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Taste of Chongqing

86

Signal score

Strong, consistent praise across multiple sources.

Unapologetically bold, fiery, and authentic Chongqing cuisine served in famously generous sharing portions.

Cuisine

Sichuan / Chongqing

Price

££

Neighborhood

Bloomsbury

Location

40-42 Woburn Pl

Group Friendly

Ordering Strategy

Bring a group to tackle one of the massive signature sharing pots (like the braised chicken or seabass), and balance the intense heat with lighter, cooling sides like the steamed fish cakes or cold glass noodles.

What to order

Safe first

Fried crispy pork

One of the starters that Giles Coren noted "hit the spot" in a menu he described as "brilliant" and "exciting."

Hungry

Spicy braised chicken sharing pot

A legendary £52 dish served in a tureen "no smaller than my car" that could feasibly "feed ten" people; Giles Coren called it the "cheapest thing I’d ever eaten" due to its sheer scale.

Wildcard

Sliced whelks with chilli

A specific recommendation from the "Chinese-for-the-Chinese" menu that reviewers found to be a highlight among the starters.

Wildcard

Fried Chicken

Recommended in the Vittles Chinatown guide as a standout order from the menu.

Wildcard

Sea Bass

Recommended in the Vittles Chinatown guide as a standout order from the menu.

What to skip

Skip
Curry, satay or French friesFound on the back page and presumably aimed at Westerners, these are the only dishes that make it possible to "go wrong" on an otherwise exciting menu.

More in Bloomsbury

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Signal Score

86
Strong SignalStrong, consistent praise across multiple sources.Agreement 91%1 Elite · 2 Editorial · 10 mentions

Signal score reflects how strong and consistent the review coverage is, not a star rating.

Top critic: Giles Coren (90%)

Editorial Weight 62 pts

Authority + depth + recency

Agreement 9 pts

How aligned the critics are

Coverage 6 pts

How many real review signals exist

Public Signal 9 pts

Google rating + volume

Boosts 0 pts

Manual boosts + hidden gem

Review signals

1 Elite · 2 Editorial · 3 total signals

Public signal

4.4★ (1,600 reviews)

Good to know

They do not tone down the spice for Western palates—expect intense, numbing 'mala' heat. Portions are massive, so order conservatively unless you want plenty of leftovers.

Trust signals

  • Not yet visited
  • mediumConfidence level

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