Hong Kong, China Hotels and City Guide

Hong Kong - Restaurants

Hong Kong Local Cuisine & Customs

It will probably surprise you just how vast the selection of international cuisine is in Hong Kong but you can find something for nearly any taste. While there are lots of things you’ll probably want to try here, to get a truly authentic meal you must surely try dim sum.

Congee, a sort of rice porridge, is also found on the menu at many of the more popular restaurants in the area and is well worth the try. For all its simplicity you will be amazed at the variety of textures and flavors you'll find. Most of the restaurants that are known for their congee will not have English menus but don't let that deter you - they will be happy to serve you their favorite dish.

In Sai Kung (New Territories) you will find Seafood Street where visitors and locals alike can enjoy traditional and exotic seafood like you have never seen anywhere else. Fresh seafood is also available in Po Doi O, Lau Fau Shan and others where live seafood can be selected from tremendous tanks before your meal.

Sushi and Sashimi are popular in the West but the raw fish (called yee sang in Hong Kong) is not always prepared in the same manner. Visitors are often surprised to find such delicacies as bamboo clams, conch, abalone and even shark fin. During the winter months snake meat is the taste of the season.

The legal drinking age is 18 in Hong Kong, but don't be offended if you don't have your ID checked; it is rare that anyone checks ID. Beer, wine and liquor are widely available not only at restaurants and bars but also at convenience and grocery stores.

A word of caution about drinking and night life in general. Women who are spending a long time in bars are most likely prostitutes, especially on Lockhart Road in Wan Chai. It is not uncommon to hear of drugged drinks, artificially inflated bar bills and even blackmail. A good rule of thumb to follow: if the bar has curtains it is a brothel. Whether you choose to enter or not is entirely up to you but you should be aware of what you are walking into. Common "bar tabs" in these establishments run $1500 and higher.

Selected Hong Kong Restaurants

One Harbour Road
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2588 1234 ext: 7338 | Fax: +852 2802 0677

Hugo's & The Chinese Restaurant
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, 67 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2311 1234 | Fax: +852 2739 8701

Dan Ryan's Chicago Grill
114 Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2845 4600 | Fax: +852 2521 8055

Dim Sum
63 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2834 8893

Spoon, Alain Ducasse
Hotel InterContinental Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2313 2256

Yung Kee Restaurant
32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2522 1624 | Fax: +852 2840 0888

Gaddi's & Felix
The Peninsula hotel, Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Tel: +852 2315 3171

Grappa's Millennio
Ground Floor, Lincoln House, Taikoo Place, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: +862 2219 0288

Zen Chinese
The Mall, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2845 4555

Mandarin Grill
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Rd., Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2522 0111

Grissini
Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Hotel, 1 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2588 1234

Va Bene
Grand Progress Building, 58-62 D'Aguilar Street, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2845 5577

M at the Fringe
1st Floor, South Block, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2877 4000 | Fax: +852 2877 0135

Petrus
Level 56, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2820 8590 | Fax: +852 2521 8742

The Peak Lookout
121 Peak Road, The Peak, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2849 1000

Café Deco Bar & Grill
1st & 2nd Levels, The Peak Galleria, 118 Peak Road, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2849 5111

Shang Palace
Shangri-La Hotel, 64 Mody Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2733 8754

Vong
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 5 Connaught Rd., Central, Hong Kong
Tel:+852 2522 0111

Szechuan Lau
South Seas Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2367 2522

Jumbo Floating Restaurant
Shum Wan, Pier Drive, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2553 9111 | Fax: +852 2553 0527

Cafe des Artistes
30-32 D'Aguilar St, Lang Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2526 3880

Ghoulash Hungarian Restaurant
57-59 Wyndham Street, G/F, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2524 9623

The Chinese
Hyatt Regency Hotel, 67 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2311 1234

Yan Toh Heen
InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2721 1211

Fook Lam Moon
35-45 Johnston Rd., Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2866 0663

Tipping Advice

Higher end restaurants will add a service charge that is usually around ten percent to your bill. Servers still accept (and appreciate) a small token in the form of loose change. In Hong Kong, tipping is not a custom historically speaking. In small establishments, especially, take all of your change with you as leaving anything on the table is considered rude. If you choose to tip, look carefully at your bill first to ensure that service charges have not already been levied.
Taxi drivers will probably expect you to round up the fare by a dollar or two, and unlike restaurant staff, hotel staff expect to get a ten to twenty dollar tip. Porters at the airport usually get HK$2 – 5 per bag.

Hotels in Hong Kong, China