Twenty-nine floors above Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui's most talked-about restaurant swap of the summer is about to reopen its doors under a new name. Canton Library, the newest project from Aqua Restaurant Group, takes over the sky-high space long occupied by the group's Italian restaurant Vista — and trades white tablecloths for a menu built entirely around the food culture of the Lingnan region.
In This Guide
What is Canton Library?
Canton Library is a new sky-high Chinese restaurant from Aqua Restaurant Group, the hospitality group behind the long-running Aqua Tokyo/Shanghai restaurant and bar in the same One Peking tower, and the well-regarded Chinese Library at Tai Kwun. Rather than another Cantonese-only menu, Canton Library widens its lens to the whole Lingnan region — the historical area south of the Nanling mountains that spans Guangdong, Guangxi, Chaoshan, Hakka communities, Hong Kong, Macau, Hainan and even southern Vietnam.
The restaurant takes over the 29th-floor space vacated by Vista, one of Aqua Restaurant Group's Italian concepts, giving Canton Library the same harbour-facing skyline views that made its predecessor a fixture on Tsim Sha Tsui's fine-dining map. Opening is scheduled for the second week of September 2026, according to Foodie's confirmed September openings round-up.
What's on the menu?
Kitchen duties are split between two specialists. Executive chef Junno Li leads the seafood-forward main menu — he already runs the food programme at Aqua's The Chinese Library inside Tai Kwun, so Canton Library effectively becomes that concept's sister restaurant in Kowloon. Dim sum is handled separately by chef Leung Kwok-wa, whose service is singled out by early coverage as a highlight in its own right.
Expect the kitchen to draw on ingredients and techniques from across the Lingnan region rather than sticking to a strictly Cantonese repertoire — Chaoshan-style seafood preparations, Hakka-influenced braises and Hainanese touches are all fair game alongside classic Guangdong dim sum, reflecting the diversity of the coastal south rather than one province alone.
Why is a Lingnan-wide menu different?
Most of Hong Kong's Chinese fine-dining rooms narrow their focus to a single province or city — classic Cantonese, Chiu Chow, or Sichuan, for instance. Canton Library's premise is broader: Lingnan cuisine as a shared coastal culture stretching from the Pearl River Delta down through Chaoshan, the Hakka hinterland, Hainan Island and into northern Vietnam, unified by shared ingredients like fresh seafood, rice, and a preference for delicate, natural flavours over heavy sauces.
That positioning also links Canton Library neatly to its Central sibling: diners who know The Chinese Library at Tai Kwun for its Guangdong dim sum with reduced salt and sugar will recognise chef Junno Li's culinary hand across the harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, just with a wider regional canvas and a rooftop view over Victoria Harbour instead of a heritage courtyard.
Canton Library
Replaces Vista, Aqua Restaurant Group's former Italian restaurant in the same 29th-floor space; exact opening-day hours and dinner pricing had not been published at the time of writing, so confirm directly before booking.
Getting there
One Peking sits at the corner of Peking Road and Canton Road, close to the Star Ferry pier end of Tsim Sha Tsui. From East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station's Exit L5 it's about a 2-minute walk. It's an easy pairing with a harbourfront stroll along the Avenue of Stars, or dinner reservations elsewhere in the neighbourhood — browse our guide to Hong Kong's best Japanese restaurants for other Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon options, or read up on Tai Kwun across the harbour, home to chef Junno Li's original restaurant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Worth knowing
Canton Library opens in Tsim Sha Tsui in September 2026 — a rare Lingnan-wide Chinese menu with harbour views, from the team behind The Chinese Library at Tai Kwun. Book ahead via Sevenrooms once the calendar opens.