Restaurants

Shopping is big in Hong Kong, but I'd rate dining right up there with it. I love topping off a shopping expedition to Stanley Market with a meal and drink atop the Jumbo floating restaurant in Aberdeen; ending a hike across Lamma island with an alfresco seafood meal; or splurging on a first-rate dinner at a top-floor restaurant with dreamy views of Hong Kong's stunning skyline. What better way to start the day than sharing a table for dim sum at a noisy Cantonese restaurant, unless it's Sunday brunch at the Verandah in Repulse Bay?

And you don't have to spend a lot of money to dine well. Hong Kong is literally riddled with hole-in-the-wall noodle shops, reasonably priced buffet restaurants, and even upscale restaurants offering very good lunch specials. Of course, if you want to spring for a dream meal, you can do that in Hong Kong, too.

The restaurants in this section are listed both according to location and according to price. In Kowloon, restaurants are concentrated in hotels, in shopping malls, and along Nathan Road and its side streets, such as Knutsford Terrace with its many alfresco eateries. Central District caters to area office workers with a wide range of restaurants in ifc mall and Pacific Place and to night revelers in the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district and SoHo (South of Hollywood Road), with many more restaurants sprinkled in between. Wan Chai, home to both a convention center and the city's raunchiest nightlife (think strip shows), offers a wide range of restaurants catering to diverse crowds, while the nearby Causeway Bay's dining scene centers in and around Times Square shopping center. The most striking views are from restaurants atop Victoria Peak, while Stanley, with its market and laid-back beachfront restaurants, seems like a different part of the world altogether.

As for pricing, you can expect restaurants in the Very Expensive category ($$$$) to cost more than HK$800 (US$104/£52) per person for dinner without drinks (some restaurants average HK$1,200/US$156/£78 or more), while in the Expensive category ($$$), meals average HK$500 to HK$800 (US$65-US$104/£32-£52).

Moderate restaurants ($$) serve dinners ranging mostly from HK$250 to HK$500 (US$32-US$65/£16-£32), while Inexpensive restaurants ($) offer meals for less than HK$250 (US$32/£16). Keep in mind, however, that these guidelines are approximations only. Some dishes (such as steaks or seafood like lobster) can easily make your meal more expensive than the calculations above.

Kowloon

Inexpensive -- These restaurants have branches in Kowloon: PizzaExpress, specializing in pizza, and Heaven on Earth, offering Shanghainese, Sichuan and Taiwanese food, and Sorabol, a Korean restaurant.

Central District

Expensive -- Ruth's Chris Steak House, has a branch near Pacific Place.

Moderate -- Several moderately priced restaurants already covered in the Tsim Sha Tsui section have branches in Central: Dan Ryan's Chicago Grill, located in Pacific Place and offering American classics; Peking Garden, serving food from Beijing; Super Star Seafood Restaurant, known for its Cantonese seafood and dim sum; and Tsui Hang Village Restaurant, serving Cantonese fare.

Inexpensive -- Several inexpensive restaurants reviewed under Tsim Sha Tsui have branches in Central: Fat Angelo's is renowned for its massive portions of American-style Italian food; Genki Sushi offers conveyor-belt sushi at low prices; Koh-I-Noor is recommended for Indian curries; and Spaghetti House is a popular family restaurant. In addition, Café O, in Wanchai, is popular for its sandwiches, pizzas, and other fare.

Keep in mind that many restaurants in the moderate category offer lunches that even the budget-conscious can afford.

Finally, another good place for a casual, inexpensive meal is the Food Fare food court in Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, in Central (take the MTR to Admiralty), where various counters offer Chinese, Thai, Korean, and Japanese food, as well as sandwiches and pasta, daily from 7:30am to 10pm.

Causeway Bay & Wan Chai

Expensive -- Fook Lam Moon, famous for its exotic Cantonese fare and already covered in the earlier Kowloon section that includes Tsim Sha Tsui, also has a branch in Wan Chai.

Moderate -- Several restaurants already covered in the Kowloon dining section, earlier, have branches in Wan Chai or Causeway Bay: Jade Garden, good for Cantonese food and dim sum; Super Star Seafood Restaurant, serving Cantonese dishes, seafood, and dim sum; and Wu Kong, which specializes in cuisine from Shanghai.

Inexpensive -- California Pizza Kitchen, Fat Angelo's, Genki Sushi, and Spaghetti House, reviewed in the Tsim Sha Tsui section, all have branches in Wan Chai and/or Causeway Bay. The Flying Pan, PizzaExpress, and Pret A Manger also have branches here.

Stanley

In addition to the restaurants described here, PizzaExpress, already described in the Central District section, offers a dreamy view of the sea from its outside terrace on Stanley Main Street, where you'll also find a row of other restaurants. In addition, the Murray House, Stanley Plaza, has a few restaurants serving Spanish, Vietnamese, and German food.