209 Best Restaurants in Hong Kong, China

Ride the Hong Kong tram to its terminus in Kennedy Town and you can reward yourself with a meticulously crafted coffee at this waterfront favorite a few steps from the tram stop. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the blue waters of Victoria Harbour just across the road; the views are even better from upstairs. A Japanese chain headquartered in Kyoto, % Arabica opened its first Hong Kong location in 2013 and now has venues all over the territory.

You can dine on a range of Hong Kong classics at this no-frills cha chaan teng. The service is curt and the turnover is fast, but the scrambled egg sandwich is moist and pillowy soft.

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.

This hip, homegrown Hong Kong bakery chain has a handy branch just off the Central--Mid-Levels Escalator at Staunton Street, where you can line up to grab an order of signature sourdough egg tarts (you’ll want at least two), which pair beautifully with a single-origin coffee to go. Other treats include buttery croissants, cookies, doughnuts, savory pastries, and sourdough loaves. 

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.

The effervescent Tanvir Bhasin and Vidur Yadav (who aren't actually brothers but friends who met in New York) run this wildly popular modern Indian canteen, which serves up street-style bites that are as lively they are. Think tasty kathi rolls wrapped in Indian flatbreads, and fries showered in a house-made spice mix. And what's a fiery meal without booze? Drinks make up a large part of the menu here—you can pick from a bar that pours everything from whiskey to mezcal. There's another branch in the Jardine House food hall, but this flagship space is what they call the "deluxe edition."

Dining in Hong Kong doesn't get more local than having a meal at this open-air stall, where you'll be wedged among taxi drivers and office workers slurping up their food. The menu is full of café favorites like pork chop sandwiches and beef brisket noodles, but the most popular items by far are the thick milk tea and cloyingly sweet Hong Kong–style French toast. It's worth a visit to experience an old-school side of Hong Kong that is fast disappearing.

Touting itself as Hong Kong's "first authentic Italian steak house," Bistecca has become one of the best places to go for delectable beef. The space is charmingly rustic, decorated with butcher knives, hanging bunches of herbs, and a giant display case that shows off the restaurant’s premium cuts imported from the best suppliers around the globe. The steaks are all aged to tenderness and flavored with flecks of sea salt and peppercorns, then grilled and drizzled with a little Tuscan olive oil and lemon.

The mastermind behind this three-Michelin-starred restaurant is Alvin Leung, who dubs himself the “demon chef” and has the moniker tattooed on his arm. Bo Innovation serves what he calls “X-treme Chinese” cuisine, applying contemporary twists to traditional Cantonese dishes.

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.

You may be familiar with mainstream Japanese sushi and sashimi, but Okinawan cooking is something completely different. Dishes from the Ryukyu Islands carry Chinese and American influences, and you’ll find plenty of chanpuru (stir-fry) dishes, as well as obscure delicacies like salt and cookie ice cream. The islands are also credited for their bountiful fresh produce; be sure to try the umi budo “green caviar” sea kelp and the bitter gourd melon. Carnivores, don't fret—Okinawa’s Motobu Wagyu beef and Aguu pork are delicious, well-marbled versions that work well in everything from grills to shabu shabu.

This blink-and-you'll-miss-it Hong Kong chain entirely focused on Thai desserts has locations throughout the city, primarily in the New Territories. Try the coconut milk pandan cake (it's neon green), the osmanthus cake, or the butterfly pea flower coconut cake.

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.

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.

Set in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, this convenient, family-friendly restaurant promises views of Victoria Harbour, an outdoor terrace, and a stylish cocktail bar. Though the menu is eclectic enough to keep everyone happy, most people come for the views.

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.

This cozy, Japanese-inspired diner is popular with locals for its fresh, wholesome comfort food. Its menu is packed with hearty rice bowls and flavorful curries, all made with healthy ingredients. The warm, minimalist setting adds to the charm, making it a perfect stop for a casual bite in the neighborhood.

It’s a blast from the past at this retro Hong Kong café, done up in period '70s 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.

Only prix-fixe menus are served at this ultra-luxe French restaurant in the Four Seasons, a Hong Kong fine-dining institution which has retained either two or three Michelin stars every year since opening in 2008. The dining room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows framing harbor views, is as spectacular as the food, masterminded with passion and precision by executive chef Guillaume Galliot.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You'll recognize this nondescript street stall from the others around it by the crowds in front, especially during lunchtime. The silky rice rolls drenched in a tasty peanut sauce draw Hong Kongers from across town. Best of all, a combo with siu mai—petite pork dumplings—costs less than a Starbucks coffee.

This quaint cha chaan teng has been a local favorite since it opened in 1951. You can't go wrong with one of their famous, crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-inside pineapple buns stuffed with a slab of butter alongside a cup of creamy milk tea. The retro kitchen also turns out savory cha chaan teng classics like fried noodles.

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.

Tapas-style sharing plates of Vietnamese-inspired cuisine pair with inventive cocktails at this sleek, industrial-styled restaurant in SoHo. The vibe is tailor-made for a casual date or dinner with friends, and the dishes, like rice-paper rolls bursting with soft-shell crab, or sticky, tender tamarind pork ribs, are unfailingly likable, if on the small side.