Hong Kong's Best New Openings: May 2026

The standout bar opening of May 2026 — and, arguably, of the year so far. Blanc de Noirs at Mandarin Oriental The Landmark is a dedicated champagne bar with a programme of unusual depth: 25 Champagnes available by the glass (including grower producers and rare disgorgements), a 500-label cellar, curated Champagne flights, signature Champagne-infused cocktails, and a nightly "Champagne O'clock" feature. The room is designed in the hotel's characteristic understated luxury register. If you have a reason to celebrate — or want one — this is the address.

This is not a chain pizza in the dismissive sense of that phrase. Vincenzo Capuano — named after its founder, a regular presence on 50 Top Pizza's global artisan chains list — has arrived on Wan Chai's Lee Tung Avenue with the credentials to justify serious pizza attention. The dough is the story here: slow-fermented, Naples-style, cooked at extremely high temperature to produce the characteristic charred-and-pillowy crust that distinguishes genuine Neapolitan from everything else calling itself pizza in this city. The Margherita is the test. Pass the test.

Migas makes its Hong Kong debut at H Queen's in Central, channelling the energy of a traditional Spanish market — tapas, jamón, croquetas, good wine, the kind of casual warmth that Spain does natively and most Hong Kong restaurants attempt without conviction. The format is communal and informal; the food quality is higher than the format implies. The wine list skews Spanish with some genuine finds from Galicia, Ribera del Duero, and Andalucía that you won't see elsewhere in the city. Booking recommended; expect a noise level that suggests everyone is enjoying themselves.

Chef Jack Chan — a veteran of Hong Kong's Sichuan scene — takes the kitchen at Sichuan Verandah in the newly opened Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour. The hotel's harbourfront location gives the restaurant exceptional views; Chan's cooking gives it a reason to come back. Proper málà (numbing-spicy) technique, careful ingredient sourcing, and a menu that goes beyond the standard ma po tofu and dan dan mian greatest hits without abandoning the classics entirely. The harbour view at lunch, on a clear day, is exceptional.

Dan Ryan's has returned to Hong Kong Island — its biggest iteration yet, in Causeway Bay — and I will confess this is the opening I'm most personally pleased about. The loaded nachos. The roasted baby back ribs. The American comfort-food directness that makes no apologies and requires none. Dan Ryan's was a Hong Kong institution before it wasn't, and the Causeway Bay reopening represents the city welcoming back a familiar face. The room is large, the booths are comfortable, the food is exactly what it should be.

Flat Iron Burger reopened May 1 in Wan Chai, and the queue on opening day was, frankly, disproportionate to what is — however good — a burger restaurant. This is a sign of how much the original was missed. The flat iron cut gives a beefiness that standard burger blends lack; the cooking is precise; the buns have the correct ratio of structure to softness. Order the classic, get the fries, move on with your life one burger happier.

A Japanese eel (unagi) specialist has opened in Tuen Mun — an unusual choice of location for what is a niche but deeply passionate dining concept. Unagi prepared in the traditional kabayaki style (butterflied, steamed, grilled over charcoal, glazed with tare) and served over rice (unadon) is one of Japanese cuisine's most considered single-ingredient dishes. Worth the New Territories trip for eel devotees; the relative obscurity of the location means booking is not yet essential.

A Swiss fondue specialist has arrived in Kennedy Town — which is either perfectly timed (a neighbourhood full of young professionals who want a communal, boozy evening concept) or confused about Hong Kong's climate (fondue in summer humidity is a commitment). The cheese selection is authentically Swiss; the raclette option is excellent; the wine list is functional. Come in October when you'll actually want something warm and molten.

A modern Vietnamese kitchen has opened in Central with a menu that takes the country's herbaceous, citrus-forward flavour vocabulary and applies contemporary technique without losing the freshness that makes Vietnamese food so compelling. The pho is taken seriously (properly long-cooked bone broth, not the shortcut stock version); the spring roll selection is broader than standard; the desserts are unexpectedly good. Price point is reasonable for Central.