Top 10 Hong Kong venues

Hong Kong is one of the world’s best cities for wine and fine dining. Here, we take you on a tour of the places that best represent its vibrant culinary scene.

BEST FOR STEAK: STRIP HOUSE

Chef Harlan Goldstein’s little sister to his more European dining flagship, Gold, this is one steakhouse that has been designed to excite. “Strip House is a 1940s bordello, a real whorehouse,” the flamboyant chef recently told the drinks business. “I’ve exactly recreated a strip club [from that era].”

With red velvet curtains, low lighting and the classics playing in the background, there is an intimacy – and naughtiness – to the joint. Using some careful interior design and a solid concept to stay faithful to, Goldstein has risen above the wood-panelling, cigar-bar vibe that is the hallmark of most steak- focused restaurants. That’s not to say the Strip House experience ends at the atmosphere. “I concentrate on prime beef and really great appetisers,” Goldstein says, along with excellent sides (like his Kick-Ass Mac and Cheese) and killer cocktails with names like The Pole Dancer.

The steaks themselves are, of course, the main reason to pay a visit and as one would expect from a New Yorker, the Strip is king. Available in a 12oz and a full 16oz, the kitchen has clearly gained plenty of practice cooking this cut.

5/F, Grand Progress Building, 15 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong, 852 2521 863

BEST FOR COCKTAILS: WYNDHAM THE 4TH

After being crowned the city’s first ever Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year, Tom Wood makes his official Hong Kong debut with this dark and mysterious cocktail haven. The space channels a thoroughly refined ambiance with soothing jazz and plush furnishings complementing Wood’s multisensory liquid creations.

Try the Lucky Number Four, which combines the robust and rounded flavours of thyme, apples, apricots and smoky Talisker whisky. For brighter flavours, go for the classic Pink Lady cocktail spun from Tanqueray gin, Calvados, pomegranate and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

4/F, 48 Wyndham St, Central, 852 2523 8001, wyndhamthe4th.hk

BEST FOR ORGANIC WINE: LA CABANE WINE BISTRO

La Cabane is Hong Kong’s first and only bistro serving biodynamic and organic wines exclusively. Owners Cristobal Huneeus and Karim Hadjadj are pioneers of the city’s move towards organic wines, and are responsible for supplying much of the wines to bars and restaurants across the city. La Cabane’s enormous wine portfolio is a collection of vin naturel. The term itself is a fairly recent one and relates to the physical winemaking process as well as the source of the grapes. According to Latif Dilworth, manager of La Cabane a Vin, the group’s wine store tucked under Hollywood Road: “Some winemakers seek to rid their wines of chemicals and manipulation and return to making wines that best represent their terroir with as little intervention as possible.”

62 Hollywood Rd, Central, 852 2776 6070

BEST FOR CRAFT BEER: FRITES BELGIUM ON TAP

Complementing its selection of hearty mussel pots (including a boozed-spiked one) and signature fries, Frites offers a bible-thick menu of Eurocentric beers by the bottle and on tap.

You’ll find the usual suspects, including Stella Artois and Hoegaarden, but the real showstoppers are the small-batch finds from Belgium.

Try the Satan Gold – a spicy, bitter brew that’s balanced with a touch of summer fruit. Another fantastic find is the Delirium Tremens, praised for its crisp, yeast-driven profile.

Shop 6, 1/F, Causeway Centre, 28 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, 2877 2422; G/F, Oxford House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, 852 2250 5188 www.conceptcreations.hk

BEST FOR CANTONESE: HOI KING HEEN

Located in the basement level of the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hotel, Hoi King Heen is often regarded as one of the city’s finest Cantonese restaurants.

Dishes are understated but brilliant, starting with incredibly tender braised short ribs paired with sweet papaya, and chef Leung Fai Hung’s award-winning pan-fried glutinous rice served with chicken and taro puffs. The chefs’ carefully honed skills also shine through in delicate dishes such as crab claw steamed in Hua Diao wine with egg whites, and gem-like winter melon balls, which are hollowed out in the centre and filled with preserved black olive leaves.

B2/F, InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, 70 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. 852 2731 2883

BEST FOR WINE BY THE GLASS: TASTINGS

Tastings offers 40 different wines by the glass. The bottles are all carefully culled from around the globe and are rotated on a regular basis so that there’s always something new to try.

Yuen Yick Building, 27 & 29 Wellington Street, Central, 852 2523 6282, www.tastings.hk

BEST FOR CIGARS: THE LAWN

In a city where space is at a premium, the proliferation of rooftop bars in Hong Kong is an understandable phenomenon.

But how many in this urban jungle can offer a grassy lawn to lie back on? That’s the draw at boutique hotel The Upper House, which hides a sixth floor secret garden complete with bean bags, Chinese-style parasols and, of course, a cocktail bar. Order a Pimms, light a cigar, lie back and relax for Hong Kong’s stylish take on the English picnic.

The Upper House Hotel, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, 852 2918 1838

BEST FOR WHISKY: ANGEL’S SHARE

This recent opening offers more than 100 whiskies, including a discontinued 15- year-old Bowmore Mariner and highly interesting Japanese whiskies, such as the 15-year-old Ichiro’s Malt Folks Bottling from Japan’s now-defunct Hanyu distillery. The main star of the show, however, is the 200-litre oak barrel in the centre of the bar, with its rotating offer of gems such as The Macallan 1990 and Highland Park 1997.

2/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central, 852 2805 8388, www.angelsshare.hk

BEST FOR CHAMPAGNE: FLUTES

This intimate space may not offer the most extensive or exciting sparkling wine selection, but it does win points for being the most laid-back and reasonably priced Champagne bar in town. The Elgin Street venue offers seven options by the glass, as well as a decent selection of reds, whites and sparkling wines. They also do a range of Champagne-based cocktails.

For a chilled-out, casual evening, grab a high table on the small, entrance-side terrace and sip your bubbly while you watch the scenes of Soho. Don’t forget to order the excellent cheese platter while you’re at it.

27 Elgin Street, Soho, 852 2810 0005; www.flutes.com.hk

BEST FOR FRENCH: PETRUS

Petrus embodies all the opulence of classic French fine dining. The dining room channels old world elegance with crystal chandeliers and oil paintings adorning the walls and ceilings. Inside the kitchen, chef Frederic Chabbert and his team transform the finest seasonal ingredients into artistic dishes such as duck liver confit with lemon cream, and wild turbot with cockles and oyster leaves. Petrus’ fine cuisine is paired with an exceptional wine list that boasts close to 2,000 labels from all around the world.

56/F, Island Shangri-La, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 852 2820 8590