5 picks for Chinese New Year

These five Chinese restaurants always receive warm praise from our critics. Try one of them out for a special celebration...

Imperial China White Bear Yard, WC2

The main menu's as authentic as you like: you'll find bitter melon, eel, abalone, jellyfish, shark's fin, lily buds and even carp.

Fung Shing 15 Lisle Street, WC2

Hermione Gingold used to sing, 'There's always a smile in Lisle Street'. Nowadays the smiles are on the faces of patrons of Fung Shing.

Mandarin Kitchen 14-16 Queensway, W2

This is a specialist seafood restaurant and as well as being a favourite of the Chinese, it also attracts many Greek diners drawn by the quality and keen pricing of the fish, crustacea and shellfish.

Imperial City Royal Exchange, Cornhill, EC3

A Square-Mile location, Thai ownership and Ken Hom as consultant result in a sophisticated Chinese restaurant. The provenance of the close-on 60 dishes is Canton, Peking, Chiu Cho and Szechuan, as well as Hong-Kong's new-wave fashions.

Yi-Ban London Regatta Centre, Dockside Road, Royal Albert Dock, E16

This is a very pleasant restaurant with a terrific view, smiling, helpful staff and bargain dim sum for lunch - not bad for a converted rowing club bar.