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Savour every flavour with the best spots to visit for Hong Kong food

Credit: Getty/Waqar Hussain

A melting pot of flavours and world-class flair, the best places to experience Hong Kong food tickle every tastebud.

Google Maps-ing my way through smoky street stalls and chaotic cooked food centres, I’m overwhelmed by my Hong Kong restaurant list. No matter how far in advance I plan, climbing the Hong Kong food ladder from budget-busting street eats to finessed Cantonese delicacies is an ever-expanding maze of distracting temptations. Spanning the world’s finest dim sum, wok stars, seafood stews and sugar-laced treats, the best Hong Kong food is simply impossible to tick off in its entirety. However, my guide to standout Hong Kong restaurants, Hong Kong cafes and Hong Kong markets will ensure unforgettable dining in one of the world’s most intoxicating places on earth.

In short

If you only have time to try one of the best Hong Kong food spots, make it Tao Heung Tea House for its reliably fresh dim sum, city street views, large dining space (read: ample tables) and locals-mostly atmosphere.

The best Hong Kong restaurants

1. Kam’s Roast Goose

roast duck with sauce
Feast on old-school Cantonese dishes. (Credit: Getty/Jeff_Hu)

Best for: Traditional Cantonese

I have no self-control when faced with crispy skin, succulent flesh and a bowl of steaming rice. It’s why I’m a repeat customer at Kam’s Roast Goose, one of the best Hong Kong food picks for old-school Cantonese feasting. The vibe is unpretentious with dishes arriving on simple white plates and paper placemats catching every sizzling splatter, and the goose is non-negotiable. Meanwhile, other highlights include the barbecue pork and blanched noodles in goose fat. Tip: Make sure your whole party has arrived as they don’t seat you until everyone’s ready to go.

Address: 226 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai

2. Tao Heung Tea House

Chinese steamed dumpling and steamed pork bun in a bamboo steamer
Order dim sum classics at Tao Heung Tea House. (Credit: Getty/BongkarnThanyakij)

Best for: Dim sum

Hong Kong’s dim sum scene is worthy of its own bucket list, but Tao Heung Tea House remains one of my absolute favourites. Bright carpeting and lighting and multi-colour chair upholstery admittedly doesn’t scream excellence but wander over to the windows for a great city street view as knock-out after knock-out rolls out of the kitchen. Think generous servings of freshly prepared dim sum classics like prawn dumplings and steamed chicken feet (when in Hong Kong), plus crispy, juicy duck, black garlic soup and every style of lavishly jazzed crustacean.

Address: Shop G01, G/F, One Kowloon, 1 Wang Yuen Street, Kowloon Bay (but there are other locations throughout the territory)

3. Tim Ho Wan

Tim Ho Wan pork buns
Tim Ho Wan’s signature Baked BBQ Pork Buns are crumbly on the outside and savoury on the inside. (Credit: Getty/Yuto photographer)

Best for: Pork buns

The iconic Tim Ho Wan Sham Shui Po location is arguably as must-visitable as Lantau Island’s Big Buddha. Forever bustling (if you land a table in less than 45 minutes, you’re winning), one of the global chain’s original iterations rose to fame as one of the cheapest Michelin-starred establishments on the globe. Although the star has since dropped off, it still churns out exceptional barbecue pork buns that substitute traditional steamed dough with a golden crumbly crust.

Address: 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po

4. The Chairman

a whole roasted goose
The smoked goose at The Chairman is a must-try. (Credit: Getty/Waqar Hussain)

Best for: Seafood

If you’re prepared to splash out, The Chairman is Hong Kong’s buzziest restaurant after it was crowned No. 1 on the 2026 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Its signature dish is a blue swimmer crab coated in a blend of aged Shaoxing wine, chicken fat and clam juice, and served with silky smooth noodles, but this Hong Kong restaurant is acclaimed for its extremely precise handling of all fresh seafood. The team, led by Chef Danny Yip, includes a former fisherman who hauls in the best of the best every morning.

Address: Level 3, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central

The best Hong Kong cafes

5. Yee Shun Milk Company

milk pudding dessert in Hong Kong
The mild pudding is a sweet melt-on-the-spoon delight. (Credit: Getty/Min Jing)

Best for: Milk pudding and egg sandwiches

Yee Shun Milk Company was once a dairy chain that’s all but disappeared bar one Causeway Bay location that attracts a surprisingly fast-moving queue. Its double-skin buffalo milk pudding is the star attraction, a sweet melt-on-the-spoon delight I had warm but is also served cold. Wash it down with a crustless scrambled egg sandwich that practically dissolves on the tongue for an out-of-the-box culinary coupling.

Address: 506 Lockhart Road, Causeway Bay

6. Cheung Hing Kee

Shanghai-style buns at Cheung Hing Kee Hong Kong
Bite into Shanghai-style buns at Cheung Hing Kee. (Credit: Getty/Chettarin)

Best for: Shanghai-style buns

Arriving in a cardboard box, my pan-fried Shanghai-style prawn buns from Cheung Hing Kee are pudgy blobs of heaven, drenched in vinegar and dotted with sesame seeds and shallots for the ultimate savoury indulgence. The Hong Kong food hot spot nails their heaviest menu hitter (though the signature pork and black truffle varieties are also adored) by crisping up the bottom and keeping the top glossy and soft. There’s no seats (like many of the best Hong Kong foodie spots) so prepare to slurp and skedaddle at this unmissable Hong Kong cafe.

Address: 48 Lock Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

7. Bakehouse

egg tarts from Bakehouse Hong Kong
Bakehouse is famous for flaky and buttery tarts with silky, creamy custard. (Credit: Getty/MamaLeela)

Best for: Egg tarts

Oozing New York City-style hip bakery vibes, Bakehouse is a chain of trendy locations that even sell their own merch. The unmissable purchase, however, is the cafe’s famed sourdough egg tarts which reimagine the classic Cantonese sweet treat with Portuguese-style custard filling and beautifully blistered flaky pastry leftover from the crew’s croissant production. The original flagship is the Wanchai location, but every Bakehouse is irresistible.

Address: G/F, 14 Tai Wong Street East, Wanchai (but there are other locations throughout the territory)

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The best Hong Kong markets

8. Temple Street Night Market

Best for: Budget-friendly bites

If your type of night market involves a side of retail therapy, Temple Street Night Market is the place to go. Serving as one of the best things to do in Hong Kong, the evening mecca is awash with around 30 street food vendors selling the likes of noodles, buns, fish balls, meat skewers, clay rice pots, seafood soups and more.  Alongside, stalls filled with clothing, jewellery, homewares, tech and even palm readings help visitors make an unforgettable night of it.

Address: Temple Street, Jordan, Kowloon

9. Sheung Wan Market and Cooked Food Centre

Sheung Wan Market, Hong Kong
Bounce between antique shops for vintage finds. (Credit: Getty/Bruno Malfondet)

Best for: Dining with locals

A completely understated collective of about 20 cooked food stalls (hence the name “cooked food centre"), Sheung Wan Market and Cooked Food Centre lures local office workers across every meal of the day. Many operators open from 6am until well into the night. Shui Kee Coffee draws some of the longest lines for its bottled milk tea and French toast, but you’ll also find stir fries, noodles, hot pots, sizzling meats and other savoury dishes across plenty of options. Visit the adjacent fresh food market (the butchers with strung-up meats are particularly eye-opening) to take some of the fresh-sourced ingredients home with you.

Address: 345 Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan

10. Bowrington Road Market and Cooked Food Centre

Bowrington Road Market in Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Eat your way around Bowrington Road Market. (Credit: Getty/winhorse)

Best for: Traditional Cantonese

Another window into the everyday habits of local office workers, the Bowrington Road Market and Cooked Food Centre is another cheap and cheerful spot to source traditional dishes. Wai Kee is the most popular vendor here, dishing up some of the best roast duck I’ve had in my life: tender, beautifully seasoned and accompanied by homemade plum sauce. There’s also a wet market on-siteto snag fresh produce, meats and seafood.

Address: 21 Bowrington Road, Bowrington

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Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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5 things every hotel needs for a more restorative stay

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

    The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

    1. Easy access to good food

    meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20
    Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

    One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

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    Sleep deeply with Novotel.

    There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

    For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

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    Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

    Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

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    Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld
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    Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

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