Noodle and Beer in Chinatown is a restaurant I’d been eager to try ever since I discovered it earlier this year. The concept centres around Chongqing noodles, known for their distinctive spice and the mouth-numbing heat of Sichuan peppercorns, served alongside a curated selection of beers to pair with the food.

Their original location is in Spitalfields, but the new Chinatown venue has become their main hub, open late until 4am from Thursday through to Sunday morning. It gave me flashbacks to the noodle bars I used to visit after nights out in Shanghai, something I’ve genuinely missed. They also offer a reverse 2-4-1 happy hour from 10pm to midnight, which only added to the appeal.

Their online marketing played a big part in drawing me in. The visuals have a gritty, cinematic edge, reminiscent of the style of Wong Kar Wai — rich colours, moody lighting, and a polished cool that feels like it belongs in an art house film. It’s clearly deliberate. Their Instagram bio even says they "love chillies, noodles and art," and if you take anything from this review, it’s that their Instagram is absolutely worth following.

Since it was the week of my birthday, it felt like the perfect reason to visit Noodle and Beer Chinatown with friends, hoping to celebrate over great noodles and late-night drinks. Unfortunately, the evening didn’t go as I'd hoped. This review explains why.

Style and Atmosphere – All Looks, but... ?

I really want to emphasise just how good the marketing is at Noodle and Beer, especially across social media and their website. It was borderline torture seeing their content over the past few months, and it absolutely convinced me to visit. Beyond being just a restaurant, it’s also styled as a late-night hangout, serving hot food until 4am between Wednesday and Saturday and the images of beautifully elegant people in their marketing makes it look fun. On paper, it sounds ideal, almost nostalgic for me. But it ends there.

The exterior of Noodle and Beer is eye-catchingly beautiful and immediately stands out in Chinatown. The walls are painted a vibrant rouge, with the restaurant’s name stencilled in the same red against a white backdrop, lit up from underneath. Through the windows, you can glimpse the warm glow of the interior and the sleek bar that dominates the space. It breaks the status quo of Chinatown restaurants and looks undeniably chic and more modern than anything around it, almost demanding your attention.

Our table was downstairs in their dark, red-toned room, the same one often featured in their moody Instagram shots. It’s intimate, sure, but the first thing my girlfriend said was that it looked like a strip club. Once the rouge novelty wore off, the room's size became noticeable, with large chairs around small bar snack tables. There was barely any space between dining spaces, and it quickly became an issue, having to regularly pause conversations and the meal several times to let people squeeze in and out of their seats. Not exactly the the cool intimate space I had in mind.

The Food – Delicious but Dangerously Spicy

The noodles, overall, were tasty, but be warned their love for spice is absolutely real. Every dish we ordered came with a harsh heat. If you’re new to Chongqing or Sichuan cuisine, this style of cooking is famously fiery, using numbing Sichuan peppercorns to help people cope with the region’s hot, humid weather. Noodle and Beer is committed to Chongqing flavours, so if you’re heading there, you need to be ready for serious spice. Of the 11 noodle dishes on the menu, 8 are spicy, and 7 come with multiple chilli symbols.

We started with a shared portion of Sichuan-style chicken wings, deep-fried with crushed Sichuan peppercorns mixed into the batter. These were excellent, bringing more of that numbing sensation than actual heat, and were quickly devoured by the table.

For mains, we ordered a variety of noodles. I chose the la-zi ji mian (辣子鸡面), a dry noodle dish topped with twice-fried chicken, chopped into small bone-in pieces. The heat came in fast, making my lips sore and my tongue burn. Because the noodles were dry, with no broth or oil to soften the intensity, the spice hit hard and stayed. I’ve eaten very spicy food in China, but even I struggled. I hadn’t asked for any customisations or extra heat, yet still found it intense. That’s not a criticism of the dish I knew it had potential to be spicy and the flavour was genuinely good, but it turned into a slow, careful meal.

My girlfriend and friend went for the super king braised beef rib noodles, served with flat biang biang-style noodles and a giant rib that had to be cut up with scissors. This dish has become something of a trend in London, especially after Soho’s Noodle Inn went viral for a similar version. As soon as I saw their bowls, I regretted not ordering it myself. The spice in their dish was present, but not overwhelming. The wide noodles helped absorb the oil and calm the heat, while the beef was tender and broke apart effortlessly, I think as a noodle dish this is a better option, whereas La-zi ji, is more of a plated dish that you would share without noodles.

The fourth dish on the table was the traditional beef noodle soup, served in a tomato and beef bone broth, possibly the smartest and best choice of the night. My friend’s girlfriend finished hers long before we did and praised its depth of flavour. Just a standard noodle classic that does what it should, leaves you full and very happy.

The food was delicious, distinctive, and true to its roots but undeniably hot. For anyone unfamiliar with Sichuan peppercorns, the numbing sensation might come as a shock and can dominate the whole experience. If you’re new to this kind of food, try the Chongqing small noodles as a gentler entry point for spice. And if you’re not into spice at all, you can probably ask for a milder version, but that may go against the entire spirit of the place.

The Drinks - Lacking Creativity

This is where the experience really started to fall apart. One of the most widely advertised aspects of Noodle and Beer is their rotating “beer of the month.” It’s clearly mentioned both online and on their in-house menus. Perhaps I was being too optimistic and excited, but I was genuinely looking forward to trying something different. Perhaps even a rare beer from China like Harbin or Wusu. So when I asked what was available, I was a bit dumbfounded to be told that the beer of the month was simply their house lager, Kirin Ichiban.

Let me be clear, I like Kirin Ichiban. I have drank plenty of it. But to list it as the beer of the month felt lazy. It’s already the house beer, so calling it anything else is misleading. On reflection, I don’t recall seeing them ever shout about a rotating beer on their Instagram or elsewhere. I’ve checked their site and socials numerous times in the months leading up to this visit, and there’s never been a mention of a new or interesting beer feature.

Then came the price: £8.20 for a pint of Kirin Ichiban. The same price applies to their other house lager, a Spanish one branded as “N&B Lager.” I know central London prices can be steep, but this is still the most expensive pint I’ve come across and that includes bars near Victoria Station’s swankier office crowds. It was especially surprising given that Kirin Ichiban is seen as a budget lager in Asia. In China, a 750ml bottle will set you back around £1.80. So to see it served here at over £8 a pint felt absurd.

That leaves you with the bottled beer list, which includes Tiger, Asahi, Tsingtao, Leffe, and a few local IPAs. All fine, sure, but these are standard offerings you can find in any UK Chinese restaurant. There’s no real sense that these beers were “carefully chosen” a claim Noodle and Beer makes as part of their identity. At £6.20 a bottle, they’re the more sensible choice, but given how spicy the food is, you’re likely to order several, and that cost builds quickly.

They also offer a few cocktails, but nothing on the menu stood out. As a whiskey drinker, I was pleased to see two of my favourite bourbons listed, but their signature old fashioned was made with rum and vodka, which made no sense. The rest of the cocktails were standard party fare, espresso martini, pornstar, piña colada, priced at £14 each. My girlfriend tried the rhubarb soda mocktail at £8 and didn’t enjoy it.

It all just felt like a missed opportunity. Drinks are clearly meant to be a big part of the Noodle and Beer concept. Even their Mandarin name doesn’t use the traditional character for beer. Instead, it uses a transliteration 彼儿 (bǐ’ér) to sound like “beer” in English. That little detail gave me hope that the drinks list might show some creativity. A beer cocktail maybe or an import from Chongqing, even a fun take on a classic would’ve been something. But what we got was a generic list of standards, an absent beer of the month, and a 2-for-1 offer that only applies to cocktails post 10pm. It left me feeling confused, let down, and above all, misled.

Service – Rushed, Rude, and Confusing

Unfortunately, the drinks were just a minor hiccup compared to the disaster that was the service. When I started this blog, I wanted to keep things as positive as possible, but in this case, I have to be completely honest — the service was poorly managed and frustrating.

Noodle and Beer clearly states on their website that they only take reservations for parties of two. Larger groups are either supposed to book a private function or show up and hope for the best.

My girlfriend, who works in Chinatown, arrived early and managed to secure us a table. She informed the staff that our friends would be joining us shortly. When I arrived, I ordered drinks while we waited. However, within 15 minutes, we were approached five times, with staff asking if we were ready to order, despite us repeatedly explaining that our friends hadn’t arrived yet. When they finally did show up, before they had a chance to glance at the menu, we were asked yet again what we wanted to eat. We didn’t feel welcome at all.

The real turning point came midway through our meal. I was still struggling with my spicy noodles when we ordered another round of drinks. Without warning, the waitress informed us we had 15 minutes to leave because they had another booking. The issue was that no one had communicated this time window to us, not when we made the reservation, not when we arrived, and certainly not when we were seated. It was clear why the staff had been so pushy, but there was no transparency.

We tried to address the issue, explaining that I still had half a bowl of noodles and that we had just ordered another round of drinks. To the waitress' credit, she did apologize and explained she wasn’t aware that we hadn’t been informed about the time limit. It had soured our mood, so we decided to ask for my girlfriend's food to be packed up and for the bill. The waitress returned to apologize again, telling us, "You can keep the table as long as you'd like while you finish your drinks." But no sooner had she said this than the host appeared and told us we needed to leave immediately due to another booking.

The lack of communication between the staff was infuriating. I thought they didn’t accept reservations for larger groups, yet tables for four were clearly being given away. Once again, their online information didn’t match reality. The situation escalated, causing a scene as staff were telling us to leave, then stay. The intimate setting meant other customers were staring at our situation and gossiping. It was incredibly embarrassing, and certainly not how I wanted to spend my birthday at a restaurant I had been eager to try.

Final Thoughts – Style Over Substance?

A night that started with so much anticipation ended really negatively. We all left feeling disappointed, expecting a much better experience fitting for a night of celebration. Noodle and Beer is a restaurant with massive potential, but the way we were treated left us feeling unwelcome, and for me, it didn’t live up to its name.

The promising concept, the chic style, and the eye-catching design were all let down by poor communication from both the staff and the company. If I had to pick a positive, it would be their social media. It’s still worth a follow, and Noodle and Beer might serve a purpose as a post-night-out food spot for those who want something different from the usual kebab or McDonald's.

But for a restaurant that presents itself as a modern and fun noodle destination, the messaging doesn't match the experience. There seems to be more emphasis on cocktails than beer, most of which don't reflect the food. The noodles, while often tasty, can at times feel overwhelmingly spicy even for those who can usually handle heat, and the high prices don't come with any sense of warmth or welcome. Noodle and Beer tries to position itself as a relaxed escape for late night decadence but our experience felt that it was more focused on speed and turnover rather than hospitality.

If I wanted that kind of fast, no-frills Chinese dining, I’d rather go to Old Town 97 next door. It’s also open late, offers a more diverse menu, the beer is cheaper, and it serves my favourite Beef Ho Fun in all of London. Or, if you’re craving something atmospheric with great drinks, Opium is a better bet, blending Chinese ingredients into inventive cocktails in a moody, stylish setting.

If you're going just for the vibes, maybe the Spitalfields branch is worth a shot, since it advertises a more laid-back experience. But after this, I wouldn’t take the marketing at face value.

Noodle and Beer Chinatown – Key Info

Avg. Price per Person: £40

Instagram: @noodleandbeerltd

Late Night Hours: Wed–Sat until 4AM

Address: 27 Wardour St, London W1D 6PR