Kowloon harbour front with hotel fine dining (T'ang Court at the Langham and Tin Lung Heen at the Ritz Carlton in West Kowloon), Indian Chungking Mansions and old school dim sum.
Chaat at Rosewood Hong Kong holds one Michelin star under chef de cuisine Manav Tuli, plating elevated Indian street snacks and Hyderabadi biryani inside a hand painted Tsim Sha Tsui dining room.
Signature: Pani puri tasting, Pav bhaji with brioche, Hyderabadi lamb biryani
Order: Pav bhaji with house brioche and the pani puri trolley.
Tip: The Sunday tiffin brunch lays out the full pani puri trolley; book two weeks ahead.
Spring Moon at The Peninsula Hong Kong is a Michelin starred Cantonese room with stained glass and rosewood panelling, serving dim sum at lunch and banqueting Cantonese in the evening.
Signature: Dim sum tasting, Crispy chicken Spring Moon style, Sweet and sour pork with pineapple
Order: Dim sum trio of har gow, siu mai and barbecued pork bun.
Tip: Dim sum at lunch is the value entry to this room, and the Peninsula afternoon high tea downstairs pairs well as a follow up.
The Legacy House at Rosewood Hong Kong holds one Michelin star for Shunde inflected Cantonese cooking, with a hand carved wood ceiling and dishes built around live seafood from the tanks.
Signature: Smoked yellow chicken, Wok hei stir fried beef, Steamed reef fish with ginger
Order: Tea smoked yellow chicken with house chilli oil.
Tip: The smoked yellow chicken is the headline; ask the captain for the seasonal vegetable braise to balance it.
T'ang Court at the Langham Hong Kong holds three Michelin stars for refined Cantonese cooking and has kept that level for more than a decade in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Order: Wok-fried Wagyu beef cubes with black pepper sauce.
Tip: Set lunch from around HK$680 is the smart way into the three star room without paying full tasting menu rates.
Tin Lung Heen at Ritz Carlton Hong Kong holds two Michelin stars under chef Paul Lau for refined Cantonese cooking, served on the 102nd floor with full Victoria Harbour views.
Order: Barbecued Iberico pork with yellow mountain honey.
Tip: Lunch dim sum is the deal: HK$680 for the full tasting at the highest dim sum room in the city.
Wing Lai Yuen in Hung Hom is Hong Kong's destination for Sichuan dan dan noodles, originally a Wong Tai Sin village stall that moved to Whampoa Garden's food hall in 2001.
Signature: Dan dan noodles, Sichuan boiled fish, Mapo tofu
Order: Dan dan noodles with ground pork.
Tip: Order the dan dan with ground pork and ask for the mild broth on the side; you'll want both ends of the heat scale.
Kowloon Tang at Elements Mall is a casual Cantonese room from the China Tang group, plating refined classics like sweet and sour pork, roast goose and steamed dim sum across an art deco dining room.
Signature: Sweet and sour pork, Crispy roast goose, Mango pudding
Order: Sweet and sour pork in classic style.
Tip: Lunch dim sum is the value play; the sweet and sour pork tastes the way it used to in the 1980s.
% Arabica at the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry pier is the Kyoto coffee brand's harbour facing kiosk, plating the Kyoto Latte at a 17 square metre window onto the Victoria Harbour ferry deck.
Signature drink: Kyoto Latte and pour over
Tip: The window is the photo shot; order the Kyoto Latte to go and ride the Star Ferry while it cools.
Koffee Mameya at K11 Musea is the Tokyo coffee atelier's first overseas counter, with minimal wood interiors and a guided tasting that walks you through five roasts before you commit to a bag.
Tip: Visit on a weekday; the K11 mall traffic is gentler and the baristas can run a full origin flight.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Panama
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Common Man Coffee Roasters at K11 Art Mall is the Singapore brand's Hong Kong outpost, with sustainably traded house blends and a long pour over bar facing the Hanoi Road frontage.
Tip: The brunch menu is fuller than most specialty cafes; the egg and pulled pork roll pairs with the dark roast.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Sumatra
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Cold brew, Whole bean retail
Mammy Pancake on Carnarvon Road in TST is a Michelin Street Food recommended egg waffle stall, making custard, sweet potato, chestnut and matcha red bean waffles to order.
Try: Egg waffle (gai daan jai)
Order: Original egg waffle, crispy outside and custardy inside.
Tip: Original is the local pick; chestnut and matcha red bean are the better photos.
Mammy Pancake on Carnarvon Road in TST sells Michelin recommended egg waffles from around HK$28 each, the cheapest Michelin guide listing in Hong Kong.
Try: Original egg waffle
Tip: Original is the budget pick at HK$28; pricier sweet potato, matcha and chestnut versions run HK$40 plus.
Ozone on the 118th floor of The Ritz Carlton ICC is the world's highest rooftop bar, with sweeping Victoria Harbour views, inventive cocktails and a resident DJ above the West Kowloon waterfront.
Order: Hong Kong Skyline signature cocktail.
Tip: Book a window two top at sunset; the outdoor terrace opens with the weather and is the photo shot.
Aqua Spirit Bar on the 17th floor of H Zentre is the rooftop sibling to Aqua's Italian and Japanese kitchens, with resident DJs Thursday through Saturday over Victoria Harbour skyline.
Order: Yuzu Negroni with harbour view.
Tip: Order the harbour view side; the DJ rotation starts at 21:00 and runs until 02:00 on weekends.
Eyebar on the 30th floor of iSquare in Tsim Sha Tsui pours rooftop cocktails over a wide angle Hong Kong Island skyline view, with a long L shaped terrace facing Victoria Harbour.
Order: Sunset over the harbour cocktail special.
Tip: Arrive at 17:30 for the sunset slot; the terrace tables face Hong Kong Island directly.