The best Chinese restaurants in Hobart

While not particularly a secret anymore, Hometown Secret is certainly a hometown favourite with Hobart locals. If you’ve got a group of pals all craving good food and a chingwag, round them up for yum cha with favourites like pork and prawn shao mai and sticky rice on offer. The a la carte menu has a strong Chinese and Malaysian influence, so try the simple yet satisfying Hainanese chicken rice and the chilli-laden laksa and notice the nod to Tassie produce like barbecue buns made with locally produced Scottsdale pork. Warm, welcoming and no-fuss, you’ll find plenty to choose from at Hometown Secret – almost too much, so a second visit may be in order. 

Address: 181 Liverpool St, Hobart

Price: Mid-range

Situated smack-bang in the Salamanca Square precinct, Suzie Luck’s is a favourite with Hobart locals and visitors alike. Not your everyday Chinese restaurant, this buzzy joint serves up dishes inspired by China and other Southeast Asian cuisines. At Suzie Luck’s, you’re as likely to devour a plate of local mushrooms, water chestnuts and Szechuan dumplings as you are a steaming bowl of pork and prawn pad thai. Whatever you and your mates (or date) order, make sure you share a side of Suzie’s famous egg fried rice – as well as several delicious cocktails, of course.

Address: 2 Salamanca Sq, Battery Point

Price: Mid-range

With another restaurant in the northern city of Launceston as well as this one in Hobart, Me Wah has got Tassie on lock when it comes to Chinese restaurants. 'Me wah' literally translates to 'exquisite setting', so this is not your local greasy spoon. With crisp linens on the tables and faultless service, this is a more elevated option when it comes to Chinese restaurants in Hobart. Me Wah ceased serving yum cha at the end of 2024, but this Sandy Bay staple has three awesome banquet menus, so gather your family or friends and try a bit of everything: Cape Grim beef black pepper, Singaporean chilli king prawn, Patagonian 'Glacier 51' Toothfish and a sweet and salty peanut parfait to end on a sweet note.

Address: 6 Magnet Ct, Sandy Bay 

Price: High-end

Located at Wrest Point Casino with sweeping views of the Derwent River, Kwan Ho brings the spirit of shared Chinese dining to Hobart. Offering Cantonese, Sichuan and Shanghai flavours, the menu is designed for feasting with friends and family. Signature dishes include steamed scallops with ginger and shallots, fluffy pork belly buns and live Tassie seafood straight from the tanks – think black lip abalone and banded morwong. With its name translating to 'noble man' and the same team behind the Me Wah at the helm, Kwan Ho is all about tradition, flavour and enjoying food the way it’s meant to be – together.

Address: 410 Sandy Bay Rd, Sandy Bay 

Price: High-end

Ask a local what they think is Hobart’s best Chinese restaurant and you may get an answer that's a bit left-field: the delightfully retro Peking Restaurant. While the northern suburb of Claremont may be best known for the Cadbury's chocolate factory, its hometown secret is Peking Restaurant. Step inside and the restaurant’s vinyl chairs, round tables and kitsch wall art take you back decades. The restaurant’s menu, stacked full of classic dishes – think honey chicken, Mongolian beef, sweet and sour pork, and wonton soup – only adds to the nostalgic vibes.

Address: 40 Main Rd, Claremont 

Price: Mid-range

Szechuan Kitchen in Sandy Bay is where Hobart locals head for a fiery flavour fix. Specialising in authentic Szechuan cuisine, this spot delivers all the classics from crispy deep-fried chicken with dried chilli to spicy hot pots and the much-loved mapo tofu. The menu’s packed with variety too, featuring bold stir-fries, hearty soups and dishes that showcase the region’s punchy style. Highlights? The chilli clams, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and pillowy pork belly dishes – all full of flavour and generously portioned. For anyone craving spice done right, Szechuan Kitchen more than delivers.

Address: 16a Princes St, Hobart

Price: Budget

If your specific Chinese food craving is the deliciously flavour-packed parcel that is the dumpling, Pot Sticker is the place for you. With locations in Hobart’s Backpackers Imperial Hotel in the CBD as well as in the northern suburb Moonah, your chopsticks will get a workout with all the small bites on offer: pan-fried chicken and pork dumplings (made with fresh produce from Tassie farmers), spring onion pancakes, fried dim sims, prawn wontons, barbecue pork buns and even mini doughnuts with kaya sauce for dessert. There are wok-tossed mains on the menu too, if your eyes happen to be bigger than your belly.

Address: Unit 3/138 Collins St, Hobart

Price: Mid-range

Being one of the country’s smaller capital cities, Hobart can get pretty quiet after dark. That’s why locals love the anomaly that is Jungle Restaurant, which serves up flavour-packed Chinese cuisine until 11.30pm every night. Even more impressively, it’s usually just one chef and one server on duty (and they’re surprisingly efficient, even on busy nights). Boasting a huge vegan menu with plenty of carnivorous dishes, even the fussiest of eaters will find something they like. Locals rave about the crispy duck, salt and pepper tofu, pineapple fried rice, deep-fried mushrooms and black pepper beef.

Address: 141 Liverpool St, Hobart 

Price: Mid-range 

Situated on the busy North Hobart food strip, MuLan is the Chinese restaurant of choice for NoHo’s discerning diners. This eatery offers yum cha if you want smaller, shareable plates or an à la carte menu full of traditional Shanghai and Sichuan flavours using Tassie produce. Try some of their specials like pan-fried dumplings with local lamb and aged black vinegar, the Chairman Mao pork belly and the Taiwan-style three-shot chicken. If you’ve got a group heading out for the night, pick the banquet option and get a bit of everything.

Address: 343 Elizabeth St, North Hobart 

Price: Mid-range

The owners of Hejo’s, Tony He and his wife Xiaoli Zou, originally hail from the South China province of Fujian, but after moving to Hobart to study at the University of Tasmania, they fell in love with the local culture – and produce. The couple made a home in Tassie, and their restaurant in the CBD heroes the island state’s abundant produce. Hejo’s specialises in seafood and traditional Chinese dishes. Locals love the theatre of ordering the flaming duck with onion and cumin seed, as well as the classic sweet and sour whole fish. 

Address: 33 Elizabeth St, Hobart 

Price: Mid-range