The sacred ritual of yum cha, gathering together to dine on dim sum bites, has become enshrined in the culture of Hong Kong. Any given weekend you can expect throngs of groups to enter dim sum restaurants to gorge on dumplings, baos, pastries, and desserts.
The small plates of salty wonders have been enjoyed globally ever since Hong Kongers emigrated and travelled abroad, a credit to the quick and easy, or luxurious and lengthy tapas style of dining, most familiar to Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong.
From the traditional to twists to the modern take, we want you to do your yum cha right with our recommendations.
The best dim sum in Hong Kong
One Harbour Road (港灣壹號)
As grand as the hotel residence it is housed in, One Harbour Road strikes a polished tone for yum cha occasions, serving delicate pieces of dim sum art in the stately old-Chinese-style restaurant. The baked abalone puff pastry, cha siu bao, minced pork and turnip pastries, and wagyu beef pastries are key highlights. Their vegetarian dim sum set menu makes this spot perfect for non-meat and shellfish visitors.
One Harbour Road, 8/F, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, 2584 7722, book here
Eton Restaurant (頤東酒家)
This old-school dim sum joint first launched in Hong Kong in 1954, serving Shunde food. In 2020, Eton Restaurant was created by the former chef team to continue a legacy of excellently crafted dim sum and Cantonese plates. Order the steamed chicken bun, honey egg roll, crab roe su mai, taro sweet potato ball, deep fried squid, and quail eggs steamed pork dumplings to savour their diligent craft. Eton Restaurant was recognised for delivering the best dim sum in the city in the Foodie Forks 2024.
Eton Restaurant, 1/F & 2/F, European Asian Bank Building, 749 Nathan Road, Mong Kok, 2381 5261
Yat Tung Heen (逸東軒)
Yat Tung Heen effortlessly matches a fair price point with top ingredients in Jordan. A small premium is paid for dim sum bites for recipes that promise strong umami explosions of flavour, such as the beef tripe with satay sauce, chilled eggplant, vegetable dumplings, and huadiao chicken. A meal cannot be completed here without ordering the mango rice rolls, wrapping sweet-tangy Filipino mango in familiar Cantonese-style rice rolls.
Yat Tung Heen, Level B2, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Road, Jordan, 2710 1093, book here
Lin Heung Lau (蓮香樓)
Lin Heung Lau has been in Hong Kong for over 100 years and, having weathered the storms of many temporary closures, reopened in spring 2024 with the same chaotic-yet-serene atmosphere lauded over the years. Take a pick from the dim sum carts that dot the venue, such as the fried shrimp wontons, specialty fried spring rolls, honey BBQ pork buns, black bean sauce pork ribs, custard buns, and hand-made rice rolls with beef.
Lin Heung Lau, G/F & 1/F, 160–164 Wellington Street, Central, 2544 4556
Luk On Kui (六安居)
The sister venue to Lin Heung Lau, Luk On Kui is an as-busy and traditional dim sum restaurant that split apart from the original location and rebranded in 2024. Pick from a selection of Chinese-origin teas and order from the carts as well. Our picks from the restaurant include their top notch chicken feet, char siu, Malaysian sponge cake, radish with pickles and pork, and beef rice rolls. They only accept cash for payment, so stock up prior.
Luk On Kui, 2/F & 3/F, 40-50 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, 2156 9328
One Dim Sum (一點心)
Famed for their Michelin star award of the uber famous Prince Edward location, One Dim Sum shares the classic steamed, roasted, and fried dim sum plates, made cleaner. Their recently opened Central location sees the same great dim sum shared in Kowloon: spare pork ribs, Chiu Chow dumplings, garlic shrimp spring roll, steamed creamy egg custard bun, and beef balls.
One Dim Sum, G/F, 44-44A Lyndhurst Terrace, Central
One Dim Sum, G/F, 209A Tung Choi Street, Prince Edward, 2677 7888
LokCha (樂茶軒)
Both in their serene Hong Kong Park and Tai Kwun restaurants, LokCha has brought the premium world of tea to vegetarian and clean dim sum plates. Dishes like pan-fried mushroom bun, crispy samosa, bean curd rolls, and pan-fried turnip cake have made this dim sum restaurant a suitable venue for non-meat eaters and those who appreciate the finer tastes of tea.
LokCha, G/F, The K.S. Lo Gallery, Hong Kong Park, 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Admiralty, 2801 7177
LokCha, G06-7, Black 01, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, 2276 5777
Lung Dim Sum (龍點心)
Lung Dim Sum’s restaurants are coloured unlike your typical yum cha haunts: orange, blue, and decorated with neon lighting to prove that this dim sum is not what you can expect. Blue truffle assorted fungus dumpling, pea wasabi bun, salted egg custard cream bun, shrimp toast, and the crab roe and spinach dumpling are coloured bright and flavoured with vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. You won’t find traditional here but twists all over.
Lung Dim Sum, multiple locations across Hong Kong
Sun Hing Restaurant (新興食家)
Kennedy Town’s hearty dim sum spot Sun Hing opens bright and early at 3AM and spins out dim sum favourites until 4PM daily. Jam packed with tables and steam that fills the entire restaurant, you are coming to Sun Hing for the real deal. Curry beef tripe, small chicken buns, golden sauce buns, radish cakes, pork trotters, and BBQ pork rice rolls are some of the balls of umami sold fresh at this spot.
Sun Hing Restaurant, Shop C, G/F, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town, 2816 0616, order here
Hong Kong Cuisine 1983 (壹玖捌叁1983)
Happy Valley’s Hong Kong Cuisine 1983 serves a large lunch-only dim sum menu that delivers on the highest quality crafted by one of China’s top dim sum makers. The Sichuan spicy minced lamb dumplings, steamed vegetarian dumplings, diced peppery black angus beef puff, and pan fried sweetcorn egg dumplings are among some very strong plates stocked here. Prepare for one luxurious yum cha meet here.
Hong Kong Cuisine 1983, 1/F, Elegance Court, 2-4 Tsoi Tak Street, Happy Valley, 2893 3788
Veggie Kingdom (緻素坊)
This Tsim Sha Tsui Cantonese restaurant sees a vegetarian overhaul on the cuisine, so too with their dim sum offerings. Veggie Kingdom uses gluten, tofu, and fake meat to preserve the meaty touch of dim sum, where the honey veggie BBQ pork bun, mushroom sui mai, veggie three treasures, and steamed buns with veggie shark fins shine. Be sure to finish off with their mango pudding.
Veggie Kingdom, 7/F, VIP Commercial Centre, 120 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2366 3233
Man Mo Dim Sum & Wine
Whilst not traditional, Man Mo Dim Sum & Wine brings a strong French influence to its dim sum menu with unique fillings with steamed and baked bites. The restaurant has gotten creative with the foie gras xiao long bao, tomato mozzarella dumplings, chicken mustard buns, and goat cheese spinach bun. The dim sum restaurants’ French identity goes further with a healthy list of wines by the glass, bottle, and carafe.
Man Mo Dim Sum & Wine, G/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, 5343 5743, book here
Saam Hui Yaat (叁去壹點心粉麵飯)
Saam Hui Yaat is a local fixture at the edge of the Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood. Priced very affordably and open at 5:30PM and closing at 2:30PM, the dim sum spot suits a quick occasion to scoff down your food. With dishes like Chiu Chow dumpling, chicken bun, salted fish meat rice, and shrimp rice rolls, you cannot go wrong visiting this spot.
Saam Hui Yaat, G/F, 11 Pok Fu Lam Road, Sai Ying Pun, 2547 3917
Tai Wai Dining Room (大圍小館)
The real classical approach of dim sum cooking is presented in Tai Wai and Yuen Long at the Tai Wai Dining Room. Dark pork char siu, Sichuan-style fried pork heart, Canton-style egg puff, and pan-fried stuffed green pepper evince an adherence to the true dim sum tastes of last century. We recommend heading to their Tai Wai location where the expert dim sum chef team operates.
Tai Wai Dining Room, 95 Chik Fuk Street, Tai Wai, 2339 0189, book here
Tai Wai Dining Room, Shop G22-23, G/F, Ho Shun Fook Building, 60 Sau Fook Street, Yuen Long, 2398 1292, book here
Maxim’s Palace (美心皇宮)
Maxim’s Palace, especially with their City Hall location, have pioneered the dim sum tradition in Hong Kong with the introduction of the dim sum cart. Lunch at this legendary spot, and their new locations, can be enjoyed with orders of drunken duck tongue, deep-fried diced bean curd, shredded chicken in chives, and roasted pork belly. Prepare for the food coma after!
Maxim’s Palace, multiple locations across Hong Kong
Islamic Centre Canteen (伊斯蘭中心餐廳)
Joining the legion of growing halal restaurants in the city, the Islamic Centre Canteen housed inside the Wan Chai masjeed serves halal diners with dim sum favourites (sans pork) with an added infusion of South Asian spice. Their pan fried chicken buns, steamed beef rice sheet roll, beef samosa, fried dumplings with shrimp, and shrimp wontons are priced affordably, and served until 3PM daily.
Islamic Centre Canteen, 5/F, Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre, 40 Salvation Army Street, Wan Chai
