Where to Eat on a Night Out in Hong Kong
From dim sum and clay pot rice to fried chicken and snake wine, these are the spots that keep the sleepless metropolis fueled after dark.
This piece originally appeared in SAVEUR’s Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more stories from Issue 205.
In Hong Kong Cantonese, you don’t say you’re hungry; you say, “My stomach is beating drums.” And after sunset, to follow the metaphor, that drumroll ushers in a late-night food scene unlike any other: curry fish ball skewers on the streets of Kowloon, beef brisket noodles in eclectic Sheung Wan, and hot milk tea from any stall that beckons.
Feasting after dark is in the city’s DNA. I learned quickly that my adoptive home of eight years wasn’t kind to morning people, as anyone who’s tried to buy a coffee before 9 a.m. can attest. Night is when the island lights up, literally and figuratively, with gaggles of trendsters, fanny pack-sporting grandmas, and party-hearty expats all pushing their way into noodle bars and cha chaan tengs (our local diner equivalent).
The hot, humid daylight hours are partly why we’re a city of night owls. When the neon signs turn on, Hong Kongers step out to their favorite restaurants and cafés, many of which look like set pieces from a Wong Kar-wai movie.
The heart of the action is in the Central District (plus nearby Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun, and Kennedy Town neighborhoods), home to a Michelin-starred Peking duck mecca, Japanese yakitori restaurants, Chinese clay pot rice haunts, and everything in between.
There is a downside to eating after sundown: waiting in line in the muggy heat. Before queuing up, consider grabbing an ice-cold beer (yes, public drinking is legal) or a cold-brew tea from the closest convenience store. Here, 7-Eleven is so ubiquitous that locals often step inside just for the air conditioning, making “Club 7-Eleven” one of the busiest hangouts around.
Wherever you wind up, one thing’s certain: The thrum of this city of nightcrawlers will make your heart—and your stomach’s drums—beat faster.
3–5 Elgin Street
+852 2810 0860
Dim sum is usually daytime food, but this cheeky restaurant (whose punny name means “good mouth taste” in Canto) serves bites into the wee hours, from pandan cakes resembling mahjong tiles to “Tetris-style” pineapple and mango slices to purple corn dumplings. As you hum along to the alt ’90s playlist (think Björk and Pulp), sip a Lucky Buck cocktail—scotch, yuzu, honey, ginger beer—from a gold lucky cat.
After a night out on the lash, I love the quick, no-frills service of this beloved fast food chain—the less that stands between me and my springy fish ball soup, the better. The hot broth feels extra nourishing with a sidekick of lai cha, a Hong Kong staple of black tea with evaporated milk, which dates back to World War II.
1 Wing Lung Street
+852 3484 9126
Wolfing down a bowl of hot, brothy noodles with sweat dripping down the back of your neck is a local rite of passage. At this minimalist Central District café, spring for the anise-y beef noodle soup bobbing with chunks of turnip cake, and be prepared to share a table with strangers (an essential part of the experience).
Ser Wong Fun
30 Cochrane Street
+852 3579 5954
Every year is the Year of the Snake for many Hong Kongers, who’ve been eating the reptile for centuries. Try it here, deep-fried in snackable balls or shredded in a tangerine-infused soup called ser geng. To wash those down, a shot of snake “wine”: a sharp, fiery homemade hooch infused with the slithery creatures.
Winsome House, 154–158 Wing Lok Street
+852 2547 9273
Breast isn’t always best, as this casual Sheung Wan fried chicken spot goes to show: Neck, gizzard, and skin make for phenomenally flavorful bites bursting with salt, smoke, and acidity. Nab a table, or join the crowd at the bar juggling skewers in one hand and a highball in the other. The housemade sesame ice cream, sandwiched between sesame cookies, makes a perfect cooling finale.
Egg tarts arrived in Hong Kong in the 17th century via Macau, where Portuguese sailors introduced custardy pastéis de nata even earlier. The local version is denser than its European ancestor; try it at this tile-floored bakery, a standout for its buttery sourdough pastry.
Lee Kung Kee North Point
492 King’s Road
+852 2590 9726
Bubble waffles are simultaneously fluffy and crisp thanks to their namesake air pockets. It’s always mesmerizing to watch, bleary-eyed, as cooks here fold matcha, chocolate chips, or Ovaltine into the batter, then furl the soft-cooked waffle into a cone for easy street eating. Come summer, these extra-eggy waffles are vessels for ice cream, sopping up all the melty sweetness.
Sun Hing
8 Smithfield Road
+852 2816 0616
This cha chaan teng opens at 3:00 a.m. and caters primarily to Hong Kong’s many overnight workers. Michelin-starred chefs, street cleaners, and truck drivers all rub elbows at crammed plastic tables while chowing down on rib-sticking dishes such as barbecue pork buns, duck feet congee, fried taro, and lotus-wrapped glutinous rice.
25 North Street
+852 2819 6190
Don’t bother queuing at this local favorite—head straight to the back and plop down at a communal table. From there, watch the chefs tend to clay pots filled with rice and meats (usually eel or Chinese sausage), which get crispy on the bottom. When your own cauldron arrives, stir its contents together, scraping the smoky, crackly rice into the flavorful roasted meats.
Under Bridge Spicy Crab
391 Lockhart Road
+852 2893 1289
The hot tip is in the name: Crab is the must-order item here. There’s still a lively mud crab industry in Hong Kong, and fishermen catch and deliver the creatures daily to restaurants like this one. After ordering their crustaceans by weight, diners receive them “typhoon shelter-style”—that is, served whole, quick-cooked over open flame, and seasoned with salt, garlic, chiles, and chives.
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