The best restaurants in Kennedy Town

Helmed by native Mexican chef Esdras Ochoa who previously appeared on Netflix’s The Final Table, 11 Westside plates up authentic Mexican fare like chunky guacamole, elote, a sweeping selection of tacos, and plenty more. After your meal, venture further into the restaurant to find their hidden bar, The Wilshire. Headed up by beverage director Daniel Eun, who also contributed to venues such as OBP, The Wilshire’s menu provides a range of classic and modern cocktails in their casual yet sleek environment.

This spicy, sour, soupy joint is simple. Choose your spice level, pick from a choice of Yunnan, Shanghainese or crystal noodles with anything from leek dumplings, trotters, shredded chicken and their signature fried pork chop. And you’re all set. Topped with chopped spring onions, peanuts and pickles, this mix of spicy, sour and savoury makes for a cheap, filling and flavourful meal. 

Bresola is a small cosy joint on Catchick Street that dishes up delightful Italian cuisine. While this restaurant may seem humble with their no-frills approach to their offerings, we can’t deny that the food and service here will make you feel right at home. Expect to find a classic range of stone-baked pizzas, pastas and risottos on their menu; as well as a small selection of wines and spirits to wash everything down.

If their name wasn’t a dead giveaway, Bun Cha Vietnamese is a casual restaurant that specialises in Vietnamese dishes. Aside from bún chả which come with toppings like fried spring rolls or grilled pork neck, this casual eatery provides diners with bites like bánh mì, phở with rich and fragrant broths, and light rice paper rolls stuffed to the brim with veggies.

With numerous locations across town, Dough Bros is a popular takeout joint that specialises in fluffy sourdough pizzas. Aside from their savoury pizzas, customers can also enjoy fluffy mouthwatering doughnuts stuffed with indulgent fillings like nutella and custard. 

If you want to save yourself from travelling all the way to Sai Kung to dine at Little Cove Espresso, the popular all-day dining venue has a second location in Kennedy Town which shares a similar atmosphere to their flagship location. Aside from having plenty of seats inside their spacious venue, Little Cove also has a handful of seats close to their floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a scenic view of the Kennedy Town Praya. The café’s menu spans from breakfast pastries and bowls to brunch classics and baked goods – so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

The Kennedy Town location of Pici offers top-quality Italian food found at all their venues across the city, served by a fun and friendly staff at incredibly great value. They also have some exclusive pasta dishes for Pici Kennedy Town, including a ravioli of Atlantic codfish wrapped in spinach dough and topped with capers, olives, and potato mousse, and a rich and creamy tagliatelle with black mussels in saffron cream, cherry tomato, chilli and garlic, along with favourites of pappardelle lamb ragu, and cacio e pepe among others.

Relatively hidden on Forbes Street, this funky, intimate space boasts some eclectic decor - birdcages with superman toy figures inside, a wall of costume hats and wigs, antique-looking vases. While there’s no rhyme or reason to it, it does adds to the restaurant’s character. Foodwise, Missy Ho’s offers an Asian fusion menu that’s designed for sharing. Highlights include edamame with chili salt, yakitori skewers and the pork belly bao. 

While Sheung Hei’s appearance might seem humble, this Cantonese restaurant has earned a coveted reputation as an Michelin-recommended eatery and is known for their piping hot dim sum and various types of claypot rice cooked over charcoal fires, which gives the dish a smoky aroma. If by chance you’re not here for their heart-warming claypot rice bowls, Sheung Hei’s menu also offers an expansive selection of Cantonese classics like stir-fries and steamed seafood that are just as delicious.

With a range of restaurants serving Canto classics, cha chaan teng faves and everything in between, Smithfield Cooked Food Centre is a hub for local eateries. One of our favourite places is the spicy chicken hot pot joint 雞煲 (Chicken Pot). There's no English menu but this numbingly spicy dish is a welcome change from your average hotpot, with generous helpings of chicken and a wealth of additional items from noodles and tofu to lotus root. 

For a stomach-filling dim sum that’s not only delicious but also very accessible, Sun Hing is your answer. This humble little dim sum joint is made for night owls; open until 3am under normal circumstances. Unlike most restaurants, customers don’t get to just pick and choose off the menu. Instead, the dim sum here comes fresh out of the steamer, and servers will go to each table asking if there are any takers once the food is ready. The leftovers are then stacked together on a side table, where customers can later go back to take what they want to eat.

Taste All Pâté is a little French bistro tucked away in Kennedy Town that provides casual fine dining that won’t burst your budget. Whether you come for lunch or dinner, Taste All Pâté’s set menus will provide diners with dishes such as beef Wellington served with truffle sauce, lamb racks coated in coffee rub, handmade pasta dishes, as well as flaky pâté en croûte.

Kennedy Town’s Trattoria Piccolo is a Venetian-style cicchetti bar that dishes up plenty of pizzas and pasta dishes, as well as Italian wines, artisanal spirits, and spritzes. The pizzas here are thin and delightfully crispy, yet hold plenty of toppings without losing their structural integrity. On their menu, you can find a range of classic pizza varieties such as parma ham and arugula, or even creative pizzas such as the Tamagotchi – a pizza topped with Japanese eel, bonito flakes, and tamagoyaki.

Step into Yuan Is Here to transport yourself into the heart of a bustling Taiwanese night market, where you’ll be immersed in a vibrant atmosphere full of bright lights, colourful signs, and most importantly, great bites. This Taiwanese joint offers street food classics such as braised pork rice, oyster omelettes, and salt and pepper chicken that’ll leave you satisfied; as well as an extensive list full of beverages like bubble and fruit teas to wash everything down.