An explosion of options has transformed the region's restaurant scene
Back in the old days, the peninsula side of Macau was the place to find the best restaurants, but in recent years the Venetian Macao on the rapidly developing Cotai Strip has created a magnet for visitors, local residents and new businesses, and the spillover has made the area a new hotspot for foodies.
Taipa Village, long a tourist magnet in itself, now probably boasts the densest concentration of good places to eat in town. Here, within just a few blocks, you can find a huge variety of cuisines, including Italian, Thai, Middle Eastern, Indian and Spanish. Never before has Macau offered so much culinary choice in such a limited area, which includes not just little 'street food' type outlets but also full-scale restaurants with high standards.
The sheer number and variety of eating establishments in the new hotels like the Venetian introduced previously unimaginable choices for locals and visitors, but more than that, it raised the quality bar for dining out. Development on the other side of the harbour has continued apace, with many fine new restaurants opening in the Grand Lisboa, the Sands Macao and StarWorld, to name just a few. There is also the charming developments such as the lovingly restored old town areas, with places like Locanda opening in the historic Albergue in the San Lazaro district in a bow to heritage preservation. But no other part of town has sprouted as many new restaurants in such a short time as Taipa Village.
In the streets nearest the Venetian mega-resort there are many smaller places that are colourful, authentic to the spirit of Macau, and offer much better value than those in the hotels, not to mention uniqueness of style. At the same time, it's also true that many of the hotel restaurants offer quality and luxurious ambience that can't be found outside.
For years, Portuguese and Macanese food were by far the most popular fare for tourists to Macau, but today there is clearly a growing appreciation for other cooking styles as well, with several Italian and even Spanish restaurants popping up on lists of best dining spots.