“Everything changes and everything stays the same”. That’s the catchcry often repeated by Hong Kong locals as they watch their city ebb and flow, in a constant state of hustle and change. For visitors, it means there’s always something new to discover and explore, while you’ll still find plenty of old favourites standing firm.
When it comes to experiencing local cuisine, Australian-born chef Shane Osborn, who owns the Michelin-starred Arcane in Central, recommends visitors explore an area rather than seek out specific restaurants.
“If you’re looking for Cantonese food, I always find the best thing to do is go over to Kowloon-side and just walk the streets and take a punt. I can’t tell you the names of most of the places because I don’t read Cantonese. Around Reclamation Street, around the back of Kwun Tong, there are all these little places that will just do one thing and do it really well. There’s so many small mum-and-pop places here still, all doing incredible food.”
Likewise, executive chef ArChan Chan from Ho Lee Fook, suggests a similar approach when seeking out fresh seafood. “In New Territories, one of the places I like to go is Tuen Mun, where you can buy your own fresh seafood [at the Sam Shing Hui seafood market] and take it to one of the restaurants nearby and ask them to cook it how you like.”
Read on for our Hong Kong travel guide guide to the best accommodation, restaurants and bars.
Hong Kong accommodation: best luxury hotels
- Best for fine dining: Four Seasons Hong Kong
- Best for five-star service: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
- Best for modern luxury: The St. Regis Hong Kong
- Best for space and serenity: The Upper House
Read our full guide to Hong Kong’s best luxury hotels here.
Where to eat: Hong Kong’s best restaurants
Grand Majestic Sichuan
This opulent opening from the Black Sheep hospitality group (Ho Lee Fook, Belon) combines classic Sichuan cooking with Western hospitality, under the direction of Fuchsia Dunlop and head chef Theign Phan. Highlights include chongqing la zi ji (firecracker yellow chicken with facing heaven chillies) and shui zhu yu (grouper in sizzling chilli broth), as well as complimentary Champagne served in the powder room.
L’Envol
Led by chef Olivier Elzer, this modern French fine-diner sources fresh, premium produce from around the world to take diners on a refined tasting journey that combines flawless technique with unexpected flavour profiles. Take, for instance, the line-caught sea bass, cooked on the bone and served with “spices from Tel Aviv”; a secret spice blend from a renowned merchant who agreed to supply the restaurant exclusively. Where previously L’Envol’s signature menu leaned heavily into caviar, Elzer and his team are now mixing things up with weekly seasonal menus designed to hero the best produce of the week.
Lung King Heen
Immerse yourself in the bustle and chatter of one of Hong Kong’s most popular Chinese restaurants, which made history in 2009 when it became the first Chinese restaurant to earn three Micheline stars. Specialising in dim sum and seafood (which you feast on whilst watching fishing boats and ferries traverse Victoria Harbour) Lung King Heen is where Hong Kong families come to celebrate and connect. Coaxed out of retirement in 2002 to steer Lung King Heen’s menu, executive chef Chan Yan Tak can still be found overseeing the kitchen more than 20 years later. Iconic.
Man Wah
The views alone are worth booking a meal at Man Wah, whether you opt for the dim sum lunch service or the bright lights and a la carte menu of a dinner sitting. Impeccable service and a world-class wine list have seen Man Wah delight diners for more than 50 years (and retain a Michelin star for the past decade) in an elegant dining room that serves up plenty of old world charm. For an introduction to classic Cantonese fine dining, opt for the set menu, which includes traditional dishes such as double-boiled soup with abalone and matsutake mushroom, and steamed grouper with Sichuan peppercorn.
Where to drink: Hong Kong’s Best Bars
Argo
Named after the Greek myth of Jason and Argonauts, this high-concept cocktail bar prides itself on pushing boundaries and serving flavour combinations you’ve never experienced before. The current menu heroes six unique local flavours – including granite, sweet potato, ginger lily and bamboo – combined with rare spirits and other bespoke concoctions to create drinks such as the Igneous Gibson, which features Granite Grey Goose with Argo botanical spirit and charred pickled vermouth. At the centre of the action, a celestial-themed bar only adds to the theatrics.
The Aubrey
Serving up exquisite drinks and views in equal meausre, The Aubrey has become one of the city’s must-visit cocktail destinations since opening in 2021. Located on the 25th floor of the Mandarin Oriental, this glamorous Japanese izakaya and whisky bar is a favourite with locals and international visitors alike, coming in at #17 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.
The Botanical Garden
Once the home of the Hong Kong Supreme Court, the Central Magistracy building was decommissioned in 1979 and lay dormant for more than 40 years before being converted into a dining destination. Head to the Botanical Garden for the city’s crispest gin and tonics in an English country garden setting.
The St. Regis Bar
Famed as the birthplace of the Bloody Mary, New York’s St. Regis Hotel has spawned a number of global outposts, which each put their local stamp on the signature drink. Here, the Canto Mary combines dried tangerine peel and spices with soy sauce, to give a unique Hong Kong flavour. Other signature experiences include the daily Violet Hour (from 6pm) where guests are treated to a complimentary Violet Hour Martini.
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