The highest Chinese restaurant in Macau lives up to its lofty location — Lai Heen, residing on the 51st floor of the recently opened The Ritz-Carlton, Macau, serves elevated (literally) Cantonese food in a dreamlike space adjacent to the hotel’s lobby and intimate bar and lounge.
The restaurant's attention to detail begins with décor featuring impressive hand-carvings and contemporary artwork, and continues with delightful dim sum and Chinese delicacies.
The restaurant's attention to detail begins with décor featuring impressive hand-carvings and contemporary artwork, and continues with delightful dim sum and Chinese delicacies.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- This is Cantonese cuisine at the top of its game — beautiful presentations, balanced flavors and unusual ingredient combinations.
- The Macau restaurant uses premium ingredients and seasonal produce, meaning the dishes might change a bit on each visit depending on what’s fresh at that time of year.
- An all-glass wine room holds hundreds of premium vintages, many from the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions of France, as well as several lesser-known bottles from Portugal as a nod to Macau’s history.
- Tea enthusiasts or dim sum diners may want to ask the tea master to recommend something from a long list of premium aged pu-erh blends for an authentic Cantonese dining experience.
Things to Know
- Though pairing wine with Cantonese food may not come naturally to even the most erudite oenophile, there is an incredibly knowledgeable sommelier on hand to suggest complementary flavor profiles.
- After dinner, make your way over to The Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge where you can choose a premium gin and tonic from the old-school gin trolley while listening to a live jazz performance.
- The Macau restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily.
The Food
- Careful craftsmanship is evident in even the tiniest of dim sum delights, such as dumplings shaped like pears or lobster-and-pork dumplings topped in gold flakes.
- Inventive chef’s creations include steamed crab claw with egg white lobster bisque, melt-in-your-mouth braised pork belly with preserved vegetables, and char-grilled barbecued Iberico pork.
- No matter when you visit, though, don’t leave without trying the salty and spicy house-made XO chili sauce. Bottles of the seafood sauce are available for sale in case you care to take some home as a souvenir or gift — just ask the server.
The Design
- Lai Heen shares the ultra-high ceilings of the gleaming hotel’s lobby, but the vibe changes as you transition from the polished, white marble lobby and enter the dark, moody interiors of the Cantonese restaurant.
- Tall pillars carved with ornate details are juxtaposed with reflective mirrors, and water features create a dramatic entrance that pays tribute to Macau’s mixed Chinese and Portuguese heritage.
- Upon closer inspection, it appears that almost every surface is covered in hand-carved details. Avant-garde artwork and re-imagined antiques — think shattered Portuguese pottery reconstructed into a classic Chinese vase — create an elegant yet unique atmosphere.
- There are several types of seating areas, including a chinoiserie-chic lounge area with plush couches, side tables overlooking the skyline, semi-private alcoves with circular tables and dramatic chandeliers, a cigar lounge, and five impressive private rooms named after precious gemstones (Amber, Gold, Jade, Lapis Lazuli and Pearl).
Amenities
Business casual
Dinner
Gluten-free options
Lunch
Private dining
Reservations recommended 
Self-parking
Valet parking
Vegetarian options
Getting There
Estrada da Baía da Nossa Senhora da Esperança, Cotai, Macau, China
TEL853-8886-6706
TEL853-8886-6742
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