35 Best Restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tsim Sha Tsui is a foodie's paradise. The high density of hotels here—from the legendary Peninsula Hotel to the chic and modern Mira Hotel—means that there is no shortage of luxury dining options. This district also has several large shopping malls, all filled with restaurants, some better than others. The area is also known for its authentic Korean and Indian cuisine. For the best local eats, though, head to neighboring Yau Ma Tei, especially the Jordan Road area, and to Mong Kok. The eateries here tend to be cramped and noisy, but it’s worth exploring for those who want to immerse themselves in the city's local culture.
Hutong
It’s easy to see why Hutong is a hot spot: it has some of the most imaginative northern Chinese cuisine in town. What's more, the beautifully decorated dining room sits atop H Zentre, overlooking the entire festival of lights that is the Hong Kong island skyline.
Aqua
The menu at this trendy restaurant and bar brings together the East and the West—the Japanese kitchen plates up fresh sashimi, tempura, and innovative sushi rolls, while the restaurant’s Italian side offers traditional risottos and pastas with a modern twist. The Japanese offerings usually fare better than the Italian ones, but the thing really worth going to Aqua for is the superb view of the Hong Kong skyline. You might want to just stop in for a drink—the bar stays open until 1 am on Friday and Saturday.
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Bubbly Feast Hotpot
This restaurant specializes in coconut chicken hot pot made from fresh coconut water, with tender chickens raised on coconut meat. Open 24 hours a day, the shop also offers a wide range of beef, meat balls, noodles, and other hot pot bites---all at a reasonable price.
The Butterfly Room
Rosewood Hong Kong's lush afternoon tea experience at The Butterfly Room will make you feel as though you're a Disney princess. The fixed set comes with creative welcome bites, finger sandwiches, baked scones, and sweets—not to mention the dramatic chocolate trolley that'll roll by the table when you think you can't physically stomach another pastry.
Carna by Dario Cecchini
Created by Dario Cecchini, a celebrity butcher famed for championing the nose-to-tail cooking philosophy of utilizing all cuts of meat, Carna is a luxurious Italian steak house located in Mondrian Hong Kong. Its sumptuous, leather-filled space was designed by renowned designer Joyce Wang and offers stunning views of the harbor (reserve window seats, if possible). On the menu, guests can find different cuts of beef, as well as classic Italian appetizers such as insalata caprese, tonnato, beef tartare, and bruschetta.
CHAAT
A table at this Michelin-starred Indian restaurant is notoriously hard to get, but if you manage to snag one, try the ice cream cone-shaped baked samosa and the juicy and flavorful black pepper chicken tikka. Be sure to pair your meal with one of the craft cocktails that utilize fragrant spices like cumin, cardamom, and chai masala.
Check-In Taipei
For Taiwanese cuisine that blends tradition with modernity, head to Check-In Taipei. Tucked inside Harbour City mall, the restaurant offers eye-catching and comfortable interiors while serving up unique twists on Taiwanese classics, such as the Japanese eel on top of a cheesy egg crepe and dan dan beef noodles.
Chuan Shao
This place fires up the grill with skewered items that draw flavor inspiration from Sichuan. The menu is extensive, capping in at more than 100 different choices on any given day (including daily and seasonal specials). Grilled fish is perfect with beer, as are the tsukune chicken meatballs. When in season, order grilled oysters, clams, and other seafood items. The folks at Chuan Shao also serve grilled banana and pineapple for dessert. The restaurant is open until late, and there’s plenty of beer, so anyone staying at a hotel in the area might just want to keep this place in mind.
Din Tai Fung
Originally from Taiwan, this global restaurant chain is most famous for its expertly made dumplings. The place is serious about its craft—each dumpling is made from a specified amount of dough and kneaded to a uniform thinness to ensure maximum quality control. The signature steamed xiao long bao dumplings arrive piping hot at the table, filled with delectable fatty pork and slurpfuls of flavorful broth. Anyone with a sweet tooth should try the taro-paste dumpling. The excellent food is paired with VIP treatment from the friendly staff, making Din Tai Fung completely worthy of its immense popularity.
Dong Lai Shun
This buzzing Chinese restaurant specializes in Beijing and Huaiyang cuisine and draws a following for its upscale atmosphere, Mongolian mutton hot pot, and stellar appetizers (the smoked eggs and crispy eel). Try the hand-cut noodles, traditional Peking duck, and award-winning combo dishes such as wok-fried crabmeat, rock lobster, and salted egg yolk served on rice crackers.
EN Tsim Sha Tsui
Unlike some of the more common Japanese eateries, Rakuen serves authentic Okinawan cuisine. Start with the umi-budo—an interesting variety of sea kelp shaped like bunches of grapes (the bubble-like appearance has also won it its “green caviar” nickname). Other regional specialties include the homemade peanut tofu, which, despite the name, is not a tofu dish but a gelatinized mixture of peanuts that has a chewy but firm texture and discerning nutty flavor, which is drawn out by a drizzling of soy sauce. Okinawan ingredients—such as bitter gourd and squid-ink noodles—are found throughout the menu, and the melt-in-the-mouth grilled ox tongue is a definite must-order.
Felix
This Philippe Starck–designed, preposterously fashionable scene atop the Peninsula boasts breathtaking floor-to-ceiling views of Hong Kong. The dinner menu is equally stunning, and while rooted in European cooking, includes bright Asian touches as demonstrated by items such as the grilled wagyu beef tenderloin. The “Felix Experience” menu features some of the chef’s most creative dishes and changes on a regular basis. The food here is generally good, but expect it to be quite pricey. Many people come just for cocktails or to try out the most celebrated restroom in Asia—the views across Tsim Sha Tsui are superior to those in the restaurant itself. Note that sleeveless shirts and shorts are not allowed for men.
Gaylord
This was one of the first Indian restaurants on the Hong Kong dining scene, and the atmosphere is still intimate and fun, especially on nights when there's live music. The food is packed with authentic spices, and there's an extensive menu for vegetarians. The chowpatty chaat is a winning combination of potatoes, chickpeas, and crisp wafers in a spicy dressing, and the chicken tikka masala is almost legendary. Lamb dishes are also done well, especially those in fragrant curry sauce, perfect for scooping up with bits of naan bread, or for spooning over plates of fragrant basmati rice. The restaurant also offers several lunch and dinner menus at excellent value.
Go Koong
One of the best Korean restaurants in town, Go Koong covers extensive ground, from raw meats and seafood that are cooked sizzling on the tabletop grills, to kimchi stews and thick pancakes studded with shrimp, squid, and scallions. The complimentary banchans (appetizers) are a feast in themselves, with more than 10 different items available every day. Order the smoked duck-breast salad to start before moving on to more substantial fare such as the tender beef ribs steamed in whole pumpkin. If you still have room at the end of the meal, remember to try the patbingsoo—a giant bowl of crunchy shaved ice laced with sweetened red beans and fresh fruit.
Hoi King Heen
If you’re looking for stellar Cantonese cuisine, this is the place for you. The chefs serve a range of modern classics made from the freshest ingredients and influenced by their reverence for natural flavors. There are excellent—and expensive—dishes on the menu like double-boiled bird’s nest and braised abalone, but the humbler dishes like marinated pork knuckle and deep-fried frog legs steal the show. Hoi King Heen is a great dinner destination, and the lunchtime dim sum menu is also worth checking out.
Ko Lau Wan Hotpot and Seafood Restaurant
Anyone seeking an authentic hot pot experience need look no farther than Ko Lau Wan. Locals flock here for the tender beef and seafood that you cook at your table in a piping-hot pot of broth. The soup selection is quite extensive, but the satay broth and the fish stock with crab are particularly tasty. The owner comes from a fishing village in the New Territories, so there’s no wonder the cuttlefish, shrimp balls, sea urchin, amberjack, and abalone are all so tantalizingly fresh. The adventurous should try the geoduck, a giant clam popular among Hong Kongers, which can be eaten raw as sashimi with soy sauce and wasabi or slightly cooked in soup.
Kung Tak Lam
Health-conscious diners will appreciate the simple Shanghainese vegetarian food served at this popular restaurant in the One Peking Road tower. The menu revels in its vegetarianism, rather than trying to emulate meat; highlights include the Golden Treasure Cold Platter, which includes delicious sweet gluten with mushrooms; the Shanghai-style cold noodles with seven different sauces; and bean-curd dumplings. Good, too, are the sweet pan-fried cakes.
Ladies Sik Faan
Lai Ching Heen
Previously named Yan Toh Heen, this renowned Cantonese restaurant located in the Regent Hong Kong has an elegant dining room against expansive harbor views and food that is at the top of its class. Exquisite is hardly the word for the decor, which mixes contemporary with the traditional and encompasses gorgeous details like jade-color place settings. Dim sum is done well here during lunch, and if you’re looking for more extravagant dishes, there’s a vast selection of seafood that includes seasonal crab, poached lobster, and sea whelk. Some dishes, like Peking duck, need to be ordered at least a day ahead. Note that sleeveless shirts, shorts, and sandals are not allowed for men.
Lee Keung Kee
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.
The Legacy House
This Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Rosewood Hong Kong is spacious and glamorous, serving beloved classics such as Peking duck and char siu, as well as regional Cantonese delicacies like deep-fried pigeon and minced fish soup. Three different eight-course tasting menus are available, as well as a set dim sum menu.
Main St. Deli
Inspired by New York’s 2nd Avenue Deli, with a gleaming tiled interior to match, Main St. Deli introduced traditional Big Apple neighborhood favorites to Hong Kong and found immediate popularity with visitors and locals alike. It continues to make lunch favorites such as pastrami on rye and hot corned-beef sandwiches. Reuben sandwiches and matzo-ball soup satisfy homesick New Yorkers. On the drinks side, kids can indulge in the wide variety of milk shakes, while the grown-ups enjoy the selection of American microbrews.
Mammy Pancake, Tsim Sha Tsui
This Tsim Sha Tsui takeaway spot for bubble-shape egg waffles is positioned right by the Star Ferry, making it the perfect breakfast or mid-day snack as you step off the boat. You can choose from a huge variety of sweet or savory fillings, from banana chocolate-chip to salted seaweed and corn.
Outdark Korean Restaurant
Tsim Sha Tsui is sometimes called Little Korea due to the number of Korean restaurants in the district; and while the number of Korean restaurants has dwindled after COVID-19, a few stalwarts remain, one of which is Outdark. This fried-chicken outpost from Busan, South Korea dishes out all the Korean classics, but the spicy cheesy chicken served on a stone platter is particularly tasty.
Oyster & Wine Bar
Against the romantic backdrop of Hong Kong’s twinkling harbor, this is the top spot in town for oyster lovers. More than 20 varieties are flown in daily and displayed around the horseshoe oyster bar, ready for shucking. The staff cheerfully explains the characteristics of the available mollusks and guides you to ones to suit your taste. Also on the menu is an excellent lobster bisque, as well as clams, mussels, crab, and fish in various preparations. The Dungeness crab cake is another standout, made with sweet and succulently delicious crabmeat. Wine aficionados are also spoiled for choice here, with the extensive wine selection that lines the walls.
Sabatini
Opened by the acclaimed Sabatini restaurateur brothers, this small corner of Italy with sponge-painted walls and wooden furnishings has a cult following among those who crave authentic Italian cuisine. Linguine Sabatini, the house specialty, is their take on linguine al frutti di mare. During white truffle season, the restaurant also offers an extensive white truffle menu.
Santouka
This Hokkaido-imported chain offers authentic Japanese ramen, with thick, glossy, and al dente noodles and savory broths. The signature shio (salt) broth is delicious, as are the soy sauce- and miso-flavored options. Each bowl is served with slices of fatty chasiu (Japanese roast pork) and kelp, but we recommend adding a Japanese-style poached egg to your order.
Shari Shari Kakigori House
For the best Japanese kakigori (shaved ice dessert), head to Shari Shari where ice is imported from Japan and shaved in-store into airy, flakey pieces. The snowflake-textured shaved ice is then mixed or topped with a range of delicious flavors, such as Earl Grey, pistachio, tiramisu, and mango.
Spring Deer
The floral interior makes this place look like something out of 1950s Beijing. The Peking duck, however, is a showstopper (it might be the best in town), and you'll see an old-school crowd enjoying it as well as noodles and stir-fried wok meat dishes.