The best dumplings in Brisbane

Jemma Fletcher Jemma Fletcher
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Poached or grilled, tightly packed with all things sweet or savoury: there’s a lot to love about the humble dumpling.

Have your chopsticks at the ready as we take you on a quest to find the best dumplings in Brisbane.

1. Harajuku Gyoza

As you step through the doors of Harajuku Gyoza, you’ll be welcomed with a raucous chorus of “irasshaimase" (meaning welcome in Japanese).

Widely known for making some of the best gyoza in Australia, they are like little Japanese dumplings of happiness because they’re cooked crispy on the bottom and steamed juicy on the top. With crispy duck, mozzarella cheese, cheeseburger, and takoyaki gyozas, you can guarantee you won’t find these flavours in any other dumpling restaurant.

Do your tastebuds a favour and order the decadent garlic butter crab dumplings or the one-foot-long fries splattered with kewpie mayo. The star of the dessert menu has to be the salted caramel gyozas, as well as their raindrop cake. Wash it all down with beer, wine or sake.

Cuisine: Japanese

Where: Locations in Brisbane CBD and South Bank

Above shot of Harajuku Garlic Crab Gyoza and table
Harajuku Gyoza is widely known for making some of the best gyoza in Australia. (Image: Harajuku Gyoza)

2. Fat Dumpling

Fat Dumpling specialises in plates of plump, translucent dumplings served poached, steamed, or pan-fried.

Keen to explore beyond the typical pork and cabbage filling? Try the poached chicken and asparagus, pan-fried fish, and steamed pork xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Sided with pork spring rolls, a Chinese broccoli salad, and the farm egg and prawn fried rice.

These aren’t the cheapest dumplings in Brisbane, but each one is handmade daily with incredible precision and packed with flavour to create a more than enjoyable dining experience for patrons.

Cuisine: Chinese

Where: Locations in Bowen Hills and West End

Authentic and handmade dumplings from Fat Dumpling in Brisbane.
Each dumpling is handmade daily with incredible precision and flavour. (Image: Fat Dumpling)

3. Madame Wu

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill yum cha. With an enviable outlook over the Brisbane River and an elegant dining ambience, Madame Wu takes your dumpling experience to the next level with a delicious modern Asian Fusion menu.

Executive Chef Brendon Barker has made it his mission to incorporate fresh Queensland produce into each of his dishes.

You’ll find fancy fillings like wagyu and Jerusalem artichoke, pan-fried scallops, and pumpkin and sweet potato — the dumplings here are something else. While they aren’t technically dumplings, the steamed duck buns are lip-smackingly fantastic.

Cuisine: Asian Fusion

Where: 71 Eagle Street, Brisbane City

Steamed scallop dumplings from Madame Wu in Brisbane.
Madame Wu looks over the Brisbane River. (Image: Madame Wu)

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4. New Shanghai

If you’d like to see dumpling wrappers nimbly stuffed and pleated before your eyes, make a beeline for New Shanghai. It nails the Shanghainese 1930s street-style setting, creating a causal but modern dining atmosphere.

These legends can be found hand-rolling out all their orders fresh from the kitchen using recipes passed down through generations.

If you’re after something a little different, we’d suggest you mix it up with the crab meat xiao long bao. Alternatively, you can just stick to the classics and order a plate of prawn dumplings.

Cuisine: Chinese

Where: 226 Queen Street, Brisbane City

Dumplings are hand-rolled in front of you at New Shanghai in Brisbane.
New Shanghai nails the Shanghainese 1930s street-style setting. (Image: New Shanghai)

5. Bamboo Basket

Specialising in southern and northern Chinese cuisine, the folks over at Bamboo Basket have bought a small part of Shanghai to Australia.

Known for their signature xiaolongbao dishes, they prepare these soup-filled Shanghai pork dumplings fresh for their customers every day.

You definitely want to start with these iconic dumplings, but we’d recommend ordering a few plates of the deep-fried mixed vegetable with bean curd dumplings and the steamed chicken and Chinese cabbage dumplings to accompany it.

While you’re there, be entertained by their professional, skilled chefs rolling out dough, filling and pinching dumplings, and making noodles right before your eyes.

Cuisine: Southern and northern Chinese

Where: Locations in South Brisbane and Hamilton

Pork and prawn dumplings from Bamboo Basket in Brisbane.
Be entertained by the professional, skilled chefs. (Image: Bamboo Basket)

6. Landmark Restaurant

Feed those raging Chinese cuisine cravings with a weekend yum cha session. At Landmark Restaurant, you’ve got trays upon trays of dumplings streaming out of the kitchen every minute.

The hardest part of yum cha is knowing which of the dishes to start with. You can’t go wrong with the following selection: shark fin, peanut and pork, garlic chives, and steamed beef Siu Mai (opened dumpling) – and the prawn dumpling noodle soup makes for an incredible starter dish.

Cuisine: Cantonese

Where: Locations in Sunnybank and Chermside

Enjoy a yum cha feast at Landmark Restaurant in Brisbane.
Landmark Restaurant, has trays upon trays of dumplings streaming out of the kitchen every minute. (Image: Landmark Restaurant)

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7. Steamed

With fast service and juicy dumplings, what’s not to love about dining at Steamed? Located in Brisbane’s CBD, these leading ladies are working tirelessly to dish up the best batches of dumplings in the area.

With only four items on the menu, you don’t have an excuse not to try them all. The Zen dumpling is filled with shiitake mushroom, seasoned tofu, and Chinese cabbage, while the Chicken Donggu mix is made up of chicken donggu mushroom and Chinese spice.

And of course, they have the Harbin pork dumplings mixed with chives and ginger and the ever-popular Pork Clouds (fluffy pork buns).

Cuisine: Chinese

Where: 95 Turbot Street, Brisbane City

Steamed chicken gyoza from Steamed in Brisbane.
Steamed only has four items on the menu. (Image: Steamed)

8. Little Red Dumpling

With so many locations to choose from, think of Little Red Dumpling as your local dumpling bar offering a little slice of Guangdong.

They pride themselves on preparing dumplings in-house daily, using only locally sourced ingredients — ‘just like ma ma used to’.

The menu is broken up into categories of ‘start’, ‘dumplings’, ‘not dumplings’, and ‘finish’ to keep it simple. While you can obviously branch out and order something from under the ‘not dumplings’ section, it would be remiss of us not to steer you towards the lamb coriander, crab roe, and rainbow dumpling selection.

Cuisine: Guangdong

Where: Locations in Brisbane CBD, Toowong, West End, Newmarket, Toombul, Springwood, Sunnybank, Cannon Hill, Victoria Point, and Carseldine.

Dumplings in Xián sour soup from Little Red Dumpling in Brisbane.
Think of Little Red Dumpling as your local dumpling bar offering a little slice of Guangdong. (Image: Little Red Dumpling)

9. Donna Chang

Giving a gentle nod to Sichuan flavours and authentic Cantonese cuisine, Donna Chang offers a dining experience to ignite your senses.

If you’re looking for a side of elegance, the dining room here is filled with marble tables and suede chairs to set the tone.

Having sourced the very best local ingredients to create inspired dishes, their Moreton Bay bug, and scallop dumpling is one you absolutely need to try when in Brisbane.

Cuisine: Cantonese

Where: 171 George St, Brisbane City

Watch chefs prepare your food from the elegant dining room at Donna Chang in Brisbane.
Donna Chang offers a dining experience to ignite your senses. (Image: Donna Chang)

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Jemma Fletcher
Based in sun-kissed Brisbane, Jemma Fletcher is an accomplished writer, editor and content manager. Armed with a Bachelor of Journalism from The University of Queensland, as well as over a decade of tourism marketing experience, Jemma now specialises in freelance travel writing and has a soft spot for the beauty of Queensland. Her expertise has been honed through her previous roles as Chief Editor of Queensland.com and WeekendNotes.com and she is the passionate creator of High Cup of Tea, an online directory celebrating Australia's finest high tea experiences. After growing up in the UK (hence her love for tea and scones) and a delightful chapter in Sydney, Jemma loves to explore quaint towns with a rich history. Also high on her weekend list is tasting the local cafe scene, enjoying charming farm stays with her young family and deciding where her next travel adventure will be (half of the fun is in the planning!)
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Can’t handle the cold? Hamilton Island serves a slice of summer in winter

(Image: Hamilton Island)

    Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
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    When the winter chill settles in, an escape to Hamilton Island’s year-round tropical shores is the only acceptable coping mechanism.

    As a heliophile with the cold tolerance of a Mediterranean house cat, the arrival of winter tends to spark a particular panic. How will I survive? Must I really start layering? What do you mean, Aperol season is over? But there are far better ways to spend the cooler months than sulking in the depths of your doona.

    Enter, Hamilton Island. With its year-round sunshine and permanent on-holiday atmosphere, this Whitsundays favourite promises a veritable slice of summer in winter.

    Think salt-stiff hair and the smug pleasure of devouring seafood beside the water while friends back home are defogging their windscreens. Here’s why Hamilton Island should figure into your winter plans.

    1. Year-round summer weather

    A woman hiking along the Passage Peak trail on Hamilton Island.
    Hike under sunny winter skies on Hamilton Island. (Image: Andrew Caitens)

    In the crisper months, Hamilton Island offers perfectly mild, sunny weather (17-24°C) that lends itself to morning swims and afternoon spritzes. Better still, you can enjoy the island’s outdoor adventures – from hiking to mountain biking – without the humidity or rain you’ll often find in summertime. With direct flights from most major Australian cities offering ease of access, Hamilton Island is the ideal place to flee the cold.

    2. Getting active without the humidity

    A buggy parked overlooking Hamilton Island’s golf course, with sweeping views of the sea at Whitsundays in winter.
    Zip around Hamilton Island by buggy. (Image: Hamilton Island)

    Whether you’re hiking up to Passage Peak or exploring the island by buggy, tropical Queensland humidity is nobody’s friend. The one way to guarantee you will avoid the inevitable stickiness and fluffy hair? Visit during winter. There’s plenty to be enjoyed, from sunrise yoga at The Sundays (exclusive to guests of The Sundays) to playing golf on Dent Island.

    3. Hamilton Island Race Week

    Yachts racing across the sparkling Whitsundays during Hamilton Island Race Week.
    Feel the thrill of Hamilton Island Race Week. (Image: Salty Dingo)

    Taking place in August, Hamilton Island Race Week is a destination in its own right that attracts spectators and racers from around the globe. Boating enthusiasts and thrill-seeking holidaymakers flock to the island, which is palpably energetic as the first yachts set off for Dent Passage from Hamilton Island Yacht Club. The annual action-packed week, taking place from 15 to 22 August in 2026, offers an exciting calendar of on- and off-water events – spanning everything from celebrity chef dinners to golfing comps and wine tastings.

    4. Best time for snorkelling

    A woman snorkelling in the crystal-clear waters of the Great Barrier Reef.
    Explore Hamilton Island’s winter waters. (Image: Andrew Caitens)

    While the crowds on Hamilton Island may disperse with the cooler weather, the marine life certainly doesn’t. Winter is widely considered one of the best times to snorkel and dive in the Whitsundays.

    It’s down to a number of reasons: excellent water visibility, higher chances of seeing whales as they migrate north and – best of all – no nasty stingers. This means no need to wear those notoriously unflattering full-body wetsuits visitors have to wear in warmer months. On top of all this, you’ll find calm seas ideal for sailing and Great Barrier Reef tours.

    5. Fewer crowds

    People kayaking.
    Experience a quieter Hamilton Island on a kayaking adventure. (Image: Hamilton Island)

    Winter is often the quietest time to visit Hamilton Island, with the peak season crowds thinned to a relaxed trickle. You can snorkel or dive straight off the reef-laced waters of Catseye Beach, then swap fins for a buggy and zip between One Tree Hill, the marina and sunset cocktails without the usual summer queues. Active days stretch from kayaking, sailing and jet skiing to hopping over to famous Whitehaven Beach to witness those breathtaking white swirls of silica sand. You won’t have to elbow your way to the front of the crowd to get a good snap.

    6. Delicious dining

    The interiors of Bommie Restaurant, featuring modern coastal design with warm lighting and elegant detailing.
    Treat yourself to Bommie Restaurant’s fine dining featuring fresh, seasonal Aussie produce. (Image: Nikki To)

    The food on Hamilton Island tastes just as good any time of year, and winter is still perfect weather for sundowners. Start with an iced tea Negroni at harbourside Bommie Deck, before transitioning to Bommie Restaurant for a fine-dining feast centering on seasonal Aussie ingredients. Or perhaps enjoy a more casual poolside evening at Sails Restaurant, where plates of chermoula chicken skewers, baked cauliflower steak and crispy sumac squid come served with ocean views. From family-friendly pub meals to elevated wine tastings, there’s something for everyone.

    5. Clear skies for idyllic views

    The golden hour across the Whitsundays in winter.
    End your day with golden Hamilton Island sunsets over the water. (Image: Hamilton Island)

    Never let a cloud rain on the parade of Hamilton Island’s spectacular scenery. Winter brings clearer skies and more stable weather to the Whitsundays, meaning your picture-perfect sunset at One Tree Hill is likely to remain that way. And after putting in the legwork to hike to a scenic lookout, the last thing you want is a vista hidden behind low cloud and haze.

    To learn more about travelling to the Whitsundays in winter, visit hamitlonisland.com.au.