Macau attracted 24 million people last year alone and they all had to eat. Luckily there is an abundance of good new restaurants, the most notable of them on the high end of the market.
Of course, there are still the cosy and picturesque family-run eateries where you can while away a leisurely afternoon sipping sangria and munching African chicken, and some of the most successful of the old local dining landmarks, such as Wong Chi Kei in San Ma Lo, are still going strong.
Many others are gradually becoming extinct. Even the smaller neighbourhood places are feeling the pinch of rising overhead costs, but avoiding the hotel restaurants and seeking out little gems such as Antonio or Papponi in Taipa can mean a considerable difference in cost, and proves there is still good value for money to be found.
Taipa Village is being smartened up, and the long-overdue gentrification is attracting more foot traffic to the narrow lanes. As the old hardware and sundry stores and tailor shops give way to dried beef and almond cookie outlets, along the Village's main drag, on the side streets, old two-storied shophouse structures with balconies and shuttered windows are being turned into chic art bistros and galleries.
Over on the Peninsula, despite the glitzy new casinos, not much has changed at the well-established restaurants such as Clube Militar, AlfonsoIII and A Lorcha, with patrons packed cheek by jowl at some.
Hotel Lisboa director of sales Henry Kong says some people just come over from Hong Kong for a meal at Robuchon a Galera and then hop back after brandy and cigars. Local restaurants are attracting international talent, with culinary greats, some even boasting Michelin stars such as Alfonso Iaccarino who opened the Grand Lisboa's Don Alfonso 1890, and Philippe Marc, who presides over the menu at MGM Grand Macau's Aux Beaux Arts. But while restaurants can offer great food and drink, they can't easily import the labour needed to provide the quality of service that goes along with the upgraded menus and posh ambience. The labour shortage is contributing to the demise of the smaller, less commercially viable, but often good restaurants, and this is regrettable.
Nevertheless, while it may take a little longer for tables to be cleared or dishes to be served, and while prices are inexorably creeping up, there is still reason for optimism about this SAR's dining scene. Best of all, Macau being the compact little town it is, it's all just a few minutes away.