(Last updated: June 30, 2026)
One of the sad realities of eating around Macau is that many of its most famous restaurants aren’t as good as they were 15 years ago. Places like Litoral, Henri’s Galley and A Lorcha are prime examples, and you can add Fat Siu Lau to the list.
I first came here in 2012 and loved it. Returning more than a decade later was depressing. It barely felt like the same restaurant.
The Fish Chowder Soup ($50) and Cream of Chicken Soup ($50) were both perfectly edible, but that’s about the best thing I can say. Generic, forgettable, and not something I’d ever consider ordering again. Â
The Baked Pork Chop Rice ($135) and Duck Rice ($135) were even more disappointing. Both looked like something you’d find at one of those generic Hong Kong-style cafés I spend half my life trying to avoid.
The Pork Chop disappeared under a heavy tomato sauce, while the Duck Rice felt like nobody in the kitchen particularly cared whether it was good or not.
The famous Roasted Pigeon ($138 each) used to be of my favourite dishes in town, even holding down a place on my list of 10 Can’t Miss Macau Dishes.
This time? Drier, less flavourful, and nowhere near as memorable as it used to be. Still decent enough, perhaps, but no longer the jaw-dropper it once was.
Maybe Fat Siu Lau just caught me on a bad night. I genuinely hope that’s the case. But if someone asked me today whether it’s still one of Macau’s essential restaurants, I’d say Fat Siu Lau left its spark and mojo back in 2014.
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Below is the first review from 2012.
On the evening of the Drunken Dragon Festival, Qi Meng, A Ping and I decided to try out a Macau institution – Fat Siu Lau.
In business since 1903, Fat Siu Lau has been open for over 100 years now and after going there, we knew why. No restaurant can make lamb and pigeon like that and not turn a profit.
The lamb was wow, and the famous roasted pigeon was wow, wow, wow.
The other two dishes, African Chicken and Baked Codfish, weren’t on the level of those two, but were still pretty good. The African Chicken was extremely thick, and a little spicy, so it might not be for everyone.
If you’re a fan of Macau’s baked cod, then you’ll probably love Fat Siu Lau’s, but in my opinion everyone does the dish far too oily, although it’s sure to make you feel full.
A choice that also comes highly recommended is Seafood Rice, which we didn’t order, but definitely will next time.
Located on the Street of Happiness, the restaurant has quite aged well over its one hundred years. The inside has been completely refurbished, and has a cute romantic feel about it, making it a nice charming place to have a meal.
Prices are also quite reasonable – for three mains, one starter and two bottles of wine our bill only ran $1100, which is about the same level as Litoral or Solmar. While Fat Siu Lau is certainly not cheap, food like this is still worth every penny.
Fat Siu Lau means Smiling Buddha in Cantonese and he definitely made us happy. With its great blend of authentic Macanese-Portuguese food, 100 year old history, and awesome location, it’s a must try when in Macau. My mouth waters every time I think about the place.
