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Hong Kong food guides abound on the Interwebs because it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the literal thousands of places to eat. Ever seen Hong Kong on a map? It’s a speck. A dot. Yet, every corner of this city is trying to get you to eat, eat, eat.
Hong Kong is a paradise for flavour seekers. If you’re someone who plans their trips around restaurants, then the only thing you’ll regret is that you didn’t have more stomachs. Or worse: that you didn’t eat at the best places.
And this is where my Hong Kong food guide comes in. After having visited Hong Kong dozens of times, I’ve been lucky to get to savour flavours at restaurants ranging in prices from mid-tier to premium, fine-dining. You’re in the right place if you want to know where to find the best traditional dim sum, where to do affordable fine-dining, and where are some of the best restaurants with a view of the impeccable Victoria Harbour.
You’ll get the exact location of each restaurant and their price ranges so you can properly budget for your gourmet extravaganza. Hong Kong food culture is mostly Cantonese cuisine, but the city is a mecca for global, international flavours. I’ll tell you where to go for restaurants other than Chinese food that are completely worth expanding your waist band for. I’ll also give you notes on dress code where it matters to help you pack more efficiently.
Record all your favourite places to try in my free 7-day travel planner. By the end of this post, you’ll be ready to book your next bite and on your way to tasting the best Hong Kong food this speck of a metropolis has to offer.
Hong Kong Food Culture: What to Know Before Eating Out in Hong Kong
Your table manners will say more about you than anything else you do! And in this Hong Kong food guide, I want to list some basics every culturally-sensitive traveller should know to be a good eater in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong food dining is mostly communal
Communal, or family-style dining, is the norm in Hong Kong. Food comes out in large plates and is meant to be shared by everyone at the table. Serving chopsticks are placed on the dishes and are meant to be used by everyone to serve food.
Most Chinese restaurants have the following cutlery setup: a bowl placed on a plate with a soup spoon and personal chopsticks on the side (the ones you’ll use to actually eat your food). You pick up food from the communal dishes with the serving chopsticks and place it in your bowl. And you eat the food in your bowl with your own private chopsticks. Never serve food or get food with chopsticks you’ve already put in your mouth! It’s unsanitary. And rude.
(A young niece of mine tried that and I freaked out on the spot. Know thy chopstick uses and you’ll be the picture of sophistication; the cultivated traveller.)
Now, the food you’re going to eat goes into the bowl and any discards (bones, scraps) go on the plate. You eat the food with chopsticks with the help of the soup spoon for any slippery or large items.
Remember to always serve others first. If you’re with your elders or in-laws, serve them first to show respect (and to score a million brownie points!). It’s polite and courteous to put others first. Once you’ve served everyone else, then you can serve yourself.
And remember to pour tea for everyone else first too! And when tea runs out, lift the lid off the teapot and place it at the rim. A server will see it and pour you more tea or hot water. Like everything in Hong Kong, efficiency is king.
How good is Hong Kong food for people with allergies, vegetarian, vegan diets?
Cantonese cuisine has lots of vegetable dishes, but a lot of the dishes are usually meat based. Pork and chicken is pretty hard to avoid in most dim sum. Make sure to let the restaurant know if you have allergies, but nuts in dishes are common too.
Newer restaurants might have gluten-free or dairy free products, but classic Chinese restaurants might be unable to cater to specialized diets. Definitely check the menus in advance for any allergy triggers. If in doubt, it’s best to skip the place.
Tipping in Hong Kong and common payment methods
Service charges are usually already added to the bill. It’s one less thing to think about when dining out. Most businesses take credit cards and Alipay, but definitely bring cash with you. Most taxis and hole-in-the-wall businesses still only accept cash. Check out my guide for first-time travellers to Hong Kong.
Drink hot water or tea and use hand sanitizer
Don’t drink tap water in Hong Kong. Restaurants (the finer ones) will serve you bottled water if you want for an astronomical sum. And any other restaurant will serve you hot water or hot tea. Drink bottled (or filtered water only) as Hong Kong’s tap water isn’t all that clean.
Bring tissue and hand sanitizer wherever you go. The city can be pretty polluted and germs spread easily. Clean your hands if you want to eat. Sounds like you’ll be carrying around a few things during the day? See my guide on the best travel purses that are practical, yet stylish.
Where to Stay For Easy Access to Restaurants
Avoid staying in ChungKing Mansion on Tsim Sha Tsui. It’s in a prime location, but generally unsafe for visitors. You’ll see some tourist websites touting it as a cool place to go for far-flung cuisine, but I recommend to avoid it in general for safety reasons.
However, if you do go in, don’t go in alone. Solo travellers are easy targets. I hear Chung King Mansion has awesome Indian and African restaurants. But they’re unlicensed and unaccounted for. You do eat there at your own risk.
Premium option: The Peninsula (Tsim Sha Tsui)
The Peninsula Hotel is Hong Kong’s most iconic luxury hotel (think spa tubs, skyline views, and impeccable service) housed in a historic 1928 building.
The hotel is right in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui and just steps from the Star Ferry and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Request a high-floor room for the best harbour views. Ever wanted to ride in a Rolls-Royce? Consider splurging on a Rolls-Royce airport transfer from their fleet.
👉 Rooms sell out quickly. Book now for the best rates.
Mid-tier option: The Hari (Wan Chai)
This place is ideal for travellers seeking a mid-tier to premium hotel close to Central. The Hari rooms are stylish (though reviews say they’re a bit small) but many offer harbour views. The service is friendly and consistent, and you’re within walking distance of Central Plaza and Times Square. There is a restaurant on site but it closes after 10 PM. But you’re in Hong Kong after all, so late-night food stops are constantly available.
👉 Book now to lock in the best rates
Restaurants with the Best Views of Victoria Harbour
Restaurants charge a premium for a view of Victoria Harbour and some are worth splurging on. However, I’ve tried to curate a list of dining options where paying for a cup of coffee (a pricier one) can get you a front-row seat of Victoria Harbour.
The Lobby Lounge at the Regent Hotel
Location: 18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Café, afternoon tea, breakfast and brunches, lounge for casual drinks.
Dress code: Smart casual. No hotel bathrooms, slippers, swim wear, or flip flops.
Price range: $60 – $110 HKD for coffee and tea. Food ranges from $199 – over $350 HKD for bistro-style bites.
The Regent hotel underwent a colossal renovation and re-opened to massive fanfare. It showcases Hong Kong luxury at its most luxurious. And you can enjoy a bit of that luxury with a cup of coffee at The Lobby Lounge.
The Lobby Lounge is the ground floor restaurant with spectacular, eye-level views of Victoria Harbour. Your cup of coffee is going to be pricey, but it is absolutely worth it for the view. The decor is sumptuous, so don’t skip out on selfies!
I ordered a cappuccino here with delicate artwork of a swan. There’s gold cutlery (or gold coloured, to be precise) to help you munch on the decadent biscuits that come with your drink. Yes, it sounds a bit over-the-top and decadent. But that’s The Regent Hotel for you. I would not recommend ordering any dishes à la carte as they’re very pricey for basic things.
Aqua: Japanese and Italian Cuisine
Location: 17/F, H Zentre, 15 Middle Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Italian and Japanese fusion, handmade pasta, premium sashimi.
Dress code: Smart casual. No shorts, open‑toe shoes or sleeveless shirts for gentlemen.
Price range: Lunch and dinner set menus from around $688 HKD per person and à la carte mains around $190 to over $400 HKD.
You must come to Aqua if you’re a fan of unfussy, yet still refined dining in a stunning, but casual elegant setting. Get a window seat where you get a high, but not-so-high view that you get vertigo. The blue slanted windows dims out the sun just a bit for you to soak in the view of Victoria Harbour.
Order a Japanese or an Italian prix fixe menu for lunch. Their lunch prices are quite reasonable and the quality of the food is impressive for the price and experience. I remember eating beef cheek with barley risotto for the first time here. It was divine. And the flavours and textures of tender braised meat are etched in my memory.
Hue Mediterranean Cuisine at the Hong Kong Museum of Art
Location: 1/F, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Modern Mediterranean with Spanish, Italian, Australian and Asian influences
Dress code: Business casual is recommended. No beachwear or overly casual attire (like flip flops)
Price range: Coffee is about $45 to $55 HKD. Set lunch is from $178 HKD and set dinner is about $588 HKD. À la carte dishes run from $100 to over $500 HKD.
The Museum of Art in Hong Kong is free to enter. Admire their antique collection of artifacts from all over the world from ancient China to ancient Mesopotamia. And once you’re done, head down to Hue Mediterranean Cuisine inside the Museum for a drink.
It’s a loooong restaurant where each table faces floor-to-ceiling windows giving wondrous views of Victoria Harbour. I can’t speak to the food because I hadn’t eaten here, but I did sip a nice macchiato at the bar at the end of the restaurant. Walk to the end of the restaurant where the bar and barrister are and order a coffee or cocktail. Sit by the windows and enjoy the views.
Starbucks on Tsim Sha Tsui
Location: 24 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
There’s a Starbucks on Salisbury road in Tsim Sha Tsui which is a hidden little gem in my opinion. It has great head-on views of Victoria Harbour especially if you sit on the balcony on the second floor. Enjoy a grande latte here and sit for as long as you like. See my guide on where to catch the best views of Victoria Harbour to maximize your chances of soaking up the view.
Best Restaurants for Traditional Dim Sum in Hong Kong
Cantonese dim sum are like tapas: small bites meant to be shared by everyone.
Lei Gardens (Mong Kok)
Location: No. 121 Sai Yee Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Traditional Cantonese dim sum and seafood house.
Dress code: Casual. Jeans and shirts accepted. Avoid flip flops, beach wear.
Price range: Set menus and premium seafood items can exceed $530 HKD per person. Dim sum dishes start at around $55 HKD per dish.
Lei Garden is a perfect no-fuss, no-muss traditional dim sum joint. The decor is low-key: simple, comfy dining chairs by a round table covered in cloth. There are serviceable porcelain tea pots, porcelain bowls, plates, and spoons.
The servers are friendly, but be prepared to use Google Translate here or rely on pictures for what you want to order. And if you order something you weren’t expecting? Don’t worry! You’ll have experienced something new and unexpected (which make for the best travel stories).
We usually head to the Mong Kok location when we’re in Hong Kong. But since it’s a chain, you should be able to find one closer to wherever you’re staying. Order the classics here like har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (shrimp and pork dumplings), spring rolls, and fried turnip patties. There is also gingko soup and even roast quail which is absolutely worth trying if you’d like a heartier lunch.
Lai Ching Heen at The Regent Hotel
Location: Ground Floor, Regent Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Elegant Cantonese cuisine famous for its refined dim sum and signature dishes like peking duck.
Dress code: Business casual. No flip flops or beachwear at all please.
Price range: Single dim sum dishes start around $100 HKD to $220 HKD. A classic roast peking duck dish is around $1680 HKD.
At the Regent Hotel, I recommend Lai Ching Heen for a delicate and refined dim sum experience. Though I still recommend ordering the classics, the beauty is seeing how creatively they’re shaped and served. The décor is decadent: lacquered furniture with carvings of bamboo scenery and herons.
When you’re seated at the table, you’ll notice the regal table setting. Chopticks with ends made of jade, soup spoons with jade handles, and the chopsticks will be resting on a holder made of green jade and shaped into a gold fish. Get used to the jade decorations as that’s a prized part of Chinese culture. And when was the last time you ate with jade utensils? Definitely enjoy the deluxe experience.
And the food is equally deluxe.
At Lai Ching Heen, you’ll get dumplings shaped into goldfish with the thinnest and most see-through glutinous wrappers. It’s art in a steamer; the fish look like they’re about to swim off. I still recommend ordering the classics like har gow, and siu mai. What you’ll taste is the delicacy of the technique in the shaping of the siu mai and the freshness of the shrimps in the har gow.
These are traditional classics, but refined in great detail. Get the spring rolls too where the pastry is almost akin to phyllo pastry: super light, soft, and golden fried without excessive oil. The filling is a surprising truffle and mushrooms and minced meat, but the flavour is light and airy.
If you’re coming for dinner, order the classic roast peking duck served table-side. It’s perfectly roasted to crispy goodness with the most tender and juicy meat in the middle. Eat it with thin flour wrappers and cucumbers, carrots, and chives with a dollop of hoisin sauce.
Tin Lung Heen at The Ritz-Carlton
Location: Level 102, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Refined traditional Cantonese cuisine with a focus on dim sum and fresh seafood.
Dress code: Casual elegant. Avoid beach sandals, open‑toed shoes, sleeveless shirts, or shorts.
Price range: Dim sum ranges from approximately $120 HKD to $140 HKD per dish. Iberico pork char siu dish is about $430 HKD (in 2024).
Take the elevators up to the 103 floor at the Ritz-Carlton for a magnificent birds-eye view of the Kowloon and Victoria Harbour. And for a decadent dim sum experience.
In my opinion, you are obligated to order the Iberico char siu at Tin Lung Heen. Char siu is barbecue pork roasted to perfection and glazed with honey. Most recipes call for pork shoulder from regular pigs, but Tin Lung Heen uses pork shoulder from Spanish Iberico pork.
This kind of pig is fed on a special diet of acorns which give it a real nutty and earthy flavour. And when made into char siu it is a divine combination; perfect texture and flavour.
There’s the regular dim sum you must also try of course. Yes the har gow and siu mai might be getting familiar, but the real treat lies in seeing how different dim sum masters tackle these classic but beloved dishes.
I tried several dumpling dishes here and I recommend the dumpling with fish roe. Again the wrappers are thin as a dime and transparent as a window pane: a sign of the perfect dumpling wrapper.
Give the dumpling with truffles topped with a goji berry a try too. It is filled with truffle mushrooms and minced meat; it’s a pocket of delightfulness. And absolutely taste the turnip patty cut into perfect bite-sized wedges and topped with fried crispy flakes for texture. It’s satisfying and just substantial enough.
Best Unexpected Global Cuisine In Hong Kong Worth Trying
Hong Kong is a gateway to some of the best international cuisine you could have. Yes, Cantonese cuisine takes centre stage in Hong Kong, but you can taste the world while you’re here.
Halfway Coffee for breakfast and good coffee
Location: G/F, 6 Soy Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Café. Specialty coffee, all‑day breakfast and brunch served on homemade sourdough bread.
Dress code: Casual. No formal dress code.
Price range: Coffee is around $48‑$55 HKD; breakfast dishes range from approximately $118‑$128 HKD.
Get your morning caffeine fix at Halfway Coffee. The staff make a wonderful flat white that tastes like, well, good coffee. Hong Kong coffee culture is mostly a miss, in my opinion. There’s lots of milk tea and lai cha (a mix of tea and coffee), but coffee with fresh beans and milk is hard to find.
Hence, Halfway Coffee is the place to head to if a great cup of coffee in the morning is a non-negotiable for you. And the coffee art in the shape of swans and hearts is a sweet, personal touch.
Then order the beautiful breakfast options of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon on sourdough toast with arugula salad on top. You’ll be caffeinated and fuelled up for a day of exploring.
Chicken skewers at Yardbird: a modern izakaya and bar.
Location: G/F, 154–158 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Modern Japanese izakaya specialising in yakitori (grilled skewers)
Dress code: Smart casual.
Price range: Yakitori skewers from around $50–$60 HKD; main sharing plates from approximately $55 to $200 HKD and up
Come to Yardbird for the best yakitori chicken skewers ever. The whole chicken is used here. It’s a waste-not-want-not joint. Top favourites include the ume chicken thigh skewer. Other great skewers include hearts, livers, neck, breasts. Each skewer is like savouring mini fireworks in your mouth.
And be prepared to fall in love with all the side dishes as well (especially the roasted daikon and mushroom salad). This is where the sides are just as impressive as the mains. Book reservations early or be prepared to wait in line for a few hours.
Fresh bagels and pastrami at Schragels Delicatessen
Location: G/F, 104 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Cuisine: New York-style Jewish deli. Fresh bagels and deli sandwiches passed down from a 1950s family recipe.
Dress code: Casual. No formal dress code.
Price range: Bagel sandwiches from approximately $95 to $110 HKD.
Rebecca Shrage opened Shragels, a Jewish deli in Hong Kong, to satisfy her craving for the New York smoked meat she grew up with. She makes fresh bagels everyday and caters to some of the top hotels in the city. Yes, fresh bagels from a Jewish deli in Hong Kong. Absolutely sublime.
Order the pastrami on caraway rye and be prepared to be impressed by the flavour fireworks. The chef literally recreated the taste of the smoked meat from the owner’s memories. He had never tasted smoked meat before and, even though he could find thousands of recipes online, he had no idea what the actual flavour profile was supposed to be.
So he made several versions and had the owner taste it. And he literally adjusted the flavours according to her descriptions from her memory. I kid you not when I say the pastrami by this chef at Shragels tastes even more pastrami than pastrami. It was heaven. I also recommend the smoked white fish on a bagel. The fish was fresh, flavours perfectly balanced, and the bagel was oh-so-good. Don’t skip out on this joint. It’s a gem hidden in plain sight.
Spicy shawarmas at Ebeneezers
Location: Shop 9A, G/F, Ngong Ping Themed Village, Lantau Island, Hong Kong (There are several locations all around the city)
Cuisine: Indian and Middle Eastern style kebabs, gyros. Perfect for a hearty post‑sightseeing lunch at the Big Buddha.
Dress code: Casual.
Price range: Most dishes range from $113 HKD to $155 HKD.
We ate some delectable, spicy shawarmas from Ebeneezers that were flavour bombs in our mouths. The meat was tender, full of spices, and had a zing where it counted. It was a most satisfying lunch after a hike up to the Big Buddha.
Stop here for a quick bite after you’ve seen the Big Buddha. It’s located in the Ngong Ping village by the food courts. It’s a simple fast food joint, but as fast food goes, the shawarmas are gourmet.
Hand pulled noodles at Jinya Ju Noodle Bar by Hong Kong Palace Museum
Location: Museum Café 2, LG/F, Hong Kong Palace Museum, 8 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Taiwanese-Chinese noodle house. Signature dishes are beef noodle soups and chicken noodle.
Dress code: Casual.
Price range: Bowls of noodle soup around $90 HKD per person
Get a quick bite here before you head inside the Hong Kong Palace Museum to browse its incredible antique collection. Jinya Ju Noodles is located at the back of the museum by the harbour walk. The walk here is pretty nice too when it’s not raining heavily. You’ll see huge cargo ships pass by and it’s way less crowded than the main strip at Tsim Sha Tsui by Victoria Harbour.
I ordered the hand-pulled noodles with truffle sauce while my partner got a bowl of light chicken noodle soup. The truffle noodle was great, but I say the chicken noodle soup was slightly better. Both noodle dishes had the perfect chewy noodles. It was a simple no-fuss bowl of noodles that just makes you feel good about the world after you’ve eaten it.
Swiss cuisine at Chesa at The Peninsula Hotel
Location: 1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Swiss alpine‑style cuisine. Think fondue, raclette, handmade sausages, sliced veal and mushrooms.
Dress code: Smart casual. Avoid sports attire or beachwear. Keep it comfortable but elegant.
Price range: Starting from approximately $350 – $400 HKD per dish.
Chesa specializes in Swiss cuisine and it was a great hidden gem to find. It’s worth the splurge in the beautiful The Peninsula: Grande Dame of the East hotel. The Swiss dishes were very traditional and flavourful. We had dover sole deboned tabled-side, a Swiss fondue, spätzle (like gnocchi pasta), crêpes stuffed with crabmeat and lobster bisque, and a veal sausage dish that was heavenly. For dessert, there was crêpes suzettes and a Swiss log cake which were both sublime.
The restaurant décor shows-off original wood beams and furniture from the original restaurant when it was in Switzerland. A long-time manager at The Peninsula used to visit this restaurant in the ’50s.
When he found out it was closing down, he literally brought the restaurant back to Hong Kong. A piece of the Swiss Alps in Hong Kong. Yes, the food is hearty but also refined with perfectly balanced flavours. It was a warm, homey, and comforting meal, and definitely my favourite restaurant serving global cuisine
Best Street Food In Hong Kong Everyone Should Try
Hong Kong is famous for its street food markets and stalls. Here’s a list of street food Hong Kong is famous for and I think everyone should try because they’re the classics. And they’re delicious and hearty.
Bubble waffles. The quintessential Hong Kong snack where egg dough is pressed inside a waffle maker with egg-shaped molds. The egg-moulds can be filled with any flavour. I prefer just an original egg-waffle with no special fillings. The original flavour is pretty amazing enough on its own.
Deep fried french toast. My childhood favourite! This brick of a French toast has peanut butter sandwiched in between two thick pieces of toast. Then the whole thing is deep fried to a golden yellow. It’s served with a large pat of butter slapped on top along with a generous drizzle of honey. It is one hearty meal. It’s best for sharing and can be found in any cha chaan teng (Hong Kong style diners).
Pineapple bun with butter (toasted!). I’ve never thought this bun looked like a pineapple nor tasted like one, but the name is the name. It’s a yellow bun with square patterns on it and sliced in half with a pat of butter in between. Then it’s toasted just enough for the butter to melt. It’s heavenly. Enjoy it with milk tea also at any cha chaan teng.
These are the classics of the classics. You’ll perfectly round out your gourmet journey in Hong Kong by finishing it with one of the above.
Savour the Best Hong Kong Food Experiences
Hong Kong food experiences are endless. There are eateries, bars, stalls, restaurants, diners, cafés, at almost every corner of the city. You will not lack things to eat. But! Quality trumps quantity every time. My guide to some of Hong Kong’s best restaurants should help you prioritize and narrow down the food experiences you’re looking for.
Check out my posts on how to spend one day in Hong Kong if you’re short on time and prefer a guided itinerary. I’ll tell you exactly what to see and what to skip to save time. Have a bit more time to spare? Then see my 3 day, or even my 5 day, guided itineraries on the best places to stay, what to do, and where to eat.
Note all your travel ideas with my free 7-day travel planner. It comes with 7 days of fillable pages so you know exactly what you want to do on your bucket list trip to Hong Kong. You’ll be more than prepared for your trip the moment you book that plane ticket.
Wishing you happy travels,
Chloe
