Thanks! We are staying there so will surely have time for a meal...good to know the high price is worth it..

I also put Lei Garden on my list; it is in the IFC mall near the hotel.

And I added Yun Fu. the restaurant of the Aqua Group in Central, featuring NW cuisine. Will either try that or Hutong...have to try that lamb!

A couple of people have said what I was going to say ie Peking Garden is ok but for Peking Duck, definitely go to Spring Deer.You will need to book as it is very popular.Do not be put off by the entrance to the building. You will enjoy it.

Thanks, Peter. I have Spring Deer on my radar.

Question: Is it necessary to book the places mentioned more than a day or two in advance for a dinnertime of around 7:30 during non-New=Year periods? I am wondering whether I need to ask the hotel to make my bookings before I leave home..or can I wait until I arrive in HK.

For very good dim sum you should try the huge dim sum rest on the 2nd floor of City Hall in Central, great view,good service and they still have the carts being pushed around for you to choose from and also menues in English. Go early or book or expect to register and wait up to an hour.
Spring Deer is very good for duck and has been going for decades. All 5* hotels here serve 5* food with a price tag to match. 4 Seasons is good and I reckon it will cost about hk$300 to 500-each you can also try the rests in Pacific Place, Admiralty, you can take the MTR straight into Pacific Place. If you are keen to try seafood and enjoy a boat trip then go to Lamma Island, we usually eat at the "Hilton" seafood place right next to the water a ferry leaves Central about every hour. The Aqua group is quite upmarket and the beautiful people like to to there, Dragon I is good for Dim sum on Wyndham Street, Central infact Wyndham St has lots of good eating places and Lan Kwai Fong is the hip and happening drinks place to hang out which is just the next street to Wyndham.
It's cold here so bring a coat, enjoy Hong kong

Many thanks! Maxim's City Hall seems to get very mixed reports, but will keep it in mind if we are in the area. Correct me here, but don't most dim sum places in HK have order sheets/menus in English? is there any advantage of visiting a place with carts? Would freshness be a more obtainable goal if the dim sum are prepared to order from a menu? I love dim sum and want to try everything on offer so all tips are helpful!

We will be there the third week in March--hope it warms up a bit by then!!!

Most of the better dim sum places use a order sheet now, not a cart.

BTW, if you're in Central, alternative place for dim sum is the Chiu Chow Garden in the basement of Jardine House (the highrise with the round windows). Also run by the Maxim's group, a little bit higher end than the one in the City Hall.

I second ekscrunchy's recommendation: Tim Ho Wan is awesome! We went there a few months ago and the wait is super long (get there early in the morning to get your number if you hope to wait less than two hours) but it's very delicious. Pork buns are their specialty. Apparently it is the world's cheapest Michelin star restaurant. More info and pics in our Hong Kong post at http://patrinadoestheglobe.blogspot.com/

As far as booking a table goes, I have never booked before I leave home and usually a couple of days or so before when I am actually in Hong Kong.

The reason I think most places do not have the carts is that there is not enough space for them. Maxim’s is quite large and has been around for years, and has space for the carts. But in any event, I don’t think you would notice a difference in the freshness of the food. In the larger places, I don’t know that a lot of the dim sum is made to order, esp as it comes out so quickly you can’t imagine it could have been. I think good bit of the standard items are in steamers in the kitchen. (Maxim’s does not take reservations to the best of my knowledge, having called them numerous time to attempt bookings over the years. My suggestion is to go at 11:45 am and beat the lunch crowd. This may not work as well on a Sunday. Note that Maxim’s has pretty much lost their view to reclamation going on in front of them, and the view is now pretty much a mess of dirt, cranes and trucks. In about a year there will probably be no view at all. So don’t bother with a harbour view table. )

Almost all dim sum restaurants in the main tourist areas have menus in English. A few places (like West Villa), do not, and may not have staff who speak extensive English (although West Villa’s Kowloon or Causeway Bay locations may have English menus). So having a few favourites written in Chinese can be helpful if you are going to a more off-the-beaten-path place; or check websites to see if you can get translations you can print out and bring with you. (I’ll bet there are some out there). But I would say this is the exception more than the rule, and you should expect to find English menus in most places. Other diners can also be helpful if you find yourself in a place with no English menus. Of course, that is where carts are helpful, as you can see a bit of what you are getting. If you end up in a place without carts or English menus, then you might just point at the menu and order; as you like “everything” you will be sure to end up with some favourites, and also some new things. Sometimes, it is better not to know the exact contents and just to eat without question. I find this to be the case with items like pig’s ear or organ meat, which taste better than they look on a menu, frankly. Hopefully you like chicken or duck feet, as the just-pointing-at-the-menu method may yield those.