Xu Teahouse and Restaurant

Xu Teahouse and Restaurant occupies a narrow, art deco-styled townhouse on Rupert Street in Soho, London, reimagining a 1930s Taiwanese tearoom for a contemporary Bao group audience. As the more refined sibling of the group's casual Bao bun counters, Xu leans into ornate green tilework, hand-painted murals, brass fittings and a candlelit, multi-floor dining room that recalls colonial-era Taipei tea houses. The menu, rooted in Taiwanese home cooking and street-food traditions, is built around dishes such as char siu Iberian pork with scallion pancake, taro and water chestnut cake, and a Taiwanese beef noodle soup that has become one of the restaurant's most-ordered plates since opening. Cooking draws on braising, steaming and charcoal grilling techniques typical of Taiwan, with an emphasis on tea-infused flavours running through both food and drink. The tea programme is a defining feature: a dedicated tea menu offers Taiwanese oolongs and specialty tea cocktails, poured tableside in some cases, alongside a compact wine list geared toward pairing with the restaurant's spice and umami-forward dishes. The dining room is intimate and dimly lit, favouring a romantic, conversation-friendly noise level over a boisterous crowd; there is no fixed dress code, though smart-casual attire suits the setting. Tables are close together across several small rooms and a mezzanine, so parties seeking privacy should request the upper floor when booking. Reservations are recommended, particularly for weekend dinners and pre-theatre slots given the Soho location near Chinatown and the West End theatre district; booking a week or more ahead is advisable for Friday and Saturday evenings, while weekday lunch is easier to walk into. The restaurant sits at 30 Rupert Street, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, making it a popular choice before or after a show. Portions are designed for sharing, and staff can guide first-time visitors through a balanced order of small and larger plates.