Food And Dining
A lot of people come to Cheung Chau specifically for the food, and there are indeed a range of traditional and modern choices. As a historic fishing village it is of course very related to seafood, fish and marine products. Here you will find a full range of seafood dishes, but also traditional Hong Kong Cafe fare, Cantonese Dim Sum and international choices as well.
🍽️ Complete Cheung Chau Food Guides 2026
Discover all the authentic restaurants, hidden gems, and specialized dining experiences with detailed reviews, current pricing, and insider tips!
Plan Your Cheung Chau Food Adventure
- Explore Food Guides: Authentic seafood restaurants guide
- Reserve a Table: Find & book restaurants on OpenRice →
- Vegetarian Options: Complete vegetarian dining guide
Featured Cheung Chau Restaurants
Five places you can walk to in a day: what each one is known for, the price band it publishes, where it is and when it is open. Bands are the per-person bands each place's own OpenRice listing publishes; the two fishball stalls are banded under HK$50 a head.
| Dish | Vendor | Price band | Where | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big fishball, nine sauce flavours from original to Sichuan mala | Tung Yuen Snack (東源小食店) | Under HK$50 a head | G/F rear, 30 Praya Street (tel 2981 9683) | No published hours; cash only |
| Big fishball, the other stall locals compare Tung Yuen with | Sze Loi Snack Shop (時來食坊) | Under HK$50 a head | G/F, 150 San Hing Back Street | No published hours; cash only |
| Razor clams in black bean sauce, salt-and-pepper mantis prawns, salt-and-pepper Bombay duck, scallops with garlic and glass noodles | New Baccarat Restaurant | HK$101-200 a head | G/F, 9A Pak She Praya Road (tel 2981 0606) | Daily, 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM |
| Salt-and-pepper squid, salt-and-pepper mantis prawns, razor clams in black bean sauce, sweet-and-sour pork | New Hong Kee Restaurant (新康記菜館) | HK$51-100 a head | G/F, 11A Pak She Praya Road (tel 2981 9916) | Wednesday to Monday, 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM; closed Thursdays; cash only |
| Sizzling oyster omelette, salt-and-pepper squid, razor clams in black bean sauce, ginger-and-scallion crab; good for groups | So Bor Kee | HK$51-100 a head | G/F, 11C Pak She Praya Road (tel 2981 0998) | Daily, 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM |
If you only eat one thing, make it a big fishball from Tung Yuen Snack on Praya Street: nine sauce flavours from original to Sichuan mala, under HK$50, and a few minutes' walk from the ferry pier.
Choose by what you want
| If you want | Go to |
|---|---|
| A cheap eat you can hold in one hand | Either fishball stall: Tung Yuen on Praya Street or Sze Loi on San Hing Back Street. Under HK$50 a head, cash only, minutes from the pier. |
| A sit-down seafood lunch by the water | Pak She Praya Road, where the restaurants have tables facing the water: New Baccarat at HK$101-200 a head, New Hong Kee and So Bor Kee at HK$51-100. |
| Dim sum | No dim sum room on the island is open: the Warwick Hotel's Bay-View Chinese Restaurant has closed. The small Cantonese restaurants inside the village are the fallback. |
| Something small for children | A big fishball on a skewer from either stall: under HK$50 a head and no sit-down meal to commit to. |
One name in older guides is a dead end. There is no Long Island Restaurant on Cheung Chau: "Cheung Chau" translates literally as "long island", and the only Long Island restaurant in Hong Kong listings is a closed beach restaurant on Lantau, 20 km away.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cheung Chau Food
- Do I need to book restaurants in advance?
- It is recommended to book ahead, especially on weekends and during festivals, as Cheung Chau is a popular destination.
- Are there vegetarian or vegan options?
- Yes, many restaurants offer vegetarian and vegan dishes year-round, but the most spectacular vegetarian experience occurs during the Bun Festival. From the first day of the festival until the parade passes, the entire island transforms into a vegetarian paradise where only Buddhist-style vegetarian foods are served. This unique cultural tradition means that even international restaurants like McDonald's offer special vegetarian menus during this sacred period, creating an extraordinary culinary experience found nowhere else in Hong Kong. For a complete guide to vegetarian dining options, see our comprehensive vegetarian food guide.
- Can I bring my own seafood to restaurants?
- Many seafood restaurants allow you to bring your own fresh seafood from the market for a small cooking fee.
- Are there English menus available?
- Most major restaurants have English menus or picture menus for visitors.
Fishballs
Fishballs are a popular snack everywhere in Hong Kong, either steamed, boiled in stock, or served with curry sauce. And not just made of fish but of a variety of seafoods including squid, and of course with various meatballs as well. Eaten on a stick from a street vendor, while leaning forward and taking care to not drip sauce on ones shoes, this is a truly Hong Kong experience and on Cheung Chau some of the best known fishballs in all of Hong Kong can be found.
Gan Yongtai fishball shop (pictured) was previously the best known on the island, located in the large square in front of the ferry pier underneath the large tree. Unfortunately, this famous shop closed in August 2024. However, visitors need not worry as many other excellent fishball stands and snack vendors remain throughout the island, each with their own unique style and recipes. You can still find quality fishballs at various street food stalls around the ferry pier area, along Praya Street, and near Pak Tai Temple - so do try several different vendors for a true taste of Cheung Chau!
As you can see some of the "balls" are in fact triangles, and these are made of bean curd which is set, sliced into shape, and then fried. Served in various combinations on long skewers they are a popular snack for locals to the island as well as visitors.
Current Fishball and Snack Options
Gan Yongtai has gone, but the fishball is still the snack the island is known for, and two stalls a few minutes from the pier are the ones to try:
- Tung Yuen Snack (東源小食店): G/F rear, 30 Praya Street (tel 2981 9683); the big-fishball veteran, with nine sauce flavours from original to Sichuan mala. Cash only, under HK$50 a head.
- Sze Loi Snack Shop (時來食坊): G/F, 150 San Hing Back Street; the other stall locals compare it with. Cash only, under HK$50 a head.
Neither stall publishes opening hours, and both are a few minutes' walk from the ferry pier.
Seafood Restaurants
Catering to the large number of visitors who are coming to Cheung Chau for a seafood lunch or dinner there is a stretch of seafront with many seafood restaurants. Each one has tables by the sea as well as some indoor seating. Focusing on providing food for visitors it concentrates on rustic and traditional Cantonese presentations of seafood. Try a steamed fish with ginger and spring onion, stir fried little clams with chili, crispy deep fried squid or steamed garlic prawns. Typical accompaniments such as plain or fried rice, beef and broccoli stir fry and sweet and sour pork make for a complete meal and cater to those who do not like seafood.
Like many seafood restaurants those on Cheung Chau allow you to bring your own fish which has been purchased nearby either directly from live seafood shops nearby, or from the wet market. In that case only a "cooking fee" is charged when you specify how you would like your fresh seafood prepared.
To reach the seafood restaurant street turn left after you leave the ferry pier and walk towards Pak Tai Temple, it is signposted, until you see a cluster of restaurants. While the last in the row, called the New Baccarat Restaurant, is particularly well known each of the restaurants including Hong Kee and So Bor Kee can provide a good meal. Each restaurant along this famous stretch offers its own unique character and specialties while maintaining the traditional charm of this historic fishing village.
Detailed Restaurant Information
New Baccarat Seafood Restaurant stands out as the crown jewel at the end of the restaurant strip. Located at 9A G/F Pak She Praya Road, this establishment has earned its reputation through years of serving exceptional seafood with breathtaking harbor views. The restaurant's distinctive yellow tablecloths have become an iconic sight along the waterfront, welcoming guests daily from 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM. For reservations, call +852 2981 0606. The dishes it is known for are razor clams in black bean sauce, salt-and-pepper mantis prawns, salt-and-pepper Bombay duck and scallops steamed with garlic and glass noodles. The outdoor seating provides an unforgettable dining experience where you can watch the fishing boats return with their daily catch while savoring your meal.
New Hong Kee Restaurant (新康記菜館) - the name over the door, though older guides still call it Hong Kee - offers a more intimate, family-style dining experience at 11A Pak She Praya Road. Open 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM Wednesday to Monday, closed Thursdays, this beloved establishment can be reached at +852 2981 9916. Known for its authentic Guangdong-style preparations, Hong Kee specializes in traditional Cantonese seafood dishes and masterful stir-fry creations that have been perfected over generations. The restaurant's homemade approach ensures that every dish carries the warmth and authenticity that local families have cherished for decades. Their chefs take pride in using time-honored techniques that bring out the natural flavors of the freshest ingredients.
So Bor Kee Restaurant sits a few doors further along at 11C Pak She Praya Road. Reachable at +852 2981 0998, it is a Cantonese seafood restaurant set up for group dining, and its signature dish is a sizzling oyster omelette. With an average price range of HK$51-100 per person, So Bor Kee is one of the cheaper sit-down options on the strip.
To reach the wet market and buy live or fresh slaughtered seafood turn right after leaving the ferry pier and walk along the waterfront until you see the large multi level municipal services building. The seafood vendors are upstairs.
There are many more seafood restaurants on Cheung Chau beyond these three, including a large one you will pass on the walk to the wet market.
Dim Sum
Cantonese Dim Sum on Cheung Chau comes from the small restaurants inside the village rather than from a dedicated dim sum room. The Bay-View Chinese Restaurant at the Warwick Hotel, which older guides list for dim sum overlooking the beach, has closed - so plan dim sum around the village, not the hotel.
Hong Kong Cafe
As a residential district Cheung Chau has no shortage of small cafes that keep up the traditions of the Hong Kong Style Cafe, mixing western and Asian dishes with local ingredients and always a Hong Kong flair. Try the King's Cafe which overlooks the harbour about 100m north from the ferry pier and try their famous Giant Fresh Orange and Lemon Juice, or towards the south of the island in a square beyond the public market building is Coffee or Tea which serves both Cafe and Cantonese dishes in a delightful alfresco environment.
International Choices
Morocco's Bar - Serving both Pub Grub, traditional Indian Curry and Thai dishes this well established watering hole overlooks the sea from a location just next to the ferry pier. Try one of the international choices of beer to go with a Chicken Tika or Rogan Josh, and pair it with a Thai fried rice for some variety!
For comprehensive dining information, explore our complete authentic seafood and local food guide featuring traditional recipes, restaurant recommendations, and culinary heritage details.