Michelin, the world’s fine dining authority, this year awarded 19 restaurants in Macau with Michelin star status in its 2017 Hong Kong and Macau Guide. This further cements the city’s reputation as one of the leading culinary destinations in the region. As well as being one of the best places around to sample signature Macanese, Portuguese and Chinese dishes, local foodies have long known that Macau is a great destination for fine dining at a (relative) bargain. Here’s our pick of our favourite Macau Michelin-starred restaurants offering some of the best-value Michelin dining experiences around.
No self-respecting list on Macau’s fine dining scene can start without including this restaurant. After all, it was Joël Robuchon, “Chef of the Century”, who first kicked off the fine dining scene in Macau by opening the city’s first gastronomic restaurant in 2001. His restaurant is now located atop the Grand Lisboa Hotel and has retained its three-star Michelin status for several years. Located in a beautiful vaulted glass dome with stunning views across Macau – the spectacular views are complimented by the finest French cuisine and exemplary service. The set lunch menu is one of the best meal deals in Asia. The wine list, with its 14,500 labels (the most extensive collection in the whole of Asia) may prove a bit overwhelming, but the sommelier is patient and helpful. The traditional desert trolley wheeled out at the end of the meal is the icing on the cake. Eating and drinking here is a real treat.
The Eight is Macau’s first and only Chinese restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars. They specialise in contemporary Cantonese cuisine with an elegant and creative touch. The lunchtime menu offers over 50 different kinds of dim sum, and we recommend the beautiful goldfish-shaped dumplings and hedgehog char siu buns (BBQ roast pork buns). As the number eight is auspicious in Chinese culture, the number is found within the lavish Alan Chan-designed space. Dishes are made from the finest ingredients and are plated beautifully. Specialities include roasted pork belly with guava sauce, crab claw with ginger and Chinese wine, and stir-fried lobster with egg. The dim sum here is simply amazing!
Recently awarded two Michelin stars and a new addition to the list, Mizumi offers up stunning menus from three Japanese master chefs each heralded in the Japanese culinary traditions of sushi, tempura and teppanyaki. Signature dishes include sea urchin tempura, jumbo fresh abalone tempura, Japanese hairy crab sushi, fatty tuna sushi (toro sushi), tilefish teppanyaki, and wagyu beef. Sake fans are in for a treat, too, with 32 varieties to choose from, as well as sochu and umeshu.
With two Michelin stars to its name and under the direction of head French chef, Guillaume Galliot, here you can sample stunning European dishes in a luxurious setting. Not to be missed are the famed crab salad and the onion soup with a scoop of onion ice cream (it works surprisingly well). Mains, including pigeon, roasted veal chop, and Kobe beef, are exceptional. And the desserts here are a magical treat, especially the chocolate banana millefeuille with cocoa sorbet. Delicious dishes delivered with impeccable service.
Recently awarded its first Michelin star, Lai Heen, situated on the 51st floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Macau is the city’s highest Chinese restaurant, offering spectacular views. The décor has subtle nods to Macau’s Chinese and Portuguese heritage, and there are five private dining rooms on offer as well. The chef’s signature dishes include the char-grilled barbecued Iberico pork, the steamed crab claw with egg white in lobster bisque, and our favourite, the delectable chef’s special of braised pork belly with preserved vegetables. The wine list offers over 500 labels. No amount of attention to detail is spared when it comes to the food, service, and overall ambience.
Macau is home to the third outlet in Asia from Italian chef Umberto Bombana, often hailed “Best Italian Chef in Asia”. Nothing’s overly complicated here, but rather, finely presented and using only the highest quality ingredients. Stand-out dishes include the signature seared tuna, cooked to perfection, Trenette pasta al dente and Greffeuille AAA lamb rack and loin. Dessert lovers are not to miss the crispy pear tart. Given that chef Bombana is the only Italian chef outside of Italy to receive three Michelin stars, you cannot only expect Italian food, but very good food at that.
Awarded a Michelin star for four consecutive years, The Golden Peacock is a must-visit in Macau for all fans of Indian cuisine. Head chef Justin Paul is from Kerala, but the restaurant offers all styles of regional Indian dishes cooked to perfection and with a modern touch. Highlights include the tandoori grill chicken on skewers, lamb biryani, butter chicken, and all the vegetarian dishes are great. This place gets very popular at lunchtime due to its fantastic lunchtime buffet. Here you’ll find one of the finest buffet spreads in Macau, offering a diverse range of excellent curries and Indian chaat (savoury snacks).
This restaurant by sushi maestro Shinji Kanesaka joined the ranks of Michelin-starred establishments after only nine months of operation. Serving sushi of traditional Edomae style in a traditional zen-like setting, this is Macau’s own paradise for sushi lovers. Diners can choose between sushi course sets or the omakase specials, which include sashimi and cooked items as well. Be sure to try head chef Osumi’s favourite sushi – the sea urchin with rice.
Awarded a second Michelin star in 2016, this stunning restaurant offers diners a wonderful world of contemporary Chinese gastronomy. Decorated in jade, gold, and embroidery, it all hints at the lavish nature of age-old Chinese luxury, and the food is no less impressive. Signature dishes include prime-cut barbecue Iberico pork, Macau sole, roasted Boston lobster with crystal noodle and coriander, and braised vegetable with fish maw. For lunch goers, there is a dim sum menu with recommended items such as baked Iberico pork pastry, jade dragon dumpling and baked Australian M8 wagyu beef puff which, given its decadence, is surprisingly affordable.
Macau’s very own Michelin-starred steakhouse, it’s a must-visit for all meat lovers – they are renowned locally for serving the best prime steaks with almost twenty varieties of the world’s premium beefs available. The Kitchen’s signature is a grade 5 Tomahawk steak weighing a daunting 870 gm. Surprisingly, you’ll find some of the best sushi and sashimi in Macau on offer here, too. What’s more, The Kitchen offers over a dozen unique desserts to choose from, and the master wine list of the Grand Lisboa with over fifteen thousand wines is at your disposal.
