Hakkasan

The restaurant opened in April 2001 at Hanway Place, London by Alan Yau. It distinguished itself from the other Chinese restaurants in London by offering upmarket fare combined with Western dining experience. In 2003, the Hanway Place location became one of the first Chinese restaurants in London to win a Michelin Star.

The restaurant has a distinctive interior designed by the French designer Christian Liaigre fusing modern aesthetic with traditional Chinese motifs, and features a carved wooden cage as dining space. Elements of the restaurant design are replicated in other Hakkasan restaurants., According to Robbie Bargh, whose company was involved at the inception of Hakkasan at Hanway Place, Hakkasan was built as an antithesis to Japanese concept Nobu, which in contrast to its natural and minimalist design, Hakkasan was "sexy", "naughty", and "provocative". Bargh also estimated that Hakkasan Hanway Place was one of the most expensive restaurants ever built, with it costing Yau between £14 and £15 per square foot in 2000.

In January 2008, Yau sold the majority interest of Hakkasan and Yauatcha to Tasameem Real Estate, an investment company based in Abu Dhabi. The restaurant expanded quickly, a second London restaurant covering two floors for up to 220 guests opened in November 2010 on Bruton Street in Mayfair. Other Hakkasan restaurants have opened in New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Shanghai, Mumbai, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Jakarta, with 12 locations opened in total.

The Hakkasan Group opened a number of sister restaurants named Ling Ling in Marrakesh, Mykonos, Mexico City, as well as Aker Brygge in Oslo, Norway opened in April 2017. In April 2018, Hakkasan entered into a partnership with Grupo Vidanta to open a chain of venues including an Omnia Dayclub in Mexico. They have also opened a Dayclub Indonesia with KAJA Group and Alila Hotels, and more planned in Saudi Arabia. The group also intended to open boutique hotels.

In May 2020, the Hakkasan Group announced the permanent closure of their San Francisco restaurant due to economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Later in the year, the New York branch also closed for the same reason. In April 2021, Hakkasan was acquired by Tao Group Hospitality. The original Hakkasan at Hanway Place closed after 24 years of operation in February 2025, but the Mayfair location remains operational.