(Last updated: December 12, 2025)
You might not know it to look at it today, but Nga Tim is a Coloane Village institution. It’s been around since 1972, back when Coloane was still an island and the only way to get there was by ferry, which would dock at the old Coloane Pier.
An even sleepier backwater then, Coloane was popular for the beach down at Hac Sa and to a lesser extent, Ka Ho, which is a total afterthought these days. With basically no infrastructure or shops anywhere on the island, everybody inevitably returned to Coloane Village tired, hungry, and thirsty, which is what made Nga Tim so useful.
In any and every late afternoon, under the shadow of a gorgeous Southern China sunset, people would sit outside on its worn cobblestone patio, eating warm fried rice and noodles, chasing it down with cold Casal Garcia, waiting for the last ferry back to Hong Kong or Macau.
If that sounds like nothing more than cheap cooked up nostalgia, perhaps it is, but the truth is that Nga Tim is still alive and kicking, in the same location it’s always had in front of the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier, with basically the same menu. (And for the record, the sunsets there are still beautiful.)
A classic Macau restaurant through and through, they actually have three different kitchens for three different styles of local food – one that does Cantonese, one that does Portuguese, and one that does barbecue and roasted meats. If you arrive a little late, be warned that one of the kitchens may have closed down a little early, limiting what you may be able to order.
Two things about the food – taste takes precedence, not appearance, and you might find it prepared a little differently than everywhere else. The Nga Tim Chicken ($118/half), for example, is almost certainly barbecued, which gives it an extra dimension of crispiness and char that isn’t normally there.
The Seafood Rice is a different kettle of fish too. Prepared in a far simpler manner, it looks like the rice and seafood are made separately and only mixed together at the end. No matter the process, it works wonderfully and the price is right too, only $58, which is $100 cheaper than most seafood rice in other restaurants.
A tad spicy, with nice kick, the Shrimp Curry ($88) is everything you’d ever want in life, provided there’s a bowl of rice on the table too.
The Baked Perch ($120) is another standout selection, a beautiful mixture of vegetables and boiled fish, just delicious from start to finish.
And since we’re in Macau, why not end things with a fantastic little Pork Chop Bun for $20, which is miles better (and cheaper) than the supposed “industry leader”, the terrible Tai Lei Loi Kei?
If you take Nga Tim for what it is – one of the simplest and most laid back restaurants in town, located in the most atmospheric part of Coloane Village, then there’s no way you’ll go there and be disappointed.
All told, our dinner for two only ran $607, which included $168 in Sangria alone, dirt cheap for Macau these days.
One terrific blast from the past that just keeps on trucking, Nga Tim is approaching must visit status for casual travellers and hard core Macau enthusiasts alike.
*** UPDATE #1 ***
I’ve been to Nga Tim so many times, I don’t know what my own kitchen looks like!
Forget the old 4.5 star ranking, this bad boy has been elevated to 5 stars, effective immediately.
When I say this place delivers some of the best food in Macau, I’m not being poetic — I’m speaking from experience, from habit, from eating here so often that the setting barely registers anymore. Think big tables, loud families, wine glasses multiplying, while staff move fast, talk back, and keep the whole vibe rolling.
These are the dishes I keep ordering again and again. No guessing, no “maybe next time.” Just the hits.
The reason I keep coming back. Juicy, simply seasoned and tasting exactly as lamb should. More juice than smoke, which is perfectly fine by me. 5 stars
Crisp, fiery and dangerously easy to demolish. One plate disappears fast and immediately makes you wish you’d ordered two. 5 stars .
Simple, tender and reliable. I still prefer the lamb, but the beef goes tremendously well with red wine. 4.5 stars
Charred, salty, slightly sweet and remarkably good for the price. Exactly the sort of sausage you’d get in Portugal. 4.5 stars.
A mountain of clams swimming in white wine sauce. Two people can share this easily, although you’ll need some bread afterwards to mop up the remains. 4 stars
Light and crisp on the outside, with a soft curry filling inside. At $35, you might as well order two. 4 stars
Not my favourite starter, but an authentic, well-executed take on the real thing. Two thumbs up from my Portuguese friend. 3.5 stars
The only dish I wouldn’t order again. Perhaps they didn’t cook it long enough, because what arrived felt rushed and unfinished. The meat was pale, the fat hadn’t rendered properly, and none of the deep flavour or crackling texture ever developed. Not unsafe, just deeply unsatisfying. 2 stars
One more thing: Nga Tim is basically BYOB paradise. Bring your own red wine and there’s no corkage. Bring a white and you pay only $10 for the ice.
That’s frankly unheard of in Macau in 2026.
*** UPDATE #2 ***
A few more tidbits about other dishes I’ve tried at Nga Tim, none of which move the meter much.
Starting with soups, stick with the Seafood ($22) and Bortsch ($22), while avoiding the Oxtail ($22) and Clam Chowder ($35).
I don’t even consider the Clam Chowder a soup, it was more like water added to clams and vegetables then left alone.
A lot of places in Macau make Feijoada ($108) a lot better, while Nga Tim probably does it at a 3 star level.
At least it is properly sloppy and not that expensive, but it pales in comparison to the feijoada at places like Litoral and O Manuel.
The Roasted Eel ($298) is the best of the bunch by far but is wickedly overpriced. Prepared well with beautiful texture and taste, there’s just not enough of it to justify the price.
If it were $150 cheaper, I’d be all over it, but I won’t be going there again. The Baked Pork Chop Rice ($78) is not something I’d usually order, but my wife enjoyed it and called it totally decent.
As mentioned in the original review, the best dishes I’ve had at Nga Tim are the Shrimp Curry, Seafood Rice and Baked Perch. Along with the Seafood Soup, they are all standout selections.
