5) Hong Kong restaurant and entertainment areas - Part B

While my previous entry (Hong Kong restaurant & entertainment areas – Part A) was all about the dining & entertainment precincts of Hong Kong Island, this one will take you through Kowloon's popular areas… From Tsim sha Tsui's swanky restaurants to Mong Kok's eateries…

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Often abbreviated as TST, Tsim Sha Tsui is Kowloon's most vibrant and active entertainment and shopping area, and one of Hong Kong's busiest districts. It's a relatively small area which extends from the waterfront esplanade along Victoria Harbor in the south, all the way to Austin Road in the north.
Although fairly small in size, Tsim Sha Tsui is chock-a-block with shopping, dining and entertainment venues, as well as with tourist attractions... Moreover, Tsim sha Tsui itself is divided into some different wine & dine areas... each with its own personality and atmosphere...
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Knutsford Terrace: a small terrace street, lined with bars, pubs and restaurants, is Tsim sha Tsui's smaller version of Lan Kwai Fong (although the ambience here is far more relaxed...).
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Recommended venues in Knutsford Terrace include: Balalaika (one of Hong Kong's only Russian resto-bars, well known for its "Siberian Vodka room"), Bahama Mama's (an easygoing bar, with nice dancing music and great pub grab), Island Seafood & Oyster Bar (one of Tsim sha Tsui's best places for seafood), Mai Nouveau Thai Cuisine (chic restaurant, serving excellent Thai cuisine with a contemporary touch), Tutto Bene (serving fabulous south Italian food that combines traditional Italian cooking with some of the chef's own innovations...), Papa Razzi (serves some of the best pizzas in Hong Kong in a lovely surroundings...), Apgujeong Korean tent bar (serving hearty portions of authentic Korean food in a lovely environment) and Black Stump (an Australian steakhouse and grill) .

Getting to Knutsford Terrace is quite easy: If coming from the waterfront ("Symphony of Lights"), from Star Ferry Pier or from Tsim sha Tsui MTR station (exits A-2 or B-1), walk up Nathan Road, turn right to Kimberley Road and then left, to the stairway that leads from the street to the terrace (next to the junction of Kimberley and Carnarvon).

From Kowloon's Airport Express station - Take shuttle bus K-5 to Kimberley Road. You can drop off at either the Luxe Manor or the Empire Hotel Kowloon. Both are just a stonethrow from Knutsford Terrace.

If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A21 and alight at the bus-stop outside Miramar Shopping Centre, on the corner of Nathan Road and Kimberley Road. Turn to Kimberley and follow as above.


Hillwood Road, north of Kimberley Road and Knutsford Terrace (the section between Nathan Road and Pine Tree Hill Road), has been nicknamed "Hillwood SoHo" although it doesn't resemble Hong Kong's SoHo that much... There are a few good Chinese and Asian restaurants here, alongside some nice cafés... Tin Heung Lau (this long established restaurant specializes in classical Hangzhou Cuisine, from the Yangtze River Delta), Lo Chiu Vietnamese Restaurant and Tai Woo Restaurant (one of Hong Kong's best Cantonese restaurants) are particularly recommended.


If Knutsford Terrace is Tsim sha Tsui's answer to LKF, than Ashley Road somewhat resembles Wanchai's Lockhart Road, with a good mix between restaurants, resto-bars and nightspots (forget about the girls though...).

Our recommended restaurants and entertainment venues in Ashley Road are: Ned Kelly's Last Stand (a great Jazz bar and restaurant, with "wild west" ambience...), Mes Amis (a very popular nightspot), Weinstube (serving delicious home style German and Austrian food, together with some good beers and wines), Gaylord Indian Restaurant (This excellent Indian restaurant has become a landmark in Hong Kong's culinary scene) Jimmy's Kitchen (an 80 years old culinary institution, serving familiar international specialties...), Sushi One (A very popular Japanese restaurant) and La Taverna (has been serving splendid Italian cuisine in a romantic ambience for more than thirty years).

Getting there: From Star Ferry Pier take Canton Road (along Harbor City), turn right to Peking Road and you'll be there after a minute (It's a five minutes walk from the pier). From Nathan Road and Tsim sha Tsui MTR station (exits A-1 or E): Turn to Peking Road or Haiphong Road and you'll be there at no time (the entrance from Haiphong is through a building) .

From Kowloon's Airport Express station - Take shuttle bus K-3 to the Kowloon Hotel. From Middle Road (off Nathan Road), turn right to Ashley Road .

If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A21 and alight at the last stop, outside the Star Ferry Pier. Then follow as above .


Classy restaurants, as well as some nice cafés, can be found in Tsim sha Tsui's five star hotels, as well as in the large, glittering shopping malls... Here are some the best:

Yan Toh Heen (Yan Toh Heen serves some of the best Cantonese cuisine in Hong Kong, in an elegant and refined setting that matches in with the fabulous food), Ruth's Chris Steak House in Mody Road's Empire Centre (a Louisiana steakhouse and restaurant, serving some of the best steaks in Hong Kong), Super Star Seafood Restaurant (serving some of the best Cantonese food in Hong Kong), Dong Lai Shun (an opulent restaurant, specializes in the Huaiyang cuisine), Chesa (serving superb Swiss and central European cuisine in a pleasant environment), Gaddi's (located within the classic Peninsula Hotel, this superb restaurant is considered as one of Hong Kong's best), Felix (an ultra stylish resto-bar on the top floor of the Peninsula. Designed by Philippe Starck), Spoon (Chef Alain Ducasse's creation - one of Hong Kong's landmark restaurants), The Bostonian (serveing outstanding seafood and grill dishes in a charming environment), T'ang Court (Named as one of the world's best hotel-restaurants by several international magazines, T'ang Court serves world-class Cantonese cuisine in a swanky environment), Sabatini (this luxurious restaurant is the Hong Kong outlet of one of Rome's best known restaurants...), Habitu, the pier (Excellent Italian restaurant, with lovely harbor views, specializes in thin and crispy pizzas, as well as home-made pasta and risotto dishes) and "HER" Thai Restaurant (lovely Thai restaurant, with great views towards Western Harbor and the China-Ferry Pier).

Other highly recommended venues in Tsim sha Tsui include : 798 Unit & Co. (a fantastic New York style bistro), Aqua Spirit (a romantic and stylish bar, with absolutely gorgeous views), La Tasca (Spanish bistro style, resto-pub), Tack Hsin Restaurant (serving great Chinese hotpot at reasonable prices), Hu Tong (serves fabulous northern Chinese cuisine in an elegant and aesthetic setting), Surya Restaurant (excellent Indian restaurant), Kenjo (possibly, one of Hong Kong's best Japanese restaurants), Sushi Toku (serves outstandingly fresh Sushi and Sashimi in a very pleasant environment), Akita Robatayaki & Teppanyaki (stylish Japanese-style grill), Spring Deer (one of Hong Kong's best and most popular Chinese restaurants) and Fook Lam Moon (a Hong Kong 'culinary institution', serving legendary Shark's fin and Abalone specialties)

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Mong Kong and Yau ma Tei (The areas around Temple Street's Night Market) have both been already mentioned in another entry in this blog... (Covering Hong Kong "must sees" in a day)

If authentic eateries are your thing, those precincts are, probably, your best bet.

Our list of recommended restaurants in Mong Kok and Yau ma Tei includes: Ming Court (This Michelin starred restaurant serves culinary creations that combine traditional Cantonese cuisine with contemporary western influences... ), Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop (some of the best noodle dishes around Yau ma Tei), Little Fusion (good selection of Italian, French and Japanese specialties...), Nathan Congee and Noodle (this humble eatery has been serving some fabulous congees, noodles and dumplings for the last 40 years or so...),

Curry A La King (a curry lovers paradise, serving a wide selection of scrumptious curries from different Asian cuisines), Mongkok Fung Shing Restaurant (specializes in traditional Shunde cuisine, from the Shunde area, in the Pearl River Delta, and serves some superb dim-sum), Fu Kei Restaurant (very popular restaurant, specializing in several Chinese cuisines... The chefs keep on coming with new "inventions" all the time), Tanyoto Hotpot Restaurant (serving delicious Hotpot/Steamboat and Szechwan dishes...), Little Sheep (possibly, one of Hong Kong's most favorite Hotpot restaurants) and Lok Yuen Beef Ball King (some of the best Beef Ball and Pork Ball noodle soup in Hong Kong)

3) Five ways to spend an evening in Hong Kong

This article applies mostly to people who land before 6pm and does not include restaurants and bars (those will be covered in a separate blog post)

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From the airport

My first blog post, Getting from and to Hong Kong Airport, covers all the aspects of Hong Kong Airport's luggage storage facilities, as well as transport to the city, so there is no point to repeat all that...
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A) The "Symphony of Lights"

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Modeled after Hollywood's Walk of Fame, The Avenue of Stars honors celebrities of Hong Kong's film industry, with floor plaques of all the industry's who's who. It is also the best place to watch the "Symphony of Lights" light & sound show from.
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The "Symphony of Lights" is a nightly orchestrated light, sound and laser show featured on 37 key buildings on both sides of the Victoria Harbour.
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Awarded the world's "Largest Permanent Light and Sound Show" by Guinness World Records, this spectacle is staged every night at 8:00 pm and, as already mentioned, one of the best places to see it from is the Avenue of stars and the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. Another recommended vantage point is the promenade at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai, on Hong Kong Island.
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New World Center, on the waterfront next to the "Avenue of Stars", has six floors and hundreds of shops, many of which specialize in fashion brands. There are also quite a few restaurants and cafés here. Open daily from 10 am to 10 pm.
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To get there: Take the Airport Express to Kowloon Station. From the station, take shuttle bus K-3 to the Peninsula Hotel or (better) K-2 to Sheraton Hong Kong. Use the pedestrian subway near the Sheraton to cross under Salisbury Road to the other side, where the Tsim sha Tsui Waterfront Promenade and the "Avenue of Stars" can be found.
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If coming by bus: Take Citybus' route A21, alight outside Tsim sha Tsui MTR Station, enter the station and use the pedestrian-subway-network to get to Tsim sha Tsui Waterfront Promenade and the "Avenue of Stars" (You can also follow the signs to New World Centre)
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B) The Night Market

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Temple Street 's Night Market is a good place to fetch a few bargains and feel a bit of a true Hong Kong market ambience... Lines of brightly lit market stalls are selling everything you can think of: Asian antiques and costumes, Footwear and clothes, Electronic gadgets and watches, cassettes and CDs... You name it... There are also more than a few food-stalls and eateries around, where you can indulge on simple, delicious Chinese food.
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Cantonese opera singers and fortune tellers can be found in Yung Shue Tau Square , on the other side of Temple Street, just outside the old Tin Hau Temple.
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The market is open daily from 4 pm to 11 pm (although it gets busy only from 7 pm and onwards).
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Getting there: From Kowloon's Airport Express Station - Take shuttle Bus K-1 to MTR Jordan (From MTR-Jordan exit A, walk along Jordan Road - away from Nathan Road. The third street on your right hand side is Temple Street)
If coming from Tsim sha Tsui's Waterfront Promenade: Use the pedestrian subway to cross under Salisbury Road to the other side, and continue (underground) to Tsim sha Tsui MTR Station, from where you take the MTR to Jordan (one station away) and continue on foot (see above).
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If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A21, drop off outside the Nathan Hotel, on 348 Nathan Road, cross Nathan Road to the other side and proceed with Pak Hoi Street for a minute or two (it crosses Temple Street).
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C) Mong Kok and its markets

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Mong Kok, north of Tsim sha Tsui, is characterized by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops, authentic eateries and restaurants at street level, and commercial or residential units above.
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The atmosphere around here is slightly less touristy than in Tsim sha Tsui or Hong Kong Island and prices, accordingly, are usually lower... Some of Hong Kong's best open-air markets can be found here, alongside some of the city's less glitzy and less expensive shopping centres...
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Ladies' Market - stretches along Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok and is one of Hong Kong's most popular open-air markets. As its name denotes, this market specializes in women's clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and the like, although you can find here more than a few stalls that sell men's and children's products... Soft toys, clothes, bags, jeans and watches... just to name a few.
The market is open daily from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm.
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Getting there: From Kowloon's Airport Express Station - Take shuttle Bus K-6 to Royal Plaza Hotel (departs once every 24 minutes - last one leaves at 11:10 pm): Ladies Market is just a few minutes walk from the hotel.
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From Tsim sha Tsui (Symphony of Lights or Nathan Road) and from Jordan (Temple Street's Night Market), take the MTR to Mong Kok Station: Take exit E-2 of MTR-Mong Kok to the east side of Nelson Street and proceed to the market (2 minutes walk), Exit D-3, on Argyle Street is also close to the market.
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If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A21 and drop off at the bus stop outside Argyle Centre, on 688 Nathan Road
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D) Victoria Peak

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"The Peak" , as it is commonly known, is probably Hong Kong's most popular tourist attraction. The world-class views of the city and the harbour are simply spectacular... especially at night, when the countless skyscrapers are flashing in millions of dazzling lights...
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Up at the top, there are two adjoining shopping malls, namely the Peak Tower and the Peak Galleria , which boasts a variety of restaurants, cafés, shops, "unique attractions" and tourist traps... (Including Hong Kong's excellent Madame Tussauds , as well as some really good restaurants with fabulous views)
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Recommended venues around "The Peak" include Café DecoBubba GumpThe Peak Lookout (a fabulous restaurant, located in a charming colonial house) and Tien Yi (an upclass restaurant, serving superb contemporary Chinese cuisine).
(a good choice of both Asian and western delicacies, and a great view...), (seafood, and shrimps in particular...), .
For a fully detailed article about "The Peak" and its attractions (including opening hours, prices and so on), you should visit this Victoria-Peak online guide

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Most visitors use the Peak Tram to get to The Peak... Not only that riding the internationally-famous tram is one of Hong Kong's "must dos"... it also provides the most direct route and offers good views over the city's harbour and skyscrapers.
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The tram operates daily, from 7 am to 12 midnight. It departs every 10 - 15 minutes and covers the full distance in approximately 7 minutes.
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Tickets can be purchased at either of the terminuses. They cost HK$ 22 / HK$ 33 (one way/ return) for an adult, and HK$ 8 / 15 (one way / return) for a child of 3 - 11 years or for a senior citizen (above 65). You can also buy a "combo" ticket combining the tram and the Sky Terrace at a somewhat discounted rate.
You can pay the fare with an "Octopus card" (provided you bought one) and skip the queue.
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Getting to the Peak Tram Lower Terminus: From Hong Kong's Airport Express Station -
Take exit C and turn left to Des Voeux Road Central. Walk along it, pass the HSBC BuildingGarden Road, with which you climb to the terminus.
(You can also access Des Voeux Road Central through Alexandra House - take exits A2 or B2 to the elevated walkway, turn right and walk to Alexandra House).
(you will also have to cross it to the other side) and turn right to .
If coming from Kowloon side (Tsim sha Tsui - symphony of Lights / Jordan - Night Market / Mong Kok - Ladies Market), take the MTR to Central, than take exit J-2 to Chatter Garden, walk through the garden, cross Queen's Road Central and continue up along Garden Road (you will see the terminus on your left side, opposite the American Consulate General).
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If coming with the Star Ferry (from Tsim sha Tsui pier, few minutes walk from the "Symphony of Lights") : Walk straight through the elevated walkway until you get to Alexandra House, turn left to Des Voeux Road Central, cross it to the other side (where HSBC building stands) and after a couple of minutes turn right to Garden Road, with which you climb to the terminus.
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If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A11 and drop off on Queensway (Near Queensway Plaza and exit C-1 of Admiralty MTR Station). Cross Queensway to the other side (with the footbridge) turn right, and after a couple of minutes turn left to Cotton Tree drive, with which you climb to the terminus.
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Getting to the peak is also possible via other means of transport (although it is not as fun as with the tram and also takes much more time...) :
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Green minibus No. 1 connects Central and The Peak. It departs from the bus interchange, next to Hong Kong's Airport Express Station (on Finance Street - through exit F) every 10 minutes or so, daily, 6:30 am - 12 midnight, and charges around HK$ 8 each way.
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Bus No. 15 can be boarded at Central's Ferry pier bus terminus, as well as next to Exchange Square, on Connaught Road Central (use exit D of Hong Kong Station, if coming by Airport Express). A bus leaves every 10 - 15 minutes (daily, 10 am - 12 midnight) and it costs around HK$ 9.2 each way (HK$ 4.6 for children and senior citizens).
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E) Late Evening shopping at Causeway Bay
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Causeway Bay is Hong Kong's trendiest shopping district. The small cluster of streets around Causeway Bay's MTR Station houses some of the city's best department stores, shopping malls and prestigious shops. Hong Kong yuppies just love Causeway Bay and consider it the city's "fashion barometer"... The place to go to when you want to know what's new and "in"...
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Other than trendy fashion shops, Causeway Bay is home to one of Hong Kong's most popular bazaars, Jardine's Crescent, where plenty of inexpensive fashion accessories can be found.
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The area's shopping venues stay open until relatively late, which means you can start your evening here and move somewhere else later on (although there are also plenty of great restaurants and cafés around this area - see recommendations below...)
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For a fully detailed article about Causeway Bay shopping options, go to the Hong Kong Shopping Districts Guide or to the Hong Kong Shopping Guide
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The entrance to both Jardine's Crescent and Jardine's Bazzar is next to exit F of the MTR station. From Jardine's Crescent, you can enter Lee Gardens Two (Caroline Centre), and move onwards to The Lee Gardens, using the footbridge ( open until 10 pm daily) Times Square, one of Hong Kong's most popular shopping and entertainment malls can be accessed directly from Causeway Bay's MTR station (exit A - shops are open daily till 10pm and dinning/ entertainment venues stay open later). Great George Street and Paterson Street can be accessed through MTR-Causeway Bay, exit E
To get to Causeway Bay: From Hong Kong's Airport Express Station, walk to Central MTR Station (direct pedestrian link) and take the MTR to Causeway Bay Station.
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If coming from Kowloon side (Tsim sha Tsui - symphony of Lights / Jordan - Night Market / Mong Kok - Ladies Market), take the MTR to Causeway Bay Station.
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If coming by bus from the airport: Take Citybus' route A11 and drop off on Hennessy Road, Near Wan Chai Fire Station. Then walk a few steps ahead and turn right to Percival Street (cross Hennessy Road - there is a footbridge at Causeway Bay Plaza), which takes you to Times Square and the other shopping centres.
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