Thought supper clubs were reserved for the realms of your trendiest foodie friends or the up-and-coming chef with a snazzy home kitchen?
Think again – the world’s swankiest restaurants are getting in on the action, too. One of the latest is China Tang – the beloved Cantonese restaurant hiding inside the walls of The Dorchester, London. This fall, China Tang will not only attempt to position itself as down with the supper club kids, but also demonstrate some cultural prowess with the launch of its all-new literary dinner series to coincide with the restaurants.
Stretching out into the new year, each of the currently-announced supper clubs will be hosted by an accomplished author and intended to invite meaningful discussion – as well as connect likeminded diners.
Authors currently announced include Candice Chung on October 7, a Scotland-based writer whose 2025 memoir Chinese Parents Don’t Say “I Love You” explored culture codes around expressing emotion in East Asian families.
Paul French, who penned Wallis Simpson: Her Lotus Year which tells scandalous tales of the socialite’s time in 1920s Shanghai, will host on February 3, 2026. Rounding off the first lot of dinners in the series, on March 17, 2026, sinologist Fuschia Dunlop will invite guests to help dismantle Western perceptions of Chinese food, based on her book, Invitation to a Banquet.
Held within the restaurant’s Art Deco-style private dining room, the occasions are intended to be intimate, informal – as though you were personally invited by the author (although, naturally, you are not quite there as a guest, and will be paying £108 (approx. $145) per person). Alongside an author Q&A session, each supper club will feature a specially created menu that combines China Tang classics with one-off dishes inspired by each book. Accompanying will be a wine and Chinese tea pairing.
The series is launched as part of China Tang’s wider 20th anniversary celebrations, which will includes a recent interiors overhaul and an upcoming partnership with designers Huisham Zhang.
Book here: sevenrooms.com
