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Although most Hongkongers do love an aesthetically pleasing restaurant for Instagram and Setlog purposes, how pretty an eatery is generally isn’t really a factor when choosing a spot for dinner. Well, the people behind Prix Versailles disagree. Announced each year at UNESCO, the Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions that judge distinction and excellence in the world’s finest contemporary design projects, and they think that gorgeous architecture lends to culinary journeys.
On June 1, they unveiled the World’s Most Beautiful Restaurants List 2026, and Hong Kong has been represented by three out of 16 chosen restaurants from all over the world. The secretary general of the Prix Versailles, Jérôme Gouadain, says of this year’s selections, “The decor at these 16 establishments is imbued with an array of styles and colours that put each one in perfect harmony with its environment [...] and its menu”, which all goes towards cultivating unforgettable experiences.
Interestingly, Hong Kong’s winners are all located in The Henderson, a floral-inspired tower designed by Zaha Hadid Architects located on Murray Road where Central leads into Admiralty. Firstly, there’s Akira Back on the fifth floor, the eponymous restaurant of chef Akira Back who is a master of Korean-Japanese fusion cuisine with global influences. The main dining area features a sculptural ceiling that hides sophisticated lighting in its latticed crosses, while a private dining room boasts cloud-like blobs on its ceiling with metallic accents.
Elsewhere in The Henderson, Japanese restaurant Hana no Kumo has also made it onto Prix Versailles’ list. The cosy 24-seater eatery features soft timber tones, washi paper accents, stone surfaces, and an ‘ice block’ sculpture made of resin that all work to bring the serene outdoors indoors, the way the Japanese like their spaces meditative and simple. The star of the show is a delicate petal motif that culminates in a huge flower right above the kappou cooking space that brings to mind Kyoto’s cherry blossoms.
Finally – and our favourite among the Hong Kong winners – is the cocktail bar Peridot, which has captured our hearts with its bright olive green interiors since opening in October 2025. Over 20,000 handcrafted lights are dotted all over the walls and ceilings, bathing the entire space with an ethereal glow. This maximalist design is capped off by a green grand piano positioned at a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the city.
As for the other choices in the World’s Most Beautiful Restaurants, the unranked list has also named the forest-like Amura by Ángel León in Cape Town, the sophisticated Marlow in Monaco, the cave-inspired Escā Playa in Egypt’s Ras El Hekma, Nobu One Za’abeel which hovers 100m in the air on a sky concourse in Dubai, and more. Visit their website for details.
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