7 Restaurants and Bars For an 'Elevated' Trip to Hong Kong

After you’ve been to Hong Kong a few times, you start to develop certain habits. You stay at the same hotel, go to the same shops, look for that perfect dimsum at the same restaurant, order the same drink at the same bar, etc. Sometimes it’s tough to escape these habits. 

But the beauty of Hong Kong, and, indeed, of life in general, is that there’s always something new to discover. It’s good to get out there and veer off the beaten path once in a while. Who knows, you just might discover something that will eventually become a new habit.

Here are a few recommendations for an elevated experience the next time you find yourself in the “fragrant harbor.”

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1| Lunch at VEA

30th floor, 198 Wellington Street, Central 

The interiors of VEA

Iwate Oyster with Kristal caviar & Chinese almond

Chef Vicky Cheng

Located at the 30th floor, VEA has views of Central Hong Kong if you book a seat at the “bar” that runs around the open plan kitchen. Chef Vicky Cheng is trained in the techniques of French cuisine, but uses traditional Chinese ingredients to create compelling dishes that you literally cannot find elsewhere. See if you can get the Kristal Caviar (smoked coconut and water bamboo), Nourmoutier Potato (black truffle, aged preserved turnip), Fish Maw (Oscietra caviar and quinoa), and the Blue Lobster (with sour cabbage and chili oil). You can also sample the stunning cocktails concocted by mixologist Antonio Lai. Small wonder that the restaurant has the distinction of being awarded one Michelin star.

 

2| Dinner at Holt’s Café

2nd floor, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

Holt's Cafe

Dandan Noodles

The Rosewood Hotel in Kowloon is one of Hong Kong’s newest upscale hotels, and located there is Holt’s Café. Diners can expect an upscale version of Cha Chaan Teng or a Hong Kong-style diner or café at Holt’s. There is a set dinner menu that serves a choice of appetizer (burrata or mushroom soup or smoked salmon and hot & sour soup), mains (bone-in rib eye and mushroom risotto or seared sea bass and baked tomato Iberico pork) and dessert (vanilla mille feuille or mango pudding). Can’t go wrong with any of the choices. Tip: get a seat near the window for gorgeous views of the harbor.

 

3| Lunch at Mott 32

Standard Chartered Bank Building, 4-4a Des Voeux Road, Central

Mott 32 in Hong Kong

Barbecue Iberico Pork

The Philippines just got its own Mott 32 at the Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu. But if you’re familiar with the upscale modern Chinese restaurant, a visit to the original is a must. Located where the Standard Chartered Bank’s vaults used to be, Mott 32 serves a decadent and always satisfying array of familiar Chinese dishes with a twist. Don’t miss the barbecue iberico pork, Peking Duck, selection of dim sum, and the smoked black cod, all of which are consistently good and are also available at the Cebu outlet.

 

4| Drinks at Argo

Four Seasons Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central

Argo at the Four Seasons

Black Dot Manhattan Flight

Coming in at number eight at this year’s 50 Best Bars in Asia, Argo is the bar that you go to when you’re looking for a classy night out on the town. Located just off the lobby of the Four Seasons, Argo tastefully combines materials like marble, glass, and polished steel for a grand, sophisticated look. But the best part is, of course, in the glass, as the bar puts technique and interesting ingredients front and center in its cocktails. Look for the Char Siu Pineapple Daiquiri for an inventive take on a classic.

 

5| Dinner at Salisterra

Level 49, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Central

The main dining room at Salisterra at the Upper House

Freshly shucked oysters

If you’re not already staying at The Upper House, you should at least try and book a table at the hotel’s stunning penthouse-level restaurant. There are many restaurants with gorgeous harbor and city views of Hong Kong, and Salisterra is one of them. Executive Chef Cary Docherty and his team worked on a brand-new menu that combines Western flavors with fresh local ingredients. For starters, sample freshly shucked raw oysters with just a hint of sauces (mignonette, fresh lemon, horseradish); fresh tomatoes with house-made ricotta, olives, sweet garlic, and tomato consommé; and vitello tonnato with veal sirloin, sweet breads, confit tuna belly. Choose between Spaghetti con bottarga (garlic, olive oil, mullet roe) or Gnocchi (roasted and raw seasonal mushrooms, sage, and parmesan) for your pasta (or get both, why not), and then salt-baked sea bass (with arborio rice, fennel, and greens) or rib on the bone (ribeye with grilled tomatoes and steamed potatoes) for your mains. And for dessert, ask for lighter-than-air and freshly made madeleines with lavender cream. Make it an event and book the special private room for an extra cozy dining experience.

 

6| Drinks at COA

Shop A, Lower Ground Floor, Wah Shin House, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central

The interiors of COA bar

Bloody Beef Maria

Jay Khan of COA Bar

As the number one bar in Asia according to the folks at Asia’s 50 Best Bars, COA has a lot to live up to. But visitors to the casual, Mexican-themed bar will find a space that is unpretentious, lively, and fun. And it serves some truly tasty cocktails that feature their star ingredients: tequila and mezcal. Co-owner Jay Khan says he thinks the reason the bar ranks so well on best-of lists is their almost obsessive attention to detail and commitment to make sure all their guests are having a great time. If you’re hoping for a taste of where the Hong Kong bar scene is now, a stop at COA is a definite must.

 

7| Dinner at Amber

7th floor, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 15 Queen’s Road, Central

Amber at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Toothfish with toothfish, lacto fermented bell pepper, Sichuan pepper, squid, red onion, watermelon and ginger

To cap off your refined Hong Kong visit, you need to pull out all the stops, and dinner at Amber, a two-Michelin starred restaurant, will do that trick. Perfection is a myth, but Chef Richard Ekkebus’s fine French cuisine is certainly close to it. Start with some heirloom tomatoes, strawberry, soymilk “burrata,” rose lemon verbena and extra virgin olive oil, then follow up with Katsuo granny smith apple with wasabi, kohlrabi, and sorrel, and green yuzu kombu. There’s also obsiblue prawn, rice flour, saffron, espellete, anise seed, dill flower and fennel; and diver scallops with lacto fermented nut butter, daikon, wakame, sea lettuce, and taro kombu. For the main course, toothfish, lacto fermented bell pepper, Sichuan pepper, squid, red onion, watermelon and ginger. And to cap it off, dessert of bourbon vanilla, soy, macadamia nut, and dragon fruit. It’s a dinner that will leave you not just impressed, but wondering how soon you can plan a return trip to Hong Kong.