14 Best Restaurants in Macau, China

Full-flavored petiscos—Portugal’s answer to tapas—take center stage at this stylish bar-restaurant in São Lázaro, alongside Portuguese craft beer, wine, and cocktails. Sip a bottle of vinho verde or a port-and-lychee cocktail while splitting plates of pica-pau (beef cubes with pickles), tender fried octopus, baby snails, and bacalhau com broa (baked cod with a cornbread crumble and black olives). The decor is a treasure trove of antiques, from hanging fish traps and copper stills to old pedal bikes and plush, red executive seats salvaged from decommissioned TAP planes—all sourced from Lisbon’s vintage markets. This beautiful tavern wouldn’t feel out of place in Bairro Alto.

Tucked into a charming cobblestone courtyard in Macau’s historic St. Lazarus district, Albergue 1601 serves up classic Portuguese flavors in a setting steeped in Luso culture. Chaves-born chef Pedro Almeida’s specialties—seafood rice stew, braised Ibérico pork cheek, piri piri chicken, grilled octopus bathed in garlic and olive oil—pair beautifully with a deep Portuguese wine list. When the weather’s right, dine alfresco beneath century-old camphor trees.

Overseen by the two Portuguese brothers/chefs behind Albergue 1601, this spot celebrates Macanese cuisine in a unique setting: one of the charming, century-old Taipa Houses. The menu revives heirloom recipes rarely shared outside family kitchens. Think turmeric-infused porco bafassá, port wine-kissed vaca chau chau parida (stir-fried beef with ginger and wine), and fragrant shrimp curry with okra. Surrounded by antiques and Macanese decor, you can savor dishes passed down through generations in a setting as storied as its cuisine.

Cantonese chef Tam Kwok Fung creates transcendent hyperseasonal cuisine based on the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar. His signature tasting menu changes every two weeks, in line with subtle seasonal shifts. No matter the solar term, the menu will always feature a soup and a seasonal fish dish, both of which Tam—one of the most respected figures in Cantonese cooking—layers with intricate flavors. You can also order à la carte—the dim sum is highly recommended—or opt for a fixed tasting menu, which features favorites like seasonal fish with chicken jus in fig leaf, deep-fried lobster dumplings, and noodles tossed with abalone, barbecued pork belly, and fish roe.

The first American steak house in Macau serves premium-quality steaks and seafood in a space that evokes 1960s Las Vegas. Chefs flame-grill your favorite cuts from an open kitchen as you dine under chandeliers and celebrity photos. The steaks are great, but they don’t come cheap. A 40-ounce grain-fed tomahawk from Australia tops the list at MOP$1,688. Prep your palate with fresh Gillardeau oysters, roasted bone marrow, or a seafood tower featuring Boston lobster, king crab, marinated Galician octopus, and tiger prawns. For dessert, try the classic New York cheesecake with blueberry ravioli.

Founded by local culinary legend Florita Maria Natália de Jesus Morais Alves, La Famiglia is one of the city’s best places to try Macanese food. Homestyle dishes like minchi (wok-fried pork and potato hash topped with a fried egg), capela (Macanese-style meatloaf), and stuffed shrimp sautéed with butter and garlic represent the fusion of flavors that define the cuisine. Order a lot to share, and when the weather is pleasant, dine with views of Taipa village on the third floor.

Time stands still inside A Lorcha (“wooden ship”), a cozy Portuguese restaurant that has delighted local diners and travelers since 1989. The menu has barely changed since it opened; nor have the portions. Order dishes to share like dobradinha (spicy beef tripe and chickpea stew), pataniscas de bachalau (salt cod fritters with vegetables), and Macanese coconut and turmeric chicken. But save room for the serradura (“sawdust”), a Macau specialty made with layers of biscuits and pudding.

Originally a modest, traditional bakery opened by an Englishman named Andrew Stow in 1989, Lord Stow’s Bakery is now a culinary landmark in Coloane, just off the town square. Locals sit on nearby benches munching the signature hot and flaky p‘ou tát (custard tarts) straight from the oven. Inside the little shop, breads, muffins, cookies, and other homemade goods are on offer, but be sure to walk out with at least one egg tart. There are also branches in The Venetian, The Londoner, and Taipa village.

Mesa by José Avillez is not your typical Portuguese restaurant. Its bold interior blends Chinese symbolism with Karl Lagerfeld’s signature black, white, and gold aesthetic while the food also bucks norms, its plates—like succulent piri piri chicken and beef croquettes with truffle and mustard emulsion—are made to share. If ordering à la carte, be sure to pick widely, and pair your food with one of the exclusive Douro Valley wines.

Watch in awe as chefs slice, dice, and pull noodles at staggering speed from within the show kitchen in the center of the room. Spectacle aside, the combination of Sichuan cuisine and dishes from China’s northeast are the true stars of the show at this handsome, red and black restaurant. Try the cumin-laced lamb served with bao buns, Chongqing-style deep-fried boneless chicken with dried chili, Shanxi-style braised beef noodles, and rich and spicy mapo tofu.

Occupying a converted two-story house with a small but pleasant balcony overlooking Coloane Village, this restaurant is Portuguese-owned and has a Portuguese chef—so it’s no surprise that it is a favorite of Portuguese residents. The food sticks to home-style classics, including one of the better versions of baked duck rice in town.

Everyone in Hong Kong and Macau knows about Fernando’s. The open-air dining pavilion and bar have attracted beachgoers for years, and the enterprising Fernando has built a legendary reputation for his Portuguese fare. Look for the vine-covered entrance close to Hác Sá Beach. Outside of summer, try to get a table in the outdoor garden. 

This grab-and-go spot hidden in an alley in the historic center isn’t much to look at it, but it really nails its specialty: Macau’s signature pork chop bun. Since 1965, the shop has served juicy, bone-in pork chops wedged between crusty bread and fluffy scrambled eggs. To wash it down, opt for either the cold milk tea or coffee, both brewed in a clay pot over charcoal. It may be simple, but Sei Kee has received Michelin Bib Gourmand status year after year for a reason. If you miss out here, join the queues at its other branch in Taipa. 

Part of the Macao University of Tourism (UTM), this restaurant is a training ground for students pursuing future careers in hospitality. They work in the kitchen, the bakery, and the front of the house on a variety of Macanese, Portuguese, and Western dishes, and they do it all at a high level. At lunch, order à la carte to try Macanese dishes like shrimp toast and chicken sautéed with turmeric and ginger, or come for dinner for the five-course set menu, including Macanese laksa, tamarind pork, and more made to pair with Portuguese wines.