Dim sum is Hong Kong at its most sociable. A proper yum cha is less a meal than a slow morning ritual: pots of tea topped up again and again, bamboo steamers stacked two and three high, and a table of family or friends reaching across each other for the last prawn dumpling. The small plates run from featherlight har gau to sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf, and the best of them balance skill with a total lack of fuss.
This guide runs from three-Michelin-star dining rooms to a cheap-eats counter that opens before dawn, so there is something here whether you are marking an occasion or nursing a hangover. We have spread the choices across the island, Kowloon and the New Territories, and noted the nearest MTR for each. Hong Kong’s restaurants change hours and even addresses quickly, so check the latest before a special trip, and browse more places to eat across Hong Kong if you want to keep exploring.
What to order, and how yum cha works
If you are new to it, start with the classics and build from there. A few dishes appear on almost every trolley and are a good measure of a kitchen:
- Har gau: steamed prawn dumplings in a thin, pleated wrapper. The benchmark dish.
- Siu mai: open-topped pork and prawn dumplings, often crowned with roe.
- Char siu bao: fluffy or baked buns filled with sweet barbecued pork.
- Cheung fun: silky rice noodle rolls, usually with prawn, beef or barbecued pork.
- Lo mai gai: sticky rice with chicken, steamed in a lotus leaf.
- Egg tarts and custard buns: the sweet way to finish.
Tea is part of the deal, so pick a pot to share, from light jasmine to earthy pu-erh, and give a light tap of two fingers on the table to thank whoever tops up your cup. Weekend mornings are the liveliest and the busiest, so arrive early or book at the smarter places.
Dim sum for a special occasion
Lung King Heen
Perched inside the Four Seasons with views across the harbour, Lung King Heen was the first Chinese restaurant in the world to hold three Michelin stars, and it still cooks Cantonese dim sum of extraordinary polish. The baked barbecued pork buns and the steamed lobster and scallop dumplings are the dishes to order. Book well ahead and come at lunch, when the kitchen’s craft is on fullest show.
Address: Podium 4, Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance Street, Central | Nearest MTR: Hong Kong Station | Hours: lunch and dinner daily | Typical spend: high-end, minimum spend applies
Good to know: Lunch is when the full range of dim sum appears; book a week or more ahead for a window table.
Duddell’s
Set across two floors of a heritage mansion off Duddell Street, Duddell’s pairs a one-Michelin-star kitchen with a genuine contemporary art collection on the walls. The dim sum leans inventive without losing the plot, from an abalone puff with taro to a luxed-up siu mai of pork, prawn, scallop and fish roe. It makes a smart choice for a long, unhurried weekend lunch.
Address: Levels 3 to 4, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central | Nearest MTR: Central Station | Hours: lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday | Typical spend: high-end
Good to know: Go at weekend lunch and leave time to wander the art on the walls between courses.
Man Ho
Man Ho, the Cantonese room at the JW Marriott above Pacific Place, holds a Michelin star and makes all of its dim sum in house. Expect the classics handled properly, alongside live seafood and roast meats. The two lunch sittings fill quickly, so reserve a table before you go.
Address: 3/F, JW Marriott, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty | Nearest MTR: Admiralty Station | Hours: lunch and dinner daily | Typical spend: high-end
Good to know: The two lunch sittings book out fast, so reserve, and ask for the barbecue platter alongside the trolley classics.
Modern favourites and reliable chains
Tim Ho Wan
Once crowned the world’s cheapest Michelin meal, Tim Ho Wan turned humble dim sum into a global name, and the original-lineage Sham Shui Po shop still draws a queue. Order the baked barbecued pork buns, which arrive with a sweet, crackly top, along with the rice noodle rolls and steamed beef balls. It is quick, cheap and genuinely good.
Address: G/F, 9 to 11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po | Nearest MTR: Sham Shui Po Station | Hours: daily, roughly 10am to 9.30pm | Typical spend: budget
Good to know: Put your name down and browse Sham Shui Po’s fabric stalls while you wait for a table.
DimDimSum
DimDimSum built its following on well-made classics at fair prices, and its piggy-shaped custard buns are a social-media favourite that happen to taste good too. The Jordan branch keeps long hours, which makes it handy for a late supper after a night out. Go for the standards done well rather than anything showy.
Address: G/F, Man Wah Building, 23 Man Ying Street, Jordan | Nearest MTR: Austin or Jordan Station | Hours: daily, until late | Typical spend: budget to mid
Good to know: The long hours make this a rare spot for a proper dim sum supper after 10pm.
Social Place
Social Place brings a lighter, no-MSG sensibility to Cantonese cooking in a retro-modern room in Central. The truffle prawn dumplings and the crispy prawn cheung fun show a kitchen happy to update classics with care rather than gimmickry. It is a comfortable middle ground between a teahouse and a special occasion.
Address: 2/F, The L. Place, 139 Queen’s Road Central, Central | Nearest MTR: Central Station | Hours: lunch and dinner daily | Typical spend: mid
Good to know: The truffle prawn dumplings can sell out, so order them as soon as you sit down.
Old-school teahouses
Lin Heung Tea House
For a taste of old Hong Kong, Lin Heung is the archetype, a teahouse of nearly a century where dim sum still comes off trolleys pushed between crowded tables. After decades on Wellington Street it moved to Sheung Wan in 2026, bringing its original trolleys, teaware and gloriously chaotic atmosphere with it. Arrive early, be ready to share a table, and to compete, politely, for the good carts.
Address: G/F, Tung Ning Building, 249 to 253 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan | Nearest MTR: Sheung Wan Station | Hours: from early morning | Typical spend: budget to mid
Good to know: Get there before 9am for the busiest carts and the best pick of the trolleys.
Luk Yu Tea House
Open since 1933, Luk Yu is an Art Deco time capsule of dark wood, ceiling fans and waiter service rather than trolleys. It trades as much on atmosphere as on food, and the dim sum is at its best in the morning and early afternoon. Come for the setting and a pot of good tea, and book ahead if you can.
Address: 24 Stanley Street, Central | Nearest MTR: Central Station | Hours: daily, dim sum until late afternoon | Typical spend: mid to high
Good to know: Come for morning tea rather than dinner, and do not rush; the room is the point.
Lung Wah Hotel
A short trip out to Sha Tin, Lung Wah has been going since 1951 and is famous above all for its Hong Kong-style roast pigeon, served in a leafy garden setting. It is a proper day-out destination, dim sum and old-school Cantonese classics included. Treat it as an excursion rather than a quick bite.
Address: G/F, 22 Ha Wo Che, Sha Tin, New Territories | Nearest MTR: Sha Tin Station, East Rail Line | Hours: daily, lunch through evening | Typical spend: mid
Good to know: Pair the roast pigeon with a turn around the garden; it works best as a half-day trip from town.
Cheap eats and late-night dim sum
One Dim Sum
One Dim Sum in Prince Edward held a Michelin star more than a decade ago and has been one of the city’s best-value dim sum shops ever since. Prices are low, the cooking is high, and the queue is simply part of the deal. Go early or late to dodge the worst of the wait.
Address: G/F, 209A to 209B Tung Choi Street, Prince Edward | Nearest MTR: Prince Edward Station | Hours: daily, morning until late | Typical spend: budget
Good to know: Cash goes furthest, and the queue is shortest just after opening or late in the evening.
Sun Hing
For dim sum before dawn, Sun Hing in Kennedy Town has fed night-shift workers, market traders and night owls since 1972. It opens in the small hours and serves everything fresh off the steamer, from char siu bao to curried tripe. This is the one for the end of a long night, or the very start of an early morning.
Address: Shop C, G/F, 8 Smithfield Road, Kennedy Town | Nearest MTR: Kennedy Town Station | Hours: daily, from the small hours to mid-afternoon | Typical spend: budget
Good to know: This is a point-at-the-steamer, share-a-table kind of place; bring small notes and an empty stomach.
Good to know
A few practical notes to get the most out of yum cha:
- Timing: dim sum is traditionally a morning-to-early-afternoon affair, and some places stop serving it by mid-afternoon, though a few now run all day or late into the night.
- Booking: the Michelin dining rooms need reservations, often days ahead; the teahouses and cheap eats do not take bookings, so go early or expect a queue.
- Tea: you will be asked which tea you want first, and jasmine, pu-erh and oolong are all safe, comforting choices.
- Paying: many old-school spots are cash-only and tally your bill by counting the empty plates on the table.
- Etiquette: tap two fingers on the table to thank whoever pours your tea, and leave the pot lid ajar when you want a refill.
- Peak times: weekend mornings are the liveliest and the busiest, so a weekday visit is calmer.
Dim sum is only the beginning of Hong Kong’s food scene. Browse more restaurants across Hong Kong in our directory, or start with the wider guide to things to do in Hong Kong if you are planning a day around your meal.
Run a restaurant or teahouse yourself? List your business on advertise.hk so diners searching for their next yum cha can find you. And because hours and prices shift often here, it is always worth checking a venue’s latest details before making a special journey.
Still hungry for ideas? Explore the city’s independent coffee shops or the wider guide to things to do in Hong Kong.
Here are a few posts you might want to read about:
Dim Sum Restaurant in Hong Kong
15 Best Yum Cha Restaurants in Hong Kong
