21 Best Restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Hullett House—the former marine police headquarters turned into a boutique hotel—was designed with maxed-out luxury in mind, so it’s to be expected that its signature fine-dining French restaurant would be a no-expenses-spared venture. The restaurant is decked out in colonial era–inspired duds, complete with chandeliers and comfy leather sofas. But while the decor pays homage to days gone by, the cuisine is modern, creative, and totally inspired. Guests can look forward to dishes such as tomatoes served eight ways with black garlic, basil, and olive-oil “caviar.” Two tasting menus (four or six courses) are available for those who want the full St. George experience.

This restaurant, with its lively, informal atmosphere and gleaming harbor views, serves one of the best steaks in the city. You can choose from among 10 steak knives and more than a dozen mustards and rock salts—gimmicky, but fun—but the main event is the perfectly cooked, char-grilled meats. The selection is extensive, including wagyu from Japan, herb-crusted tenderloin from Argentina, the restaurant's own dry-aged beef, and other delicious cuts flown in from the United States—and all of it is lovingly seared on the grill. There isn’t a jacket-and-tie policy, but note that shorts, sleeveless shirts, and open shoes are not allowed for gentlemen.

This is one of the oldest restaurants in Hong Kong and also one of the first places to serve “soy sauce” Hong Kong–style Western cuisine. The decor, staff, and menu seem to have remained unchanged since day one, adding to the nostalgic charm of the place. Steaks are served to dramatic effect on sizzling iron plates and brought to the table by waiters clad in waistcoats. Other menu highlights include the baked Portuguese chicken, the near-perfect stir-fried rice noodles with beef (a classic Hong Kong dish), chicken wings doused in "Swiss sauce" (which has no real Swiss associations), and the enormous baked soufflé that takes 20 minutes to prepare and at least three people to devour.

At the Mira Hotel’s flagship restaurant, seasonal ingredients are turned into creative European dishes designed to impress. The half roasted yellow chicken---a mainstay in the rotating menu---is a must-try. Aside from à la carte options, the restaurant offers a 4- to 10-course degustation menu inspired by global flavors and ingredients. Another bonus is the extensive wine list, which features some of the world’s finest vintages at incredibly reasonable prices.

This restaurant serves good Shanghainese fare at reasonable prices. The signature xiao long bao (soup dumplings) are great, and the honey ham with crispy bean-curd skin wrapped in soft bread is delicious and authentic. Be sure to try the tofu dumpling—a unique dish that has mixed greens enveloped in thin sheets of silken bean curd. (This requires advance ordering.) Also not to be missed is the Shanghai-style doughnut on the dessert menu—it’s a deep-fried sphere of whipped and fluffy egg whites stuffed with red bean and bananas.