Hong Kong’s oldest restaurants you need to visit

Luk Yu Tea House has been a go-to dim sum spot for local and visiting patrons since it first opened in 1933. The loyal customers who grew up with the restaurant still visit today for a sense of old Hong Kong nostalgia, and its superbly done Cantonese dishes have been attracting a new generation altogether. Signature dishes include the deep fried prawn toasts, Chinese almond and pork lung soup, and steamed chicken buns.

Dating back to 1928, this historic restaurant has served its classic continental fare to Hong Kong diners spanning across multiple generations. The newest iteration sees Jimmy's Kitchen setting up shop at Pedder Building, and features five different spaces – a cocktail bar, a crudo bar, a dining lounge, and main dining room – with each space designed to reflect a more contemporary feel. Currently led by executive chef Russell Doctrove, the restaurant retains the classic Jimmy’s spark while giving dishes a modern spin, such as madras curry or chicken supreme kiev. 

Head out to the New Territories to find The Better ‘Ole, a bar and restaurant that’s reputedly the oldest British-style pub in Hong Kong. Boasting a 75-year history, The Better ‘Ole was opened in 1947 by a retired army veteran next to the Kowloon–Canton Railway Station in Fanling, serving up flavours of comfort to homesick soldiers stationed at the camps in nearby Queen’s Hill and Shek Kong.

This old location has been gone for a while, but diners can go to their Sheung Shui branch, which has been running since the 80s, or their newer branch in Fanling’s Luen Wo Hui, which is not far from their original premises. The colonial-era memorabilia, old photos, neon signs, and newspaper clippings are the perfect backdrop to dishes such as fish and chips, curries, borscht soup, New Zealand sirloin steaks, baked escargot, and more. This third-generation nostalgic eatery may well be the New Territories’ best-kept secret.

Even if you’ve never heard of Mido Cafe, you’ll most certainly recognise its interior. This cha chaan teng-bing sutt combo hasn’t changed one bit ever since it was established in 1950, and exudes nostalgia thanks to its well-worn coloured windows, mosaic tiles, and ceiling fans. It has served as a backdrop for numerous films and TV shows, including The World of Suzie Wong, Moonlight Express, Street Fighters, and Revolving Doors of Vengeance. Try and grab a seat in one of the booths near the window so you can admire the scenery outside. 

One of Hong Kong’s first fine dining European restaurants, Gaddi’s has been a destination for special occasions for the past 60 years and counting. While maintaining its time-honoured traditions, Gaddi’s has also been rolling with the times to add creativity to its menu offering while still providing the same luxurious experience it has over the years.

Opened in 1966, Boston Restaurant is one of the city’s very first Hong Kong-style western steakhouses. Perched on the corner of Luard Road and Johnston Road, the restaurant has been a Wan Chai landmark with its unmissable giant neon sign and street views of the tram. Best known for its theatrical sizzling plates with slabs of meat served flambéed tableside, the restaurant has created its own cuisine, adapting local elements to the western dishes. The mixed grill, baked rice dishes, buttered buns, and minestrone soup are all past and present signatures of Boston Restaurant.

This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Lin Heung Tea House. This restaurant has been in our city for over 104 years but it’s faced a few gruelling periods, and even closed its doors in August 2022 due to the pandemic. Luckily, the restaurant has returned in full force, and is ready to provide Hongkongers with dim sum from their old-school trolleys once again. What’s more, this dim sum den has also opened a brand new hand-shaken drink counter on their ground floor, providing customers with a range of creative tea-based drinks.

Despite its unassuming exterior, this old-school style tea house located in Tai Mo Shan serves up a range of traditional dim sum, including Chinese dumplings, rolls, buns, and other delicacies in classic Cantonese style. Everything here is mostly self-service, down to preparing and pouring your own tea. Many of the vegetables here are sourced from a local farm, which means the dim sum is not only flavourful but also fresh.

Many assert that this is the first proper cha chaan teng in Hong Kong. That claim may be dubious, but its credentials as a local culinary institution most certainly are not up for debate, having been around since the 1940s and opening international branches in Singapore, Taiwan, and China. All the standard cha chaan teng fare here is good, but it’s the coffee and egg tarts that have kept people coming back to this patch of Wan Chai for over 70 years.

Located on Elgin Street, Yuk Yip Dessert has been famous for its classic Chinese desserts for more than a century. Despite its quaint set up, it has remained a popular spot for some late-night meals and a place to satisfy any sweet cravings after dinner or drinks.

This place is a true Hong Kong institution and has been serving up Cantonese delicacies for over half a century. This postwar hotel was built in the 50s, and was once a popular socialising spot for Hong Kong celebrities, socialites, and important government officials between 1950 to 1960, before closing its doors in 1985. The restaurant, however, carried on. After surviving a devastating fire in early 2020, the restaurant is still standing with its nostalgic interior and continues to serve nostalgic Hongkongers its famed roast pigeon.

As unfussy and unpretentious as it gets, Oi Man Sang has been a Sham Shui Po staple since 1956 – making it one of the oldest dai pai dongs in Hong Kong. Popular with locals and tourists, Oi Man Sang’s down-to-earth dining experience doesn’t take away from their gusty dishes. Without much change over the years, the dishes on the dai pai dong’s menu are still crowd-pleasers.

As one of the city's longest standing Indian eateries in town, Gaylord Indian Restaurant has been open since 1972 and continues to serve standout tandoor-roasted dishes, decadent stews, and curries.

A Sai Ying Pun institute for over 50 years, the latter half of the 2010s was not kind to Sammy’s Kitchen. They were forced to remove their famous cow-shaped neon sign in 2015 and came close to relocating in 2017 after their rent was doubled overnight. Thankfully they survived, and continue to serve up both cha chaan teng staples and vintage Hong Kong-style Western food, which is an increasingly rare cuisine.

Altogether almost 130-years-old through its various iterations, Ser Wong Fun has been an institution here for generations. The restaurant has retained a fiercely loyal following who come in their droves for the shop’s delicious snake soup believed to have myriad of health benefits. If you’ve still got room for more food, their glutinous rice with Chinese cured sausages is another must-try dish.

Established in 1956, this iconic eatery located in the oldest public housing estate in Sha Tin is not just your ordinary dai pai dong. The artsy photographs on the wall and randomly placed memorabilia give this place an eclectic vibe. The restaurant is run by Cheung Man-keung (also known as B Gor), a patron of the arts and a well-known figure in the community. B Gor and his staff regularly organise events from bowling competitions to beach clean-ups and even run a monthly Elderly Happiness Day at the shop where noodles are given to the elderly for free.

Tai Ping Koon is one of the oldest existing names in Chinese restaurant history, having first opened in 1860 in Guangzhou before coming to Hong Kong in 1937. A favourite among neighbourhood locals, the food at Tai Ping Koon is consistent and plentiful. Aside from their Swiss sauce chicken wings (which are rumoured to be the original recipe for the iconic dish), Tai Ping Koon Restaurant’s must-try signature dishes are the roasted young pigeon and TPK dry fried rice noodles with beef.