Hong Kong is known for its setting and magical skyline but it also hits the heights with it impressive gastronomic landscape. It is no surprise that Hong Kong and its abundance of luxury and exciting restaurants has caught the attention of Michelin, and the annual awards day never fails to raise foodie pulses and industry hackles in equal measure.
The Michelin red guides, first launched in 1900, were designed to point their drivers in the direction of both garages and restaurants. Its star system was introduced in 1926 as a way of guiding its users to the restaurants that Michelin considered the best. Most of us are not looking for haute cuisine on a daily basis. Indeed a one Michelin star establishment where the accompanying pressures are a good deal more manageable seem to be the ambition for many kitchens in the 2020s, and perhaps this level occupies the sweet spot of the wider dining community too. But there are also times when only the best will do. Indeed, the more specialised two- and three-star experience, with all its attending pomp and circumstance, occupies a niche for which there is no substitute.
A quick look at the Hong Kong headlines from 2022’s Michelin order of merit shows Cantonese Yan Toh Heen and the Italian diner Octavian being raised to the two star level. Belon in its new location was awarded one star, as too was Chaat, the super-comfortable, elevated Indian street food experience. Other notable additions at this level included Whey, Mono, Seventh Son, Yong Fu and Hansik Goo.
Take a look at some of SquareMeal's favourite Michelin-starred restaurants here.
THREE STARS
What: The best Chinese food in Hong Kong, combined with its commanding views across Victoria Harbour, keeps Lung King Heen on most gastronomic lists around the city. The room hums with people swooning over chef Chan Yan Tak’s deeply flavoured and beautifully presented food that never misses a beat. Service is well orchestrated and precise. No surprise that fans adore it.
Star rating: Three stars
Where: 4F, Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central
What: Firmly established at the top of Hong Kong’s fine dining pantheon, Umberto Bombana’s luxury confection is a cool, inviting complete package of a restaurant, reverberating with the sound of customer contentment.
Star rating: Three stars
Where: Shop 202, Landmark Alexandra, 18 Chater Road, Central
What: Acres of ruby red carpet and swathes of silk draping combine with crisp white linen and modern art for an experience that is, at once, opulent, luxurious and rarefied...if perhaps a little too serious for some. Lustrous abolone, duck, chicken and seafood all feature prominently on the menu, while the service is friendly, informed and precise.
Star rating: Three stars
Where: The Langham, 8 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
TWO STARS
What: Chef Vicky Lau's avant-garde take on 'Chinese cuisine with a French twist' is played out like a symphony night in, night out, with never a duff note. The delicacy of razor clams contrasted with the depth of an unctuous tomato sauce capped with a sabayon and Oscietra caviar is typical of a kitchen in complete charge of its craft. The hedonism continues on a wine list weighty with class.
Star rating: Two stars
Where: 210 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
What: L’Envol rightly receives some of the greatest plaudits in Hong Kong on account of its uncompromising standards and self-assured classic French repertoire. What haute couture is to fashion L’Envol is to culinary art, producing dishes that are refined, creative and full of well polished élan. Vintage urban glamour provides the backdrop.
Star rating: Two stars
Where: 1 Harbour Drive, Wan Chai
What: Forward-thinking French cooking – with plenty of Asian and specifically Japanese twists – courtesy of super chef Richard Ekkebus. A sumptuous setting matches the ultra-refined dishes and luxury ingredients but humble items like root vegetables get the star treatment too.
Star rating: Two stars
Where: 15 Queen's Road, Central
ONE STAR
What: With an enviable position at the heart of Hong Kong’s business district, this Shane Osborn-led affair hits all the right marks with beautifully constructed, classic Modern European dishes accompanied by a wonderful wine list. Butch, somewhat masculine, decor not to everyone’s taste, but contemporary art and a tropical-style terrace redress the balance.
Star rating: One star
Where: 3/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central
What: A beautifully designed dining room together with a terrace affording harbour views provides an effortlessly classy backdrop to flavour-rich classic haute cuisine that demonstrates all the requisite kitchen nous and deft technique, as shown in foie gras terrine and an ace beef Wellington. Soufflé to finish, of course. Polished service equally warm.
Star rating: One star
Where: Shop 403, Level 4, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
What: Newly elevated to two stars in 2022, this classy InterConti diner, with its prime harbourside location, delivers exceptional Cantonese cuisine and close-up waterside views. Peking duck (order 24 hours in advance), great crab and wok-fried lobster all compete with ace dim sum, courtesy of chef Lau Yiu.
Star rating: Two stars
Where: Intercontinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
What: The Mandarin Grill is the quintessential destination for a business lunch, dinner or breakfast. Always has been and still is, on account of its effortless air of understated luxury and flawless service. Classic grill dishes using the best organic ingredients and both modern and traditional preparations are the mantra – though lighter in execution these days. Hence Dover sole on the bone, pan-fried turbot and beef Wellington, all washed down with exquisitely chosen wines.
Star rating: One star
Where: Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central
What: Award-winning Joyce Wang Studios is responsible for the much-admired, pared-back look, brushed plaster walls, cobalt panelling and oceanic colour palette at the relocated Belon. But it is chef Matthew Kirkley’s neo-Parisian food that has caught Michelin’s eye. Star turns aplenty emanate from this precise and technically brilliant kitchen.
Star rating: One star
Where: 1F, 1-5 Elgin Street, Soho, Central
What: This forward-looking, creative restaurant, courtesy of Agustin Balbi, espouses a mix of Japanese and Spanish reference points – take Kumamoto pork shoulder with kabocha, date and chimichurri, alongside Argentine beef with horenso, parsnip and smoked sardine with black truffle. Exceptional breads, artisanal butter and well-chosen European and New World wines plus exemplary sake completes the happy picture.
Star rating: One star
Where: 1F, Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington St, Central
What: Chinese cooking, French technique, talent, skill and creativity all collide at this magical dining concept centred on tasting menus that present six to eight courses and a roller-coaster of seasonally-changing flavours. A partnership between ace chef Vicky Cheng (the V) and renowned mixologist Antonio Lai (the A). Challenging, fun and very memorable.
Star rating: One star
Where: 30/F, The Wellington,?198 Wellington Street, Sheung Wan
What: Man Wah’s rich blue decor, accented with sumptuous gold and brass trimmings, perfectly complements the azure views of Victoria Harbour and, more often than not, the blue skies framing the Hong Kong skyline. The Cantonese menu matches the setting for class, showcasing a range of specialities from braised pork belly with taro to sautéed lobster or soft shell crabs. And the service? Top-drawer, of course.
Star rating: One star
Where: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central
What: Colourful dishes and flamboyant street-food flavours collide with all the razzamatazz and bustle of an Indian bazaar at this modern perfectly executed hotel paradigm that matches culinary fireworks with understated comfort. Take beetroot kulfi kebab with beetroot, ginger and caper chilli raita and follow it with slow-cooked Old Delhi butter chicken with funugreek and great veggies for a top-notch tandoor meal made in heaven. Fun terrace for balmy evenings.
Star rating: One star
Where: Level Five, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
What: All the rituals of Kaiseki formality tempered with more relaxed izakaya dining are found at Zuicho where kappo cuisine maestro Fumio Suzuki (ex Kita-Ooji in Tokyo) practices his craft. Ingredients flown in direct from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market. With all the recommended pairings the perfect place to learn more about sake.
Star rating: One star
Where: Citadines Mercer, No.29 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan
What: It was a master stroke on the part of the owners to set Simon Rogan up as consultant chef at this sustainable, farm-to-table affair that plays by the seasons and never ceases to amaze with its creativity and technique. Clever combinations and boundary-pushing dishes make this one of the most dynamic kitchens in Hong Kong. A trip to the Simon Rogan inspired bar adds to the magic.
Star rating: One star
Where: Sino Plaza, UG/F 08, 255 Gloucester Rd, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai
What: There’s nothing humble about Mono’s interiors with its floor-to-ceiling dark leather foyer tricked out with vintage brass fittings and 1950s wall sconces. The opulence continues with a combo of marble and terrazzo floors and lush carpeting, but it is the kitchen's brutal stainless steel chef’s counter that provides the real focus. Expect seasonality and creative excellence from super chef Ricardo Chaneton and a flavour palette of modern French cooking with South American twists.
Star rating: One star
Where: 5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central
What: Age-old charmer that has been wowing locals for years, but saw it elevated to Michelin-starred status in 2021. Fresh-made Cantonese cuisine is as good as ever while meticulous sourcing means ingredients from its own farm in Sheung Shui. Our don't-miss-it tip: pickles and cured meat.
Star rating: One star
Where: 18 Kau U Fong, Sheung Wan
What: Chicken and charcoal is the name of the game at this easy-going modern Japanese izakaya that hits all the right notes in its delightful selection of yakitori – think wings, meatballs and thighs seasoned and sautéed in soy, yuzu, ponzu and shiso – served alongside maitake mushroom and asparagus nori, and washed down with draught pilsner or a mezcal mule. Nothing goes to waste in this nose-to-tail experience and everything is as fresh as can be. Hip and happening, and now Michelin-starred – you're in the right place!
Star rating: One star
Where: Shops A and B, Winsome House, 154-158 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan
What: With his own blend of culinary flair Chef Leung Yu King deliveres best of Cantonese cooking at this opulent and very polished diner. Seasonal favourites and authentic Cantonese dishes are served in a timeless and absurdly grand setting. Dim sum takes centre stage at lunch.
Star rating: One star
Where: 5F, Island Shangri-La Hotel, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty