Asian restaurants in London are undergoing a quiet but decisive transformation, using design, sound and food to create immersive, contemporary environments. No longer defined by broad, familiar categories — or neon lighting and plastic tablecloths — a new generation of dining spaces are embracing region, flavour and experience.
Cafe Kowloon
Situated in London Fields behind its sister restaurant Wonton Charlie’s, the newly opened Cafe Kowloon brings a modern, cinematic setting to Cantonese cooking. Designed by the London-based studio Daytrip, the space spans two railway arches, moving from one room, an industrial open kitchen, to a softer, more intimate dining room with mosaic textures and neon artwork. The menu balances familiar comforts — char siu, prawn toast — with more playful touches, bringing new energy and context to classic dishes.
Kiln, Soho
Inspired by the flavours of northern Thailand, Burma and Laos, Kiln’s menu foregrounds bitter herbs, spice, smoke and intensity. The design of the space mirrors this focus — a curved counter wraps around an open kitchen, where a wood-burning kiln, naturally, anchors the room. Diners sit shoulder to shoulder, immersed in the heat of the kitchen and the rhythms of the Kiln’s vinyl collection: a dining experience that feels both visceral and intimate.
Belly Bistro, Kentish Town
At Belly, Filipino cuisine is reimagined through the lens of a tasteful European bistro. The space is compact and candlelit, with closely set tables and a handful of bar seats, an experience atypical of your usual in-and-out Asian dining. A slow, sophisticated atmosphere prevails, awash in tactile neutrals. Chef Omar Shah’s menu is playful, soulful and inventive, translating bold Filipino flavours into dishes that echo modern European cooking — a dining experience that captures the energy of London’s diaspora.
Mu, Dalston
Named after an album by trumpeter Don Cherry, the space channels a similar improvisational spirit, where jazz and Japanese cooking meet. A horseshoe bar anchors the dimly lit room, framed by warm wood panelling and exposed brick. The menu centres on a charcoal robatayaki grill, where smoky flavours are paired with low-intervention wines and set against a rhythmic backdrop.
Som Aaa, Shoreditch
The newly renovated cult Thai classic Som Saa recently reopened its Commercial Street restaurant, set within an old fabric warehouse. London design studio A-rnd has built on the space’s raw, layered character and brick arches with natural tones and limewashed walls. The atmosphere is warm, unpolished and inviting, reflecting the spirit of the menu, where regional Thai cooking takes centre stage. The food is vibrant, spicy, and layered, echoing the richness and depth of northern Thai flavours. With its thoughtful design and bold cuisine, Som saa embodies London’s growing embrace of Thai culinary complexity.
