The majority of Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred restaurants land in Central, and there’s a reason for that – Central is Hong Kong’s main business district, where most of the city’s wheeling and dealing takes place. This is why many of Hong Kong’s most prestigious – and priciest – restaurants can often be found in the district.
On the other hand, there’s more to Central’s F&B scene than just fine-dining, and this district is also home to cha chaan tengs, dai pai dongs, and affordable eateries – Chinese, Asian, and Western – galore.
Without further ado, here is Foodie’s list of our favourite restaurants in Central at a range of price points.
The best fine-dining restaurants in Central
Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco
Plaisance is lauded Mirazur chef Mauro Colagreco’s marine-inspired temple, part of his luxurious multi-storey dining and drinking complex spanning nearly 10,000 square feet at 1 Duddell Street. Inside the sleek, immersive restaurant space on the first floor, diners can savour a refined menu that embraces the sea’s unique terroir via modern and creative touches, utilising as much local produce as possible. The ultimate six-course Terra Marique dinner tasting menu (HKD1,888 pp) features innovative dishes including flower crab, hamachi, and pumpkin and catch of the day with stuffed fruit tomato. The open kitchen makes the dining experience feel more relaxed, and the staff are extremely knowledgeable and personable.
Plaisance by Mauro Colagreco, 1/F, 1 Duddell Street, Central, WhatsApp 3156 2600, book here
Castellana
A Foodie favourite dating back to 2020, when it was crowned Best New Restaurant at our annual Foodie Forks awards for its original Causeway Bay location, Castellana continues to deliver impeccable Italian cuisine centred around the regional specialities of Piedmont, a rare experience for Hong Kong diners. Executive chef Romeo Morelli transports guests to this extraordinary northern Italian food haven with two tasting menu options. Sticking to the chef’s roots, we recommend the five-course Immersion in Piedmont tasting menu (HKD1,280 pp). Current menu highlights include the Carnaroli risotto with porcini, black garlic, and green apple and Fassona beef tenderloin with Parmesan cheese sauce. We also adore chef Romeo’s modern take on vitello tonnoto (+HKD180), this time made with ultra-thin Fassona veal slices, a heaping portion of bluefin tuna tartare, and an umami veal jus.
Castellana, 1/F, Club Lusitano, 16 Ice House Street, Central, 3188 5028, book here
Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic
Dazzling Cristal Room at LANDMARK’s sky-high dining destination FORTY-FIVE is one of the latest haute-cuisine restaurants to grace Central, courtesy of Anne-Sophie Pic, heralded as the world’s most Michelin-starred female chef, and crystal manufacturer Baccarat. The exceptional French gastronomy showcased by chef Anne-Sophie, who bagged another Michelin star (her 11th) for Cristal Room after just four months of opening, culminates in her eight-course Voyage dinner tasting menu (HKD2,480 pp). Innovation meets tradition in dishes like the chef’s signature Les Berlingots ASP, delicate sobacha pasta parcels filled with 24-month aged Comté.
Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic, 44/F, FORTY-FIVE, Gloucester Tower, LANDMARK ATRIUM, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 3501 8580, book here
MONO
A pioneer of fine-dining Latin American cuisine in Hong Kong, Venezuelan chef Ricardo Chaneton continues to innovate at Michelin-starred MONO under JIA Group, opened in 2019. At the intimate eatery, chef Ricardo presents a seamless blend of sophisticated Latin American flavours, Asian influences, and his own expertise in French culinary techniques. The seasonal tasting menus are strong on sustainability and responsible sourcing whilst playing with texture and flavour. The Soul (HKD1,888 pp) and Journey (HKD2,288 pp) dinner tasting menus feature ravishing fusion dishes – in particular, the MONO-made Ecuadorian 70% chocolate dessert fused with ceps ice cream and maté mousse.
MONO, 5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, WhatsApp 9726 9301, book here
Arcane
Just two floors down from MONO is Arcane, a Michelin-starred modern European eatery brought to Hong Kong a decade ago by celebrated Australian chef (and Netflix’s The Final Table star) Shane Osborn – and it’s still going strong today. Uniquely for a fine-dining restaurant, Shane offers a plant-based option (HKD1,188 pp) for the seasonal seven-course dinner tasting menu (HKD1,388 pp), nailing plant-based cuisine as true poetry on the plate. An innovative signature standout is Arcane’s punchy and colourful Japanese fruit tomato starter.
Arcane, 3/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central, 2728 0178, book here
Arbor
Eric Räty’s Nordic-Japanese Arbor, crowned with two Michelin stars, is a soothing, elegant feast for the eyes as well as for the palate. The chef’s culinary approach is inventive and intricate, showcasing unusual yet complementary flavour pairings – in dishes like this striking genmaicha and caviar (+HKD380) dessert, which is inspired by gunkan sushi and pairs N25 caviar with genmaicha ice cream, mochi, and shortbread. The six- and nine-course tasting menus (HKD1,688 pp/HKD1,888 pp) are seasonal and ingredient driven, starring premium Japanese produce.
Arbor, 25/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 3185 8388, WhatsApp 3622 0748, book online
Whey
A fine-dining fusion powerhouse that straddles the Sheung Wan border, Whey by Lion City chef Barry Quek launched in Hong Kong three years ago, picking up a Michelin star just six months later for the chef’s innovative modern European cuisine injected with elevated elements from his own Singaporean roots. Chef Barry builds his tasting menus around fresh local seafood, meat, and vegetables and works towards harnessing the entirety of ingredients. No matter if you come to Whey for lunch (HKD588 pp) or dinner (HKD1,380 pp), we recommend supplementing with the Assam laksa dry noodles (+HKD238), where Lamma-made hae bee, a dried shrimp sambal, is a vibrant addition.
Whey, UG/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, 2693 3198, book here
Heimat
It’s not often that Hong Kong diners have the chance to experience refined German cuisine, but chef Peter Find offers just that at Heimat, reinterpreting classics from his homeland. The Chef Story dinner tasting menu (from HKD980 pp) takes guests on a creative journey throughout Germany. Catering to one and all, there’s a vegetarian menu (from HKD780) and kindermenü (HKD488) too. The gummy bear trolley wheeled over at the end of a meal at Heimat is the cherry on top.
Heimat, 8/F, 33 Wyndham Street, Central, 2881 1022, WhatsApp 5279 8108, book here
WING
Although we also rate chef Vicky Cheng’s Michelin-starred Chinese-French restaurant VEA upstairs, it’s his newcomer WING that pips it to the post for us. At WING, chef Vicky offers seasonal tasting menus (HKD1,980 pp/HKD3,980 pp) that pay homage to traditional Chinese culinary techniques and recipes, with an emphasis on premium local ingredients. Currently wowing diners are inventive dishes including smoked aubergine with house-made sour sauce, fragrant chilli Alaskan king crab, and baby pigeon glazed with sugar cane.
WING, 29/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Central, 2711 0063, WhatsApp 9310 0172, book here
SOMM
An abbreviation for “sommelier,” SOMM is a cosy restaurant at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental serving up French neo-bistro delights to the clink of over 1,600 bottles of champagne, wine, and sake. The eatery’s French menus, from brunch through to dinner, are complemented by plenty of top-notch Japanese ingredients. Our pick of the menu lot is the SOMMdegustation (HKD918 pp), four courses of creative, comforting seasonal dishes the likes of seared scallop with corn, Espelette pepper, and chive-infused olive oil and Japanese pork belly with BBQ sauce and Hakata cabbage.
SOMM, 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, LANDMARK, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 2132 0055, book here
The best fine-casual & affordable restaurants in Central
Ho Lee Fook
Black Sheep Restaurants’ Ho Lee Fook is another Central eatery that’s been around for about a decade, a testament to the strength of chef ArChan Chan’s authentic yet contemporary Cantonese menu. Ho Lee Fook’s greatest hits include the likes of Kurobuta pork char siu (HKD278), steamed live razor clams with glass noodles (HKD278), and smoked crispy-skin three-yellow chicken (HKD278). We strongly suggest pre-ordering (72 hours’ notice) the Ho Lee Duck (HKD968), a Cantonese-style riff on traditional Peking duck. Shout-out to the wall of waving golden cats at the restaurant’s entrance that beckon guests downstairs to the plush main dining room.
Ho Lee Fook, LG/F, 3–5 Elgin Street, Soho, Central, 2810 0860, book here
Sumac
Lebanese stalwart Sumac underwent a complete revamp a year ago, decked out with a stylish slant towards the classic design elements of Lebanon. The team of Middle Eastern chefs deliver traditional flavours in the inviting space, with polished service to boot. Diners can’t go wrong with any of the mezze – be that hummus (HKD130), fattoush (HKD150), or falafel (HKD140). For the main course, the shrimp fatteh (HKD430), a Sumac-exclusive dish of shrimp, yoghurt, grilled aubergine, chickpeas, toasted bread, and pine nuts, is a standout. Sumac also features a sultry indoor lounge area with its own (much more spacious) outdoor terrace, ideal for intimate private dinners and gatherings.
Sumac, G/F, 8 Glenealy, Central, WhatsApp 9594 1173, book here
Kinjo’s Izakaya
Izakaya Kinjo’s has also stood the test of time for its charming ambience and tasty and affordable Japanese cuisine. There’s a strong emphasis on authentic Okinawan fare, including dishes of deep-fried shima tofu (HKD68), aosa seaweed rolled omelette (HKD88), and stir-fried bitter melon with pork (HKD98). The menu offers something for everyone, from assorted daily sashimi (HKD418/10pcs) to yakitori – the tsukune (HKD48) chicken meatball is a fave. The chef, Kinjo-san, is warm and welcoming. Kinjo’s is a little slice of Okinawa in Hong Kong!
Kinjo’s Izakaya, G/F, 27 Elgin Street, Soho, Central 2362 9992, book here
Holy Eats
Proclaiming its “binge-worthy grub and the best drink deals in town,” next-door neighbour Holy Eats presents a scrumptious and rib-sticking East-meets-West menu – we heart the mac daddy ‘n’ cheese (HKD108), ox-tongue macaroni (HKD138), and tom yum seafood linguine (198) – but it’s the funky eatery’s numerous weekly promotions that really get our blood boiling, from two-for-one steaks on Tuesdays to free-flow wings and drinks on Monday through Saturday.
Holy Eats, G/F, 23 Elgin Street, Soho, Central, 2890 2892, book here
YKY
The Central outpost of YKY (aka 自家麵, aka King Noodles) is one of several branches of this cheap-and-cheerful noodle chain around the city. The cold noodles with shredded chicken (HKD57) are the bomb, and we also rate the shop’s many varieties of dumplings (from HKD56/10pcs). However, it’s the homemade beef with onion pie (HKD36) with its incredibly flaky puff pastry and umami filling (choose your heat level) that has truly stolen our heart; note that the meat pies are only available in limited quantities after 3PM.
YKY, G/F, 61 Wellington Street, Central, 2887 9766
Cornerstone
The more laid-back sibling to Shane Osborn’s Arcane (see above), Cornerstone is a contemporary Australian-style bistro overseen on the daily by chef Neal Ledesma. The seasonal menu is driven by the quality ingredients and bold flavour combinations for which Australia’s food scene is so well known. To start, we love the punchy and refreshing Japanese tomato salad (HKD148) with hummus, cucumber, and miso dressing, and then for the main, it’s a toss-up between Cornerstone’s signature Wagyu steak sandwich (HKD278) with gochujang mayo and the iconic Aussie pub dish of chicken parmigiana (HKD198), here made more luxe with romesco and mortadella.
Cornerstone, G/F, 49 Hollywood Road, Central, WhatsApp 6809 9771, book here
Priyo Shaad
This new spot on Aberdeen Street is your best bet for sampling authentic Bangladeshi cuisine in Hong Kong, and we’re here for it. The earnest wait and kitchen staff at homely Priyo Shaad serve up the bona fide flavours of Bangladesh. Must-orders include the fuchka (HKD42/HKD70), deep-fried shells filled with potato and chickpea that are similar to India’s pani puri, shrimp dopeaja (HKD148) in a spiced onion gravy, and slow-cooked beef kala bhuna (HKD158). On the side, be sure to order a bhorta, a mixture of fried mashed veg; our pick goes to the aloo (HKD50) version, featuring potato kicked up with peppery mustard oil.
Priyo Shaad, G/F, 29 Aberdeen Street, Central, 6737 4607, book here
