Dim sum is a Chinese meal of small, bite-sized dishes. We love dim sum spots because they offer a variety of textures — crispy, chewy, and tender — packed in dumplings, rolls. or buns. We’ve included some classics on our list along with spots with unique options like coffee-glazed ribs or Iberico pork dumplings. We love eating dim sum because you come for the food but stay for the early morning party vibes.
Koi Palace opened in 1996 and is the parent of two other dim sum restaurants on this list, Palette Tea House and Dragon Beaux. Their hits include pork and shrimp siu mai; sticky rice; fried taro puffs; and soy sauce chicken.
Palette Tea House is a luxury dim sum experience with options like whole live lobster, roasted Iberico pork, wok-fried wagyu, and black truffle chow fun. The star of the show is their unique dumplings made with abalone, peking pork, and wagyu. They also make their own condiments — don’t miss out on the XO chili sauce.
Dragon Beaux is a stylish dim sum spot with unique dumpling fillings centered around seafood. We love the sea bass dumplings, crab roe siu mai, and wontons in chile oil. Their hot pot selection features A5 wagyu, Kobe brisket, beef tongue, wontons, and geoduck clams.
Good Mong Kok Bakery is a pickup-only restaurant in Chinatown with fluffy barbecue buns, siu mai, sesame balls, and turnip cakes. You’ll also find chow mein, crepe rolls, porridge, and sticky rice wrapped in lotus or bamboo leaves.
City View Restaurant offers a fun collection of dim sum including fried crab claws, scallop siu mai, and pork and peanut dumplings. Don’t miss out on their green onion pancake and XO sauce pan-fried noodle roll.
Harborview is a great option for breakfast near the Ferry Building. Grab a steamer of dumplings filled with kurobuta pork, pea sprouts, or scallops. Deep-fried options include lobster pot stickers, shrimp toast, and turnip cakes. Their specials offer a great selection for vegetarians with everything from Vegetarian smoked goose (mushroom wrapped in tofu skin), Japanese seaweed, and sauteed green beans.
Hong Kong Lounge Bistro has been praised by the New York Times, Eater, SF Chronicle, and The Infatuation for their unique take on dim sum. Here you’ll find roast duck dumplings, berkshire pork sui mai, vegetarian curry samosa, and spicy Hunan-style eggplant. Their entrees can get a bit pricey, but it’s worth it for coffee-glazed ribs, steamed Chilean sea bass, and braised abalone.
Din Tai Fung serves world-renowned dumplings. It’s not a dim sum restaurant, but it serves some dishes that are often served in dim sum restaurants, so we thought it was worth including on the list. We love their soup dumplings and hand-pulled noodles.
Yank Sing is one of the oldest dim sum restaurants on this list. We go here for the variety — they offer over 100 rotating dishes served from traditional pushcarts. We recommend trying the smoky chicken satay, the gelatinous turnip cakes, and the crispy fried tofu.
Looking for more food recommendations? Check out our guide to the breakfast spots in the Bay Area.
