If there’s one thing you can expect when you go to Hong Kong, it’s to eat well… very, very well! It’s renowned for its impeccable cuisine, from cheap street eats to fusion takes on traditional flavours to the 70+ Michelin-starred restaurants. This October, the city gets even nommier with the annual Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival!
Who doesn’t love good food on their vacay? It’s a big part of any travel experience, but none more so than in Hong Kong where tasty treats are as much as a driver to visit as riding the Peak Tram or spending the day at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival
The Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival is not the place to hold back. Pack your stretchy pants because you’ll want to make room for more as you explore dozens of food stalls serving up epicurean delights, including 10 award-winning restaurants that will showcase their culinary mastery in a designated gourmet area. Their mission? To tantalise your tastebuds in new and unexpected ways.
Sampling all the best food in one place is the foodie version of winning Lotto. Held at the Central Harbourfront, the restaurant booths present a diverse array of global culinary fare.
The wine in the festival name gives it away that it’s not all food-focused. The finest wines from around the world are on offer at affordable prices. From award-winning bottles to hidden gems from lesser-known regions and Chinese wines you didn’t know existed, there’s plenty to sip and savour across the festival.
Across the 5-day event – from 23 to 27 October – there are also live performances and themed master classes and workshops. And it’s all set against the idyllic Victoria Harbour backdrop.
Taste Around Town
The fun doesn’t end when Hong Kong Wine & Dine wraps up. Nope. Taste Around Town extends the gourmand celebrations with restaurants and bars across the city offering limited-time menu items and exclusive discounts across November.
If your trip timing means you’ll miss both events, there are often dining specials across the year? Check out what’s on offer during your stay.
Eat well, every day
Of course, you don’t need a festival or month-long foodie celebration to eat well in Hong Kong. Every day you can create a fiesta in your mouth if you’re game.
Dim sum is a must, of course. While its origins may be in the Guangdong region, dim sum has become synonymous with Hong Kong dining.
There are also delectable dishes like char siu, a sweet barbecued pork, wok-fired meals at a dai pai dong, and a host of international flavours spread across the city’s 15,000+ restaurants.
With so much to see and do, exploring Hong Kong works up an appetite. When you don’t want to break your shopping flow or miss that exhibit at the West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong’s street food culture is on hand to satiate and refuel.
Let’s not forget Hong Kong’s traditional desserts either. From fluffy egg tarts to silken tofu pudding and mango sago goodness, it’s easy to get a sweet-tooth fix while exploring the city.
Haute Hong Kong
On some overseas trips, you might splurge on a parasailing adventure or early entry to a fabulous ancient European monument. In Hong Kong, the perfect splurge is at the city’s lauded fine dining establishments.
With over 70 Michelin-starred restaurants available (not all of them fine dining pricing, we might add), Hong Kong proves equally outstanding at high-end meals as every other culinary category.
For exquisite Cantonese meals head to Lung King Heen or Bo Innovation (Cantonese fusion). Check out newcomers to their Michelin-star in 2024 at Racines or Cristal Room in Central, where a giant crystal chandelier adds joie de vivre to Anne Sophie-Pic’s inspired cuisine.
To support an Aussie boy doing the country proud (he was the first to get one and two Michelin stars), book a table at Arcane. The mastermind of Perth-born chef Shane Osborn, this is next-level contemporary European cuisine.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars
Hong Kong locals love their food and drink; it’s why their nightlife scene is on par with its foodie scene. It’s also how they always place well in the annual ‘Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ awards.
This year, they’ve scored an epic nine places in the top 50 including the coveted number one spot! That accolade went to Bar Leone in Central. Only open a year, it’s already beloved for its creative cocktails and cool-as atmosphere.
Also in Central, COA is a worthy addition to your travel itinerary. Famous for its brilliant use of Mexican spirits, it’s placed in the top 50 for the past six years and has won Best Bar in Asia 3 years in a row. Be sure to try the signature La Paloma de Oaxaca cocktail.
Check out Hong Kong’s other award-winning bars here.
Stopover satiation
While many stopovers are a means to an end (often with underwhelming food), Hong Kong’s dining scene affords visitors a vacay upgrade with little effort.
Whether it’s pre- or post-cruise, a leg-stretching couple of days en route to Europe or a bonus add-on for any Asia travels, Hong Kong delivers.
Especially when you consider its fabulous attractions. Like The Big Buddha, the nightly A Symphony of Lights across Victoria Harbour, and Hong Kong’s surprising outdoor scene. It’s easy to understand why it’s a beloved stopover destination.
The deets
Discover more about the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival or dive deeper into what one of the world’s culinary capitals has to offer at discoverhongkong.com.
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