Hong Kong Best Places To Eat
When I first arrived in Hong Kong, I was blown away. You see, I had a preconception that it would be like all the other foreign/expatriate communities in the world — but it wasn’t. It was an exciting and different city, with a unique and vibrant culture. When it came to food, you could easily get western sandwiches and hamburgers but at the same time there were also noodles and street carts everywhere on every corner of China. It was exhilarating — having all your food expectations shattered when you could get deep fried spam and egg sandwiches as well as pho if you wanted!
Hong Kong is a gastronomic paradise, littered with amazing restaurants where chefs combine their Chinese or European heritage to create their own unique culinary experiences. But with so many restaurants to choose from, where to you go? I have compiled my personal top 5 restaurant picks for eating out in Hong Kong below. Hong Kong has many best places for eating. With such a huge choice of cuisines, it can be hard to decide where to go but that’s what I’m here for.
If there is one lesson to learn when talking about food in Hong Kong, it is that the locals truly love their food. Walking down the street, it’s not uncommon to see crowds of people line up outside of a tiny shop to have a bite. Whether its food courts or small noodle shops tucked into back alleys, there are countless options to find something that will satisfy your pallet
As soon as you land in Hong Kong, you get the feeling: this place is really exciting. We’ve spent days wandering around Hong Kong in overwhelmed awe. And that goes for the food, too. Working out where to eat in Hong Kong is not easy. There are endless options: obviously there’s incredible Cantonese food (both super local and traditional, as well as extremely high-end), but there’s also plenty of upscale European cuisine. Basically, be ready to spend most of your time in Hong Kong eating. Also, be prepared to dine in hotels, malls, and skyscrapers (and sometimes all three at once) because whole swaths of Hong Kong have only those buildings.
Hong Kong Best Places To Eat
A quick geography lesson: Hong Kong is a collection of islands, as well as a peninsula jutting off mainland China. You’ll most likely be spending most of your time on Hong Kong Island (where Central, Wan Chai, and many hotels aimed at Westerners are) and in Kowloon (where a lot of locals live). You’ll end up crossing back and forth a bit by ferry and train no matter which side you stay on, but be sure to explore both.
We could easily spend years in Hong Kong and still not feel like we’ve gotten a handle on all the food the city has to offer. But we’ll certainly keep trying.
Restaurants
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Yardbird
$$$$+852 2547 9273
HOURS:WED
6PM-12AM
PERFECT FOR:DATE NIGHTSMALL PLATES
When you’re in the mood for highly specific chicken parts, Yardbird is the move. But actually, this yakitori spot works for almost any casual eating occasion – as long as you’re not in a rush. They don’t take reservations here, and even after being open for years, it’s still insanely popular, so there will be a wait. But once you’re in the door, you can have all the chicken hearts, livers, and gizzards you like (and more common cuts too).
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Belon
$$$$
PERFECT FOR:DATE NIGHTPEOPLE WATCHING
Hong Kong has no shortage of high-end French restaurants, but Belon is a more casual option, like the everyday bistros all over Paris. They still take themselves pretty seriously, but not in ways we’re going to complain about – ingredients are the best they can find, and the bread is baked in house. The menu sounds like a list of classics (roast chicken, foie gras), but the local influence is in there as well – that roast chicken comes out whole (head and feet attached) to share, just like in Cantonese restaurants. Make sure you order it.
Mak’s Noodle
$$$$+852 2854 3810
HOURS:WED
11AM-9PM
PERFECT FOR:CHEAP EATSCLASSIC ESTABLISHMENT
Wonton noodles are a Hong Kong classic: small bowls of broth with a mound of egg noodles and prawn wontons. And the best place to find them is Mak’s Noodle. We’re partial to the Wellington St location in Central (the family business has a few outlets both in Hong Kong and Singapore), where you can happily slurp through a bowl (or two) with both tourists and locals.
Tsui Wah Restaurant
$$$$+852 2525 6338
HOURS:WED
12AM-12AM
PERFECT FOR:BREAKFASTCHEAP EATSCLASSIC ESTABLISHMENTLATE NIGHT EATS
Another Hong Kong classic is milk tea, super strong tea with evaporated or condensed milk. And at some point in your trip, you should get to Tsui Wah for a cup. There are locations all over Hong Kong where you can pair that milk tea with a toasted bun also smothered in condensed milk. Many of the outlets are open 24 hours, so you could do this for breakfast, afternoon tea, on your way home from a night out – really, whenever you want.
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Tim Ho Wan
$$$$+852 2332 2896
HOURS:WED
10AM-9:30PM
PERFECT FOR:BIG GROUPSBRUNCHCHEAP EATSCLASSIC ESTABLISHMENT
Tim Ho Wan has become famous for their baked BBQ pork buns and for being one of the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, so it attracts a mind-boggling number of tourists. And while the original shop in Kowloon is good, there are now a bunch of locations around the city where you can take a number and wait in a huge crowd of people for some very, very good baked BBQ pork buns. There’s also now one in the train station at IFC (International Finance Center), so if you time things right, you can grab some buns just before you head to the airport.
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L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
$$$$+852 2166 9000
HOURS:WED
12PM-2:30PM, 6:30PM-10:30PM
PERFECT FOR:BIRTHDAYSCORPORATE CARDSFINE DININGSPECIAL OCCASIONS
There are L’Atelier de Joel Robuchons all over the world, including Paris, but don’t count this place out just because it’s the fanciest chain restaurant ever. The food is a modern take on traditional French and the counter-style set up is fun and casual. There are a bunch of different ways to eat here, from a reasonably-priced set lunch menu to a very unreasonably-priced “discovery menu” that’s worth the splurge for its out-there version of French food.
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Ronin
$$$$+852 2547 5263
HOURS:WED
6PM-12AM
PERFECT FOR:DATE NIGHTSMALL PLATES
Ronin is a seafood-focused spot from the same people behind Yardbird, and it’s similarly Japanese-inspired. The food is izakaya-style, and you can choose to do a set menu or order a la carte. The place is tiny, so unless you don’t mind waiting (or risking not getting in – there’s limited walk-in availability), definitely make a reservation. Also, if you’re into Japanese whiskey, they have 100 different types here.
Maxim’s Palace
$$$$+852 2521 1303
HOURS:WED
11AM-3PM, 5:30PM-11PM
PERFECT FOR:BRUNCHCLASSIC ESTABLISHMENT
If you’re looking for classic dim sum, Maxim’s Palace in Central is where you want to be. There are views of Victoria Harbour, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and trolleys piled high with dumplings. Waits are kind of inevitable, and the whole thing is pretty touristy, but this place is a classic for a reason.
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22 Ships
$$$$+852 2555 0722
HOURS:WED
12PM-3PM, 6PM-11PM
PERFECT FOR:DATE NIGHTSMALL PLATES
22 Ships is pretty much always busy. This tapas bar doesn’t take reservations and also doesn’t have many seats, so expect a wait for their fairly classic Spanish food. While you wait, walk down the street to their sister bar Ham & Sherry for a glass of wine and all kinds of Spanish charcuterie sliced right in front of you. If you’re anything like us, you might not actually end up making it back to 22 Ships.
Peking Garden
$$$$+852 2526 6456
HOURS:WED
11AM-3PM, 6PM-11PM
PERFECT FOR:BIG GROUPSCLASSIC ESTABLISHMENT
Peking Garden is from the same people as Maxim’s and has been serving their namesake ducks since the ’70s. Don’t be put off by the crowd of suits – the traditional-leaning food here is super popular with locals too. Obviously you need to be ordering Peking duck, but the onion cakes shouldn’t be skipped either.
Bo Innovation
$$$$+852 2850 8371
HOURS:WED
12PM-2:30PM, 7PM-12AM
PERFECT FOR:CORPORATE CARDSFINE DININGSPECIAL OCCASIONS
Molecular gastronomy might not be what the cool kids are doing anymore, but they’re all in on the idea at Bo Innovation. And we were never cool kids anyway. Bringing soils and foams and various spheres of things to traditional Chinese flavors and techniques, Bo Innovation is a small spot that serves 15-course menus at night and a shorter set menu at lunch. When you’ve overdosed on dumplings and are looking for a fancier experience, this should be on your list.
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Lung King Heen
$$$$+852 3196 8880
HOURS:WED
12PM-2:30PM, 6PM-10:30PM
PERFECT FOR:FINE DINING
For a super high-end take on Cantonese, Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons does it best. There’s a view, plenty of white tablecloths, and a menu the size of a novel. There’s dim sum on the weekends for lunch too.
8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana
$$$$+852 2537 8859
HOURS:WED
12PM-12AM
PERFECT FOR:CORPORATE CARDSFINE DINING
Maybe you’ve overdosed on barbecue pork buns and wonton noodles and it’s time for something different. You wouldn’t be making a bad move with 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana, which, despite that nonsensical name has some of the best classic Italian in Hong Kong. It’s pretty upscale and also inside a mall – so this spot isn’t for everyone – but they also seem to put truffles on everything, so they’re doing something right.