49 Best Restaurants in Hong Kong, China

Slide into one of the dozen-some seats and tuck into the delicious baos—fluffy steamed buns sandwiched with all types of delicious ingredients. The rest of the menu is globally inspired and includes to-share plates such as drunken clams, short-rib dumplings, and truffle fries.

This award-winning eatery serves some of the city’s best dim sum. Opened by a former Four Seasons Hotel chef, this humble spot makes all of its shrimp dumplings, rice rolls, and baked cha siu buns fresh to order. It’s top-quality food at dirt-cheap prices. It's as popular as ever, so go in midafternoon if you want to beat the crowds.

It might look like any other tiny, storefront noodle joint, but its humble appearance belies its culinary prowess. The restaurant serves authentic Shaanxi snacks, which can be best described as some of the heartiest and delicious chow that China has to offer.

The miniature cakes here sit like jewels in the pastry case. A lot of the desserts feature Asian ingredients such as green tea and adzuki beans. Japanese-style soufflé pancakes are another house specialty. These fluffy stacks are served with toppings such as fresh strawberries, chocolate shavings, and whipped cream. Sweets aside, 100 Bites also offers pasta-based lunch sets and a tasting menu for dinner.

This café is a great spot to rest your heels after a day of shopping, and enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Some of the cakes are marked with the brand's iconic “b.” logo to reel in the fashionista-foodies. The cheesecake and the zesty lemon tart are excellent, and those looking for a light lunch can also order one of the salads or sandwiches.

Chocoholics should make a beeline to Awfully Chocolate. The chocolate cake is near perfection—dark, dense, and divine, it’s cocoa at its best. The cakes are available in several flavors, including original chocolate fudge, chocolate banana, or choco with rum and cherry. The dark-chocolate ice cream also deserves special mention, especially since it contains less sugar than your average ice cream but remains as sinfully rich.

Despite its unassuming location in an alley, this dai pai dong (outdoor food stall) remains immensely popular due to its delicious stir-fried dishes. The wok-cooked noodle dishes are especially good—thin noodles are cooked until crispy and topped with strips of pork and bean sprouts.

Tucked away on a quiet corner of the Traders Hotel, this unassuming culinary gem serves what is possibly the best Malaysian and Singaporean food in town. You’ll find all the classics here, from the piping-hot fried turnip cakes with bean sprouts to spicy beef simmered in coconut milk and aromatic spices. While all dishes satisfy, the main draw is the flavorful fish soup spiked with umami shrimp paste.

The decor, staff uniforms, and—of course—the food all capture the retro vibe of the 1960s Hong Kong cha chaan teng (local café). Cantonese pop songs from that era play over the sound system while diners relish bowls of elbow macaroni served in soup and topped with ham and eggs. Other staples include spaghetti served in chicken broth with cha siu pork and green peas. But the sweets here are what really stand out. The egg tarts are rich and custardy, and the French toast is served with a giant slab of butter. Surely the best items, though, are the hotcakes topped with bananas, buttered walnuts, and soft-serve ice cream.

It’s a blast from the past at this retro Hong Kong café, done up in period '80s and '90s decor, complete with autographed Cantopop idol posters from that era. The food is old-school as well, and you’ll find hearty local specialties like elbow macaroni with barbecued pork, milk tea, and toasted sandwiches filled with fluffy scrambled eggs. If you come after 3 pm, try the “principal's toast”—it’s black truffle paste and cheese smothered on thick pieces of bread. It’s delicious indulgence done the cheap and cheerful way.

Dessert fans should check out Chez Shibata. The pâtisserie combines classic French recipes with Japanese ingredients and techniques, and the results are all delicious. Be sure to try the mille feuille layed with custard and cream chantilly.

Indulge your sweet tooth with C’est La B’s wide array of gorgeously whimsical cakes and desserts. The sugary creations at this bakery-café are decidedly extravagant and come with playful, tongue-in-cheek names like Better Than Sex (chocolate fudge cake with caramel crunch and red sugar lips) and Blessing in Disguise (carrot and cheesecake with berry glaze). Most cakes are available in miniature portions, so feel free to sample a few. C’est La B operates a second branch in Tsim Sha Tsui.

The street stalls of Hong Kong are filled with interesting snacks of all shapes and sorts. The intrepid should trek over to Delicious Food for the infamous stinky tofu.

The dim sum menu here goes beyond common Cantonese morsels like har gau (steamed shrimp dumplings), embracing dishes more popular in the north, including chili prawn dumplings, Beijing onion cakes, and various steamed buns. Decadent dim sum options, such as abalone pastries, are particularly popular, but also extremely pricey. Lunch reservations are not taken, so there’s always a long line, especially on weekends. Arrive early, or admire the antique Chinese decor while you wait.

Hidden away near the old Jordan pier, this little sit-down restaurant has excellent dim sum without the insane queues that plague its more famous competitors. That’s not to say that it doesn’t get packed during mealtimes; thankfully, the venue stays open until 1 am, so you can sneak in for a late-night dinner when the crowds have dissipated. While it does all the classics, it’s the newfangled house creations that are really worth trying. We love the crispy shrimp rice-flour rolls drizzled with soy sauce. The chefs also do black-truffle crab dumplings and golden pastries filled with a combination of apples and cha siu pork.

Dundas Street in Mong Kok is filled with street vendors. The Fei Jie Snacks Stall is one of the best, with its dizzying selection of skewered choices ranging from chewy squid to duck gizzard to pig intestine (best eaten with a squirt of mustard).

Located on a boisterous stretch of Temple Street, this crowded, open-air eatery is the perfect spot to soak in the local atmosphere. The food isn’t amazing, but it’s cheap and offers a wide range of choices. Stick to the wok-tossed stir-fries laced with pungent black-bean sauce or spicy chili salt. Hing Kee is also known for its clay-pot dishes, which are especially comforting during the colder winter months.

Just beyond the northern boundary of Tsim Sha Tsui, on a side street off Nathan Road near the Jordan MTR station, this humble place is popular among locals seeking a quick bowl of noodles or a simple, tasty Shanghainese dish. Try a dish of Shanghainese rice with vegetables, topped with your choice of meat, or the fried noodles, soup noodles, and sweet spareribs.

Though it’s expanded across Asia, Honeymoon Dessert’s first-ever store in Sai Kung still draws droves of loyal and new fans alike. The store sells homemade traditional Chinese desserts such as black-sesame sweet soup and the refreshing mango-pomelo sweet soup. It also does newfangled items, including durian pancakes and glutinous rice dumplings dusted with desiccated coconut and filled with fresh mango. In the summer, don’t miss out on the wide selection of cooling grass jelly creations.

This might not be the prettiest restaurant you’ve ever seen, but its panfried beef patties (translated as “veal goulash” on the menu) are incredibly delicious. The browned pastry packets arrive at the table piping hot and bursting with tender minced beef—good luck stopping after just one.

The space is dingy, the tables are cramped, and the staff is brash—but the food makes it all worth it. Kam Fung has been around for more than five decades, serving traditional Hong Kong café fare such as crumbly crusted freshly baked egg tarts, and pineapple buns wedged with a thick slab of butter. Wash everything down with the velvety smooth milk tea after a meal that’s cheap, quick, and absolutely satisfying.

This French-owned spot specializes in authentic, thin Breton crêpes filled with all sorts of sweet or savory fillings. Most of the clientele is French, which is a good indication of the authenticity of the food. Fillings for these made-fresh-to-order pancakes range from traditional to experimental; La Complète buckwheat galette is loaded with a classic combination of egg, ham, and deliciously gooey melted cheese, while L’Italienne has tomato, mozzarella cheese, anchovies, and olives. The dessert crêpe selection is just as wide-ranging. La Crêperie also carries a delicious apple cider—the traditional drink of choice for accompanying galettes in Brittany.

You can identify Lab Made by the large crowd that’s usually gathered in front of the store. They come for the super-smooth, house-spun ice cream, which is made using liquid nitrogen. The freezing process takes only a minute, which is why everything can be made to order using the freshest ingredients. There are usually only a handful of flavors to choose from, and the menu changes on a weekly basis. If available, go for one of the Hong Kong–inspired flavors, such as bean-curd pudding or sweet red-bean soup.

Foodies were understandably excited when this iconic French patisserie set up shop in Hong Kong. Its pastel-colored macarons come in a rainbow of flavors, such as classic rose and sea-salt caramel. You can enjoy these delectable confections in the sit-down tearoom, or take them to go in one of the gorgeous pastry boxes.

Visit this outdoor stall for authentic Chinese desserts. Sweet soups made with red bean or ground black sesame are served in both hot and chilled versions. Warmed, chewy, glutinous rice balls heaped with sugar, crushed peanuts, and desiccated coconut are messy but delicious.

Bubble-shaped egg waffles are a local specialty in Hong Kong, and Lee Keung Kee offers a delicious version. The waffles here are crisp on the outside but soft and cottony on the inside.

Dubbed Little Thailand, Kowloon City is home to some of the best Thai restaurants in town. Lung Jie is one of the more popular choices, and for good reason—the food is excellent and the flavors are authentic. The extensive menu covers all the basics, from stir-fried pad thai noodles to hot-and-sour tom yum soup. For something a little more adventurous, try the raw prawns, which are topped with garlic and chilies and served with a deliciously spicy dipping sauce on the side.

Mak’s may look like any other Hong Kong noodle shop, but this tiny storefront is one of the best known in town, with a reputation that belies its humble decor. The real test of a good Cantonese noodle shop, however, is its wontons, and here they’re fresh, delicate, and filled with whole shrimp.

The guys at Mana! have come up with the concept of “fast slow food”—a convenient and eco-conscious mode of eating that’s good for the body and the environment. Utensils and containers are all biodegradable, while the menu brims with plant-based dishes prepared from sustainable organic produce sourced from local farms. Enjoy mixed salads, veggie burgers, and good-for-you shakes and juices. The main attractions are the flatbreads, which are freshly baked in Mana’s brick oven. They’re spread with za’atar (a Middle East herb-and-spice mix), then topped with hearty items like roasted veggies, garlic mayo, or hummus. Saving the planet never tasted so delicious.