When we say exclusive, we don’t mean your mother’s private kitchen where only you and your siblings can dine in. Hong Kong is an expensive and bougie city and, with that, comes a wealth of private establishments designed to provide the city’s most wealthy with a space to dine in secrecy and away from prying eyes.
More than two dozen private members restaurants and clubs dot the city, affording those great access to dine at venues that most cannot simply walk into.
Are you feeling aspirational? Read on to see which places require a bit of planning to get into.
The most exclusive restaurants in Hong Kong
Club C+
Stylish private members club Club C+ on Duddell Street brings a modern grandeur to the dining scene with their exclusive Cantonese restaurant. Their finest 10-course signature dinner menu is priced at a cool HKD2,488 per person. To join and dine at Club C+, you will have to dish out HKD30,000 for a one-year individual membership, and one can only apply by referral.
Club C+, M1/F, Baskerville House, 13 Duddell Street, Central, 2550 2022
Il Ponte
Located on the seaside edge of the Hong Kong Country Club, Il Ponte is a quaint Italian dining space that soaks up the sun overlooking the southside beaches and rolling hills. Visit for a taste of classic wood-fired pizzas baked inside the restaurant custom pizza oven. Access to the trattoria will request hungry diners to fork over a HKD650,000 entrance fee to the Club, plus HKD3,000 in monthly subscription payments.
Il Ponte, G/F, The Hong Kong Country Club, 188 Wong Chuk Hang Road Deep Water Bay, 2870 6500
Bâtard
The ever-popular Sai Ying Pun-based French eatery Bâtard completed its move into the newly-inaugurated Club Bâtard private members club in late August, rendering the restaurant exclusive for its members and guests of members. To enjoy the pukka French experience, alongside Cantonese restaurant Hop Sze and all-day dining spot Le Clos, you will need to pay a HKD150,000 joining fee.
Club Bâtard, 1/F, 2/F & 3/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central
The Gallop
Housed inside one of the more premier membership clubs, The Gallop at The Hong Kong Jockey Club Old Clubhouse is a chic spot to enjoy the fine delicacies of fine-dining Cantonese fare and dim sum. Their whole fish maw dinner menu is a popular choice. Access to this restaurant is not cheap, the full membership entrance fee is HKD950,000 with a monthly facility subscription fee for HKD2,800.
The Gallop, 2/F, Happy Valley Old Clubhouse, The Hilltop in The Valley, 25 Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley, 2966 1320
The China Club
Established in 1991 by the late David Tang, founder of Shanghai Tang, The China Club is a 1920s-Shanghai-style private membership club that engages members with fine Shanghai and northern Chinese food and the arts and antiquities. To join the restaurant, one must pay a membership fee of HKD120,000 to HKD150,000 and be referred to by an existing member.
The China Club, 13-14/F, Old, Bank Of China Building, Bank St, Central, 2521 8888
Club Cecconi’s
Club Cecconi’s is Soho House Hong Kong’s very-own Italian restaurant, serving up a cracking spread of southern Italian bites. Sharing a decent Italian wine menu with plenty of red and white options to pick from, you will have to gain the referral of two existing members to join the club to eat at this spot. The registration fee for Soho House Hong Kong’s One House membership is HKD4,940 with a monthly fee of HKD1,560. Applicants under 27 years old can pay just HKD2,470 for the registration fee and HKD780 for the monthly fee.
Club Cecconi’s, 28/F, 33 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, 5803 8888
Chariot Club
Formerly known as the Macau Trotting Club, the Chariot Club was a members club built for the Macau-horse-race-racing folk of Hong Kong, now catering to a close-knit membership base of philanthropists and gourmands. Members have access to a Cantonese and Western restaurant and memberships are priced at HKD880 per month. Whilst more affordable compared to other venues, members have to prove their lengthy involvement in charity work and local investment.
Chariot Club, 3/F & 4/F, Melbourne Plaza, 33 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 2521 6271
Shanghai Fraternity Association
The Shanghai Fraternity Association is a nearly 50-year-old non-profit organisation made up members from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang interested in charity work, socialising, and food. Their exclusive club restaurant shares delicacies familiar with generational Shanghai families. For a chance to dine at this venue, one should seek a referral from existing members who can vouch for you, before coughing up HKD90,000 for a one time membership cost.
Shanghai Fraternity Association, 1-3/F, South China Building, 1 Wyndham Street, Central, 2524 9246
