About A. Wong
Thirty dishes, one hundred ingredients, three hours. The 'Collections of China' menu at A. Wong is the only way to eat dinner here, and at £220 a head it is the gentlest-priced two-Michelin-star meal in London. Andrew Wong opened the room on Wilton Road in 2012 and named it for his parents, Albert and Annie — the A on the door. In January 2021 he became the first chef to win two Michelin stars for Chinese cooking anywhere outside Asia. The lighting is bright enough to read the plate, which is its own small rebellion against the two-star gloom.
The Kitchen
Andrew Wong studied chemistry before he cooked, and the precision shows in the dim sum. The Shanghai steamed dumpling arrives early — a thin-skinned parcel of pork and hot broth set over a single bead of ginger-infused black vinegar suspended in tapioca. You are told to eat it in one go, and the instruction matters. From there the menu travels the country: Xinjiang lamb, a Sichuan-pepper ice cream, Cantonese char siu, and a "Memories of Peking Duck" course that folds the whole ceremony of the dish into a few bites. The first star came in October 2017, the second in January 2021. The kitchen is at 70 Wilton Road, SW1V, a five-minute walk from Victoria toward Pimlico.
The Room
The space is narrow, warm and far more informal than the rating suggests. An open pass runs down one side, where Wong and his cooks finish plates in plain view. The lighting is candle-warm but honest — you can actually see the food, the thing most two-star rooms get wrong. Tables sit close, a forearm or so apart, and the volume holds at an easy hum: you can talk across a two-top without leaning in. Dress is smart-casual; no one minds an open collar.
Best for a First Date
Book this room for a first date because it solves the three things that wreck them. You can hear each other — the volume never climbs past a hum. You can see each other — the light flatters without hiding the plates. And the format does the talking for you: thirty small dishes, each from a different corner of China, hand you a fresh subject every few minutes, so the silence never has a chance to settle. It works just as well for a client dinner where you want a story to tell, since the regional structure gives the meal its own narrative.
Not for a quick bite or a date with a picky eater — dinner is the thirty-course 'Collections of China' or nothing, and it runs a full three hours.
Common Questions
Is A. Wong worth it?
Yes — and it is the rare two-star where the bill feels fair. At £220 for the thirty-course 'Collections of China', you are paying roughly half what comparable two-Michelin-star kitchens in London charge, for cooking that earned the first two stars given to a Chinese restaurant outside Asia. Go hungry and clear the evening; the meal is a three-hour commitment, not a quick stop.
How hard is it to book A. Wong?
Hard. The dining room is small and dinner runs a single sitting of the tasting menu, so tables open roughly six to eight weeks ahead and the prime weekend slots vanish first. Book online the moment a new window releases, take a weekday if you can, and keep the lunchtime dim sum service in mind as an easier way in.
What is the dress code at A. Wong?
Smart-casual, genuinely. A collared shirt or a nice top is plenty; jackets are welcome but never required, and an open collar will not raise an eyebrow. The room is relaxed enough that overdressing feels more out of place than underdressing, which is part of why it works so well for a low-pressure first date.
How much is dinner at A. Wong?
Dinner is a fixed £220 per person for the thirty-course 'Collections of China' menu, the only option served in the evening. Wine pairings and à la carte additions push it higher. Lunch is cheaper and more flexible — the 'Touch of the Heart' dim sum selection or à la carte dumplings let you taste the kitchen for far less.
Is A. Wong good for a first date?
Very — it is one of the best fine-dining first dates in London. The room stays quiet enough to hear each other, the light is flattering, and the parade of thirty small regional dishes keeps the conversation moving without anyone having to work for it. Just be sure your date is ready for a long, adventurous meal rather than a short one.
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