Rock up to your local cha chaan teng and you’ll be shocked if you can’t find a seat within 10 minutes. Yet, with the advent of Instagram and Xiaohongshu and also via word of mouth, the Hong Kong dining scene has become a game to many: how to book a table at the city’s most exclusive restaurants.
It feels like a challenge to be dining at a restaurant you fought hard to book, rather than turning up at dinnertime to squeeze in besides the reserved folks. Competitive reserving is a big thing in dining capital New York City, yet Hong Kong has some edge to the game.
For several of the city’s hardest-to-reserve restaurants, we’ve researched to tell you how you can snag a table at these elusive spots, even if it means hunkering down for months to finally eat there.
How to eat at Hong Kong’s hardest-to-book restaurants
The Chairman
Revered for its classic Cantonese cooking, Michelin-starred The Chairman is a symbol of swanky fine-dining in the city, updated to a stylish new venue as compared to its former space. On top of serving some of the best char siu, fresh flowery crab, wood-smoked goose, and century egg plates, the restaurant is notoriously difficult to book.
How to get a reservation: head to their website at 9AM on the first day of the month prior to each quarter (e.g. Aug. 1 at 9AM to book for October through December 2024).
The Chairman, 3/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, 2555 2202, WhatsApp 5501 5102, book here
CHAAT
Now manned by chef de cuisine Gaurav Kuthari after the departure of Manav Tuli, CHAAT has long held a famous reputation for being great to taste but hard to book. Focusing on elevated Indian street food, the Michelin-starred restaurant is iconic for its bold and smoky flavours, due in part to the powerful tandoori oven.
How to get a reservation: log on to the CHAAT SevenRooms website at 9AM on the first day of the month for the next month to have your best chance.
CHAAT, 5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 3891 8732, book here
Trattoria Felino
The now viral Neapolitan restaurant in Wan Chai has become a hit with foodies chasing to try Trattoria Felino’s sumptuous pasta dishes, punchy pizza, and unforgettable yellow chicken. The former head chef of Grissini, Marcello Scognamiglio, mans the kitchen, sharing his homely Italian recipes to a wealth of Hong Kong diners.
How to get a reservation: plan 30 days out and check in daily on the SevenRooms reservation site for a chance to book a table for lunch or dinner.
Trattoria Felino, G/F, 1–7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, WhatsApp 5697 4477, book here
Big JJ Seafood Hotpot
Trendy spot Big JJ Seafood Hotpot is Hong Kong’s go-to raucous hotpot venue, made famous by their high-quality beef and seafood plates served alongside French and Italian wine. The interior is reminiscent of a Kowloon dai pai dong. Good luck getting a reservation, because the above qualities make for the perfect recipe for a tough-to-book restaurant.
How to get a reservation: join the waiting list on the inline booking site at 12AM on a weekday night to best secure your chance at clinching a reservation.
Big JJ Seafood Hotpot, G/F, Wo On Building, 9 Wo On Lane, Central, 2388 6982, WhatsApp 9725 9926, book here
WING Restaurant
Coming in high at number 5 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, WING is chef Vicky Cheng’s second opening after VEA. Creativity flows on the restaurant’s tasting menu, embracing an artistic form of Chinese banquet dining made fine with splashes of European techniques and ingredients.
How to get a reservation: to dine here for lunch or dinner, head onto WING’s online reservation portal at 12AM 28 days prior to join the list for a table.
WING Restaurant, 29/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, 2711 0063, WhatsApp 9310 0172, book here
Hop Sze Restaurant [under renovation]
Humble Sai Wan Ho restaurant Hop Sze has landed local love for its rustic menu that encompasses real-deal Cantonese classics. Regulars return for their no-frills soy sauce chicken, King of the Stir-fry rendition, shrimp toast, and baked pork chop rice.
UPDATE: Hop Size is closing on Jul. 31, so prepare for a wave of eager foodies booking their spots in the final few weeks for the Sai Wan Ho hotspot.
How to get a reservation: call weeks or months ahead for dinner and prepare to be placed at the end of the list, depending on if you’ve previously dined at the restaurant.
Hop Sze Restaurant, G/F, Lai Wan Building, 39 Shau Kei Wan Road, Sai Wan Ho, 2569 0862
Happy Chefs Happy Friends 東煮友喜
Helmed by Fiona Leung and Matthew Chung, Happy Chefs Happy Friends is a Hung Hom-based private kitchen that serves up refined Cantonese cuisine, with just four tables at the venue. People head to the eatery for braised abalone, steamed crab with French toast, spicy saliva chicken, and fish maw.
How to get a reservation: call Happy Chefs Happy Friends with the expectation that you’ll be booking a table for up to a year or more away.
Happy Chefs Happy Friends, Shop A, C1, C2, & F, G/F, Sunshine Plaza, 17 Sung On Street, Hung Hom, 3598 2968
Sushi Hare
Counting only eight seats at its counter, Sushi Hare retains the title of being one of the hardest restaurants to book in the city. They previously operated an online reservation system, yet they now only accept bookings by phone for their market-fresh sushi crafted by chef Motoharu Inazuka.
How to get a reservation: whilst it’s best if a former Sushi Hare customer makes an introduction, you can call to book for a minimum of two months ahead for lunch or dinner.
Sushi Hare, G/F, 29–31 Bridges Street, Sheung Wan, 3008 4606
Sushi Saito
This Japanese omakase restaurant at the Four Seasons is well deserving of its Michelin star, so much so that nabbing a table there is nigh on impossible. Chef Takashi Saito’s Edomae-style sushi menu at Sushi Saito features ingredients imported fresh daily from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. The dinner omakase menu is priced at a hefty HKD3,480 per person.
How to get a reservation: call between 12PM and 8:30PM any day except Wednesday.
Sushi Saito, 45/F, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, 2527 0811
