The best restaurants in Sai Ying Pun

Securing a table at Bâtard is no easy feat, but if you’re able to book a dining experience at this French restaurant, you’re in for a treat. A partnership between Bistro du Vin and The Fine Wine Experience, Bâtard offers elevated French cuisine such as beef tartare cannelloni, grilled threadfin with fennel, and their signature roast chicken with warm pilaf rice.  Be sure to browse through their curated selection of fine wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Riesling, and other regions within France as well as around the world.

Brut! is a contemporary Hong Kong restaurant that serves a curated menu of creative sharing plates. Founded by Camille Glass and George Kwok, the bar is intimate and highlights a modest natural wine menu that is mostly served by the glass. Their wine selection changes regularly and allows guests to discover interesting new wines without being intimidated by a vast list of labels. Similarly, their menu changes fairly regularly and diners have the option to order dishes a la carte, or try the chef’s tasting menu to enjoy five courses selected by Brut!’s chef.

Sai Ying Pun is no stranger to trendy eateries that offer great bites, and Cafe2 Oyster N Grill fits the bill exactly. This elegant yet casual dining spot specialises in Western dishes like sumptuous steaks, pasta, pizzas, and freshly imported oysters from Europe. Signature dishes at Cafe2 include grilled items such as char-grilled tomahawk steaks from Australia and USA and their seafood platter with spot prawns, sea whelks, mussels, clams, and fresh oysters served on an ice bed. Cafe2 also allows diners to enjoy a free-flow package of any beer and house red and white wine from their extensive beverage menu to match with their meal. With soft lighting and gentle music, Cafe2 is a great spot in town for a catch up with friends, or even for a romantic date.

This semi-al fresco Italian eatery presents an Instagram-friendly pale pink interior, large French windows, and three floors of dining space – a private dining floor, large open kitchen, and a cocktail bar. Here, you’ll find dishes like refreshing Hokkaido scallop carpaccio with pineapple, spring chicken with roasted mushrooms, duck leg ragu pappardelle with chicken liver, rustic tiramisu and loads more. Pair your meal with one of Casa’s signature cocktails or sift through their wine list to find your favourite tipple.

Brought to you by the same team behind Korean restaurant OBP, Dam:a takes inspiration from Korean noodle bars to put a creative spin on comfort food. On their menu, you’ll find modern takes on traditional flavours like ginseng chicken broth in the Sam Gae ramen, as well as Sullung with South African M5 Wagyu in traditional Korean beef broth. Wash your hearty dishes down with a selection of sake, soju, highballs, and draught beer from their menu.

Dara – meaning ‘auntie’ in Kapampangan (one of the eight major languages of the Philippines) is a family-run business and is named after the restaurant’s executive chef and founder Imelda Bunoan, also known as Darang Mel (Auntie Mel). Expect traditional Filipino dishes with Kapampangan touches like the savoury sizzling sisig, palabok rice noodles with flavourful shrimp and smoked fish sauce, sour and savoury stew called beef sinigang; and their signature deep fried spring roll, lumpiang laing, made with taro leaves, green chilli, and coconut milk.

Fish and Chick is a popular chippy offering seven types of fish that customers can have battered and served with a hefty portion of chunky chips. In addition, customers can also order pan-fried fish entrees, roasted chicken, pastas, and salads. If you’re in the mood for tipples, Fish and Chick also offers daily happy hour prices for all their beers, ciders, house wines, and spirits from 12pm-7pm.

For all the carnivores out there, head to High Street to find Flying Pig bistro, a trendy eatery that offers a menu packed full of protein. Try out their selection of pork dishes such as slow-cooked BBQ ribs, crispy pork knuckle, and grilled Canadian pork chops. But if you need some variety while eating, Flying Pig Bistro’s menu also has a tasty selection of salads, starters, pastas, and burgers that you can order.

While Kwan Kee Claypot Rice is famous for their signature charcoal-cooked claypot rice, they also have an extensive menu full of dai pai dong classics. We highly recommend making a reservation beforehand and most importantly, be patient, as you’ll have to wait an hour for your rice once you’ve placed your order. But trust us, it’s well worth it as the dish is seriously well-cooked and the rice is evenly crisp across the entire bottom of the pot.

While Kowloon City is famous for numerous Thai restaurants, there are several other restaurants around town that also offer flavourful Thai bites just as good as their Kowloon competitors. Established by two former employees of Chachawan, Krua Walaiphan is a modest joint that features a small semi-open kitchen with a fairly large, casual space where diners can chow down on dishes like lap moo, pad see ew, and some authentic creamy Thai curries.

La Paloma provides a chiringuito (beachfront restaurant in Spanish) experience right in the heart of Sai Ying Pun. Step into their venue to find colourful furniture, lanterns, and fairy lights strewn across their dining room. On La Paloma’s menu, you’ll find a wide selection of classic tapas like garlic and chilli prawns, steak tartare on toast, along with lobster paella and crispy roasted suckling pig prepared in their authentic Spanish clay oven.

Named after Pondicherry, the former French colony in India, Pondi presents a casual menu that combines Indian home cooking with classic French culinary techniques. On their menu, you’ll find small dishes such as avocado mess, sumptuous mains like grilled butter chicken, and even vegetarian dishes like tofu korma. Enjoy your meal from their outdoor terrace that spills out onto Fuk Sau Lane, or dine by the kitchen bar to watch the chefs prepare dishes behind the counter. And if you’ve got a party of 20 or more, Pondi allows you to book out their rooftop terrace to host gatherings.

Got a hankering for Korean food? Uncle Padak on High Street offers irresistible fried chicken along with other Korean dishes. Whether you like your fried chicken plain or smothered in sauces like ranch, barbecue, sweet and spicy, and soy; there are plenty of options for you to choose. Can’t decide? Order the half and half option, where you can combine any two flavours of your choice. Pair your crispy fried chicken with main dishes like ddukbokki, ramen, kimchi fried rice, and more.

In addition to having a Sai Ying Pun branch, 616 Hotpot has several locations within the city, and it's perfect for a post-work hangout. Here, you can swish and dunk wafer-thin slices of beef and cook other ingredients like veggies or dumplings in your choice of hotpot broth. Their interior is decked out in vintage decor, which adds to the buzzing atmosphere of the restaurant.