Can someone recommend a really good Chinese restaurant in London?

CJ, if your guests are staying Westish they may want to try the Mandarin Kitchen lobster noodles or the Royal China for dim sum - both are in Queensway. Or if they're going regional, Ecapital in Chinatown - I think it's Beijing cuisine. Good thing there's a brand new Time Out food guide - they do well on Chinese recommendations and will be good fact-check for whether it's really a beijing place.

Updated recommendations, in Chinatown please.

asia style :P

A friend of mine keeps raving about Baozi Inn on (I think) Gerrard Street. I haven't been though, although I keep intending to. I don't think it's exactly swanky though.

Haozhan is classy lookin' and v good modern oriental. http://www.haozhan.co.uk/

YMing on Greek st is meant to be v good.

Mr Kong's on Lisle St is my regular run-of-the-mill choice.

so er odds on a bunch of americans going 'lol british trying to do foreign food' on this thread?

the haozhan menu is kind of a protracted fuck-you to vegetarians

leong's legend - taiwanese place on macclesfield st. if you're into oysters, make sure to have the oysters wrapped in egg

Sounds good, lex. Haven't been out for chinese for a while, but have been hearing the siren's call.

xpost - Mr Kong's would be my default run-of-the-mill as well. The specials, such as belly of pork and smoked eel stew, are great - some of the standards can be a bit hit and miss though.

Interested to try Haozhan.

the haozhan menu is kind of a protracted fuck-you to vegetarians

Oh yeah - meant to mention. Has to be OK for semi-veggies who eat fish.

this has always been my default chinatown restaurant - the dim sum is especially good:

http://joykinglau.com/index.htm

Do you know if they do dim sum in the evenings?

Imperial China, down a close towards the eastern end of Lisle St, is my usual choice. The food's pretty much the same as everywhere else I've been in Chinatown, but the decor's a lot plusher.