out as it is for a weekend family dinner.

North Garden — 30 Nelson Street, Liverpool L1 5DN | Search ‘North Garden Liverpool’ on Google for current booking details

Yum Cha is a traditional Chinese restaurant on Lark Lane serving dim sum, roasted meats and a whole load of large plates — a traditional Chinese restaurant with a modern twist. The dim sum menu is one of the most extensive of any Chinese restaurant in Liverpool: from har gau and siu mai to xiao long bao Shanghai soup dumplings, crispy prawn dumplings and pan-fried shengjian bao pork baos, the kitchen approaches dim sum with a seriousness that raises Yum Cha above most of its competitors in the city.

The Lark Lane location gives Yum Cha a distinct neighbourhood character that larger city centre Chinese restaurants can’t replicate — and the bohemian, independent spirit of the street suits the restaurant’s relaxed, authentic approach to Chinese food perfectly. The crispy squid with chilli mayo, the BBQ ribs tossed in a rich sauce, and the salt and pepper pork ribs with onions and mixed peppers are among the most praised dishes across multiple review platforms.

Yum Cha — 99 Lark Lane, Liverpool L17 8UP | yum-cha.co.uk

New Capital is a go-to spot for Chinese food in Liverpool and has been in business for over forty years — making it an institutional part of Liverpool’s Chinese restaurant scene. Situated at the Nelson Street end of Chinatown, New Capital is favoured by Liverpool’s Chinese community as well as the wider city — and the recommendation of the Liverpool Chinese Business Association, which cites the skill in preparation, the combination of flavours, and outstanding value for money, carries particular weight.

The menu offers a delightful selection including the exquisite King Prawn Noodle Soup and the irresistible Char Siu Crispy Pork in Black Bean Sauce, with generous portions making it excellent value for money. New Capital is open late most evenings, which combined with its Chinatown location and deeply affordable pricing makes it one of the most practical Chinese restaurants in Liverpool for a spontaneous dinner or a post-event meal.

New Capital — 5–9 Nelson Street, Liverpool L1 5DW

Mr Chilli has been serving traditional Sichuan cuisine on Seel Street since 2003 — with chefs specially recruited from Sichuan province to cook to an authentic standard, and a reputation for signature dishes including Heaven Fish Slice Hot Pot, Green Peppercorn Sea Bass, Dry Pot Duck, and Mala Rabbit Hot Pot. A favourite among Liverpool’s Chinese community, Mr Chilli specialises in the authentic hot-and-spicy meets sweet-and-sour flavours of Sichuan cuisine from Southwest China — with a menu that may well be missing your go-to Chinese favourites, but if you like your food hot and are up for finding some new flavours, Mr Chilli will definitely excite your appetite.

The Hot and Numbing Beef — tender sliced beef in a deeply aromatic Sichuan sauce built from chilli bean paste, Sichuan peppercorn and fragrant spices — is the dish that regulars return for most devotedly, and the bullfrog spicy hot pot has developed a cult following among those willing to step outside the familiar. The Liverpool Chinese Business Association cites Mr Chilli for the quality of its ingredients, the skill in preparation, the combination of flavours, and the level of creativity — a community endorsement that carries real weight.

Mr Chilli — 92 Seel Street, Liverpool L1 4BL | Search ‘Mr Chilli Liverpool’ on Google for current booking details

Ying Wah was first opened by James Chan in 1974 before passing to Richard Ng in 1978 — and the restaurant is now run by Richard’s son Simon, who is equally passionate about the family restaurant, its customers, and ensuring food is freshly prepared to the highest standard. A family-run Chinese restaurant in Woolton Village, Ying Wah has been a local favourite for decades — its warm, inviting atmosphere, a blend of contemporary design and traditional touches, making it the perfect spot for any occasion, from casual weeknight dinners to special celebrations.

The sizzling steak in Cantonese sauce is a standout dish loved by many patrons, and the restaurant doubles as a bar with knowledgeable cocktail staff available from 3pm onwards for those looking to enjoy drinks alongside their meal. The Dim Sum Mini Combination and the Ying Wah platter — a generous sharing starter that regulars specifically recommend — are the ideal way to begin, while the BBQ ribs and lemon and honey chicken are among the most consistently praised main dishes.

Ying Wah — 11 Woolton Street, Woolton Village, Liverpool L25 5NH | yingwah.co.uk