Lamma Rainbow
Hong Kong, China
Experience
This family-run seafood restaurant on Lamma Island runs free ferries from Hong Kong and Kowloon – so you get a harbour cruise and fabulous garlic prawns.
Good for age: 8+
Travel bucket list idea:
Hong Kong’s best food & drink
Hong Kong, China
Last updated: 20 February, 2024
To quote the late Anthony Bourdain, ‘in Hong Kong you don’t take the tour bus to find good food. . . just press start’. This is one of the world’s greatest foodie cities, packed with over 15,000 restaurants offering mind-boggling variety and a galaxy of Michelin stars.
And while you’ll find every kind of food imaginable – from Nepalese dumplings to French fine dining – it’s with home-grown, Cantonese dishes that Hong Kong really excels. Seasonal vegetables and super-fresh seafood are key ingredients, and dim sum is not to be missed – the city starts its day with steaming baskets of har gao (shrimp dumplings) and char sui bao (barbecue pork buns).
Recommendations
Luk Yu Tea House
Hong Kong, China
Experience
This traditional Cantonese restaurant has been around since 1933 and has art deco interiors, septuagenarian waiters in white tunics and wonderful dim sum. Try the British-Hong Kong hybrid roast duck pie.
Adult price: £20
Good for age: 18+
Lung King Heen
Hong Kong, China
Experience
Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons was the world’s first Chinese restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars for its spectacular takes on local dishes, including barbecue suckling pig, scallops with pear dumplings.
Adult price: £30
Good for age: 18+
Tim Ho Wan
Hong Kong, China
Experience
Looking for a Michelin-star spread for less than £10 a head? Head to one of five branches of Tim Ho Wan. Don’t miss the sweet and crumbly barbecue pork buns.
Adult price: £10
Good for age: 18+
Tung Po
Hong Kong, China
Experience
There’s a cooked food centre in almost every Hong Kong neighbourhood, but if you want to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Bourdain head to Tung Po in North Point’s Java Road Cooked Food Centre, famed for its squid-ink pasta, giant razor clams and crispy chicken.
Good for age: 18+
Logistics
Price: Free
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: -
Getting there & doing it
Hongkongers have ridiculously high standards when it comes to eating, which means it’s easy to find fabulous food at prices that won’t break the bank. Dim sum is the first meal of the day, and where you should start your foodie adventure – visit before 12 or after 2pm to avoid having to queue.
Other great spots for authentic local cuisine are the unglamorously-titled Cooked Food Centres. There’s one in almost every district, usually attached to a food market. They are ear-splittingly noisy, but the food is fabulous – think zingy sweet and sour pork, silky beef with crispy noodles and garlic-drenched scallops.
A food tour is highly recommended to get a real flavour of the city.
Who to go with: organised tours
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity
Hong Kong SAR
This half-day food tour of Hong Kong makes five stops where you sample authentic Cantonese cuisine. Taste dim sum, wonton noodle soup, traditionally roasted meat, milk tea, and an egg tart, all eaten at local restaurants. Learn from your guide about the city's mix of British and Chinese heritage, from Guangzhou influences to Western favorites. A maximum of 9 people only makes this the most immersive food tour available in Hong Kong.
Price HK$820
Min age 6
Rating 4.94 / 5 [268 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Hong Kong SAR
Discover the hidden gems in Tin Hau Hong Kong with the locals and the traditional Chinese food modified in their werternised city. During the tour, our guide will take you to experience the local life with visits to temples, a traditional paper shop and local food market to stroll and discover the various kinds of foods which you may have never seen before.
Price $109
Min age 0
Rating 4.95 / 5 [252 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Hong Kong SAR
Savor authentic Hong Kong delights on a food-tasting tour through the Kowloon neighborhood of Sham Shui Po! Follow an entertaining local guide on foot through this foodie enclave and discover everything from local specialty stores to old mom-and-pop eateries. Stop at six family-run food venues and sample delicious treats – from breakfast to lunch – as you learn about Cantonese flavors and Hong Kong cultural history. Numbers are limited to eight people, ensuring an intimate experience with a small group of like-minded food lovers.
Price HK$821
Min age 0
Rating 4.96 / 5 [140 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Hong Kong SAR
Eat your way through Hong Kong's culinary scene on a private food tour. Go on a delicious journey as you try 10 of the best food items beloved by the locals: from savory to sweet and local drinks; this tour will leave every foodie satisfied!
Enjoy tastings typical of the local cuisine and hand-picked by a local guide passionate about food like Dimsum and Pineapple bun. But that's not it! This tour is more than just food; it's a cultural experience! In between food stops, you'll also find city highlights making this experience a well-rounded tour that will satisfy every foodie.
Withlocals The 10 Tastings Private Food Tour™ is one of Withlocals' signature tours available in major cities worldwide. We work with passionate local guides who earn a fair fee. We support local economies by only offering local produce and prevent over-tourism with only small non-intrusive groups. Our tours are carbon-neutral and away from the standard.
Price €147
Min age 0
Rating 4.59 / 5 [99 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Hong Kong SAR
Enjoy 4-hours exploring the night view of the Kowloon area of Hong Kong. Affectionately known as the ‘Dark Side’ of Hong Kong you will see the city at its grittiest and most captivating.
You will enjoy an in-depth exploration of Kowloon, discover Michelin-rated street food, become immersed in the local culture, and learn about Kowloon’s history. Your local guide will cover everything from the past to the present, explaining Kowloon’s transformation through to the modern day.
In Sham Shui Po you will ‘eat like a local’ as your professional guide introduces you to a range of local street food including two restaurants that have received Michelin ratings with Bib Gourmand awards.
Next, you will explore Mong Kok, the Goldfish Market, and Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront where, if time allows, you can watch the famous Hong Kong light show at 8 pm after the tour finishes.
Price HK$875
Min age 12
Rating 4.85 / 5 [83 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
