55 Best Restaurants in Hong Kong, China

Duck into this cute counter-top restaurant for delicious baos—fluffy steamed buns sandwiched with all types of delicious ingredients, from teriyaki fried chicken to slow-braised pork belly. The rest of the menu is more globally inspired and includes sharing plates such as drunken clams, beef brisket dumplings, and truffle fries.

Often regarded as one of the best Shanghainese restaurants in town, Liu Yuan’s cooking style stays loyal to tradition with a no-fuss mentality that has worked in their favor for years. Easy favorites include sweet strips of crunchy eel, pan-fried meat buns, and steamed xiao long bao dumplings plumped up with minced pork and broth.

In the heart of Po Lin Monastery, surrounded by some of the best views afforded to Lantau Island, lies this Buddhist vegetarian cafeteria that's popular with tourists and locals alike. If you're traveling with others, nominate one of your party to pay for the food (do this outside of the main dining hall); seats quickly fill up given the limited hours, so guard your table well. Fortunately, there are spillover picnic tables just outside. Dishes are lightly seasoned so that you can more easily enjoy the natural flavor of the vegetables.

This award-winning eatery serves some of the city’s best dim sum at dirt-cheap prices. 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 as popular as ever, so go in midafternoon if you want to beat the crowds.

Dining at arguably Hong Kong's most famous indoor dai pai dong food stall is a riot, with owner Robby Cheung frequently coming out to hold singalong sessions and toast guests. The food is Hong Kong cuisine with fusion innovations, and you should wash everything down with a cold beer (served here in Chinese soup bowls).

This hip Sheung Wan eatery has consistently been one of the hottest places to eat in Hong Kong since it opened in 2011. Yakitori (Japanese-style grilled chicken) is the menu mainstay, particularly nose-to-tail treats like chicken hearts, livers, and oysters (tender morsels from the back of the chicken). Save space for an order of sweetcorn and the delectable chicken katsu sandwich.

Hong Kong is no stranger to European eateries, but ABC ranks as one of the most quirky. Serving dishes like suckling pig, soufflé, and duck confit, it's made up of a few stand-alone plastic chairs and tables in the utilitarian surrounds of Queen Street Cooked Food Market, a place more used to joints selling wonton noodles and milk tea. ABC's founders came from top Hong Kong restaurants, and what they save on rent are returned to customers in value and quality.

Sai Kung may be best known for its local seafood joints, but we’ll happily shine a light on the city’s only Sri Lankan restaurant. Housed in a quaint cottage, AJ’s rolls out regional delicacies from the South Asian island country—if you haven’t tried it before, Sri Lankan cuisine shares similarities with its neighboring countries, though there are some distinct differences in the use of spices and cooking techniques. Definitely order the moju—fried eggplant with onions and chilies. We’re also fans of any string hopper (shredded, steamed rice-flour dough) dish that’s tossed in a wok with diced meats and spices.

In a gorgeous three-story building, the cozy Boathouse has a lovely view of the waterfront, making it the perfect spot to hang out with friends and family. The menu has a heavy focus on fish, and the bucket of fresh seafood (steamed mussels, prawns, clams, or a combination), served with nicely toasted garlic bread, goes down well with a glass of chilled white wine. Pastas and simple salads are also good bets for casual dining.

Smartly dressed locals in the know head for this casually elegant dim sum specialist, which is in the middle of the downtown bustle yet well concealed on the fourth floor of an office building. From the elevator, you’ll step into a classy Cantonese world. It’s hard to find a single better dim sum dish than Che’s crispy pork buns, whose sugary baked pastry conceals the brilliant saltiness of barbecued pork within. Other dim sum to try include pan-fried turnip cake and a refreshing dessert of cold pomelo and sago with mango juice for a calming end to an exciting meal.

At this hip noodle shop in the quietly cool Tai Hang neighborhood next to Causeway Bay, you can mix and match your order according to the soup base, noodle type, spice level, and toppings that you want. The braised beef sweet potato noodles that marry light, chewy noodles with a bold, beefy broth are recommended. The retro facade and neon-lit interiors make for a fun dining environment that's reminiscent of a Wong Kar-wai movie. 

This restaurant is atop a nondescript office building with a security guard seated inside. Just take the elevator to the first floor, and follow the yellow tape from ticket purchase to dining room. Don't expect to see any English translations, however; just go for the Buddha's delight, a mix of vegetables, mushrooms, and soy sauce, and spring rolls with plant-based protein. Once finished, you're rewarded with a nice amble around the temple grounds.

Chiu chow cuisine is known for its delicate flavors and healthier style of cooking, and this no-frills joint serves up authentic dishes at reasonable prices. The braised goose and oyster congee are must-tries. But this isn't a place to linger over your food—the tables are packed uncomfortably close to one another and it can get crowded and noisy.

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.

The nicest spot for a drink or casual meal at Repulse Bay, Classified has two highly coveted swing sofas hanging from its open frontage, which offer glorious beach and sea views. The brunch-centric menu riffs around bacon and eggs, avocado on toast, and eggs Benedict, along with smoothies, fresh juice, and freshly brewed coffee---or you can go for healthy salads, pasta, and tartines at lunch or dinner. A selection of wines, beers, and cocktails makes it a worthy choice for sundowner drinks.

It looks like a sleek trattoria, but this Milanese-inspired coffee shop is 100% homegrown. The stunning interiors with details like custom-made cups and hand-painted mirrors reflect the local owner's love of Italian coffee culture. Coffee aside, you can get easy, all-day dining bites here too, like mortadella-stuffed sandwiches or pasta with anchovies. It's no wonder Coffeelin is fast expanding across Hong Kong, with each outlet telling a different Milan-inspired story. Of all the branches, this Fortress Hill café is the largest.

This modish SoHo spot packs out nightly with devoted foodies chasing a taste of chef-owner Salvatore Fiata’s famous Neapolitan-style pizzas, revered for their beautifully charred crusts and quality toppings like mozzarella di bufala, truffle pesto, and spicy sausage from Fiata’s home city of Caserta in southern Italy. The tables fill up fast, so book well in advance online.

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.

Travel back to the romantic 1960s at this retro restaurant. Both the decor and the food have remained largely unchanged since the restaurant’s heyday, and you’ll find local interpretations of borscht, gravy-covered steaks, and other western dishes.

There's usually a queue and the service is often brusque, but the extraordinarily tasty Shanghai-style dumplings are worth the chaotic experience at this traditional Chinese restaurant. The hand-pulled noodles are good, too.

You don’t have to be vegetarian to enjoy the food at Grassroots Pantry. The health-conscious, plant-based menu here is full of vibrant flavors and always reflects the season’s freshest produce. Try the appetizer platters or the market-inspired stir-fries and pastas. Grassroots also offers a delicious selection of gluten-free desserts. Being healthy never tasted so good.

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.

Expert in the art of yakiniku (grilled meats), Iroha stocks top-quality ingredients for its tabletop grills. Many go for the premium Wagyu beef selection, but the seafood choices are also worth trying. The thick-sliced salted beef tongue is legendary.

This might not be the prettiest restaurant you’ve ever seen, but its pan-fried 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.

British celebrity-chef Jamie Oliver’s first Hong Kong venture may have had a slow start, but its heart is in the right place. The restaurant offers casual, unpretentious Italian cuisine with a heavy emphasis on sustainable, responsibly sourced ingredients. The menu follows the blueprint set out by other Jamie’s Italian outlets around the world. House favorites include hearty sharing planks loaded with cured meats, cheeses, pickles, and greens. Other familiar dishes include the famous prawn linguine.

This classic cha chaan teng serves some of the best Hong Kong classic dishes. Sample both their baked treats and carb-focused mains---try the beef hor fun, a savory and aromatic stir-fry noodle dish, followed by a pineapple bun with a slab of cold butter or an egg tart (or both). If you have room for dessert, the Hong Kong French toast is a must.

Hong Kong roast meats are famous for a reason, and roast goose is one of the must-try dishes. This is a good place to sample the roasted bird with a side of rice or noodles---the goose skin is crispy, while the meat remains tender and flavorful. The restaurant also serves char siu, roast pork, and chicken; but the geese remain the best option.

This French-owned spot specializes in thin Breton crepes 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’Americaine has minced beef, Emmental cheese, tomatoes, egg, and caramelized onions. The dessert crepe selection is just as wide-ranging. La Crêperie also carries a delicious apple cider—the traditional drink of choice for accompanying galettes in Brittany.

Celebrate the romance of old Hong Kong at Ladies Sik Faan, an elevated dai pai dong--style experience. \"Sik faan\" translates to \"let's eat\" or, more literally, \"eat rice\"—which isn't a bad idea if you order any of their sauce-heavy dishes like scallops with vermicelli, black bean clams, and sweet and sour pork. Their bite-size prawn toast, topped with a dollop of black truffle, is a must-order when visiting.