Da Long Yi Fitzrovia Hot Pot: Chengdu Broth

The name Da Long Yi translates roughly as Big Dragon One — a nod to its origin in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, where this group opened its first restaurant. The London outpost on Berners Street in Fitzrovia brings the Chengdu hot pot tradition to W1, with a kitchen that makes its mala broth fresh each morning from dried chillies, Sichuan peppercorns, doubanjiang, beef tallow, and aromatics that arrive on a delivery schedule twice a week. The restaurant is at 5a Berners Street, London W1T 3LA, and runs Monday to Saturday from noon to 11:30 pm, Sunday from noon to 11 pm. Phone: 020 3340 8140.

Sichuan hot pot is built around the mala (numbing-hot) profile created by the combination of Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies. The signature sensation — a tingle across the lips followed by a spreading warmth — comes from the alkaloid hydroxy-alpha-sanshool in the peppercorn, which interferes with the same neural receptors that register touch. At Da Long Yi the mala broth is produced in a single large wok each morning, ladled into the table-side pots to order. The fat content is high; it is meant to carry the spice evenly across every ingredient.

The divided pot at Da Long Yi — the yuanyang — allows diners to run a mild clear stock on one side and the full mala on the other. The kitchen recommends starting with the clear broth for delicate ingredients (fish slices, tofu, greens) and reserving the mala side for the fattier beef cuts and offal. Premium ingredients include wagyu-grade beef, sliced pork belly, and a selection of handmade dumpling pockets that expand as they cook and absorb the broth.

Da Long Yi offers two private dining rooms in the Fitzrovia location, each capable of seating up to ten. These rooms are a practical choice for work gatherings that want the communal energy of hot pot without the general noise of the main dining room. The private room booking includes a complimentary appetiser platter. First Table, the booking platform, regularly lists 50 percent off food at lunch — a significant saving on a menu that runs approximately £30–£50 per person at full price.

The main menu at Da Long Yi runs to over thirty individual ingredients plus set platters. The most-ordered platter combines beef tongue, pork intestine, duck blood, and black tripe — a lineup that would require advance specialist sourcing elsewhere in London. The kitchen also stocks a house-made chilli sauce and a sesame-miso dip station at each table. Vegetable sides include wood ear mushroom, enoki, lotus root slices, and three varieties of leafy greens. A full drinks list covers Chinese Tsingtao beer, baijiu shots, and a basic wine selection.

The Berners Street space is arranged across two floors with an open kitchen visible from the ground level. The restaurant opened with a focus on expanding a brand that had already established itself across China. The interior uses polished dark timber, backlit rice-paper panels, and copper pendant lights. The atmosphere shifts appreciably between the quieter lunch service and the busier evening: by eight on a Friday the room is near capacity and the background noise encourages a more group-oriented, convivial mood.

Fitzrovia is a neighbourhood that mixes media companies, design studios, and the hospitality industry's administrative offices. The dinner crowd at Da Long Yi reflects this: tables of six and eight are common. The restaurant keeps the kitchen open until 11:30 pm Monday to Saturday, which makes it one of the later hot pot options in central London. Last seating is typically around 10 pm to allow for a full meal service. Bookings can be made online or by calling 020 3340 8140.

Da Long Yi is at 5a Berners Street, London W1T 3LA. Goodge Street tube station on the Northern line is a five-minute walk northeast. Tottenham Court Road on the Central and Northern lines is also walkable in six minutes going south. Berners Street sits in the heart of Fitzrovia, between Oxford Street to the south and Mortimer Street to the north. The block includes several independent coffee shops and design-focused retail that are worth a walk before dinner.

Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia's main restaurant strip, runs parallel one block east and contains a concentration of Greek and French restaurants alongside wine bars. The Sanderson hotel on Berners Street is steps from the restaurant and has a well-regarded cocktail bar. Oxford Street is a five-minute walk south for transport connections. For a pre-dinner drink in a quieter setting, Rathbone Place off Oxford Street has a cluster of craft beer bars that open from around five.

Address: 5a Berners Street, London W1T 3LA. Phone: 020 3340 8140. Hours: Monday to Thursday noon to 11:30 pm; Friday to Saturday noon to 11:30 pm; Sunday noon to 11 pm. Nearest tube: Goodge Street (Northern line), 5-minute walk; Tottenham Court Road (Central / Northern lines), 6-minute walk. Pricing: approximately £30–£50 per person. Private dining rooms for up to ten available on booking.

The restaurant offers a vegetarian broth option. The menu contains pork and shellfish. Booking is strongly recommended for Friday and Saturday evenings. Private room enquiries can be made by phone. The First Table discount applies to lunch bookings only. There is step access at the entrance; call ahead for accessibility requirements.

The best order is a gradual one. Choose the broth first, add vegetables and tofu before the richest ingredients, and use a cooling sauce if the spice builds during the meal. Fitzrovia rewards an evening itinerary because Soho, Oxford Street, and theatreland are close enough for a short walk afterward. Groups should arrive with a little time to settle coats and decide spice preferences before the first pot arrives. Da Long Yi is at its most enjoyable when the Chengdu character remains the focus: aromatic broth, shared conversation, and a table that changes slowly as the evening develops.