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One of Hong Kong's busiest areas, Central is particularly crazy at lunchtime, when office workers crowd the streets and eateries. Most restaurants have set lunches—generally good values—with speedy service, so everyone gets in and out within an hour. At night the norm is either a formal dinner or a quick bite followed by many drinks, especially in Central's nightlife center, a warren of cobbled backstreets called Lan Kwai Fong. Mostly known as a drinking hole with mediocre dining options, LKF has stepped up its game in the last few years with some serious restaurants, most of which are tucked away in commercial buildings, away from the hustle and bustle of the street-level bars.
For a wider array of choices, head up to SoHo, but be wary of where you go: a lot of these places are average in terms of food and service quality. NoHo is a bit more bohemian, with some excellent hidden, independent culinary gems, especially along Gough Street.
Admiralty, wedged between Central and Wan Chai, is home to large shopping malls, and much of the food is aimed at meeting the lunch needs of workers and shoppers. It's also home to several large hotels and their respective high-end restaurants.
Once a mainstay of the Hong Kong streets, there are now only a little more than 20 licensed dai pai dongs—that is, open-air food stalls specializing in various types of local dishes. These outdoor eateries are popular for their dirt-cheap prices, minimal service, and—of course—their awesome food. There's usually no English menu, so be prepared to point to the dishes at neighboring tables.
The real test of a good Cantonese noodle shop is its wontons, and at Mak's they’re fresh, plump, and generously filled with whole shrimp. What started as a stall in Central in 1968 is now a small Hong Kong chain, selling not only wonton noodles but noodles with beef brisket, fish balls, and dumplings in soup.
This Terence Conran–designed dining room at the Mandarin Oriental mixes old-school elegance with elevated grill offerings like New Zealand grass-fed wagyu beef and even whole roasted pheasant. Start with fresh oysters and caviar, and finish with classic indulgent desserts.
One of Hong Kong's most successful high-end restaurant exports, Mott 32 has locations in cities worldwide. But this is the original, serving its trademark refined take on Chinese cuisine since 2014. The menu offers classic Cantonese, Beijing, and Sichuan recipes prepared with modern inflections: think applewood-roasted Peking duck and mapo tofu, a Sichuan classic, leveled up with lobster.
Head chef Nurdin Topham has made it his mission to bring what he calls "nourishing gastronomy" to Hong Kong. His food—which is heavily influenced by Scandinavian cooking techniques—places emphasis on taste, nutrition, and sustainable eating. Ingredients are sourced from local farms whenever possible and are used in the restaurant’s two tasting menus. Dishes are tweaked regularly to reflect the season’s freshest produce, but dishes like heirloom tomatoes with king crab or Taiyouran egg with whole grains and shiitake mushrooms have become house favorites.
From atop the Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Petrus scales the upper Hong Kong heights of prestige, formality, and price. Luxe French fare is served in a clubby dining room decked out with heavy curtains and glittering chandeliers—this may be one for the dealmakers.
This Mid-Levels eatery is known for the high quality of its spicy Sichuan cuisine. The famous Chongqing spicy chicken is heaped with dried red chili peppers for a sensational tingling, mouth-numbing effect. Another unique creation is the homemade silken tofu, which is bathed in a bright-red spicy broth speckled with chunks of whitefish, chopped scallions, and crunchy roasted peanuts. Those in town during the cold winter months should go for the yinyang hot pot—the fiery-hot side dish is perfect for dunking with thin slices of fat-marbled beef and the local favorite, deep-fried fish skin.
This is one of the rare dai pai dong food stalls in the area that stays open late into the evening. Cheap and cheerful, the seafood-centric menu is nevertheless pretty extensive. You can't go wrong with an order of salt-and-pepper squid and a cold bottle of Blue Girl beer.
Having found great success in the United Kingdom, restaurateur Alan Yau has returned to his home city with this retro-inspired restaurant concept headed by Australian chef Shane Osborn. The menu combines Osborn’s classical culinary training with seasonal Asian ingredients such as soy dressing and fresh wasabi leaves. Meats are done especially well, and diners tend to wax lyrical about the Sagabuta pork loin, as well as the dry-aged rib eye prepared on the Josper grill. Aside from lunch and dinner, St Betty offers a fantastic weekend brunch and Sunday roast menu.
Helmed by veteran chef Satoshi Sase (who hails from the much-lauded Sushi Zen in Hokkaido, Japan), this high-caliber Japanese restaurant offers some of the freshest fish in town set against a tranquil and sophisticated setting. Omakase is the way to go here, which means you leave your meal in the hands of the chefs, allowing them to dictate the menu according to the best ingredients of the day. The omakase menu is designed according to the seasons and usually consists of sashimi, appetizers, and a wide array of nigiri sushi.
Finding a hearty meal in Central doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune—especially not if you head to this famous 24-hour eatery. Join the locals and the late-night party crowd and order milk tea, then move on to the extensive menu, which ranges from toasted sandwiches to noodles, fried rice, and Malaysian curries. Although it’s not quite what typical Hong Kongers would make at home, this definitely qualifies as Chinese comfort food. Noodles and fried rice are some of the safest bets for timid palates. There's also a wide range of set meals at very reasonable prices.
This restaurant channels the nostalgia of Old Shanghai with its old-fashioned furnishings and classic regional cuisine. Try the steamed xiao long bao dumplings filled with tender pork and broth. Entrées include braised "lion's head" meatballs, a specialty of the Yangtze Delta region.
This funky izakaya has a hip but relaxed feel. The open kitchen serves up authentic Japanese fare with a modern twist, including miso-marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf. You can also enjoy jet-fresh fish from the sushi bar, as well as a range of innovative desserts. Another bonus is the outdoor balcony, which allows you to take in the surrounding Central night view.
