A city with more than 25,000 places to eat, Hong Kong will always spoil visitors, even without its seemingly endless stream of new openings.
Even so, the inspiration, ingredients, and innovation behind Hong Kong's best new restaurants, from the Peruvian Andes to northern England, are stretching the city's global reach even further in 2023.
Here are the 11 best additions to the city's dining scene, each offering a world of flavors when you travel here:
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Ichu Peru
Virgilio Martinez is arguably Peru's most famous chef, the man behind the award-winning Central in Lima along with other restaurants around the world. His new Hong Kong spot, Ichu Peru, is named after a plant from the Peruvian Andes that grows only in the harshest conditions.
It is his first venture in Asia, serving modern Peruvian dishes that are as intriguing as they are comforting and delicious. Chef Sang Chong worked alongside Martinez at Central and now heads the new kitchen in Hong Kong's Central district.
The interior, designed by Joyce Wang, can seat up to 80 guests, and the open terrace has already become a favorite spot for outdoor dining.
Ichu Peru, 3/F, H Queen's, 80 Queen's Road, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2477 7717
Kytaly
It is a huge claim, and a very subjective one, but the "world's best pizza" has landed in Hong Kong.
The man behind Kytaly's unusual name, which blends the Japanese character for life energy, "Ki," with "Italia," is renowned pizza chef Franco Pepe.
His first restaurant abroad sits in one of the nightlife hubs of Hong Kong Island, on Wyndham Street in the heart of the city. A third-generation baker, Pepe developed a new pizza dough from his own flour, then topped it with ingredients that are 99% imported from Italy, such as pork from Caserta and buffalo mozzarella from Campania.
That helps explain the HK$208 ($26) price tag on his Margherita Sbagliata ("Mistaken Margherita"), one of 19 pizzas on the menu.
Pepe's pies, served at his Pepe In Grani restaurant in the Italian town of Caiazzo, have earned a string of global awards, which keeps his Hong Kong restaurant packed with diners.
Kytaly Hong Kong, 5/F, 77 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2808 1961
Roganic
Simon Rogan needs no introduction to British diners, thanks to his five restaurants that hold four Michelin stars between them.
He has opened two neighboring restaurants in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay district.
They are the experimental hub Aulis Hong Kong, with just 12 seats, and Roganic, a 40-seat modern venue focused on farm-to-table cooking inspired by England's Lake District and some of its finest ingredients.
Always creative and ahead of its time, Rogan's food delights on every level and reminds Hong Kong diners, and chefs, that there is still plenty of room in the world for innovation.
With natural wines, fresh and foraged produce, and flawless execution, this restaurant is sure to be one to watch in 2023.
Roganic, Shop 8, UG/F, Sino Plaza, 255 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 2817 8383
SHÈ
SHÈ is the Chinese character that embodies hospitality, and also the name of a modern Chinese restaurant inside one of Hong Kong's most historic and exclusive department stores, Lane Crawford, located in the IFC Mall.
The restaurant's dishes, much like its fashion-conscious clientele, blend Chinese classics with clever, innovative, and health-minded twists.
There is everything here, from classic Cantonese roast meats to dim sum and noodle dishes, plus an afternoon tea served with cocktails. The restaurant's terrace, overlooking Victoria Harbour, has quickly become a place to see and be seen.
SHÈ, Level 3, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2110 0153
Wagyumafia
If you love beef, there is nothing more delicious or exclusive than Wagyumafia, which recently opened in Wan Chai. That is because this 18-seat restaurant and meat club, launched in Tokyo by Hisato Hamada, serves only Japanese-raised wagyu beef from Kobe and Tajima.
There is just one tasting menu, which showcases the variety of cuts and techniques, including shabu-shabu and yakiniku.
The most famous item, however, especially on Instagram, is the cutlet sandwich that steals the show. An extraordinarily thick Chateaubriand cutlet is fried in Japanese panko breadcrumbs, then served on Japanese milk bread with the restaurant's own signature sauce.
Other menu items include tuna straight from Tokyo, but premium products such as the top 1% of the already pricey Kobe beef do not come cheap, which means the signature tasting menu will set you back $230 per person.
Wagyumafia Hong Kong, Shop 1B, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai; +852 2812 0500
John Anthony
Another spot with an intriguing name, especially for a Chinese restaurant, comes in the form of John Anthony in the Lee Gardens urban mall in Causeway Bay. Regional Chinese cuisines, including Sichuan, Hunan, and Shandong, are the stars of the menu, but Cantonese plays an important role too.
The 7,000-square-foot space boasts three custom-built barbecue grills that cook many of the dishes. The Flat Bed BBQ grill turns out traditional Cantonese roast meats such as char siu, including Iberico pork, Black Angus short ribs, and Australian wagyu sirloin.
There is a wide choice of dim sum, with handmade Alaskan crab dumplings and steamed rice rolls with soft-shell crab and squid ink delivering a full mouthful in several variations. The bar is another draw, especially its 12 "gin taps," each filled with house-made gin infused with botanicals from the ancient "Spice Routes."
John Anthony, 1 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 2898 3788
Hotal Colombo
It is not a typo. Hotal Colombo is deliberately named to reflect the local pronunciation in Sri Lanka, a country with a rich cuisine. Tucked into SoHo, the restaurant is inspired by the countless eateries in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo where workers go for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The pastel pink and blue tones of the decor and the waiters' outfits reflect the tropical mood of the island nation, while the soundtrack adds to the atmosphere. The place seats just 40 diners, making it intimate and inviting, and it is where chef Gisela Alesbrook shares her deep love for her country's cooking through plates meant for sharing.
Among the standout dishes is the "Bone Marrow Varuval with Pol Roti," where slow-cooked veal bone marrow is paired with delicious, freshly made roti flatbreads. Hoppers, a beloved kind of Sri Lankan pancake, are eaten at every meal and are perfect for dipping into curries, such as a fragrant fish curry with coconut milk and fresh curry leaves.
Hotal Colombo, 31 Elgin Street, SoHo; +852 2488 8863
Artemis & Apollo
For a city that reflects every cuisine in the world, great Greek food has historically been underrepresented in Hong Kong. Discover the Greek taverna Artemis & Apollo, which brings the soul of the country's finest dishes to diners in Wan Chai.
The compact twin dining rooms echo the twins of Greek legend that gave the restaurant its name, and the soundtrack skips traditional bouzouki music in favor of Greek and global tunes from across the years.
Chef Andre LeFeuvre worked at Souvla in San Francisco, so he has the perfect resume to prepare a flawless taramasalata made with cured mullet roe from Greece, or the wonderfully decadent fried Saganaki cheese.
Squid, octopus, and lamb chops are other Greek staples elevated to new heights, while a diverse Greek wine list holds a few hidden gems.
Artemis & Apollo, G/F, 9-11 Moon Street, Wan Chai; +852 6991 6231
KONG
The Wan Chai-based Bread & Beast turns out refined sandwiches that are popular with locals and visitors alike. The recent opening of an evening restaurant called Kong in the same location has allowed the venue to take its cooking to a whole new level.
After dark, the restaurant reinvents local Cantonese classics with unexpected twists, so the "cheung fun" rice noodle rolls come blanketed in gooey melted cheddar, mac-and-cheese style. Crispy shallot pancakes make the perfect platform for a chicken liver pate with Hua Diao wine, while the "angry cabbage" lives up to its name thanks to chili oil and a broth of toban djan (spicy bean paste).
The rich bar program includes cocktails that champion Chinese spirits, popular with locals and visitors who like to stand outside on the quiet little street.
KONG, 3 Swatow Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; +852 2237 1868
Prohibition Grill House at the Marriott
The Ocean Park Marriott hotel sits on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, right next to the city's version of Disneyland. The Prohibition Grill House & Cocktail Bar looks the part: red velvet curtains, brick walls, leather banquettes, and copper piping that evoke the 1920s.
Chef Jason R. Lloyd oversees a menu that opens with classic dishes such as a hearty seafood chowder or a superb shrimp cocktail featuring wild seafood imported from Canada, served with a lime jelly for a citrus note.
Of course, meat is the star of the show, with carnivores spoiled for choice among a broad selection of cuts from around the world. Japanese M4 wagyu is hard to beat, while the Australian ribeye is another popular pick. Flawless sides and decadent desserts round out the picture.
Prohibition Grill House & Cocktail Bar, G/F, Club Wing, Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, 180 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen; +852 3555 1900
Ecriture
Ecriture means "to write" in French, and this top-floor dining room in one of Hong Kong's most popular restaurant destinations stunned the culinary world when it opened in May 2018 and earned two Michelin stars just seven months later.
Chef Maxime Gilbert plays brilliantly with French and Asian textures and flavors. For example, pan-fried lamb is served with choy sum, Shanghai cabbage, and Taiwanese spring cabbage sauteed with preserved lemon and seaweed. The whole plate is crowned with a lamb jus and black truffle.
Desserts include an impressively constructed chestnut ganache with three separate citrus fillings, the entire creation wrapped in delicate chocolate rings.
Ecriture, 26th Floor, H Queen's, 80 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong; +852 2795 5996
