The Best 20 Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong for 2027
+ 10 of the best budget Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong
The J3 Group - Premium Quality Private Tours | Experiences and Insider Chats since 2010
Me Jamie, your host, I am English and I have lived in Hong Kong since January 2nd 1972 - I know the place.
A meaningful blog post with a difference - tips on Travel, Tourism, Tours, Daily Life and my personal thoughts on Hong Kong.
Please do visit Amazing Hong Kong
Hong Kong | Pearl of the Orient
A Resident since 1972 - Private Tours of Hong Kong with Jamie
The Best Things to do in Hong Kong
click on the image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | image created by Jamie
The Best 20 Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong for 2027
Foreword by Jamie
+ 10 of the best budget Dim Sum Restaurants in Hong Kong
Dim sum in Hong Kong is one of those subjects that can start an argument at any family table or among friends who have lived here long enough to have strong opinions. After more than 50 years in the city and having sat down in something like 1,400 restaurants since I arrived on 2nd January 1972, I still treat the whole business as personal rather than scientific. Ask 1,000 people in Hong Kong for their top list and you will get 1,000 different answers. Food is subjective, and dim sum more than most things.
I do not run food tours. I leave that to people who actually enjoy talking about the history of a dish or the provenance of the ingredients. My rule has always been simple: the food has to taste good, the price has to be reasonable for what you get, and the place has to be easy to reach on public transport. I am fussy. I will not eat fish eyes, offal, most seafood with bones, fatty cuts or anything that looks and smells like it belongs on the street rather than on a plate. That narrows the field more than some people might like. There are very few dim sum dishes I will not try, but I still draw a line somewhere.
Hong Kong has roughly 17,150 licensed restaurants and a fair number of unlicensed ones. I have eaten at 12 of the places on my previous list and could easily name another 20 that are perfectly good. This is not an expert guide. It is the view of someone who has lived here long enough to know that two people at the same table can finish a meal with completely different opinions. If you have allergies, are vegetarian or simply fussy like me, that matters more than any star or ranking.
At this point I always like to relate the story of a famous food tour company in Hong Kong prior to 2019 who had famous foodie people working as private food guides, (food critics and such) and one of the best lines I ever saw was that this great foodie guide would “like the pro that he is. He can deconstruct for you the fine details of a perfect Wonton soup”
Presumably this expert guide would then launch into a 20 minute PhD style dissertation of said dish which to me is ludicrous, what matters is does it taste good!
I have never gotten into this whole foodie culture and it is just as well, I doubt one of my normal comments “ personally I think it tastes like crap” would go down well with most foodies!
The world is better off without me being a food tour guide and I repeat again, ask a 1,000 people an opinion on a dish and you will get 1,000 different answers
The main list below is top heavy with hotel restaurants and places that cost more. That is deliberate. Those are the ones I would still send people to when they want a comfortable place and consistent cooking. At the same time I know a lot of visitors and residents simply want something decent without spending a fortune, so I have added a separate budget list of 10 places further down.
Why every Hong Kong dim sum list is different
Search online or ask an AI and you will get a different set of names depending on how you phrase the question. Every publication has its own list and none of them match. Local friends who run food tours will almost certainly disagree with mine. Some of them prefer the very local places where there is no English menu and the place is full of regulars. I can understand that. After 50+ years I have done the “no tourists” thing and wore the t-shirt. Quality, price and easy access still come first for me.
A lot of the places I like do not make every trendy list. Some of the famous ones I simply avoid because they are jammed every day and the service slows to a crawl. That is personal. Others on my list are hotel restaurants where the dining room is comfortable and the kitchen is consistent. You pay more, but you also avoid the queue and the noise.
A few personal notes before the listsTop
My family’s long time favourite in the Prudential Centre on Nathan Road in Jordan closed a while ago. It was called Majesty Chinese Restaurant and we had been going there for decades. I was there with about 30 family members not long before it shut. These things happen.
Three places I like did not always sit on my formal lists for practical reasons. Maxim’s Palace at City Hall has been a regular stop since it opened in 1980. It is huge, iconic and the dim sum is excellent, but it is expensive and the lunchtime queues run seven days a week with no reservations. Mott 32 in Central produced the single best dish I have ever eaten in any restaurant: the lobster bisque soup dumpling. One piece in a large dish, and on one occasion with American guests we ordered three each. Din Tai Fung at Silvercord in Tsim Sha Tsui has been my default for years. It is Taiwanese rather than traditional Hong Kong dim sum, the menu is fully in English with clear symbols for ingredients, and it works well if anyone at the table has allergies or prefers not to eat pork. I have never had a bad meal there.
I also have a soft spot for Luk Yu Tea House in Central, which opened in 1933 and still feels old school even if the prices have climbed. There are famous local places I will not go near because of the crowds and the slow service. That is just me.
Hong Kong Island: Top 10 places
Lung King Heen, Four Seasons Hotel, Central. Refined Cantonese cooking with harbour views. Dim sum is precise and consistent. Expect to pay more; a solid lunch can run HK$800 to HK$1,200 per person (about US$100 to US$155) plus 10% service. Book ahead for window tables. Two Michelin stars in recent guides.
Man Wah, Mandarin Oriental, Central. Classic hotel dining room with good views. Reliable har gow and other standards. Similar price range to Lung King Heen, roughly HK$700 to HK$1,100 per person (US$90 to US$140). Reservations recommended.
Duddell’s, Central. One Michelin star. Modern room and solid dim sum including char siu bao with a crisp top. Individual items around HK$78 to HK$88 for three pieces (about US$10). Set lunches higher. Easy to reach and less intimidating than some of the grand hotel dining rooms.
Dim Sum Library, Pacific Place, Admiralty. Creative takes on classics (black truffle har gow and similar). Items from about HK$78 for three pieces (US$10). Afternoon dim sum sets from around HK$338 per person (US$43). Convenient if you are already in the area.
Luk Yu Tea House, Central. Opened 1933 and still operating in the same general location. Old school atmosphere. Prices have risen over the years but the location is convenient. Expect mid to upper range, roughly HK$250 to HK$450 per person (US$32 to US$58) depending on what you order.
Maxim’s Palace, City Hall, Central. Huge dining room, classic cart service on busy days, excellent standard dim sum. Expensive for what it is and queues are long at lunch time. No reservations. I have been going since 1980 and still enjoy it when I can get a table. Budget HK$400 to HK$700 per person (US$50 to US$90).
One Harbour Road, Grand Hyatt, Wan Chai. Polished hotel setting with harbour views. Good for a more formal yum cha. Prices sit in the higher bracket, roughly HK$500 to HK$900 per person (US$64 to US$115). Book ahead.
Fook Lam Moon, Wan Chai. Long-established Cantonese restaurant with a strong local following. Dim sum is solid and the room feels more traditional. Mid to upper pricing, around HK$300 to HK$600 per person (US$38 to US$77).
Lin Heung Tea House, Sheung Wan. Traditional trolley service and a room that has not changed much in decades. No English menu in the usual sense, but the carts come past. Budget HK$150 to HK$300 per person (US$19 to US$38). Busy and a bit chaotic, which some people love and others do not.
Tim Ho Wan (Central branch). The famous “cheapest Michelin” place that started small and expanded. Queues are common. Baked char siu bao is the item everyone talks about. Very reasonable, often under HK$150 per person (US$19). Not the most traditional Hong Kong style but consistent.
Kowloon: Top 10 places
Tin Lung Heen, 102nd floor, Ritz-Carlton, International Commerce Centre, West Kowloon. Two Michelin stars and the views are the obvious draw. Dim sum is refined. Expect to pay for the location: lunch can easily reach HK$600 to HK$1,200 per person (US$77 to US$155) plus service. Book ahead.
One Dim Sum, Prince Edward. One of the most reviewed dim sum places in Hong Kong. Classic Cantonese items, long queues at peak times. Very popular with both locals and visitors. Budget HK$100 to HK$180 per person (US$13 to US$23).
Spring Moon, Peninsula Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui. Elegant hotel dining room with a more formal atmosphere. Reliable and comfortable. Higher pricing, roughly HK$500 to HK$900 per person (US$64 to US$115). Good if you want to avoid the busier local places.
Shang Palace, Kowloon Shangri-La or similar hotel settings in the area. Classic hotel dim sum with consistent quality. Mid to pper range, around HK$400 to HK$800 per person (US$51 to US$103).
Yat Tung Heen, Jordan area. One Michelin star in recent guides. More traditional feel with solid execution. Pricing sits in the mid range, roughly HK$250 to HK$500 per person (US$32 to US$64).
Above & Beyond, Hotel Icon, Tsim Sha Tsui East. Good views and a modern take on Cantonese cooking. Dim sum is well regarded. Mid to upper pricing, around HK$350 to HK$700 per person (US$45 to US$90).
Let’s Yum Cha, Sham Shui Po. Neighbourhood place that locals recommend for straightforward, good value dim sum. Busy at weekends. Budget HK$80 to HK$150 per person (US$10 to US$19).
Dim Dim Sum, Jordan or Mong Kok branches. Casual, modern ordering (sometimes by QR code) and reliable standards. Easy to reach and reasonably priced, often HK$100 to HK$180 per person (US$13 to US$23).
Lai Ching Heen (formerly Yan Toh Heen), Regent Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Harbour views and refined Cantonese cooking. Higher end, budget HK$600+ per person (US$77+). Two Michelin stars in some years
Din Tai Fung, Silvercord, Tsim Sha Tsui. My long time default. Taiwanese style with excellent soup dumplings, full English menu and clear allergy information. Consistent quality. Mid range, roughly HK$200 to HK$400 per person (US$26 to US$51). Not traditional Hong Kong dim sum, but it works for mixed groups.
Best 10 budget dim sum places in Hong Kong
Food is subjective and the main list above is top heavy with more expensive restaurants. Plenty of people just want a solid meal without spending a fortune, so here are 10 places that generally sit under HK$200 per person (about US$26). Most are neighbourhood spots or the better value chains. Queues are common at the popular ones. Quality varies from day to day and from dish to dish, same as everywhere else.
Tim Ho Wan (Sham Shui Po original or other branches). The place that made a name for itself as the cheapest Michelin option. Baked char siu bao is the one everyone orders. Full meal often HK$100 to HK$150 per person (US$13 to US$19). Queues at busy times.
One Dim Sum, Prince Edward. Strong local reputation and high review volume. Classic har gow, siu mai and turnip cake. Usually HK$100 to HK$180 per person (US$13 to US$23). Expect to wait at peak hours.
Let’s Yum Cha, Sham Shui Po. Straightforward neighbourhood cooking that locals recommend. Good value and less of a tourist scene than some of the famous names. Around HK$80 to HK$150 per person (US$10 to US$19).
Dim Dim Sum, Jordan or Mong Kok. Casual, easy to order (sometimes by phone or QR) and reliable standards. Often HK$80 to HK$150 per person (US$10 to US$19). Convenient if you are already in the area.
Dim Sum Here, Jordan or Yau Ma Tei branches. Clean, fast and very affordable. People regularly finish a meal for two for around HK$200 total (US$26). Fresh steamers and simple classics.
Lin Heung Tea House, Sheung Wan. Traditional trolley service in a room that feels unchanged for decades. Not the cheapest on this list but still reasonable for the experience. Budget HK$150 to HK$250 per person (US$19 to US$32). Cash preferred in many cases.
Chau Kee, Sai Ying Pun. Local favourite for thick prawn toast and solid everyday dim sum. Neighbourhood prices, usually under HK$150 per person (US$19). Busy with regulars.
Lucky Dim Sum, Jordan. Simple Temple Street location, fresh steamers and reasonable prices. Good for a quick stop without fuss. Often under HK$150 per person (US$19).
Ding Dim 1968 (various branches). Not as touristy as some people expect. Consistent standards and easy to find. Mid budget range, roughly HK$120 to HK$200 per person (US$15 to US$26).
Paradise Dynasty (selected branches). Popular for xiao long bao and a wider Shanghainese-leaning menu. Slightly higher than pure neighbourhood places but still good value for the quality. Around HK$150 to HK$250 per person (US$19 to US$32).
A few practical points
Prices above are approximate as of late 2026 and will move. Most places add 10% service. Tea is usually charged per person. Weekend lunches are busier everywhere. If you need a reservation, book it. If the place runs on a queue, arrive early or be prepared to wait.
I still recommend the food tour companies run by friends if you want someone to walk you through the dishes and the stories. I do not do that myself. For the rest of us who just want a good meal in a place we can find without fuss, the lists above are the ones I would still send people to in 2027.
So there you go.
click on any image to enlarge
© Copyright Acknowledged | All rights reserved | images taken by Jamie
