[2025 Hong Kong Restaurant] Travel Guide for Lin Heung Lau (Updated May)

For a very long time, the Lin Heung Tea House of Sheung Wan was known for being a prime touristy restaurant that the Hong Kong locals do not go. Often touted as the “most traditional dim sum in Hong Kong,” the restaurant served its dim sum in the now-but all-disappeared dim sum carts and its aged staff would pour boiling water into your individual tea cups with a super long-beaked teapot. Well, what a surprise. We went to a Lin Heung Tea House that has moved on with the times in major respects but retaining some of its iconic qualities. And food was honestly good. Ling Heung Lou is a century-old brand name that originated in Guangzhou as a traditional Chinese confectionary. In Guangzhou, it was, and it still is, known for its lotus paste pastries. The very first Lin Heung Tea House made its debut in Hong Kong in 1927, as a branch of the Guangzhou Lin Heung. At its heyday, there were three Lin Heung restaurants in Hong Kong operating under its umbrella brand name, namely Lin Heung Tea House, Lin Heung Chaan and Lin Heung Kui. Lin Heung in Hong Kong has always been the venue for traditional Cantonese food, including its classic pastries, dim sum and traditional Cantonese cuisine. The Wellington Street location used to serve cattle liver siu mai (steamed dumplings), which was really one of its kind even in Hong Kong. As of 2024, at its reopening, Lin Heung Tea House is the only surviving Lin Heung brand restaurant in Hong Kong. Lin Heung Kui, which was established by the same Hong Kong owners in 2009, has remade itself into another brand name called Luk On Kui in May 2024. In terms of history, the Lin Heung Tea House of Hong Kong will have reached its centennial in 2027. #linheungteahouse #cantonesecuisine #foodie #dimsum #dimsumlover #hongkongheritage #hongkonghistory #foodiehk #localfood

#favouriteitinerary #travelanywhere Walking into Lin Heung Lau is like stepping into a living relic of Hong Kong’s past—loud, lively, and utterly unapologetic in its old-school charm. Nestled along Wellington Street in Central, this century-old teahouse remains one of the last bastions of traditional dim sum service, where dishes aren’t ordered from a menu but hunted down from roaming pushcarts. The moment you sit down—often at a shared table with strangers, as is customary here—you’re thrown into the chaos. Staff wheel out steaming baskets straight from the kitchen, and regulars pounce before the carts even leave the doorway. Ordering here is not for the faint-hearted. Elderly patrons, seasoned in this dim sum battlefield, call out their requests in rapid-fire Cantonese, securing their favorites with laser precision. As visitors unfamiliar with the language, we had to rely on instinct, quick gestures, and sheer luck. The carts are stacked high, making it impossible to see all the options, so you grab what you can before it’s gone. The setting is crowded, frenetic, and brimming with character. Servers move swiftly, scribbling on your order chit, which you’ll use to settle the bill before leaving. Amid the organized chaos, the reward is undeniable—flawlessly executed classics like siew mai, har gow, and roasted meats, all made fresh in relentless cycles. The flavors are nostalgic, rich, and true to tradition, untouched by modern shortcuts. Dining at Lin Heung Lau isn’t just about the food—it’s an experience, a throwback to a time when teahouses were the heartbeat of the city. If you crave authenticity and don’t mind a little friendly competition for your meal, this is one dim sum adventure you won’t forget. #myitinerary #travel #thingstodo #afternoonteatime #localfood #chinatrip

Going to a teahouse to drink tea and eat dim sum is called "enjoying a cup of tea and two pieces", which is a portrayal of the life of the general public in Hong Kong in the last century. Today, there are very few old-style teahouses left, and Lin Heung Tea House in Central is the only teahouse that retains the characteristics of the 1960s and 1970s, such as neon tube signs, hand-pushed dim sum carts, double-decker round tables, flower code price lists, large water kettles and Fu Lu Shou decorations and other nostalgic elements. Older tea drinkers can reminisce about the old days, while young people feel fresh and are busy checking in📸. Of course, tea is the protagonist of tea drinking🫖☕️. The quality of tea here is not bad. I like the mellow and smooth Pu'er tea here, and there are many choices of dim sum. Many of the ancient nostalgic dim sum such as glutinous rice buns are rare, and the dim sum products are fresh, hot and steaming😋. Not only locals like to come here to enjoy tea, but many foreign tourists also come here to experience the old customs and tea drinking culture of Hong Kong. 📍160 Wellington Street, Central #HongKongFood #HongKongNostalgicTeahouse #CentralFood #CentralCheckIn

连香楼 - Must visit nostalgic dim sum in HK! Tips: - Go early in the morning, 8am - 9am for good vibes and chances of having all items still on the menu. (I was there on a weekday 9am+ and the porridge was sold out!) - They have staff pushing the different carts walking around but highly recommend that you go to them to get your food in case it gets sold out by the time the cart gets to you! - Fried wanton is a blast, order! - Live carrot cake, Chee Cheong Fun were good too! No noodles staples in the morning but go for the Chee Cheong Fun, steamed dim sum and fried wantons! Note: If it gets too crowded, you may have to share table. Restaurant has aircon and looks pleasantly clean and neat :) 蓮香樓 115 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong#travel #foodie #dimsum