On a first trip to Macau, you may save more than twenty places to eat before finishing your sightseeing plan. Should you choose Lord Stow’s or Margaret’s Cafe e Nata? Is the crab congee on Rua do Cunha worth saving room for? You may also want a sit-down Macanese meal at night without ordering a tableful of unfamiliar dishes.
Macau rewards slow eating. Walk through Senado Square while eating a Portuguese egg tart, continue to Taipa for serradura along Rua do Cunha, and, if time allows, visit the place where Lord Stow’s first opened in Coloane. Here is how to choose, combine and order these foods, including how much money to prepare.
Split a half-day and full-day plan like this: with half a day, choose Margaret’s on the peninsula and then Rua do Cunha in Taipa; with a full day, add the original Lord Stow’s shop in Coloane. For something savory on Rua do Cunha, choose Seng Cheong’s crab congee or Tai Lei Loi Kei’s pork-chop bun, followed by serradura at Mok Yi Kei. For a proper sit-down meal, first decide between traditional Portuguese seafood and Macanese food seasoned with Asian spices.
Information updated October 17, 2026.
Macau food at a glance
| What to eat | Where to go | How to order | How it fits your route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portuguese egg tart | Lord Stow’s / Margaret’s | Buy 1 or 2 to eat warm, then decide whether to get a box | Margaret’s is on the peninsula; Lord Stow’s Rua do Cunha branch is convenient, while the original Coloane shop suits a slow walk |
| Crab congee | Seng Cheong on Rua do Cunha | Ask about portion size and the day’s price first; it is easier to share between at least 2 people | Make it lunch and do not fill up on snacks as soon as you arrive |
| Pork-chop bun | Tai Lei Loi Kei in Taipa | Eat it between meals; bite carefully if the chop has a bone | Eat it while walking in the afternoon |
| Serradura / sawdust pudding | Mok Yi Kei on Rua do Cunha | It is a chilled dessert, so eat it after buying | Have it after congee or Portuguese food |
| Portuguese chicken, African chicken and bacalhau | A Portuguese restaurant in Taipa or a Macanese restaurant on the peninsula | Ask about portions, the service charge and whether bread is included | Save one dinner for a sit-down meal |
You do not need to sprint between stops to try these foods. Separate the proper sit-down meal from snacks eaten while walking, and you are less likely to finish after taking only one bite of everything.
Lord Stow’s or Margaret’s?
A Portuguese egg tart usually has layered pastry, a custard filling and a browned top. Which shop tastes better is personal, and a tart fresh from the oven is very different from one that has cooled. Instead of relying on online ratings, consider where you are staying and where you already plan to go.
Lord Stow’s: make Coloane a stop for the original shop
Lord Stow’s website says Andrew Stow opened the Coloane shop in September 1989. The original shop is at 1 Rua do Tassara, ground floor, Coloane, open daily 07:00–21:00, telephone +853 2888 2534. It is mainly for takeaway. Check the separate hours of the brand’s café if you want to sit down. Source: Lord Stow’s original shop.
Take bus 15, 21A or 26A to Coloane Residents Association, or 25, 26 or 50 to Coloane Village. Both groups of stops appear on the same page.
You do not have to travel to Coloane just for a tart. A branch at Shop E, ground floor, Pak Hung Building, 9 Rua do Cunha, Taipa opened in December 2016. It is open daily 09:00–21:00, telephone +853 2857 6580. Take bus 11, 15, 22, 28A, 30, 33 or 34 to Rua do Cunha and walk about 1 minute. Source: Taipa branch.
There is also a branch on level 3 of The Venetian, at shops 308 and 870, open 10:00–22:30, telephone +853 2886 6889. Source: The Venetian branch. If you are staying in Cotai and already visiting Rua do Cunha, choose the closer shop to save a ride and room for more food.
The official site does not provide one comparison table for boxed prices at the original and hotel shops. Check the current counter price, then decide whether Coloane is worth the extra trip. If the return fare exceeds the difference, there is no reason to cross Macau merely to save a few patacas.
Margaret’s: an easy stop while exploring the old peninsula
Margaret’s is in a lane on the Macau Peninsula near Senado Square and Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro. A Macau tourism food guide published in May 2017 and updated in October 2018 lists Patio do Comandante Mata e Oliveira and telephone +853 2871 0032. Its hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 08:30–16:00, and Saturday and Sunday 10:00–18:00; Wednesday is not listed. Call this number before making it your only breakfast stop. Source: 2018 tourism food guide.
The small shop is more suited to buying and continuing your walk. Start with 1 tart and a drink, then decide whether to buy more; do not block neighboring entrances while queuing. If the line is very long and your next stop is time-sensitive, it is fine to skip it today.
| Comparison | Lord Stow’s | Margaret’s |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Original shop on Rua do Tassara in Coloane, Shop E on Rua do Cunha, and level 3 of The Venetian | A peninsula lane listed as Patio do Comandante Mata e Oliveira |
| Easiest route | Taipa food or a slow Coloane visit | Senado Square and Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro |
| Hours found for this guide | Original 07:00–21:00; Rua do Cunha 09:00–21:00; Venetian 10:00–22:30 | 2018 guide: weekdays 08:30–16:00, weekends 10:00–18:00, Wednesday not listed |
| Who should make a special trip | Anyone wanting to see the original Coloane shop and village | Anyone already walking through the old peninsula |
Trying both is fun when time allows. Yet whether a warm tart stays in your memory often matters more than which shop ranks first online.
Rua do Cunha: crab congee, pork-chop buns and serradura
Rua do Cunha is in old Taipa, with restaurants, snacks, desserts and souvenirs packed into a short street. This is a busy food street, not a hidden local lane. Weekends and holidays get crowded, so choose a weekday or avoid noon for a little more space.
Seng Cheong crab congee: ask about the portion first
Macau’s tourism office lists Seng Cheong at 28–30 Rua do Cunha, old Taipa, telephone +853 2882 5323, open 12:00–23:30. It explains that the old dish name no longer literally describes its ingredients: the golden congee uses selected roe crabs, and the rice is simmered until the grains open. Other specialties include eel, fried cuttlefish balls and salt-and-pepper frog. Source: tourism office: Seng Cheong.
This is a shared sit-down meal, unlike a tart eaten while walking. Two people can ask whether a small congee is enough before adding cuttlefish balls; a group of 3 or 4 has room for another seafood dish. Before ordering, check the volume, crab size, market pricing and service charge. Diners who like softly burst rice grains and a lighter texture will usually enjoy it; if you expect crab in every spoonful, ask how much crab the portion contains.
Tai Lei Loi Kei pork-chop bun: one for tired feet
The tourism page lists Tai Lei Loi Kei at 35 Rua Correia da Silva, Taipa, telephone +853 2882 7150, open 09:00–18:00. Source: tourism office: Tai Lei Loi Kei. A pork-chop bun is seasoned pork in bread. If you already shared a full pot of congee, split 1 bun between 2 people. Some chops retain the bone, so do not take a large bite while walking.
Mok Yi Kei serradura: a cup after savory food
Serradura is not made of wood. Its “sawdust” is finely crushed biscuit, often layered with cream and served cold, making it a good finish after hot food. The tourism office lists Mok Yi Kei at Shop A, 9 Rua do Cunha, telephone +853 6669 5194, open 09:00–22:00. Other desserts include agar jelly and caramel pudding. Sources: Macanese and Portuguese dishes and Mok Yi Kei.
Distinguish the shops at the same street number: Lord Stow’s Taipa shop is Shop E on the ground floor of 9 Rua do Cunha, while Mok Yi Kei is Shop A at number 9. It is quite sweet; in hot weather, eat it promptly rather than leaving it in a backpack all afternoon.
If you still have room, you will also see Portuguese-style curry, fish balls, almond cookies, peanut candy and agar jelly. Souvenir package sizes and prices vary greatly. Before taking 10 boxes back to Taiwan, check shelf life, ingredients and baggage weight. If Hong Kong is next, continue with this Hong Kong souvenir guide.
How to order Portuguese chicken, African chicken and bacalhau
On a first look at a Portuguese restaurant menu in Macau, you may see coconut milk, curry and chili alongside Portuguese food. Portuguese and Macanese cuisines influence each other but are not identical, and the tourism office introduces them separately. Macanese cuisine was added to Macau’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2012, according to the Solmar page. Source: Macanese and Portuguese dishes.
Portuguese chicken
Common baked Portuguese chicken has a spiced sauce, sometimes made with coconut milk. It belongs more to Macanese cuisine than to a standard dish found in every restaurant in Portugal. Rice is usually a good match. For 2 people, 1 main dish and an appetizer can keep the table manageable.
African chicken
African chicken (Galinha à Africana) is another frequently ordered Macanese dish. Chili heat and sauce thickness vary by restaurant. The Solmar page lists spicy African chicken, baked Portuguese chicken, spicy prawns, fried bacalhau balls and serradura among its specialties. If you do not tolerate much heat, ask before ordering whether it is very spicy and can be adjusted.
Bacalhau
Bacalhau usually means salted cod. Menus may offer bacalhau balls, baked bacalhau or scrambled eggs with bacalhau. Fried balls are an easy first taste. Not every version resembles Taiwanese fried fish; saltiness and small bones depend on the preparation. With children, first ask whether it comes as balls, eggs or a whole piece, then eat slowly.
| People | What to order |
|---|---|
| 1 person | 1 main dish or lunch set, with a separate drink |
| 2 people | Bacalhau balls plus Portuguese chicken or African chicken, with rice or bread |
| 3–4 people | 1 appetizer, 2 different mains, 1 starch and 1 dessert |
On menus, seafood rice, octopus and piri-piri refer to seafood rice, octopus and chili seasoning. Ask about appetizer bread, tableside extras and the service charge before ordering to avoid a surprise at the bill.
Sit-down restaurants to consider
Your first restaurant in Macau does not need to be the most formal. Decide how long you want to spend and how many people are eating, and the choice often becomes easy.
Dumbo
The tourism-listed Dumbo is at Shop A on the ground floor and level 1, Sheraton Plaza, Rua do Regedor, Taipa, telephone +853 2882 7888, open 11:30–20:00. Its listed dishes include bacalhau balls, curry crab and beef short ribs braised in red wine. This old-town option is convenient if you want classics without dressing formally. Source: tourism office: Dumbo.
António
António is at 18-A–18-B Rua dos Clérigos in old Taipa, open daily 11:00–22:00, telephone +853 2888 8668. It suits couples, anniversaries or anyone wanting a complete Portuguese meal. Use the official reservation method during busy periods. Source: António location and hours.
A Petisqueira
A Petisqueira’s contact page lists C/D, 15 Rua de São João, Tsui Lam Garden, in old Taipa, telephone +853 2882 5354 and +853 6204 0135. Weekday lunch is 12:00–16:00, with last kitchen orders at 14:30; dinner is 17:30–23:00, with last orders at 21:30. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, lunch last orders change to 14:45, while dinner remains the same. Share-style home cooking works well for a larger group that wants to compare several dishes. Source: A Petisqueira contact page.
Solmar
If you are staying on the peninsula and not crossing the bridge, Solmar at 510–512 Avenida da Praia Grande is another option. It opened in 1961; telephone +853 2888 1881. The tourism page lists 11:30–15:30 and 17:30–22:30. The food is Macanese and differs from typical Portuguese seafood rice. Source: tourism office: Solmar.
Avoid shuttling between the peninsula, Rua do Cunha and Coloane
Macau is small, but the peninsula, Taipa, Cotai and Coloane are not one point. Put restaurants at opposite ends of Macau on the same plan and your time disappears in transit.
Half day: Senado Square and Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, Margaret’s, then Rua do Cunha in Taipa. Have crab congee for lunch, serradura afterward, and walk around Taipa Houses. Do not travel to Coloane for 1 tart. If staying in Cotai, start on Rua do Cunha and visit the peninsula in the afternoon.
Full day: Old Macau in the morning, Rua do Cunha at noon, the original shop and Coloane Village in the afternoon, then Portuguese food in Taipa for dinner. Coloane is for slowing down around its lanes and waterfront, not leaving after 1 sign photo.
Staying only in Cotai: Buy Lord Stow’s at The Venetian or Shop E on Rua do Cunha, then have a pork-chop bun and Mok Yi Kei before dinner in Taipa. Skipping the second tart shop, peninsula and Coloane makes the day easier with family or children.
For travel from Hong Kong by ferry or bus, read how to get from Hong Kong to Macau. For less walking from a large hotel, see Macau’s free shuttles. Lanes around Rua do Cunha and Coloane can make map pins lead to a back door. Save the shop’s local and Portuguese street names; checking the street name helps when the pin looks close but the entrance is missing.
Budget separately for snacks and meals
The bigger risk is not one expensive meal but buying desserts until you cannot eat the Portuguese food you wanted. Split your budget into snacks and desserts versus sit-down meals, with extra flexibility for seafood, crab and formal restaurants.
| Situation | How to budget |
|---|---|
| Egg tarts and drinks | Buy a single tart first, then a box if you like it; check each shop’s current counter price |
| Rua do Cunha snacks | Share a pork-chop bun and dessert between 2 people, saving room for congee |
| Crab congee and seafood | Ask about small and large portions and whether seafood uses market pricing |
| Portuguese food | Check sets, service charge and whether bread and drinks are included |
| Payment | Keep some Macau patacas in cash and ask small shops whether cards are accepted |
The pataca (MOP) is Macau’s currency. Some shops accept Hong Kong dollars, but change and exchange rates may not match bank rates. Egg tart shops are quieter in the morning; do not schedule every Rua do Cunha snack at noon, and reserve popular Portuguese restaurants at busy times. Going early can still involve a queue, but leaves more room in the later ride and dinner schedule.
Should you take egg tarts back to Taiwan?
A Portuguese egg tart tastes best just after purchase, while still slightly warm. Flying it to Taiwan adds concerns about freshness, crushing and entry rules.
For a fresh tart, schedule it to eat there. The shell is still crisp and the filling warm; after a long carry, that texture gradually disappears.
This Taiwan animal quarantine reference chart is dated April 12, Year 101 of the Republic of China (2012). It says biscuits, cakes and bread without livestock or poultry meat ingredients do not require animal quarantine declaration. A separate line says cooked egg products must have both yolks and whites fully set, with no soil or dust on the surface. Uncooked egg products are prohibited. A soft custard filling is not the same as “fully set,” so do not assume a baked dessert is automatically exempt. The same chart gives the free quarantine hotline 0800-039131; call again before carrying a full box. It lists fines for non-declaration starting at NT$3,000. Source: traveler quarantine reference chart.
Customs also has weight and value rules for personal food, separate from animal and plant quarantine. Seeing “6 kilograms” on the page does not mean every food is allowed. Source: Customs: food carried by travelers.
Eating them the same day is simpler: do not trap them in a sealed plastic bag, and eat them fresh. Ask the shop how to store them overnight and refrigerate if advised. Keep the box level without shoes or a charger on top, because the pastry breaks easily.
Prepare mobile data before finding restaurants
Independent travel in Macau often means checking your phone at short notice: whether a shop is closed, whether you have the right lane and where the next bus is. If you move all day, a travel eSIM with immediate data can save time otherwise spent finding Wi-Fi.
For Macau alone, check that the plan covers Macau, your phone supports it, and the data and days fit. If also visiting Hong Kong or arriving through mainland China, a regional daily plan, fixed-data plan or unlimited plan is easier. Regular data is enough for maps, restaurant searches and messages; allow more if filming and uploading throughout the trip. Reception differs in old streets, thick-walled restaurants and malls, so save addresses first. A data-only travel eSIM cannot receive Taiwanese bank texts sent to your regular number; see the eSIM installation guide.
Checklist before leaving
- Egg tarts: the Coloane original, Shop E on Rua do Cunha and The Venetian have different hours; call Margaret’s at +853 2871 0032 first.
- 9 Rua do Cunha: Lord Stow’s is Shop E and Mok Yi Kei is Shop A.
- Seng Cheong opens at 12:00; Tai Lei Loi Kei closes at 18:00; Mok Yi Kei is listed until 22:00.
- Ask about service charges and last orders for Portuguese food. Solmar closes between services, and A Petisqueira has different lunch and dinner last-order times.
- Before taking egg tarts to Taiwan, read the “yolks and whites fully set” line in the 2012 quarantine chart, then call 0800-039131.
- Save shop names and Portuguese street names on your phone. See the 2 guides above for transport from Hong Kong and hotel shuttles.
Frequently asked questions
Q1: Lord Stow’s or Margaret’s first?
It depends where you are that day. Choose Lord Stow’s if staying in Taipa or going to Coloane; choose Margaret’s around Senado Square and Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro. Add the second shop if time allows.
Q2: Where is the original Lord Stow’s, and is Rua do Cunha a branch?
The original is at 1 Rua do Tassara, Coloane. Shop E on the ground floor of Pak Hung Building, 9 Rua do Cunha, is the Taipa branch listed by the official site; it opened in December 2016.
Q3: Do the original shop and The Venetian charge the same?
The official site has no shop-by-shop price table. Check current prices for single tarts and boxes before deciding whether to make the extra Coloane trip.
Q4: Is Margaret’s open on Wednesday?
Wednesday is not listed in the 2018 tourism guide. Telephone +853 2871 0032. Do not make it your only breakfast plan.
Q5: Are Rua do Cunha and Coloane the same place?
No. Rua do Cunha is in old Taipa and Coloane is another district; for Lord Stow’s on Rua do Cunha, use Shop E.
Q6: How many people should share crab congee?
At least 2 people makes it easier to order other dishes. Seng Cheong is open 12:00–23:30. Ask about portion, price and the day’s crab before ordering. Solo diners can ask whether a small portion is available.
Q7: Is Macau Portuguese chicken simply a chicken dish from Portugal?
Common baked Portuguese chicken belongs to Macanese cuisine. It uses Asian spices and is not exactly an everyday chicken dish found throughout Portugal.
Q8: Does bacalhau have bones?
It depends on the preparation. Fried balls, scrambled eggs and baked versions have different textures and may contain different small bones. Ask which style it is when eating with children, then eat slowly.
Q9: Must Portuguese restaurants be reserved?
Not necessarily on a weekday outside peak hours. Reserve through the restaurant’s listed method for weekend dinners, groups, anniversaries or dietary needs. Also check A Petisqueira’s last-order times.
Q10: Can I photograph Portuguese-style houses near Rua do Cunha?
Add Taipa Houses to your walk. Walk around after crab congee and serradura; its streetscape differs from the large resort hotels.
Q11: Can Macau egg tarts be taken to Taiwan?
Do not assume a soft custard filling is quarantine-exempt. The 2012 reference chart requires the whites and yolks of cooked egg products to be fully set. Call 0800-039131 before carrying a box. Eating them warm in Macau is simplest.
Q12: Does a food trip need an unlimited eSIM?
Regular data is enough for maps, restaurant searches and messages. Consider more data for frequent video uploads; first choose a plan that covers Macau and works on your phone.
