The best restaurants for solo dining in Hong Kong

Plating up fantastic multi-regional tapas dishes, 22 Ships is a great restaurant to frequent as a group or as an individual. Their u-shaped bar allows for a buzzing atmosphere and is perfect for devouring a range of light bites that you can graze easily on your own. They also have a dynamic drink menu focusing on Spanish wines, sangrias, and cocktails, to complete the top dining experience on your own. 

Located in the bustling district of Mong Kok, Akune Wagyu Tachikui Yakinikumise specialises in Japanese-style BBQ. Offering different cuts of A4 and A5 Wagyu beef from Kagoshima. There are also a variety of sauces, salts, and spices available for you to match your meat with. An unmissable place for all carnivores to eat happily on their own.

Whether you're in need of a satisfying breakfast or quick mid-day snack, sometimes, only the fluffy scrambled eggs on decadent buttery thick toast at the Australian Dairy Company will do. Thankfully, they offer it around the clock with other popular egg and milk-based dishes on the menu. Eating alone at this fast-paced cha chaan teng doesn't even feel like you are, thanks to the swift-moving staff and their tendency to not bat an eyelid, so naturally, neither will you.

Head to Basehall 2 in Jardine House where you'll be spoilt for options. This culinary destination houses some of the city's top culinary talents all under one roof, making this venue a hotspot for foodies. Order dishes from dice kiosks such as Both Street, Ah Chun Shandon Dumpling, and On Lee Noodle Shop to enjoy multiple cuisines at once; or grab a seat by counter kiosks to dine in at venues like Artifact, Moyo, Porker, and more.

Unlike most hotpot restaurants where you share a communal pot with your table,  Boat Boat Steam offers a unique steam-slash-hot pot experience catered for solo diners. Start your meal off by steaming your desired protein or veggies in the pot built into your table. Once you’re ready to move on, you can ask the restaurant’s staff to remove the steaming rack, so you can enjoy a selection of congees and hotpot broths that’s already inside the pot.

The American-style burger joint is located in the heart of Wan Chai and serves up a range of burgers and fried foods that always hit the spot. Grab a double cheeseburger, wash it down with one of their milkshakes, and you'll have yourself a great meal for one. You don't even need to share any of your fries!

Unsurprisingly, Iciran is on this list as it's well known for offering an individual ramen experience, whereby you swap your office cubicle for a dinner cubicle. The wooden booths here offer privacy at its finest, allowing you to slurp your ramen in peace. There’s everything you need, from a self-serve green tea dispenser to a magic call button for placing your orders. All you have to do is fill out your order sheet, hand it to a faceless-waiter behind the bamboo curtain, and wait for your ramen to appear. A recluse’s dream.

Maks Noodles is one of the best places to go for fuss-free, delicious Cantonese comfort fare. Try the classic wonton shrimp noodles in soup, which is likely to be one of the best meal deals you can get in Hong Kong. Located on Wellington Street, Maks Noodles is the kind of no-frills dining experience that you can easily enjoy, even without a dining companion.

A chain restaurant originally from Japan, On-Yasai specialises in Japanese style hotpot or shabu-shabu. Their menu features a wide range of premium protein and fresh ingredients such as A5 Saga Wagyu beef, Kumamoto pork, Japanese vegetables, and much more that you can dip into their signature yuzu soup with collagen, among other broths.

Not that we need another reason to love the popular pasta bar, but Pici’s soul-satisfying hand-rolled pasta is always served in a fuss-free and casual style restaurant where you are not required to make a reservation. Service is quick and some branches have large windows to open up for a semi-alfresco experience that you can enjoy all on your own, so you can slurp up dishes of beef cheek pappardelle or cacio e pepe in peace.

Despite Sushi Tachi's small space, its wooden bar tables, cherry blossom decoration, and soft lighting give the restaurant a decent Japanese flair. All of its seafood offerings are selected directly from Japan’s Tsukiji Market every day, and the sushi is made exclusively using rice from Fukui Prefecture. Signatures include the mini urchin bowl rice, grilled olive flounder sushi, and jumbo pink prawn sushi. The restaurant also updates its menu every month, featuring seasonal and rare fish species. 

With 20 locations in the city, Sushiro offers plates of quality sushi and sashimi at affordable prices. Unlike other conveyor belt sushi restaurants, Sushiro offers partitioned seats that separate you from other diners, so you can grab as many plates of sushi as you like without being disturbed. You can also order any item from their touch screen menus, and have them delivered to your table via conveyor belt. 

Yakiniku Like is a popular hitori yakiniku (one-person barbecue) restaurant from Tokyo that has opened a few venues in Hong Kong including Sheung Wan, Causeway Bay, Kowloon Bay, Sha Tin, Kwai Fong, Mongkok and Sheung Shui. The Japanese barbecue joint offers a range of set menus as well as a la carte items at incredibly affordable prices so you can do your worst at the solo grills. Plus, orders are taken via QR code which makes it a quick and (mostly) contactless experience too.