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Hong Kong is a foodie’s paradise, but with roughly 17,000 restaurants to choose from, it’s not easy to separate the bad from the acceptable and the good from the truly great. One way to cut through the noise? Ask a Michelin Guide inspector – it’s their job to eat, rate, and report on the best restaurants in the city, and just two months into 2026, they have pinpointed a number of new eateries to add to the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau.
Of the nine restaurants added, five of them opened in the last 12 months; the rest have been in operation for several years already, meaning it’s never too late to chase that Michelin recognition. Akira Back, Fiata Pizza, Hau Tak Restaurant, Jean-Pierre, Jija, Lai’s Kitchen, Mesa, Sol, and Twelve25 make up the first batch of new joiners for 2026.
Akira Back, the eponymous restaurant by the Korean-American chef, opened last autumn at The Henderson in the Central district, bringing creative Japanese-Korean-American cuisine to Hong Kong. His meticulous plating and finessed flavours garnered praise and attention, especially with signatures like the AB Tuna Pizza and Brother From Another Mother sushi roll. Jija is the latest offering by chef Vicky Lau, known for Tate Dining Room and Mora. Her refined interpretation of Guizhou and Yunnan cuisines, which includes dishes like dry-aged roasted pigeon, drives this new restaurant at Kimpton Hong Kong. Jean-Pierre by Black Sheep Restaurants is a chic neighbourhood French bistro, where the Poulet de Simone roasted chicken should always be the centrepiece of the meal, and the cornichon martini is an absolute must-order.
Hit up the down-to-earth Fiata Pizza for authentic Neapolitan pies, courtesy of chef Salvatore Fiata – the Provola e Pepe is his claim to fame, having won Pizza of the Year 2024 for Asia-Pacific at 50 Top Pizza. ZS Hospitality’s innovative Sol puts a contemporary fine-dining spin on Korean classics and ingredients; the Jeonbok with Jeju abalone is a standout dish. For a modernised dai pai dong experience, there’s Lai’s Kitchen; don’t miss their stir-fries and the claypot rice bowls, like the perilla black bean eel claypot rice or the golden garlic crab claypot rice. Hau Tak Restaurant in Causeway Bay presents expertly crafted Cantonese dishes and dim sum without the usual banquet hall stuffiness – its sautéed conch and chicken with honey-glazed Yunnan ham is highly recommended.
Over in Macau, chef José Avillez’s Mesa has made a comeback at the Karl Lagerfeld hotel, presenting Portuguese cuisine in a grand setting. Diners should look out for the seafood rice and caviar, and the chicken with piri piri sauce and Jerusalem artichoke. At the Praia Peninsula, Twelve25 blends artistic Neo-French creations with thoughtful wine pairings, distilled into an indulgent six-course tasting menu format.
Michelin Guide adds restaurants to its Hong Kong selection and Macau selection once every two months, primarily new dining destinations that its inspectors deem to be recommendable. Being added to the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau does not mean these restaurants have secured a Michelin distinction like a Star, a Green Star, or a Bib Gourmand – these will only be announced and awarded at the annual ceremony, which is taking place this year on March 19 at Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, by the way. We will be keeping our eyes out to see if any of the venues recently added to the Michelin Guide Hong Kong & Macau will be picking up a shiny new accolade next month…
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