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.

Bun Bun is a vibrantly coloured takeaway food stand in Sai Ying Pun that specialises in Taiwanese gua-bao (stuffed buns). This spot offers various types of bao on their menu, with fillings such as sous-vide pork belly, deep-fried chicken, cuttlefish ink sausage with a spicy meat sauce, and more. If you’re after something more filling, Bun Bun also offers Taiwanese rice bowls topped with braised pork sauce, side dishes like fries and deep-fried mushrooms, and even decadent French toast that comes sweet or savoury.

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.

Modern Filipino restaurant Dara has moved across the Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood to a brand new venue that provides plenty of dining space. On the food menu, you’ll find classic Filipino dishes that were on their previous menu, along with new additions such as pandesal with liver pate, a variety of charcoal-grilled skewers with options like chicken intestines or chicken feet, sizzling sisig, as well as sinigang made from your choice of pork belly or shrimp. As for drinks, Dara’s head mixologist, Jon Bunoan, will be shaking up refreshing cocktails like calamansi margarita, Chocnutini – a martini infused with a chocolate-peanut syrup – as well as a pandan negroni. While Dara has kept most of their decor from their previous venue, the new space will also offer a karaoke and billiards room, which is still under construction but will be fully operating by early January.

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.

Inspired by Hong Kong’s beloved dai pai dong restaurants, Shop B is a modern Cantonese restaurant situated next to and helmed by the team behind Sai Ying Pun’s Indian-French fusion restaurant Pondi. This restaurant serves generously portioned plates of Cantonese classics that range from appetisers such as crispy large intestine or saliva chicken; sizzling dishes like ‘jer jer’ X.O lettuce or claypot fried oysters with ginger scallion; to irresistible mains such as crispy fermented bean curd pigeon as well as black pepper potato beef.

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.