8 Hong Kong bars serving up stellar dishes

Hong Kong is rightly famous for its extraordinary panoramic vistas, with hundreds of skyscrapers, jungle-clad mountains and the waters of Victoria Harbour and the South China Sea beyond. Nowhere offers a more striking vantage than Cardinal Point, Hong Kong Island's highest rooftop bar, now reopened following a full refurbishment. The ideal spot from sunset on, its elevated menu includes a seriously decadent chorizo cheese bikini, squid ink linguine, wood-fired pizzas and Ozaki wagyu sliders. Be sure to save room for the five-layer chocolate cake.

Gastronauts have long known three-Michelin-starred Caprice as one of Asia’s finest French restaurants, but its separate bar also brings serious culinary props across a more relaxed menu. Settle into deep, comfortable seats with views of Victoria Harbour, let Sommelier Floriane Hureau guide you through exquisite drops, then work your way through plates from chef Guillaume Galliot’s acclaimed kitchen, which serves both venues. Don’t miss sublime mashed potatoes with caviar and vintage Champagne sauce or the lobster and avocado roll. Our top tip? The truly world-class cheeseboard marks the perfect ending.

The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, offers a wealth of watering holes, including the venerable Captain’s Bar, unchanged since 1963, and The Chinnery with its Indian-focused cuisine. However, Mandarin Grill + Bar offers the most substantial range of dishes. The one-Michelin-starred spot led by chef Junior Nadje wows with exceptional produce-led grill cuisine, served in the easygoing bar or more traditional refined dining room overlooking historic Statue Square. Don’t miss sensational oysters and some of Hong Kong's finest steaks.

In a city of superlatives, the aptly named Ozone at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, beats all-comers as the highest rooftop bar in the world. At a cool 118 floors, or 490 metres up, views are panoramic like nowhere else, while curated cocktails, premium global wines and top-tier Champagnes all tempt. On the dining front, sushi and sashimi platters, empanadas, Middle Eastern mezze dips and Maine lobster rolls are just some of the global dishes on offer.

The Sheraton Tung Chung on Lantau Island is perfectly located for Hong Kong airport, and its large rooftop bar-restaurant, Sunset Grill, is aptly named for golden panoramas come sundown. When not sipping on house cocktails or choosing from their impressive wine list, the food is a substantial draw for locals and visitors alike. Generous seafood platters and beautifully charred steaks join Asian dishes such as Thai prawns with pomelo or fusion dishes like cavatelli pasta with local dried scallop with hints of Sichuan pepper. 

There are surprisingly few British-style pubs in Hong Kong, but the recent opening of The Boar in buzzing Soho may be about to change that. Serious draught beers, clever cocktails and a global wine list all tempt, but it’s elevated comfort food from experienced British chef Graham Long that has proven a big draw. Fine-dining techniques meet pub heritage in snacks such as Scotch eggs and Welsh rarebit, while picture-perfect cod and chips and seared steaks make for generous mains. Finish decadently with sticky toffee pudding or Eton mess.

Since opening in 2020, The Diplomat, led by affable Seattleite and bar maestro John Nugent, has become a mainstay of a great night out in Hong Kong. Eclectic artworks and an in-the-know music room out back meet cleverly curated drinks and one of the city’s best deals: Martinis at just HK$50. ‘Nugent’s nuggets’ and the Japanese-inspired fish sando tempt from the food menu, but the OG is their burger, a perfectly formed quarter pounder with cheese – simple, but exquisite and one of the very best in town.

At The Opposites, in the heart of Central, mixology veterans and global cocktail champions Antonio Lai and Samuel Kwok riff on classic drinks with contemporary twists. Their flair for theatrical presentation and celebration matches their embrace of Asian ingredients such as glutinous rice pu-erh tea or Yuk Bing Siu, a traditional Cantonese rice liquor. The food also stands out, with dishes including an outrageous lobster dan dan mac ‘n’ cheese, rich with Sichuan pepper, pickled mustard and peanuts, and a fish katsu sando with pickled cabbage dip.