Hello,
We'll be in HK for 2 days in a couple weeks (a stopover from Thailand).
So my question is:

1. What are the best routes/itineraries for 'must sees' - we also enjoy some shopping and markets....

2. Restaurants for 2 nights - we're staying at Sheraton Towers - would like something upscale and memorable....

all the suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

I would suggest rambling through the shopping streets of Kowloon, Kowloon Park and the Temple Street markets at night and on another day go across the harbour the next day and go up to the Peak on the Peak tram, do a one hour walk around the Peak. Then come down and have a look around Hong Kong side and take a bus to Stanley markets followed by a dinner at a restaurant in the Intercontinental Hotel for fabulous harbour views. These are just a couple of ideas and there are lots of others already on this board you can check. Have fun in that fabulous city!

Peterlan, thank you very much for the post. That's exactly what we'll do.
From what I understand, you appreciate gourmet food - any specific suggestions? We're very open to try new things and want something authentic with atmosphere - something we can't get at home.
We're staying at Sheraton Towers, so the first night would prefer something that is close to the hotel. The second night we're wide open in terms of the location....
your response is greatly appreciated...
we leave for BKK tomorrow and are very excited, as this is our first visit to Asia - we're from Canada.

If Noney is no object, you must try Gaddi's, The fine dining restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel. A hong Kong institution and one of the finest in HK and South East Asia.Reservarion recommended and a Jacket is required for dinner.
Another suggestion is to combune spectacular views with dinner at Cafe Deco at Victoria's Peak.
Another fine establishment is Yu restaurant at the Regent (18 Salisbury Road). Finest Seafood around and a very special atmosphere.
Enjoy

$$$ are always an object, but love going to nice restaurants.
may be too stuffy where 'jacket' is required.....
how much do those places usually run up to?

Gaddi's will run up quite far...nothing runs quite like it in HK actually...
Yu's will probably set you back 200$ USD and Cafe Deco (again, book in advance and ensure a window table..) around 100-120 for a decent enough munch

Cafe Deco at he Peak is not that expensive. I've lunched there several times. US$30 will do okay for a lunch, excluding alcoholic drinks.

Nadyad, we have been to Gaddi's too and frankly were a little disappointed alhough I would not say I didn't like it. It is a dress up place and has no view. We also ate at the Intercontinental but I can't remember the name of their main restaurant ( there are several and others may elaborate )and even the coffee shop will give you a nice view. I really think the view in your case should be a major consideration as you will be staying only briefly and that harbour and the lights are spectacular! Cafe Deco is good too but not in the same class. We dressed quite casually there.Thinking about this is making me want to get back there!! Have fun in that fabulous city!!

Just saw your post. Hopefully you will be able to access this before your trip.

I don't know what you mean by "authentic" if you mean Cantonese, then I am not sure what to recco as to upscale and memorable and Cantonese, not much springs to mine beyond dim sum and you can't have that for dinner. . .

However, if you mean any type of cuisine and you really want upscale and memorable, then IMO you are talking about either Felix, one of the One Peking Road restaurants or M at the Fringe. First two are going to run about US$75 per person without wine, M at the Fringe a little bit less.

A close third would be Spoon, not that it is not upscale or memorable, just that there are Spoon restaurants in several locations in the world at this point, but only one Felix, one Hutong, and only one other M (at the Bund in Shanghai), so IMO you might want to do them first.

The restaurants at One Peking Road (i.e. Hutong) are walkalbe from your hotel, as are Felix at the Peninsula and any of the restaurants and the Intercontinental hotel. The rest are on Hong Kong island.

The other reccos above are good. Yu seafood restaurant in the Intercon is outstanding, view is as good as the food, a rare combo. For example, I think the food at Cafe Deco is outclassed by the view which is superb (get a window table or there is no point, IMO, as you are at a slightly upscale TGIF).

The coffee shop restaurant in the Intercontinental is the Harbourside and it is very very good, not upscale but in terms of view, food and money for value very good.

You could try a "private kitchen" some of my favorites are listed below, more are appearing every day.

Finally, just wander Soho, see below for some reccos. Soho is casual and generally not expensive.

None of these restaurants require jackets, the only restaurant I am aware of that requires jackets in Petrus in the Island Shangri-La. (A very good French restaurant with great views.)

Felix
The Peninsula Hotel
Salisbury Road, Kowloon
(852) 2920-2888
http://hongkong.peninsula.com

Aqua/Roma
Hutong
One Peking Road
Kowloon
Tel: 852:3427-2288
www.aqua.com.hk

This is three restaurants at one location, an Italian, a Chinese and a Japanese, all with great views. They are all good, the Chinese is Beijing style food and is very good. This group has several other restaurants in Hong Kong

Yu
Spoon
Harbourside Restaurant
Intercontinental Hotel
18 Salisbury Road
Kowloon
852 2721 1211
http://hongkong-ic.dining.intercontinental.com

All in the Intercontinental Hotel, the first two are more formal and expensive, the last is their coffee shop type restaurnt with a buffet as well as a la carte. All are good. All have great views.

M at the Fringe
1/F South Block
2 Lower Albert Road, Central
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2877-4000
http://www.m-onthebund.com/at_the_fringe

Eclectic décor and menu of European dishes and a little Asian thrown in. Good wine list.

Opia
Y's
Hotel Jia
1 - 5 Irving Street
Causeway Bay
852-3196-3000

Really hip and trendy, these are two restaurants in the new Stark-designed Jia Hotel in Causeway Bay. Both restaurants are Asian fusion. I have only eaten at Opia, which I thought was very good, if slightly full of itself (but hey, this is Hong Kong.)

Café Deco
Peak Galleria
118 Peak Road
The Peak Hong Kong
Tel: 852.2849 5111
http://www.cafedecogroup.com/cafed/v_deco.asp


Private Kitchens

There are a number of "private kitchens" where you have to call a day or so ahead to make a booking, and they have a set menu for the day. These have become very popular over the last few years. Some do not have a liquor license so call and ask, if you bring your own wine, some have a corkage fee. Their prices tend to be quite reasonable.

Xi Yan
3/F Hang Wai Commerical Building
231-233 Queens Road East, Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 9020 9196

Started the "private kitchen" trend. Allegedly, they have a 2 month waiting list. Is excellent, mostly Sichuan-based, but other Chinese and even European dishes appear on the menu. It is on a busy road in a fairly boring part of Wanchai, in a run-down building and has absolutely no view. The restaurant itself has a nice ambience and has a nice decor. The food is wonderful. This is a BYOB.

Tribute
13 Elgin Street
Central
852-2135-664
tribute.com.hk

Their prix fixe dinner is HK$380 (about US$48) and is very good value. Mostly European dishes, some Asian fusion, depends on what the chef decides to cook.

Ingredients
43 Gough Street
Central
852-2544-5133

Mostly European dishes.

Yellow Door Kitchen
38 Cochrane St.
Central Hong Kong
Tel: 852/2858-5555
www.yellowdoorkitchen.com.hk

Spicy Sichuan and Hangzhou food.

Finally, at the Lower-end of the "private kitchen" budget, but also very much the lower-end of the ambience scale would be Mum Chua's. This type of private kitchen used to be illegal, in the sense that they did not have a restaurant license and now do, but it serves great, spicy, cheap food. The one below is one of my favorites. The may or may not be a menu that day, it may or may not be in English. This is right in the heart of the ex-pat bar district, so easy to find, and you can have a drink before or after:

Mum Chau's Sichuan Kitchen
5th Floor, 37 D'Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong HK,
Telephone: 2522 0338

SOHO

Increasingly my favorite thing to do for dinner is to wander Elgin Street, Peel Street and that area and pick a restaurant that looks interesting. This area is called "Soho" (for South of Hollywood Road although the street is further up the hill from Hollywood so may feel north) and has become full of little restaurants, private kitchens and boutiques. These are narrow little streets away from the noisy bustle of Hong Kong and the crazed bar scene that is Lan Kwai Fong. You can take the escalator from Queen's Road East in Central, less than a 5 minute walk from the Central MTR stop (or from your hotel have a taxi take you to the Lane Crawford Department Store, Queen's Road East, Central and the escalator is about 100 meters further down on your left). This is also a great place for lunch if you are in Central touring.

On Elgin Street, there are at least a dozen restaurants, you can really just wander and pick one and you could hardly go wrong. None are terribly expensive, esp compared to places like Felix or Hutong or Spoon. I have a group of friends and we are working our way down the street picking one each Friday night. Some we can recco so far are below. (On a Thursday through Saturday night, you may need a booking at any of these.)

Entoeca
47 Elgin Street
Tel 2525-9944

Spanish, great tapas, has a courtyard in back and some table in front with outdoor feeling.

Bistro Manchu
33 Elgin Street
Tel: 25369218

Manchu and Northern Chinese food, with some Russian thrown in as well.

Soho Spice
47B Elgin Street
Tel:2521-1600

Thai and Vietnamese. Nice mixture of both cuisines. Their main menu selections are very large, definitely for sharing. Very good refreshing pomelo salad. Great red beef curry. Unusually for an Asian restaurant ahs a good selection of deserts including a chocolate fondue cake. Nice wine list, including by the glass. A bit expensive. Nice outdoor terrace in back. Service is good, if a little inattentive, they tend to leave you alone.

Brasserie Le Fauchon
45 Elign Street
Tel: 2526-8318

French brasserie, more down scale and considerably cheaper version of their sister restaurant in Staunton street. (6 Staunton Street Tel 2526-2136). Nice menu selection (rack of lamb, duck, snails the usual French fare) with good presentation. They have a price fix dinner of 3 courses for HK$178 (US$22) or 4 courses for HK$198 (US$25) that is a very good value. This company has several other outlets, one on Harbour City in TST which may be worth a try if you are staying on the Kowloon side. (Bistrot Le Fauchon at 2956-3286)

Elgin Tastes
38 Elgin Street
Tel: 2810-5183

Australian-Asian fusion, great desserts. Nice ambience.

Stonegrill
28 Elgin Street
Hong Kong
Tel 3106 6978
You cook you own food on hot stones. Steak and Asian-fusion.

Shopping would be another posting I think. What are you interested in?

Felix is about as memorable as anywhere, however you'd need to book 6-8 weeks in advance. Even then they stuffed up our booking!

One of the most memorable meals we've had anywhere. The view, the service & the food were A1. Have a great trip.