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Header image courtesy of Euan Cameron (via Unsplash)
Most people in town will defend that Hong Kong Island has it all: cultural events, parties and festivals, and, most importantly, the best food. Here at Localiiz, we like to counter the stereotype with a wild proposition: Tsim Sha Tsui might actually be just as good (or even better) as the neighbourhood brims with historical buildings, is home to all the good museums, and—let’s face it—the harbour views are way better from over there.
Not only that, but Tsim Sha Tsui is bursting at the seams with hundreds of places to eat. We couldn’t possibly list all of the best restaurants in TST as the variety and amount are simply too great, but here’s a list of a few we believe are must-tries.
Tsim Sha Tsui is a great hot pot scene, and it is no surprise Haidilao opened one of its Hong Kong venues in the neighbourhood. For those not in the know, Haidilao is a chain of hot pot restaurants known for its over-the-top service: robots bring food to your table, there are flying noodles performances on the menu, and the staff offers hair ties or lens cleaning wipes. A visit to Haidilao is always an experience, and then there’s the food. Putting together your self-boiled feast is made easy as you can browse the menu and order from your table’s iPad. Pick up to four different soup bases, and your choice of meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, dumplings, and more. You can order as you go, and with the Tsim Sha Tsui location being open 24 hours a day, the indulgence never has to stop!
Haidilao, 2/F, 26 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Veggie Kingdom has accomplished the incredible feat of making Cantonese cuisine entirely vegetarian. With ingenious recreations of signature Cantonese dishes, you might be surprised when your order comes looking exactly like abalone, char siu, or pork dumplings! Instead of creating new recipes, the team at Veggie Kingdom recreate Cantonese classics with unexpected ingredients. It’s worth paying the restaurant a visit even if you’re not vegetarian, just to witness the incredible renditions it’s able to dish out.
Head over for lunch to try the vegetarian mushroom siu mai, honey veggie barbecue pork bun, barbecue pork rice noodle rolls, among other delicacies. Veggie Kingdom’s plant-based dinner menu comprises veggie Beijing duck, the chef special veggie goose, a veggie fish fillet in sour Sichuan soup, and all your other favourite Cantonese fare.
Veggie Kingdom, 7/F, VIP Commercial Centre, 120 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Chungking Mansions is a cultural and gastronomic landmark in Tsim Sha Tsui, and over the years, the 17-storey building has become a multi-ethnic hub, one at the heart of Hong Kong’s urban grid. In fact, there are so many restaurants you have to try in Chungking Mansions that we’ve compiled a separate list of recommendations. Check it out here.
Chungking Mansions, 36–44 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Nobu returned to the Regent Hong Kong in 2023 to the delight of those who’ve enjoyed the internationally acclaimed chef’s cuisine before, and the breathtaking harbour views seen from the Nobu dining room. Nobu is an iconic restaurant: it’s the promise of superb Japanese-Peruvian cuisine, innovative yet familiar recipes, and fine-dining quality without the suffocating fuss. The familiarity not only comes from the fact that Nobu has over 50 locations the world over, but that it initially opened its doors in Hong Kong in 2006.
Whether you’re a Nobu regular or have yet to try it, you’ll find all the signature dishes on the menu, such as the toro tartare, black cod with miso, Nobu ceviche, yellowtail jalapeño, and more, all paired wonderfully with wine and sake exclusively brewed for Nobu.
Nobu Hong Kong, 2/F, Regent Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
There are quite a few Indian restaurants in downtown Tsim Sha Tsui, including the excellent one-Michelin-starred Chaat located within Rosewood Hong Kong. But if you’re looking for the heartwarming feeling of digging into curries, naans, and tandooris without breaking the bank—or worrying about staining the white tablecloth—we recommend a visit to Anjappar Chettinad Indian Cuisine, an international chain restaurant with locations in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the Middle East, and North America.
Anjappar offers an extensive selection of non-vegetarian, halal South Indian cuisine. The tandoori starters go from chicken tikka to mutton seekh kebab, while the varied selection of biryani goes perfectly well with an order of garlic naan and basmati rice. We would recommend adding some type of dosa to your order, whether you choose plain, butter, masala, or even the Szechuan cheese flavour, if you’re feeling adventurous. Complete your meal with a mango lassi for extra indulgence.
Anjappar, Shop 202, 2/F, Multified Plaza, 3–7A Prat Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui
We can’t, in our right minds, create a round-up of restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui and not mention at least one Korean barbecue place. TST has a wide range of restaurants offer for Korean BBQ, and many are worth visiting, including Hancham Korean Meathouse.
For the grill at the centre of your table, you can go à la carte, or order a set menu. The beef set includes two starters, eight cuts of beef, noodles, and soup. From Hancham’s kitchen-prepared delicacies, try the egg bomb soufflé and the pork belly stone pot rice. Curious about its drink menu? Enjoying the Jollypong smoothie is quite the experience: your drink is served covered in the puffed-rice Korean snack!
Hancham Korean Meathouse, 1/F, Winfield Commercial Building, 6–8 Prat Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui
The Peninsula Hong Kong offers many dining opportunities, such as the The Lobby for afternoon tea, Spring Moon for Cantonese fare, and Gaddi’s for French cuisine. But did you know that you could also get a taste of the Swiss Alps without having to leave the hotel?
Guests who have visited Chesa since its opening in 1965 have been transported into an authentic Swiss chalet, with wooden fixtures all around, dimmed lighting, and, most importantly, melted cheese. Whether you go for the fondue moitié-moitié, a two-cheese fondue served with baguette; the fondue montagnarde with Emmental, Appenzeller, and Gruyère cheese finished with Parmesan and smoked mountain bacon, served with macaroni and boiled potatoes; the raclette du Valais with its hot melted cheese with new potatoes; or indulge in the Swiss mountain rösti with bacon, ham raclette cheese, and a fried egg, there is no wrong choice, as long as there is melted cheese.
Chesa, 1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
It’s not a true “best restaurants” list in Hong Kong without at least one café, regardless of the neighbourhood. Hongkongers hold cafés and coffee shops to the same standard as restaurants, and will often be found enjoying a proper meal there. We’d be hard-pressed to name the best one in TST, so let’s just say we’ve regularly found ourselves drawn to How To Live Well, located within the concept store How at K11 Art Mall. How sells Japanese-style furniture and lifestyle goods, and doubles as an interior design studio. If you’ve been paying attention to that last sentence, you can imagine how aesthetic the café of the store is.
For a snack, there are nibbles like the fried camembert cheese sticks, Japanese fried sesame chicken wings, or the karaage mackerel. Its selection of pasta, rice, burgers, and pizza is hard to choose from, but we can safely recommend the braised Wagyu beef cheek ragu rigatoni or the pepperoni onsen egg pizza.
How To Live Well, Shop 201, 2/F, K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
For Spanish fare—a.k.a. the cuisine that makes for the most fun meals—head over to Rosewood Hong Kong’s Bayfare Social. Start your meal the right way with a selection of tapas. Whether hot or cold, the sharing appetisers on offer are all classics hailing from Spain: boquerones y anchoas, brandade de bacalao, croquetas de jamon Ibérico, chorizo a la sidra, tortilla de patatas—need we go on to make your mouth water?
Share a generous paella with the entire table for the main course—the chicken and the seafood paella are classics, but Bayfare’s bone marrow rendition with Wagyu beef and black trumpet mushroom is a must-try. For extra flavour, a squid ink and a lobster paella are also available. Refresh yourself with a carafe of sangria, enjoy finger-licking-good churros, and you’ll be rolling home, full of memories of a night well spent.
Bayfare Social, 5/F, Rosewood, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Born and raised in the French countryside, Lily arrived in Hong Kong looking for an adventure. Passionate about books, she spent some time in Parisian publishing houses and is the author of an illustrated book about hair. Life in Hong Kong for her entails looking for seaside places to eat and a lot of hiking.
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