This collection of restaurants in Wan Chai has nothing to envy to other areas of Hong Kong in terms of quality and variety of cuisine. There are Michelin star establishments if you want something special, but also cheap and nice local restaurants where you can eat authentic Cantonese food for a nominal fee.
Most of these restaurants require advance reservations and even then you may have to wait for your table. If you’re not used to eating in Hong Kong, it might seem unusual, but it’s part of life in Wan Chai and all of downtown. Take a look at our best restaurants from Wan Chai below.
Nicolini’s at the Conrad Hotel
Nicolini’s serves sophisticated Italian cuisine in an 8th-floor restaurant with stunning views. The whole experience is joyous thanks to clean and rich Italian cuisine, flawless service and a beautifully decorated dining room. The food is extremely rich and flavorful, with standout dishes like beef tartare and lobster rigatoni.
Nicolini’s has an extensive wine collection, with Italian Barolos and other prestigious labels to pair with Australian beef and lamb dishes. Sunday brunch is also known to be one of best in hong kong. Read more…
Location: Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Monday to Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Phone: +852 2822 8801
Wooloomooloo Steakhouse
Rooftop views and premium Aussie steaks make Wooloomooloo Steakhouse a sure hit. The dining room is dressed in leather and dark wood, while the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows can only be surpassed by a digestive on the terrace bar connected to the dining room.
On weekdays, a set menu is offered for around HK$150, while a la carte, a 12oz Black Angus prime rib steak, grain-fed for 150 days, costs around HK$390.
Location: The Hennessy, 256 Hennessy Road (entrance at 213 Johnston Rd) Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Every day from 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The Butchers Club Burgers
Due to the number of foreigners living in Hong Kong, you’re never far from a burger restaurant, but The Butchers Club Burgers in Wan Chai is definitely one of the best, if not the best. Strictly Australian beef is used in their monster burgers, which are loaded with bacon, cheese and pickles on a soft bun. There is a range of beef, chicken and lamb, as well as thick fries. Burgers start from around HK$100.
Location: G/F, Rialto Building, 2 Landale Street, Wan Chai
Open: Every day from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Phone: +852 2528 2083
Grand Buffet at the Hopewell Center
Head up to the top floor of the Hopewell Center on Queen’s Road East for a great-value lunch with stunning views from the 62nd floor. A full range of Chinese, Japanese and Western dishes are offered, including crispy pork belly, fried fish, lobster, king prawns, scallops and sushi. You can add an unlimited wine and champagne package for an additional cost.
Location: 62/F, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Rd E, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Every day from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Phone: +852 2506 0888
Cooked Food Center on Lockhart Road
Cooking centers are the Hong Kong version of hawker centers or food courts. They are ubiquitous throughout the city, usually linked to a fresh produce market; places where hardworking people (and adventurous visitors) can get big portions for cheap.
It’s great fun trying to get served, as it’s as local a place as it gets, with menus in Cantonese and sometimes English, if you’re lucky. Noodle soup, black pepper fried beef, and fried fish are all popular dishes at convenience food centers. The one on Lockhart Road is on the second floor of the wet market. Meals usually cost less than HK$100.
Venue: 2nd Floor of Lockhart Wet Market, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Every day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (some restaurants close after lunch).
The Pawn
The Pawn is one of the coolest and trendiest places in Wan Chai. Part bar and part restaurant, housed in a World Heritage-listed building that was once a former pawnbroker, The Pawn serves creative dishes that often combine the best of East and West.
Your culinary journey can range from Japanese-inspired tuna tartare with sesame and wasabi, to the Mediterranean flavors of cod with chorizo and red pepper, or the lunch menu, with roasted red snapper followed by steak pie and beer.
Location: 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Sunday-Thursday from noon to 1 a.m., Friday-Saturday from noon to 2 a.m., Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Phone: +852 2866 3444
Coyote Mexican Bar and Grill
Coyote Mexican Bar and Grill serves up hearty Tex-Mex fare, with the added bonus of frozen margaritas, upbeat music, and friendly English-speaking staff.
It probably won’t win any awards for its menu, but the food is nice and provides an easy option when you want something other than Asian food. The sizzling fajitas are recommended, and happy hour is from 3-8 p.m. daily.
Location: 114-120 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Every day from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Phone: +852 2861 2221
Ham and Sherry
The ultra-modern wine and tapas bar Ham & Sherry is fairly low-key on Ship Street, but well worth finding if you’re looking for something trendy in Wan Chai.
It was created by star chef Jason Atherton (who also has 22 Ships and Aberdeen Street Social restaurants named after him), and is something of a cross between a restaurant, a bar and a Spanish taberna. The food is fantastic, but so is the wide range of wines, sherries and signature cocktails.
Location: 1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Every day from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (Sunday until 10:00 p.m.)
Phone: +852 2555 0628
Summer Palace in Shangri-La Hong Kong
This high-class restaurant has been at the top of Hong Kong’s foodie scene for years. With two Michelin stars under its belt, the quality of Cantonese cuisine at Summer Palace is as good as ever.
Chef Ip Chi Cheung uses premium ingredients to give dishes depth, such as crab meat and onion stuffed chicken and king prawns with black truffle pesto. Dinner (with wine) costs around HK$500, so it’s not cheap, but the Summer Palace is sure to impress you.
Location: Supreme Court Road, Level 5, Pacific Place, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Every day from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Phone: +852 2820 8552
22 Ships
22 Ships is a tapas bar and restaurant serving European cuisine in a lively and vibrant atmosphere. Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton has won citywide acclaim for his growing collection of restaurants, and this bustling spot on trendy Ship Street is constantly packed.
Try the ham, Manchego and truffle toast or the braised chorizo in red wine. The music is louder than usual for a restaurant, but covers the restaurant/bar range well.
Location: 22 Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Open: Monday-Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday from noon to 2:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Telephone: + 852 2555 0722
