Nothing beats easy summer eating with your toes in the sand. Here's where to head
Cocktails and tapas at Bathers on Lower Cheung Sha Beach
If you're looking for easy beachside family dining in Hong Kong this summer, we recommend checking out the latest waterfront diner to open on Lamma Island. Catch the ferry from Central to Yung Shue Wan to dine at the recently opened Terracotta Lamma. This relaxed, child-friendly eatery is located right on the waterfront of Yung Shue Wan and is something of a hidden gem.
Tables spill from the back of the restaurant onto a covered terrace overlooking a small beach and Yung Shue Wan harbour. As you watch the boats bob, dig into a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired menu, starting with easy sharing plates and dips including hummus and labneh, warm pitta, Greek olives and grilled sardines.
‘Bigger’ options are full of flavour and include a piquant burrata dish with pickled beetroot and blueberry vinaigrette, as well as scallops, calamari, tomato salad and Greek sausage with chilli honey and beer mustard.
The chargrill menu offers meatier plates such as lamb picanha and roasted chicken along with fish and plant-based options like grilled sea bass and roasted eggplant.
There’s also a dessert menu and we couldn’t walk past a slice of olive oil cake.
Lunch with a view at Terracotta Lamma
Once we’d had our fill, we retired with the remainder of our bottle of white to the bar stools at the end of the terrace to watch the waves lap the strip of sand below as the kids paddled.
Terracotta Lamma is located at G/F 47 Yung Shue Wan Main Street, Lamma Island and opens12pm to 12am, Monday and Thursday to Saturday (kitchen is closed from 2.45 to 5pm), call +852 9176 7500.
Over on Lantau Island, beachside stalwart Bathers at Lower Cheung Sha Beach is collaborating with Majo Tapas Paella Bar this summer to present a Mediterranean-inspired beachfront a la carte menu. Barcelona-born executive chef Salvador Benedicto has mixed land and sea to come up with a menu that plays homage to his Spanish roots.
Easy sharing starters include sourdough dressed with tomato, oregano, basil and olive oil, gooey Iberico ham croquettes, salty fried green ‘pimientos’ from Galicia and burrata salad.
Seafood mains run to scallop gratin, grilled Spanish octopus, boneless whole sea bass and garlic prawns. Meanwhile, land-based highlights include roast spring chicken marinated in oregano, thyme and lemon, and Spanish-style 16-hour roasted suckling pig.
Beachside vibes at Bathers
Kids are well-catered for with a dedicated children’s menu including a soft drink or juice, house-made ice cream, fries and one main; choose from mini wagyu cheeseburgers, tomato and cheese fettuccine, fish ‘n’ chips, chicken parmigiana or eggplant fritters.
Bathers is at 32 Lower Cheung Sha Beach, South Lantau and opens 11am to 10pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 10pm weekends and public holidays, call +852 2504 4788.
If you're looking for a beach day on Hong Kong Island, Cococabana in Shek O enjoys sandy views over glorious Shek O beach and a Mediterranean-inspired menu.
The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Leisure and Cultural Services Building and offers a spacious terrace as well as an air-conditioned indoor space.
Dine by beautiful Shek O Beach at Cococabana
This light and breezy restaurant offers beach snack classics, such as burgers and hotdogs, from its cafe, as well as a more substantial menu at the sit-down restaurant. Sharing plates and starters include mezze platters, salads and charcuterie plates. From the mains, there’s plenty of fish and seafood, including tuna tartare, mussels, scallops and seafood soup (the whole cooked sea bass is particularly good). Meatier dishes include beef tartare, grilled Australian wagyu rump with green beans, Provencal beef stew and free range French chicken.
There’s also a separate vegetarian menu and under tens can select from the children’s menu.
Find Cococabana at Shek O Beach, Shek O, open from 11am to 10pm, Monday to Thursday, 11am to 11pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, call +852 2812 2226.
Still on Hong Kong Island, the lively southside suburb of Repulse Bay has plenty of eateries and coffee shops to choose from along the Repulse Bay beach strip.
But for great cocktails and easy eats, Limewood is the place to be. Rocking an upscale beach-shack vibe, this smart eatery overlooks Repulse Bay and is the place to be seen as you exit the sand to kick-back with an Aperol Spritz.
Light bites at Limewood in Repulse Bay
The Cali-meets-Asia family-friendly menu includes plenty of seafood and fish, as well as meatier barbecue items. Highlights include line-caught sea bass, jerked fresh corn and Vietnamese fish tacos (don’t miss ‘Taco Tuesday’). The easy-going kids’ menu features burgers, skewers, grilled corn, fish and chips and fish fingers and rice. There’s also plenty of ice cream options, sweet churros and a cute mocktail list.
Once the kids have eaten, they can head off to play in the sand right in front of the restaurant and there are also small play areas along the strip.
Limewood is at Shop 103/104, The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay; opening hours are 11.30am to 10pm daily, call +852 2866 8668.
While other seaside venues come and go, CoCoNuts Thai Bar & Grill in Deepwater Bay is a longstanding Hong Kong Island stalwart. It’s located right on the beach at Deepwater Bay and boasts ocean views as well as a great Thai menu.
This outdoor restaurant serves easy beach eats such as hot dogs and burgers for the kids, as well as Thai favourites such as fresh spring rolls, minced meat with chilli and basil, whole fresh sea bass with lemongrass and Thai basil, grilled king prawns, satay, Thai salads, curries and fresh coconut drinks.
Enjoy cocktails as the sun sets over Ocean Park in the distance and the kids play in the sand. Takeaway is also available.
(CoCoNuts Thai Bar & Grill is at G/F, West Block, Deepwater Bay Beach; 11am to 10pm Monday to Thursday, 11am to 11pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday, call +852 2812 1826).
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