We all love Hong Kong, but we also love a temporary escape from the city when the noise gets too much or the heat becomes unbearable.
If a flight is too expensive to cover for a trip abroad, a cornucopia of themed restaurants scattered around town make it such that we can enjoy a temporary escape to another world for the price of our meal.
From themes of war, Van Gogh, ancient China, old-school Hong Kong, and even Forrest Gump, these are the top themed restaurants you ought to visit for your next immersive meal.
The best themed restaurants in Hong Kong
1. War Rooms by Top Blade
A secret steakhouse opened by the Top Blade restaurant chain, a familiar name to many steak-lovers in Hong Kong, War Rooms by Top Blade is decorated in a World War 2 and Churchill-esque theme, inviting diners to enjoy a secret meal within a bygone era. Their dinner menu comprises of eight course of beef dishes, plus a drinks add-on for Churchill’s Routine, a flight of whisky, champagne, red wine, and port
War Rooms by Top Blade, LG/F, 11 Stanley Street, Central, 2801 6108, book here
2. Madame Fù Grand Café Chinois
Split over six unique dreamy rooms, Madame Fù in Tai Kwun ushers guests into a different 19th century Chinois world, making people forget they are in Hong Kong eating. From the princessy Pink Room and oaky, colonial-esque Fù room to the aged The Library and Whisky Lounge rooms, each space is designed to transport you to a world where east and west fuse together.
Madame Fù Grand Café Chinois, 3/F, Barrack Block, Block 03, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central
3. 1963 Tree
1963 Tree in Wan Chai brings you back several decades to the transformative state of Taiwan in the early 1960s, complete with an interior replicating the country’s Japanese-influenced style. Their menu focuses on street food classics celebrated for generations, including beef noodle soup, pork rice, and sesame oil chicken rice.
1963 Tree, 2/F, Chung Wui Mansion, 110 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, 3105 0160, book here
4. Cafe Matchbox
Cafe Match Box highlights an expressive 1980s Hong Kong bright in classic iconography and neon lighting. The cha chaan teng is packed with artifacts adopted from the past century or stylised as such, including a massive red Hong Kong minibus stationed inside the restaurant, old TV shows playing nonstop throughout the restaurant, and staging of replica living rooms set-ups.
Cafe Match Box, Shop C & D, G/F, Fashion Walk, 57 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay, 2868 0363
5. Graceland
Graceland is where the spirit of Americana comes roaring in Mong Kok with comfort-food and American South recipes well-represented, plus with a well-done interior design. The restaurant itself is an inspiration of the late Elvis Presley’s Memphis mansion, bringing a wealth of American specialities to the table. Think oysters, seafood boils, sliders, tacos, fried steakhouses, and chicken sandwiches.
Graceland, Shop B, G/F, Lisa House, 12–14A Yim Po Fong Street, Mong Kok, 6112 9448, book here
6. Van Gogh Kitchen
Keeping in the theme of Hong Kong’s popular restaurants, Van Gogh Kitchen pays respect to a giant artist with Van Gogh-esque art covering the walls of the Causeway Bay restaurant. The menu is a mix of French, Spanish, and Italian delicacies, staged beautifully against the backdrop of Van Gogh’s signature wavy painting style.
Van Gogh Kitchen, Room B, 2/F, Shing Wah Mansion, 451-457 Hennessy Road Causeway Bay, 3528 1333
7. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Hong Kong
The world of Forrest Gump and Bubba at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is waiting for you to explore atop of The Peak. The boisterous themed restaurant takes inspiration from “Gump’s life, philosophy, and love of shrimp,” with the menu focusing entirely on tasty seafood dishes. With locations across the world, the restaurant chain is the world’s first and only created after a major motion picture. Just like Graceland, this is where you can enjoy some proper American eats.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Shop 304–305, 3/F, The Peak Tower, 128 Peak Road, The Peak, 2849 2867, book here
8. Origami Kids Cafe
This kid-friendly restaurant sitting on the rooftop of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal is a perfect spot to let your children run wild and their imagination flow. Origami Kids Cafe features kid-sized kitchen, supermarket, and costume sets for the adventurous-minded to get caught up in their world. The restaurant also features a large play area once food has been served and eaten.
Origami Kids Cafe, R/F, North End, Zone B, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, 33 Shing Fung Road, Kowloon Bay, 6063 7470, book here
9. Vivienne Westwood Café
The Vivienne Westwood Café located in Festival Walk is an apt ode to the late fashion designer, taking inspirations from her colourful style and logo-heavy brand to serve femme-coded food. Their café and brunchy plates are fashionable, make great posts on Instagram, and heavily feature the brand’s iconography.
Vivienne Westwood Café, Shop F8,1/F, 27-47 Paterson Street, Causeway Bay, 2799 5011, book here
10. Tasty Hotpot Palace
Down in Tsim Sha Tsui, Tasty Hotpot Palace’s two locations invite diners through a portal into a centuries-old China with motifs reminiscent of ancient emperor rule in the country. The design is immersive, from the red lanterns that hang from the ceiling and Chinese scripture strewn throughout to the roofing adorning each table.
Tasty Hotpot Palace, 1/F, Golden Glory Mansion, 16 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2338 1515, book here
Tasty Hotpot Palace, Shop A, G/F, Kimberley House, 35 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2388 8026, book here
