Hong Kong definitely has a penchant for the finer things in life—especially when it comes to food. It seems that every corner of the city is filled with Michelin-starred restaurants, and with the grand selection, you could experience fine dining every day of the rest of your life in this city without any repetition.
After all, Hong Kong has one of the highest ratios of restaurants per head in the world. This also means that the food sector in HK is competitive beyond your wildest dreams. Establishments are always striving to outdo each other in a bid to stay afloat and pay the city’s astronomical rental expenses. For foodies, this is undoubtedly a great thing!
With all the selection comes the difficulty of choosing where to eat in Hong Kong. The city’s best restaurants are scattered around the city, but one of the best places to start hunting for your perfect meal is in Central on Hong Kong Island.
Central’s business-savvy outlook has sprouted a whole ton of eateries ranging from restaurants in some of Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotels to the city’s most delectable street stalls that tackle every type cuisine imaginable.
Want to give your tastebuds a surprise? Start with one of these 9 of the best restaurants in Central, Hong Kong…
Why Treksplorer? Founded in 2011 by Ryan O’Rourke, Treksplorer provides travel recommendations and advice to millions of readers every year. Our content is rooted in our writers’ firsthand experiences, in-depth research, and/or collaborations with other experts and locals. Read more about our editorial policy.
Lung King Heen
Address: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance St, Central, Hong Kong
If you’re looking for the ultimate dining experience in Central, we’d strongly recommend you a visit to Lung King Heen, a Hong Kong favourite holding the distinct honor of being the first Chinese restaurant in the world to win three Michelin stars.
Lung King Heen serves absolutely exceptional Cantonese cuisine including crispy pork ribs, succulent roast meals, and even a rare roving champagne cart. What the restaurant is most renowned for, however, is serving delectable dim sum prepared with an array of delicacies like black truffle, king crab, and abalone.
As you might have guessed it, with its popularity Lung King Heen is perpetually booked out. Securing a table at this restaurant can seem to be as difficult as winning the lottery—plan ahead or, if you’re staying at a top-notch hotel in Hong Kong, get your concierge to pull some strings.
Ho Lee Fook
Address: G, 1-5 Elgin Street, Central, Hong Kong
Many argue that puns are the lowest form of humor. Ho Lee Fook, however, makes up for its cheeky name with a barrage of drool-worthy food options.
Ho Lee Fook, as its rather silly name suggests, takes an irreverent approach to food, serving inventive Hong Kong flavours with traditional Chinese influences with classic dishes such as pork belly and dumplings, Hokkaido scallops, and steak tartare.
We can assure you that Ho Lee Fook is worth your time. You can always bank on the restaurant providing a dining experience that’s almost as memorable as its name.
Tim Ho Wan
Address: Hong Kong, Hong Kong Station (Podium Level 1 IFC Mall) Shop 12A
Tim Ho Wan in Central is the second branch of the famous dim sum joint that grabbed headlines worldwide in 2014 when it became the cheapest restaurant ever to win a Michelin star. The joint specializes in cooking up some of the most popular dim sum dishes in Hong Kong including char siew bao and har gao.
Since the food options at Tim Ho Wan are cheap and affordable, the queues for seats, like its original location, are long. If you’re not keen on the wait, grab some dim sum to go instead.
Mott 32
Address: Standard Chartered Bank Building, 4-4A Des Voeux Rd Central, Central, Hong Kong
The upmarket Mott 32 is famous for serving excellent BBQ pork, roast goose, Peking duck and other Cantonese meat delights. The restaurant also fires up western meats such as Australian-reared Wagyu beef.
We’re big fans of the restaurant’s interior; stylish and contemporary, there is a custom-designed duck oven in the center that really attracts the eye. Of course, the duck oven also does an exceptional job of ensuring that your meat is always exceedingly succulent and soft.
As you may have guessed, Mott 32 is not exactly ideal for vegetarians. To those looking to sample high-end Chinese meat dishes in a wonderful setting, however, this is the place.
Yardbird
Address: 154-158 Wing Lok St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Operated by a group of chefs hailing from North America, Yardbird is renowned for its creative yakitori chicken cuts served in glamorous inventive portions.
Some other food options served by the restaurant include chicken oysters taken from the backbone, pork belly flavored with ponzu and onion, and chicken breast yakitori with wasabi and soy, etc. To complement the meat dishes are Japanese-influenced dishes such as asparagus with onsen egg.
Sing Heung Yuen
Address: 2 Mee Lun Street, Central, Hong Kong
Sing Heung Yuen is, arguably, the most celebrated food stall in Hong Kong. This eatery is located at the open area of Mei Lun Street and has successfully kept its government license for more than 6 decades!
Locals and tourists alike are enamoured by the simple yet flavorful dishes of Sing Heung Yuen. Some crowd favourites here include tomato macaroni, lemon crispy buns, peanut milk toast, salty seven-up with lemon, crispy kaya, and tomato instant noodles. Everyone from blue-collar workers to businesspeople and even police officers queue up for a seat at Sing Heung Yuen.
The Chairman
Address: No. 18 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong
It hasn’t been long since The Chairman first started serving food. Despite only opening shop in 2009, the restaurant has been able to garner a strong following and build a favorable reputation in the Central food scene.
The Chairman spreads over two floors and is inspired by ancient Chinese Palace architectural design. Talking about the food served there, the restaurant only uses fresh ingredients to cook classic Cantonese cuisine. While you’re there, don’t miss out on their succulent fried clams and tarty wolfberry (goji) cake.
Kau Kee Restaurant
Address: Ground Floor, 21 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
A famous noodle shop, Kau Kee Restaurant is popular for serving beef brisket in two soup bases: curry soup and clear broth. The soup base, simmered for hours, is concocted from beef brisket, and the noodles are delightfully chewy.
However, Kau Kee Restaurant is not for you if you enjoy dining in a relaxed setting. The restaurant is stuffed with small stools and tables and perpetually crowded throughout the day. You’ll likely have to queue up for a long while for your noodles, but they’re well worth it.
Caprice
Address: 8 Finance Street Central, Central, Hong Kong
If you want to treat your tastebuds to French gourmet cuisine, we’d strongly suggest visiting Caprice. Located in the Four Seasons Hong Kong, this two-Michelin-starred restaurant delivers a French dining experience that’s unparalleled in Hong Kong.
When you reach Caprice, you’re treated to a grand entrance featuring sky-high carved doors and a long hallway that leads to a charming French dining room.
Caprice serves premium wine from France and holds the distinct honor of being the first cellar in the city to store French artisan cheese. We also love the fact that the ingredients are freshly imported from France on a daily basis.
