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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.
This stylish restaurant and bar serves the delicious flavors of the Mediterranean. Start with a round of warm pita bread and savory dips, such as the addictive taramasalata (smoked fish roe blended with lemon and garlic). Other must-try items include the succulent octopus, grilled halloumi cheese, and tender lamb ribs. Of course, you should also try the namesake souvla, which is a Greek-style spit-roasted meat.
Enjoy a fun dining experience at this buzzing tapas bar run by Madrid native Antonio Oviedo, who has worked in some of Spain's most well-known Michelin-starred kitchens. Expect a creative and contemporary menu with to-share dishes like black octopus paella and sea urchin toast, served in a funky space that includes an outdoor terrace. Guests without reservations can take a spot at the bodega table and pick from a drink menu that includes sangrias, Spanish wines, and classic Spanish street-style tipples.
Though a bit out of the way, few places in Hong Kong have the kind of stunning garden views that you’ll find at AMMO. Housed in a former ammunition compound (hence the name) that was converted into the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, the restaurant's interiors and menus blend the old with the new resulting in an impressive and dynamic dining experience.
Set in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, this convenient, family-friendly restaurant promises views of Victoria Harbour, an outdoor terrace, and a stylish cocktail bar. Though the menu is eclectic enough to keep everyone happy, most people come for the views.
Tapas-style sharing plates of Vietnamese-inspired cuisine pair with inventive cocktails at this sleek, industrial-styled restaurant in SoHo. The vibe is tailor-made for a casual date or dinner with friends, and the dishes, like rice-paper rolls bursting with soft-shell crab, or sticky, tender tamarind pork ribs, are unfailingly likable, if on the small side.
This Cantonese restaurant in IFC Mall impresses with a premium offering of dim sum alongside upscale banquet dishes made with pricy ingredients like bird's nest, king prawns, and wagyu beef.
This ultracool wine bar and restaurant serves small plates for casual snacking and mixed platters ideal for sharing. Not surprisingly, it’s popular with the drinks-after-work crowd. But don’t underestimate the food: the tuna tartare with avocado, for starters, is delicious. You can also enjoy cheese and charcuterie for snacking purposes or create your own tapas platter. Gorgonzola and black-truffle penne or lobster linguine with fresh tomatoes are among the best mains. DiVino also stays open for revelry late into the evening.
The Hong Kong outpost of Shanghai’s popular restaurant is showy, with a snow-white interior decked out with designer chairs and fiberglass animal figurines. On the food side of things, authentic tapas share menu space with creatively contemporary Spanish dishes. Ibérico ham served with tomato bread, sautéed prawns with garlic, and chilled tomato gazpacho represent the classics, and they’re certainly well executed, but the modern dishes offer much more excitement. Scallop ceviche, for instance, is laid on a bed of creamy avocados and topped with crispy shallots, while braised beef cheek is served with bananas and passion fruit. The paellas are also worth trying, whether steeped in the flavors of Boston lobster or bathed in jet-black squid ink.
Located within the International Finance Center, Isola’s floor-to-ceiling windows and harborside terrace afford spectacular views of Hong Kong’s famous skyline. The restaurant serves regional Italian fare, with selections like hand-twisted pasta with Parma ham, black truffle, fava beans, and Norcia cheese, or sea bass baked in sea-salt crust. Don't pass up the simple and well-executed stone-baked pizzas. Isola is also as much of a nighttime destination as anything else, and it’s worth coming just to sample cocktails in the equally trendy Isobar upstairs.
Named after Barcelona's most bustling boulevard, the Catalan-inspired recipes are the brainchild of Netflix celebrity chef Rafa Gil. Highlights from the tapas menu include the bombas (deep-fried smoked potato and meat balls covered in bread crumbs and spicy sauce) and the famous ham, cheese, and truffle “bikini” sandwiches. Another must-try is the Segovian-style roasted suckling pig, which is large enough to feed four. The elegant velvet-and-rattan main dining room is beautiful, but the place to be is on the outdoor terrace, which boasts spectacular views of Victoria Harbour. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest Spanish restaurants in the city.
In homage to the iconic Relais de Venise restaurant in Paris, this intimate neighborhood brasserie offers only one entrée: steak frites. A meal here includes a green salad, a perfectly grilled entrecôte steak, and unlimited refills of crispy, stick-thin fries. You can also pick up something from the dessert trolley, which features traditional confections such as éclairs and mille-feuilles.
Popular with corporate types for its Exchange Square location, this two-level restaurant and bar serves modern American food with a Pan-Asian twist. Steaks, burgers, and stone-oven pizzas share the menu with miso black cod, zingy Asian-inspired salads, and char sui pork belly.
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.
