I wrote a review on my dining list in Macau, but it ain't all the famous restaurant/cafe list available. I didn't purposely went searching for the recommended restaurants but I walked around and ate when I felt hungry. That brought to me a surprising discovery - almond cookies shop where Poker King was filmed. *Don't forget to click on the links*
Now I'd like to share a concise list of Macau dining places which I kept when surveying for food in Macau. Quite a common one shared across the internet but I did some simplification to include the address/info available. Hope it helps you to shortlist easily.
WHERE to eat and WHAT to eat in Macau?
(adapted from Macau dot com)
Cantonese noodles
Cantonese noodles are from Canton (Guang-zhou) and first became popular in the 1920s. The noodles are famous for being as fine as silk, smooth and springy to the bite. In Macau, some restaurants still makes it the traditional way, using long bamboo sticks, although most have stopped the time-consuming practice. You can eat it with a variety of toppings, either dry or in soup.
Wong Chi Kei（黃枝記）is the most famous Macau’s traditional Cantonese noodle restaurants. It has a few outlets, including one at Rua de Cinco de Outubro (十月初五街), and another more central outlet near Senado Square (議事亭前地). Other shops which stick to the traditional method of preparation is Fung Shing Chu Kei Noodle Expert（鳳城珠記), Wan Tat noodles shop（宏達麵食）near the Rua da Barca（渡船街), Lok Kei congee and noodles shop（六記粥麵） at Sha Lei Tau（沙梨頭） and Weng Luen Kei noodles shop（聯記麵家）at the Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida.
A bowl of Cantonese noodles only cost you about MOP20 to MOP30, you would find it worth much more than what it cost.
Wong Chi Kei（黃枝記）
Phone: +853 2892 2271
Opening Hours: Daily 15:00 - 01:30
Reservations: Required
Phone: +853 2833 1313
Opening Hours: Daily 08:00 - 00:00
Fung Shing Chu Kei Noodle Expert（鳳城珠記)
Phone: +853 2821 1836
Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 - 00:00
Reservations: Required
Authentic Portuguese egg tarts
Portuguese egg tarts are Macau’s most famous snack. They are different from the egg tarts you’ll find in Cantonese dim sum restaurants. Macau’s more decadent version has a buttery flaky pastry shell with a custard filling that has a crème brulee-like consistency and a crispy caramelized sugar shell. Bite into the crisp top, sink your teeth into the creamy filling and chew on the buttery pastry – you’ll feel like there’s a party going on in your mouth. Make sure you get one fresh out of the oven. If you’ve taken-away the egg tarts, try to heat them up in an oven before eating them.
While egg tarts are available from bakeries all over Macau, the most famous are those from the Margaret’s Café e Nata (瑪嘉烈餅店) , which is near the Grand Emperor Hotel (英皇酒店) and Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau peninsula and Lord Stow’s Bakery (安德魯餅店) , which have several outlets in Coloane Village (路環村).
Margaret’s Café e Nata (瑪嘉烈餅店)
Phone: +853 2871 0032
Opening Hours: Daily 06:30 - 20:00, closed on Wednesday
Reservations: Required
Description: Tucked away in one of Macau’s lively pedestrian back alleys, Café e Nata is closest to Hotel Sintra and serves some of Macau’s most delicious baked goods. Its Portuguese egg tarts are reason enough to visit Macau, though you will also find fresh made sandwiches, pies, cheesecakes, fresh juices, homemade pizzas, and quiches.
Lord Stow’s Bakery (安德魯餅店)
Lord Stow's Bakery
Phone: +853 2888 2534
Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 - 22:00, except Wednesday 07:00 - 18:00
Reservations: Required
Delivery Service: Yes
Description: The name Lord Stow’s has become synonymous with the best Portuguese egg tarts in Macau. Different from the egg tarts you find in Chinese dim sum restaurants and even in Portugal itself, Macau’s version is a more decadent, with a buttery flaky pastry shell and rich custard filling.
Created in 1989 by Briton Andrew Stow, the much copied formula uses cream instead of water and flour for its filling - resulting in a crème brulee-like consistency. The top of the egg tart is slightly charred - to give it a crisp bite and a sprinkling of cinnamon on top and contains no preservatives or additives. This crisp texture, combined with the creamy filling and buttery pastry is love at first bite.
Since establishing his first bakery in 1989, Lord Stow’s Bakeries now sell 3,000 egg tarts a day at MOP6 each. There are now franchises in Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan.
But while egg tarts are available at bakeries all over Macau – especially near Senado Square, you’ll have to make the trip out to Coloane to taste the original, which locals still swear is the best. Coloane Village could well be referred to as Lord Stow’s land - with two Lord Stow’s Bakeries and a Lord Stow’s Garden Café taking residence there, you’ll see tourists and locals tucking into the bright yellow pastries round every corner.
We recommend eating steaming hot egg tarts straight from the ovens of Lord Stow’s Bakery, because they taste twice as nice when piping hot. The bakeries also sell a range of freshly baked pastries and breads.
Lord Stow's Garden Cafe
Phone: +853 2888 1851
Opening Hours: Daily: 10:30 - 19:00
Description: But while egg tarts are available at bakeries all over Macau – especially near Senado Square, you’ll have to make the trip out to Coloane to taste the original, which locals still swear is the best.
Coloane Village could well be referred to as Lord Stow’s land - with two Lord Stow’s Bakeries and a Lord Stow’s Garden Café taking residence there, you’ll see tourists and locals tucking into the bright yellow pastries round every corner.
We recommend eating steaming hot egg tarts straight from the ovens of Lord Stow’s Bakery, because they taste twice as nice when piping hot. The bakeries also sell a range of freshly baked pastries and breads.
Lord Stow’s Garden Café is a rustic English-style café with a small courtyard selling mostly Western meals and sandwiches.
Get your egg tarts hot from the bakery instead of here, but if you feel like something more substantial, here is a nice place to grab a bite. Be warned however that the Garden Café opens at 10.30am but closes at 7pm daily – so if you want dinner, plan to be here by 6pm. The sandwiches (which start at MOP20) come with your choice of white or whole meal bread and you can choose your fillings like ham, smoked salmon or egg or chicken mayo from the sandwich bar.
There are daily specials, but favorites include the lasagna, fish pie, roast beef, Cornish pasty and beef burgers, which all come with a large serving of salad. The middle-aged ladies working in the open concept kitchen are efficient and generous with their servings and fillings. Healthy meals are also available – try the homemade yoghurts and steamed egg white omelet served with tuna and sweet corn.
There are well trained staff who speak good English, especially a Javanese waiter, who is knowledgeable and attentive, topping up customer’s drinks, and refilling tea pots when they run low.
There is a wide range of herbal teas, fresh coffee and wine available.
Expect to pay about MOP80 for an average meal.
Dessert stalls
Make sure you try the famous two-layer milk curd, which you'll find at dessert shops located in Senado Square (議事亭前地) and around Avenida Almeida Ribeiro (新馬路). The sweet smooth cream literally slides down your throat. For homemade ice cream, go to Lai Kei Ice Cream (禮記雪糕) on Rua de Abreu Nunes (荷蘭園二馬路). There’s a large selection of ice cream flavors including distinctly Asian flavors sold by the scoop.
For a healthy thirst quencher, you’ll find stores selling fresh coconut juice, coconut ice cream and coconut flesh not far from Rua dos Mercadores (營地大街) and Rua da Tercena (果欄街). We like Hone Heng Cocos’ (洪馨椰子) refreshingly light coconut ice cream made with fresh coconut juice. If you like modern sweets and desserts, Jing Yu Mang Tang (金玉滿堂) at Zone Barra and “Sweet and Sweet” (幾米陽光) in Taipa have many healthy and delicious desserts mostly made with fresh fruit. For traditional sweets and desserts like almond paste, walnut paste, sesame paste and rice balls, you can find dessert stalls on Rua da Felicidade (福隆新街).
Famous snacks
Almond cookies
That wonderful nutty smell you’ll come across while walking on the Rua do Cunha up to the Ruins of St Paul’s (議事亭前地) comes from the freshly baked almond cookies tourists bring home by the bagful. Other than almond cookies there are egg rolls, peanut and ginger candy and pastries. Try the free samples before deciding on your purchase.
Barbequed meat
Meat lovers will find it difficult to resist these thick and juicy slabs of meat which are seasoned with spices and served up in sheets. Similar to beef jerky, they are sweetened and seasoned with spices and usually made of pork and beef, though there are also gourmet wild boar and ostrich varieties. Eager stall owners standing outside their shops with large scissors are only too happy to snip off a chunk for you to try before you buy.
Shark’s fin
This delicacy is usually served up in fancy restaurants with an equally fancy bill at the end of the meal. But in Macau, there’s no need to wait for a special occasion to indulge in a piping hot bowl of tasty shark’s fin broth. Fook Lun New Street Rua da Felicidade (福隆新街), which is just opposite the area around Senado Square offer bowls at just MOP35 - and they do a roaring trade. Simply pull up a stool and slurp away – but be warned, you may have to wait.
Pork Chop Bun
Macau’s Pork Chop Bun’s (or Ju Pa Bau in Cantonese) is simplicity at its best. It consists of a sizzling hot deep-fried or pan-fried pork chop sandwiched into a white bun. There are no condiments or dressings; the secret is simply getting the crispness of the bun and juiciness of the pork chop just right.
Restaurant Victoria (勝利茶餐廳) on Rua dos Mercadores (營地大街) in central Macau serves up a hearty half-inch thick filet which will satisfy any appetite. On Avenida do Conselheiro Borja (青洲大馬路) located in northern Macau, you'll find Lau Kei Restaurant (劉記美食), which serves up tender pan fried pork chops and chewy hand-made fish bass balls, both of which are loved by locals and tourists alike. Lau's is one of the few food stalls left from a bygone era, and is a great choice for tourists to get a sense of authentic Macau food culture.
Goodies to take home
Two local bakery chains famous for their cookies, peanut candy, egg rolls and other sweets are Choi Heong Yuen and Koi Kei. Their packed outlets are all over Macau – tourists looking gifts for friends back home can be seen carrying huge bags out of the stores.
Other savory snacks from Southeast Asia
Go to Rotunda de Carlos da Maia (三盞燈) and you'll find many Burmese restaurants serving flavorful fish soup served with fried noodles and bean pie, coconut flavored chicken noodles, and specialty marinated foods. Other favorites include the painstakingly-made layer cake, deep fried chicken in pandan leaves, soft coconut custard and many other Southeast Asian specialties.
Also on Rua de S. Domingos (板樟堂), you’ll find Shanghai-style food of which the pan-fried dumplings are the best. They have less skin but more meat filling than the common dumpling and each bite is juicy and tasty. Go to the food stalls in front of the former Capitol Theater Commercial Center (國華戲院商場) next to Sun Star City (信達城) and you'll find fragrant snacks like egg ball and gateau.
Restaurants with a long history
For a taste of the old Macau, go to Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) (龍華茶樓) and Nam Peng Café (南屏雅敍). With over 40 years of history, Long Wa Restaurant (龍華茶樓) is a perfect representation of Macau’s old leisurely lifestyle. In addition to sampling the past and eating delicious food, tourists can enjoy an interesting artwork collection. To get a feel for what Macau was like during the 70's, go to Nam Peng Café (南屏雅敍), a shop with a lot of history and tasteful antique decor. There's a strong sense of coziness in this place. Relax as the veteran waiters bring you food just as it was in the old days. Homemade cakes and pastries, including the famous and almost extinct egg puff, can be found here as well.
Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) (龍華茶樓)
Phone: +853 2857 4456
Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 - 14:00
Reservations: Required
Description: Forty year old Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) is proof that the living habits of old Macau are alive and well. Here, tea drinkers can relive the past and also enjoy arts and culture, not to mention the savory delicacies from the kitchen.
The owner of Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House), Big Brother Deh, keeps the tea aromatic and fragrant as this is in his opinion of utmost importance to run a successful teahouse and the first secret to attract customers. This means never neglecting the freshness of the tea leaves. He also pays careful attention to the naturalness of the atmosphere.The Long Wa Restaurant (Tea House) sits on a corner and has windows opening on three sides, and is warm in the winter and cool in summer even without air conditioning. Snacks which accompany the tea are very reasonably priced at about MOP10 each, with a minimum charge (for tea) per person of only MOP6. The restaurant is stocked with all the best teas, and prices range from very affordable to exclusive.
he tables next to the windows are the comfortable and spacious, and the balconies are filled with a forest of green plants. Add to this the view of the historical Red Market and the restaurant’s renowned dim sum, and you have paradise on earth. Big Brother Deh introduces the food, such as BBQ pork buns, pork fried noodles, and beef chow fan, as traditional and ordinary teahouse masterpieces. As for the mouthwatering cold chicken plate, it is tender and delicious. Since the restaurant is only a few steps from the Red Market, the ingredients are always fresh.
Big Brother Deh is a man of graceful manners, and he counts among his friends many filmmakers and artists. Over the years, the teahouse has held exhibitions of calligraphy, paintings, photographs, and other works of art. The teahouse is filled with treasured teas and antique furnishings, giving it a distinctive feel not to be found elsewhere. Its elegant atmosphere attracts customers in droves from around the region including mainland China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Nam Peng Café (南屏雅敍)
Phone: +853 2892 2267
Opening Hours: Daily 6:30 - 18:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Macau’s Rua de Cinco de Outubro was so named in commemoration of the birth of the Portuguese Republic, and it is one of the oldest streets in Macau. It has many establishments each with considerable history themselves. This old street’s style and atmosphere mixes traditional Chinese with western culture and is best represented by Nam Peng Café.
Nam Peng Café may just seem like an elegant old eatery, like a distinguished gathering place for artists, but upon entering you’ll be in for a surprise. This café is full of history, and the people of Macau, who have a very laidback way of living and have adopted the European custom of afternoon tea, can often be found with a few friends in the afternoon with a cup of coffee and a sandwich or an egg tart fresh from the oven, talking about all kinds of affairs and generally having a good time.These kinds of old-fashioned teahouses are hard to find nowadays and its relaxed atmosphere is the biggest reason why Nam Peng Café is so popular.
The café, with its two stories, seats about 100 people. Most of its customers are locals, and the strength of this establishment is in the friendship between the old proprietor and the long time customers, not to mention the waiters some of whom have worked at the café for years.Nam Peng Café’s milk tea and BBQ pork and egg sandwich are a delicious combination. If you are health conscious, tell the waiter that you want your egg sandwich with “less cooking oil” and you’ll have a lighter sandwich. The BBQ pork and egg sandwich is about one inch thick, and the egg portion is nothing short of hearty. Add the BBQ pork and soft bread and the sandwich just cannot be beat!Nam Peng Café’s special baked pastries and bread are also worth a try. If you calculate it right and they’re just popping out of the oven, these fresh, hot, and delicious pastries would be worth any price, but as it is they are a bargain.Gather your friends or a good book or newspaper and go to Nam Peng Café for a coffee and food. You’ll find that time flies here.
Popular Macanese and Portuguese restaurants for local cuisine
Camoes (賈梅士葡國餐廳) serves authentic Portuguese food in a typically Portuguese ambience. This restaurant is housed in a colonial style building in the theme park Fisherman’s Wharf (漁人碼頭) , next to the Macau Ferry Terminal. It is has a nice ambience with a good selection of Portuguese wines.
Henri’s Gallery (美心亨利) is a cozy family-run Macanese restaurant in a quiet part of Macau peninsula with great views of the lake and Macau Tower (澳門旅遊塔會展娛樂中心) . It has been around for 30-years and is not only popular with tourists from all over the world, but also locals. You’ll be given an apron to wear in this non-pretentious restaurant which has a quaint old-style charm with a nautical theme. A must try is the spicy African chicken and the Macau sole.
Near the Maritime Museum (海事博物館) and the A-ma Temple (媽閣廟) in Macau peninsula, are 3 very famous restaurants on Rua do Almirante Sergio. The most famous of the 3 is A Lorcha - known as THE place to try for Portuguese cuisine. This warm, wooden café-style Portuguese restaurant has friendly staff, efficient service and serves up large servings which are value for money. Popular with large groups, you’d better book in advance to avoid disappointment.
On the same road Litoral (海灣餐廳) serves authentic Macanese food using recipes from the Macanese chef’s family and prides itself on using fresh ingredients. Another cozy and warm restaurant which serves up all the Macanese favorites, as well as Portuguese specialties.
Also a few doors down is O Porto Interior, a friendly and affordable Macanese and Portuguese restaurant decorated in colonial style. The 2-floor restaurant is popular with celebrities and tourists for its comfortable setting and ambience. There is a homely feel and a wide range of desserts for the sweet-tooth.
Camoes (賈梅士葡國餐廳)
Phone: +853 2872 8818
Opening Hours: Daily 12:30 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Description: Go up the stairs of the seemingly old colonial building, in Fisherman’s Wharf’s Lisboa area and leave the festive atmosphere of its brightly lit shops and cafes behind, entering into a cool, cavernous space designed to suggest an ancient European villa, with Mediterranean-style stone arches framing a quiet timeless elegance that is both ancient and modern. The snowy table linen is subtly lit at night by glowing candles; by day the stone is dappled with sunlight, and the soft strains of Portuguese music play in the background.
Camôes serves Portuguese fare prepared with an eye to the imaginative. Its menu includes many traditional Portuguese bacalhau dishes, savory grilled chicken and fish, steak with mushroom sauce and other favorites, but they are that are all done with a fresher, lighter touch than is commonly found in these parts. The wine list features some very good Portuguese selections, including some fine ports to accompany delectable desserts like the ubiquitous but always enjoyable serradura.
Prices are on the high side, but appropriate for the refreshing ambience and the accessible location as well as the quality cuisine. The perfect setting for a romantic rendezvous, if such a thing were possible in a place like Fisherman’s Wharf, with its hordes of tour-bus passengers, visiting families and day-trippers, Camoes is a small place with a limited amount of seating, and small but hard working staff, so be sure to call in advance for reservations.
Henri’s Gallery (美心亨利)
Phone: +853 2855 6251 / +853 2856 2231
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 22:00
Reservations: Required
Description: In business since 1976, Henri’s Galley and its seafaring motif offer sought after Macanese and Portuguese cuisine. Henri touts his curry crab and has had his recipes featured in culinary magazines around the world. The African chicken and roast fish also come highly recommended by its highly trained staff. From the restaurant, patrons can enjoy pleasant views of tree-lined Sai Van Lake and the Macau Tower across the water.
Litoral (海灣餐廳)
Phone: +853 2896 7878
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 15:00 and 18:00 - 22:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Back in the good old days, if you asked people who knew about such things, which was the best Macanese restaurant in town, they would without hesitation have said Restaurante Litoral. They may still say it, but unfortunately the newer and glitzier restaurants in other parts of town are eclipsing many older, family-run establishments like this. Nevertheless, loyal local gourmets and many out of town visitors regularly return to enjoy the food and the old-time ambience.
Visiting the two-storied Litoral is stepping back through local history. It occupies one of the districts typical old shop houses on the street that used to front what was once a bustling waterfront. Not far away is the spot where the first Portuguese landed on Macau’s shores, in fact, in an area that also is home to the A-Ma Temple and the Maritime Museum.
The restaurant’s proprietor, Macau-born Manuela Ferreira, opened Litoral in 1995 with her husband, carefully guards her recipes, many of which have been passed down through generations in her family. She says she uses the wok to cook many of the dishes served here, which contain both Portuguese and Chinese ingredients. In fact, Ms. Ferreira says even she eschews commercially prepared foods and makes many of those ingredients herself, like the traditional shrimp paste that is a time-honored tradition in these parts. Ms. Ferreira was awarded a Medal of Honor by the Macau SAR government for the contribution to tourism her efforts represent. Mouth-watering dishes like stuffed squid, clams in garlic sauce, Macanese style duck rice and creamy serradura, washed down, naturally, with Portuguese wine or pitchers of refreshing sangria, not only make Litoral a favorite among Macau’s local community, but keep alive a gastronomic tradition that is unique to Macau.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express are all accepted.
Specialty Macanese and Portuguese dishes to ask for
Macanese cuisine has evolved over centuries as traditional Portuguese home cooking adapted Chinese techniques and ingredients as well as spices found by sailors traveling from Europe to Asia. That’s why Macanese food tastes different from Chinese and Portuguese food.
Be sure to try African chicken, which is unique to Macau and not traditionally found in Portugal. Different styles and flavors from around the world are used making African chicken and each restaurant has its own secret recipe. The standard recipe calls for brushing the chicken with a sauce made of garlic, peppers, white wine and vanilla. After the chicken is baked, the juices are mixed with the sauce and drizzled over top of the chicken. Its zesty and sweet taste has made this dish a favorite of locals and visitors for hundreds of years. If you enjoy chicken dishes, also try the Portuguese chicken. It’s served in large portions, made with many spices, and cooked in many steps. The sauce is aromatic and not too spicy and it goes great with rice. The chicken is tender and flavorful and melts in your mouth.
Other famous dishes include stir fried clams, bacalhau (codfish), curry crab, and baked vegetables in Portuguese sauce. For good restaurants that serve these cuisines, go to Restaurant Solmar (沙利文餐廳) and Litoral (海灣餐廳); Galo (公雞餐廳) and O Manel (阿曼葡國餐) in Taipa; and Espaço Lisboa (里斯本地帶餐廳) and Fernando's (法蘭度餐廳) in Coloane.
Restaurant Solmar (沙利文餐廳)
Phone: +853 2857 4391／2857 4392
Opening Hours: Daily 11:00 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Description: As one of Macau’s traditional restaurants, the name of Solmar Restaurant has long been beloved by local residents, and it has loyal customers from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and even from as far away as Japan. When you visit a historical restaurant, the most important thing to do is to order one of their specialty dishes, unless you want to skip the very thing that draws people there. The customers are largely Chinese and Macanese, demonstrating that the dishes served here are favorites of the local community.
Among these dishes, Solmar’s Portuguese chicken is very well received. They serve generous portions here, and one order of Portuguese chicken with rice can feed two people easily. The chicken is made by boiling fresh chicken, guaranteeing the smooth and tender texture of the meat. In addition to the chicken, don’t forget the splendid rice covered in Portuguese sauce. Their curry crab achieves the same amazing results with a different approach. But if you think that it’s too much trouble to break open crabs to get to the meat, why not try spicy jumbo prawns and African chicken. They are both spicy and they will definitely awaken your appetite. Another feature that needs to be mentioned is the Macau fish fillet, which can be fried or grilled. The tender meat is delicious and especially fragrant when fried. But if you don’t want it to be oily, have a grilled one, which also captures the delicious flavors of the fish. Also, Solmar’s rib-eye steak is of the highest quality meat, tender and juicy, and reasonably price.
In terms of snacks, there are distinctive items such as the Bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish balls), as well as prawn toast made with a whole fresh boiled prawn, which never disappoints. As for dessert, the serradura has a silky smooth texture that makes it the most distinctive dessert in the restaurant, with a quality that will leave you wanting more.
Galo (公雞餐廳)
Phone: +853 2882 7423
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 11:30 -15:00 and 18:00 - 22:30 ; Saturday and Sunday 11:30 . - 22:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Galo, which means rooster in Portuguese has come to be an icon of Macau. The motif of the restaurant is a rooster, apt because Galo specialises in home style Portuguese and Macanese food.
The medley of Chinese and Portuguese flavours which create the unique Macanese cuisine at Galo are popular with Chinese, Asians, and Europeans. Galo Portuguese Restaurant now has outlets both in Taipa Village as well as in Macau peninsula.
Galo’s dishes are simple and fresh, and every Sunday they serve a Portuguese cozido (stew), which is a very traditional dish. Though its method of preparation may seem a little strange to the unaccustomed, cozido is a delightful dish that cannot be found at most of Macau’s newer Portuguese restaurants.
Galo Portuguese Restaurant’s owner Linda explains that the method of preparing their unique prawns on ice is actually very simple, and is nothing more than boiling fresh prawns. However, Linda insists on using only fresh, live prawns, otherwise she won’t serve them at all. The flavor of the prawn itself is delicious, but adding either salad dressing or the restaurant’s own chili oil increases the tender taste, especially in the warmer summer months.
Galo’s Portuguese roast suckling pig is particularly delicious, as the restaurant only uses select young pigs that are about 20 days old and weigh between six and seven pounds. A quarter suckling pig costs around MOP100 and is a steal for such a succulent and tender dish. In addition, Galo’s delicious seafood paella, the fried prawns, and the African chicken are also worth sampling. If you want to experience Portuguese and Macanese home style cooking, you cannot miss Galo Portuguese Restaurant.
O Manel (阿曼葡國餐)
Phone: +853 2882 7571
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 15:30 and 18:00 - 22:30 Closed 1st & 4th Tuesday of each month
Reservations: Required
Description: This tiny but well-established restaurant just on the edge of Taipa Village has been enjoying a fine reputation for many years, although not necessarily for its ambience, which to put it kindly, is unpretentious. That being said, this is one of the best remaining examples of the kind of homey, welcoming small places that Taipa Village was famous for in the old days before the development boom began, and it’s still worth visiting just for really delicious food. As one of the oldest surviving Portuguese restaurants in the neighborhood, it has been written up for years in guidebooks, and still draws many out-of-towners as well as loyal local customers.
Proprietor Manel, who waits on tables himself as well as supervising the preparation of dishes in his kitchen, puts his heart, not to mention olive oil and wine for cooking imported from his family’s farm in Portugal, into his specialties to recreate many authentic tastes. He also whips up some original dishes of his own that have been luring devoted customers back again and again over the years without his having to do any fancy renovations or modernize the décor, which is characterized by red-and-white checked tablecloths over simple tables and basic chairs. Daily specials will vary, but especially recommended are the leitao or roast suckling pig, pork with clams, and seafood rice, along with classic dishes like pasteis de bacalhao, all at reasonable prices, and all cooked to perfection. A surprisingly extensive wine list includes good Portuguese selections to accompany the dishes.
This small casual restaurant, with its limited number of tables, fills up quickly, even at lunch time, so booking ahead for reservations is a good idea, especially on weekends.
Espaço Lisboa (里斯本地帶餐廳)
Phone: +853 2888 2226
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 12:00 - 15:00 and 18:30 - 22:00 ; Weekend 12:00 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Delivery Service: Yes
Description: Roaming the narrow lanes of Coloane Village is a great way to experience Macau’s unique cultural blend of East and West, as well as a way to feel a bit of what the old days were like, with its historic church and temples, tiny, simple houses, old banyan trees, and waterfront with views of Hengqin Island. Not the least of Coloane’s many attractions is its wonderful, unpretentious and surprisingly reasonably-priced restaurants, and one of the best among them is Espaco de Lisboa, tucked away on a narrow street behind Lord Stow’s famous bakery.
Espaco de Lisboa’s award-winning executive chef Antonio Coelho brings a new and creative touch to Portuguese cuisine in this cozy old village house. There is a charming flower-fringed balcony upstairs that is popular for al fresco dining in good weather, as well as air-conditioned dining areas upstairs and down. In addition to traditional favorites like sauteed clams with garlic and coriander, African chicken, and bacalhao dishes, Chef Coelho adds innovations like tenderloin fondue, served with fresh asparagus, pineapple, banana, salad, delicious creamed spinach, and even a selection of vegetarian entrees, like sautéed pasta with green bell peppers, tomato, mushrooms and asparagus with tomato sauce. Needless to say, this restaurant probably serves more vegetables, and cooked more imaginatively than any other Portuguese establishment in town. The dessert menu is just as delightful, with surprises like pistachio cake with fruit jam. Naturally, there is a good selection of Portuguese wine.
Reservations are strongly advised for this small restaurant, which is likely, especially on weekends, to be filled with casually dressed local customers, especially expat residents of Coloane Village, visitors from Hong Kong, and private parties.
Visa, and MasterCard are accepted.
Fernando's (法蘭度餐廳)
Phone: +853 2888 2264
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 21:30
Reservations: Required
Description: Fernando's is well-known to locals and visitors alike for its tasty and reasonably priced Portuguese food. It’s the ideal place to relax with friends and leisurely enjoy a meal on Macau’s famed black sand beach.
Dim sum or yum cha
Dim sum, which is available in most Cantonese restaurants, is a similar concept to Spanish tapas. Small portions of food are served with Chinese tea usually for breakfast, brunch, lunch or afternoon tea. It is best to have dim sum in large groups, so that there is the opportunity to order more food, and taste a wider variety of dishes. It is common to see large groups of families or friends having a noisy reunion over dim sum. For many groups, it’s a mini reunion and an excuse to catch up with everyone.
There are savory meat, seafood and vegetable dishes as well as many types of dumplings on the menu. Congee, rice and noodle dishes are usually ordered at the end, just before dessert.
Most Cantonese restaurants will have a dim sum menu. Our pick of hotels with Cantonese restaurants serving good dim sum include The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel and Grand Lisboa in Macau peninsula, the Westin Resort Macau in Coloane and Pousada Marina Infante in .
Good restaurants for entertaining clients
For business travelers there are many fine restaurants inside the newer hotels. These restaurants have efficient and knowledgeable staff, stylish interiors, a refined ambience and serve up consistently good food.
Mezzaluna Italian Restaurant (月怡意大利餐廳) at the Mandarin Oriental Macau (澳門文華東方酒店) is a fine choice for the business traveler. This restaurant has been praised for both its food and wine. It serves a variety of drinks and imaginative food sure to please. Il Teatro (帝雅廷) at Wynn Macau (永利澳門) is another Italian restaurant which overlooks Wynn’s musical fountain. It made Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List 2007. Opened by world renowned French chef Joel Robuchon in 2001, Robuchon A Galera (法國餐廳) inside Hotel Lisboa (葡京酒店) is one of the best French restaurants in Asia.
Last but not least, Cafe Deco (峰景餐廳), located inside the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel (澳門威尼斯人-度假村-酒店), has over 30,000 square feet of space and serves a combination of Asian cuisines. Private booths are available for reservation. This is an excellent restaurant for your business and seminar needs.
Mezzaluna Italian Restaurant (月怡意大利餐廳)
Phone: +853 8793 3861
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 14:30 and 18:30 - 23:00, closed on Monday
Reservations: Required
Description: With its soft lighting, warm terra cotta walls and deep banquettes facing a sparkling high-tech kitchen with wood-fired oven, Mezzaluna is the perfect place for an important date or special celebration. As can be expected, this ambience, as well as the extensive menu, attracts a mature, sophisticated clientele, who come for the fine cuisine as well as the upscale atmosphere. Most of the tables and banquettes are arranged in view of the kitchen, which is surprisingly compact for the number of patrons the restaurant can handle during mealtime. Incidentally, during those hours, for those without reservations, a table may be hard to come by, so calling ahead is recommended.
You can stop by before or after a show for a pizza, if you are prepared to spend enough time to linger over a selection of toppings like porcini mushrooms, cured meat, arugula salad or pecorino cheese. But cognoscenti of Italian cuisine and the more gastronomically adventurous will opt to linger over some of the more innovative and imaginative dishes on the menu, which might include cold lightly fried fillets of eel seasoned with 15-year old vino santo vinegar on polenta, for example, or marinated mushrooms with mint and sausage, and savor the perfect dessert, traditional tiramisu.
Mezzaluna boasts of a "global collection of vintage wine," and, being part of the Mandarin Oriental, Macau, lives up to its promise. Especially complimentary to the Italian fare there are the chiantis. In addition, there is grappa in several varieties, and for a perfectly sweet conclusion to a meal of the quality you'll find in Mezzaluna, Amaretto di Saronno, or Frangelico to go with a cappuccino, macchiato, or latte.
Visa, MasterCard and American Express are all accepted.
Il Teatro (帝雅廷)
Phone: +853 8986 3648
Opening Hours: Daily 17:30 - 23:30 Closed on Mondays
Average Price: 300
Reservations: Required
Description: If you are looking for a unique Italian dining experience, Ristorante il Teatro will delight all your senses. The open kitchen allows you to view the cooking of classic Italian specialties such as traditional pizzas, salads, homemade pasta and other authentic dishes from Southern Italy. You will be entertained while dining by the spectacular views of the Performance lake. Dress is casual elegant.
Relaxing ambience
Clube Militar de Macau (陸軍俱樂部) is housed in the exclusive Military Club near Hotel Lisboa. Although the Club is open to members only, you can enjoy the affordable Portuguese lunch buffet in one of Macau’s most distinguished colonial houses. Macau’s only revolving restaurant is the 360° Café (360度旋轉餐廳) in the Macau Tower, which serves up a buffet with different themes and flavors. On a good day you can not only see all of Macau and its islands, but all the way into Mainland China. Enter Restaurant Canton (喜粵) at the Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel (澳門威尼斯人-度假村-酒店) and find out what nouveau Cantonese dishes are all about.
For local cuisine as well as international delights, try the offerings of Café Bela Vista (薈景閣) inside the Mandarin Oriental Macau (澳門文華東方酒店). Finally, Antica Trattoria (經典意大利餐廳) on Avenida Sir Anders Ljungstedt (澳門倫斯泰特大馬路) serves tasty Italian food and offers refreshing country style coziness.
Clube Militar de Macau (陸軍俱樂部)
Phone: +853 2871 4000
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 -15:00 and 19:00 - 23:00
Reservations: Required
Description: Don’t be intimidated by the formal appearances of this quaint old red-and-white building in the middle of one of Macau’s busiest neighborhoods.
Although at one time it was a private organization available only to members, today the venerable old Clube Militar opens the doors to its beautiful dining room and welcomes the public, and is known as one of the best Portuguese/Macanese dining spots in town.
Housed in a historic landmark of incomparable elegance, beloved by discerning visitors as well as local residents, the club was established in 1870 by a group of army officers and soon became a nucleus of culture and social life for Macanese society for decades. Its luncheon buffets on weekends and public holidays are especially popular now among members of the local Portuguese and Macanese community and business people.
While not casual, Clube Militar is not stuffy, either. The colonial style building housing the club has been restored several times over the years and the dining room is picturesque with its graceful window arches, and high ceilings with gently stirring fans. The fine Portuguese and Macanese cuisine served includes an outstanding steak with mushroom sauce, melt-in-your-mouth bacalhau a bras, Portuguese green vegetable soup, seafood stew in a white-wine sauce, stewed lamb leg in red wine, or African chicken, with tempting desserts and a wide range of good Portuguese wine.
While prices reflect the high quality of the setting, the service and the food and drink, the club is still surprisingly reasonable compared to nearby hotel restaurants. Besides, the experience of dining in this lovely remnant of Macau’s colonial past is well worth the cost.
The restaurant serves lunch between noon and 15:00 and dinner between 19:00 and 23:00, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are all accepted.
360° Café (360度旋轉餐廳)
Phone: +853 8988 8622
Opening Hours: Daily Lunch Buffet 11:30 - 13:00
(First Section) and 13:30 - 15:00
(Second Section) Dinner Buffet 18:30 - 22:00
Reservations: Required
Description: As Macau’s highest restaurant, the 360° Café not only offers the best location for dining in Macau, but more importantly, its spirit of constant innovation allows it to always present its patrons with something new in the famous buffet.
Here, there is always a lavish buffet available, whether it be lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner. The key to successfully maintaining this kind of high quality buffet day after day is in providing dishes using fresh ingredients with a high level of culinary skill and setting it in a beautiful environment with a conscientious service attitude. These are the reasons that the restaurant has been so warmly received by locals and visitors alike.
Just like the restaurant’s name implies, the dining area is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows, and it revolves at a very slow speed. In addition to the dinner buffet, there is also a lunch buffet and an afternoon tea buffet. Dining at 360° Café, you can enjoy the finest dishes while taking in the sights of Macau – high up in the sky – and appreciate the expansive sea view far above the everyday worries of the mundane world. Experience the grandiosity of the world and appetizing culinary creations while seated in the blue sky and white clouds!
Every Friday and Saturday night, the restaurant offers a different theme buffet. Besides the ever-present seafood, meat, and various other dishes, the chefs are adventurous in introducing new elements such as in making rice dishes or bean dishes as the theme of the buffet. Through the distinctive culinary skills of the chefs, the most ordinary dishes are imbued with an extraordinary style to present your senses with an unprecedented treat.
Restaurant Canton (喜粵)
Phone: +853 8118 9930
Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00 - 23:00 and Friday to Saturday 10:00 - midnight
Reservations: Required
Description: Macau has few establishments which combine the magnificence of Chinese cuisine with modern health food culture, and so Canton located at a corner of the Venetian Casino is definitely an unexpected delight. Canton offers both an elegant dining environment and a refreshingly innovative new style of Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant is equipped with six VIP rooms, and all told is capable of seating 120 people.
Chef Mak has many years of culinary experience. Profoundly rooted in Cantonese cuisine, he has improved upon and integrated dishes from many other regions of China to create an exquisite and distinctive style. Chef Mak says: “Although the majority of our guests are Chinese, there has been a recent trend in both Cantonese cooking and other regional cuisines in China towards less oil and lighter flavours”. Combining the soul of Chinese food with the appeal of Western cooking style, the restaurant is also appointed in a style which combines tradition and modernity, and which says “fine dining” from the décor to the dishes it serves.
For a starter, Chef Mak recommends the Vegetarian Goose done with a hint of the Jiang-Zhe style (Jiangsu & Zhejiang), the Coral Cucumber and the Sweet Osmanthus Pork in Aspic. The method used to create the Vegetarian Goose here is particularly unusual; besides wrapping the filling in a sheet of tofu as most kitchens do, Chef Mak adds a coating of flour and then deep fries it, giving the dish a delightfully crispy texture and flavour. The coral cucumber is made with Japanese cucumbers, which are uniquely refreshing and delicious. The Sweet Osmanthus Pork in Aspic is easy to imagine from its name; richly scented mayflowers are added to a fresh take on salted pork, producing flavours that complement each other perfectly.
For the main course, besides the more usual seafood, pork and beef dishes, the Horseradish Prawns are particularly recommended. Medium-sized prawns are spiced, dipped in egg yolk and briefly fried, before finally being flavoured with a specially made horseradish salad dressing. Both rich in flavour and spicy, this dish invigorates the palette, and is a testament to the thought which has gone in to creating this new school of Cantonese cuisine.
For soup, there is the Traditional Beijing Braised Golden Shark's Fin Soup, which is cooked for a minimum of eight hours. Large amounts of chicken and duck, as well as a small amount of red meat are added to a simple chicken soup stock and simmered for eight hours. Roughly one and a half ounces of shark's fin are then added, producing the soup with a rich, fresh flavour. Chef Mak has taken the decision to cease using pork in soups, making his soups uniquely fresh and pure in taste.
Dessert has of course not been forgotten. There is a choice of delicately prepared Aloe Mango Cream, Coconut Juice Red Bean Cake or Golden Sticky Rice Balls, the ingredients of which are all fairly healthy. A meal at Canton is simply an exquisite experience, from the starter to the dessert.
Café Bela Vista (薈景閣)
Phone: +853 8793 3871
Opening Hours: 24 Hours, except Thursday until midnight
Reservations: Required
Description: The charm of old Macau hasn’t been completely overshadowed by the incredibly fast paced new developments; the ambience of one of its most beloved landmarks, the Bela Vista, has been preserved on the second floor of the great hotel that has seen the passing of the old and the emergence of the New Macau.
The old Bela Vista, which now houses the Portuguese consul general in Macau, was at one time a center of cultural life in Macau, and even played an important role in its history, first as a hotel, then as a hospital, a haven for refugees, and in later years as the venue for the famous annual “Bela Vista Balls.”
The Cafe Bela Vista recalls its famous namesake’s elegant colonial architecture, with high arched windows reminiscent of the terrace that overlooked the old Praia Grande waterfront, louvered doors and reproductions of historic watercolors by the renowned artist George Smirnoff. Comfy white wicker chairs and softly purring fans hung from high timber ceilings complete the effect.
The menu features local specialties as well as international standards, but the best way to sample a variety of flavors is to book a reservation for one of the popular buffets and take your choice of dishes like hearty roast beef, Cantonese classics like tasty fried noodles and dim sum treats, Japanese delicacies, and authentic Italian pasta, with, of course, classic Macanese favorites like spicy African chicken, crab curry, and heavenly egg tarts.
The cafe is open round the clock, and buffets are available daily between 07:00 and 10:00, noon and 14:30, and 18:00 and 22:00. Prices include the standard hotel surcharge, and can be on the high side for a cafe.
Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are all accepted.
Antica Trattoria (經典意大利餐廳)
Phone: +853 2875 5102
Opening Hours: Daily 12:00 - 23:00, closed 2nd Tuesday of every month
Reservations: Required
Description: It’s amazing how a place as big as Antica Trattoria can manage to feel as cozy as a country home. It could be the gallery of old photographs on the staircase or the colorful collection of Italian tchachkes or even the glorious aromas from the kitchen, and the friendly service and generous portions don’t hurt, either. Probably it also is a result of the many years of experience in the local restaurant business that makes its Italian proprietor an expert at providing good food and service.
You could make a meal of the antipasto and fresh crispy bread, still warm from the oven, accompanied by a good chianti, or go all out and share several courses family style with a group of friends around one of the big tables, and try main courses like baked salmon with lemon thyme and T-bone steak with mint, basil, parmesan, garlic, and lemon dressing. The seafood spaghetti, lasagna, and steaks, not to mention the creamy tiramisu, are hearty and satisfying fare. There’s no better place to stop for a pizza after shopping or before a night on the town nearby at the Docks. With 18 different varieties to choose from, there’s sure to be something to please every palate. Prices are moderate in this more or less casual spot, especially compared to those at more upscale Italian eateries in downtown hotels, and represent excellent value.
t’s important to call ahead and book a table, especially on weekends, because this popular place does a brisk business among not only neighborhood habitués and local families, but also many Hong Kong visitors.
Antica Trattoria is open from noon to 11 p.m. daily except the second Tuesday of every month.Visa, MasterCard and American express are all accepted.
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3 comments:
now i know where and what to eat when I visit Macau the only place I know there is the Lords stow famous for its pie
I like Lord Stow's too.
Simply delicious.
I love dimsum... yummy..
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