Da Long Yi Hot Pot London Review: Authentic Sichuan Dining in Fitzrovia

Looking for the best hot pot restaurant in London? Hidden just off Oxford Street in Fitzrovia, Da Long Yi Hot Pot has quietly become one of the city’s most talked-about Sichuan hot pot destinations, drawing diners in with its fiery broths, theatrical presentation, and deeply immersive dining experience.

Despite dining across London obsessively, I had somehow never tried authentic Chinese hot pot before. The admission felt almost absurd coming out loud. But perhaps that unfamiliarity made the experience even more memorable. In a city increasingly dominated by polished small plates and predictable tasting menus, Da Long Yi offers something far rarer: surprise.

Inside, Da Long Yi radiates warmth. Amber lighting spills across wooden interiors while the soft hum of conversation competes with the bubbling sound of simmering broths arriving at nearby tables. Each table features a built-in hot pot, turning dinner into something tactile and theatrical long before the first dish arrives. A fragrant swirl of chilli oil, Sichuan peppercorn, and spice lingers through the restaurant, hinting at the intensity still to come.

For those unfamiliar with Sichuan hot pot, the experience is both communal and deeply interactive. Diners select their broth before cooking meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles directly at the table, customising each bite with sauces mixed from Da Long Yi’s extensive condiment station.

The Experience

The process is methodical and strangely meditative. You begin by choosing your broth, the foundation of the meal. Because there were two of us, we opted for a dual-sided pot: half tomato and fried egg soup, half pork bone broth.

The tomato broth arrived rich and gently sweet, while the pork bone broth carried a silky, savoury depth that felt intensely comforting. Da Long Yi’s signature Sichuan spicy broth, made with beef tallow, dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, and more than twenty aromatics, is perhaps its most famous offering. Unlike many restaurants where spice overwhelms flavour, the heat here feels layered and deliberate — building gradually rather than aggressively.

Then comes one of the restaurant’s standout features: the sauce station. A gleaming counter lined with garlic, coriander, sesame paste, soy sauce, chilli oil, vinegar, and fresh herbs allows diners to create entirely personalised dipping sauces. There are recipe cards available for guidance, though half the enjoyment lies in experimentation. My own combination of sesame paste, garlic, coriander, and soy looked chaotic but tasted unexpectedly addictive.

Ordering is done digitally, but the experience itself feels deeply human. Conversations stretch between bubbling broths and shared platters while diners settle into the hypnotic rhythm that makes hot pot so addictive: dip, cook, taste, repeat.

What To Order

Naturally, I had arrived prepared. A quick scroll through Da Long Yi’s social media had already made one dish feel non-negotiable: the Volcano Beef.

Its arrival was every bit as theatrical as expected. Thin slices of marbled beef were arranged dramatically into a towering cone over crushed ice while vivid red chilli oil cascaded through the centre like molten lava. Beneath the restaurant’s warm lighting, it looked almost sculptural.

Once submerged into the tomato broth, the beef softened instantly, becoming buttery and delicate while absorbing the sweetness of the soup without losing its richness.

A one-metre platter of assorted meats soon followed, presented on an elongated wooden board that prompted a genuine gasp from our table. Between slices of lamb, beef, and pork, we found ourselves fully immersed in the ritual of the meal.

For balance, we added a vegetable platter alongside thinly sliced beef tongue. The vegetables softened beautifully in the simmering broth, while the beef tongue cooked within seconds, becoming silky and surprisingly delicate.

What separates Da Long Yi Hot Pot from many other Chinese restaurants in London is its commitment to authenticity. With more than 300 locations worldwide, the brand has become internationally recognised for traditional Sichuan hot pot culture and deeply aromatic broths. Yet despite its global popularity, the Fitzrovia restaurant still feels intimate and transportive.

It is communal dining reimagined for modern London: immersive, interactive, and genuinely memorable.

In a dining landscape increasingly shaped by trends, Da Long Yi manages to feel exciting without sacrificing authenticity. It transforms the familiar act of eating into something theatrical, sensory, and unexpectedly joyful.

For anyone searching for authentic Sichuan hot pot in London, few restaurants currently deliver an experience this memorable.

Address

5A Berners Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3LA

Best Dishes To Order

• Volcano Beef

• Assorted meat platter

• Tomato and fried egg broth

• Pork bone broth

• Beef tongue

• Fresh vegetables

• Handmade dipping sauces

Best For

• Group dinners

• Birthday celebrations

• First-time hot pot experiences

• Authentic Sichuan food in London

• Interactive dining near Oxford Street