Best things to do in Hong Kong this December

The match of Japanese sake and seafood is not well recognised in Hong Kong. Like wine, sake can range from sweet to dry and light to rich varieties. The abundant umami in Japanese sake has the power to amplify the taste of fish. Japanese food culture is heavily seafood-focused and like the culinary techniques used to prepare it, the flavours of sake have naturally evolved to match. Sake tempers odour while enhancing the natural essence of seafood, making the pair both culturally and scientifically compatible. Starting September 19, JFOODO (The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center) established by the Japanese government in 2017, will be launching 'SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE'. Seafood has always been at the heart of Japan’s food culture. This campaign aims to encourage Hongkongers to experience the perfect match that is seafood and sake, enabling them to do so by partnering with 20 restaurants in the city. 'SEAFOOD LOVES SAKE.' highlights the umami of fresh seafood and sake with a unique pairing from each participating restaurant.  From September 19 to December 31, hashtag #seafoodlovessake on the official Facebook page, and comment on the restaurants you've visited for a chance to win prizes. To learn about the campaign, sake and restaurant launch dates, click here.

Hong Kong is home to some of the best restaurants and best bars in all of Asia. From cheap eats to high-end establishments, it can be difficult to decide where to start. If you're having trouble deciding, why not check out some of the one- to three-starred restaurants from the Hong Kong Michelin Guide 2019.

Sure, you could hike your way to a spectacular view of the city, but why not do it in style with a stunning fine dining experience? From casual seafood eateries to sky-high Chinese dining, we rise to the challenge of finding the best Hong Kong restaurants with the most breathtaking views. RECOMMENDED: Prefer sticking to the streets? Hong Kong has some amazing cha chaan tengs and dai pai dongs to check out.

A couple of floors above bustling Jaffe Road, Kura recently opened its doors as a Japanese restaurant with a mission to offer top-quality traditional Japanese cuisine in an authentic, modern setting. In a city where Japanese restaurants are – thankfully – these days ten-a-penny, Kura manages to stand out because, although slightly missing the mark in a couple of important areas, it serves up an impressive array of Japanese favourites that do full and delicious justice to the ways of washoku. The restaurant is relatively spacious, with various nooks and crannies delineated by pillars, dainty-wooden-beamed dividers and thin walls, much like in restaurants on the back streets of, say, Tokyo or Kyoto. There’s also a hulking counter that stands as the focal point of the restaurant and at which nine lucky patrons can sit and look on as the sushi chefs slice and press away. Despite these features however, it has to be said that the ambience of the place falls short of offering that truly authentic Japanese experience. Whether it be the choice of furniture, which could be taken more for Ikea than Ikebukuro, or the slight messiness – it is extremely hygienic by the looks of things – behind the sushi counter that just wouldn’t fly in your average Osaka sushiya, it’s hard to forget that you’re actually in Hong Kong. Now onto the food, which leaves very little to complain about. Kura’s rather extensive menu offers 13 lunch sets comprising of favourites from sushi to tempura, priced aro

Our food and drinks writers have the incredibly unenviable job – wink, wink – of eating their way around Hong Kong's exciting and ever-changing restaurant scene to review the new eateries that pop up seemingly every other week in our great city. Naturally, over the course of this past year, some of the many places we've reviewed have stood out and gained a place in our hearts. We therefore present this list of the restaurants we've enjoyed reviewing most in 2019. For those of you staying in Hong Kong this winter holiday, why not try one – or all – of these spots and feel the same foodie joy that we did! RECOMMENDED: if you're looking for festive fare this winter holiday then check out our Best Christmas Buffets, and Festive Cocktails links! 

If you're anything like us, after weeks spent whittling down your gift shopping list and wrapping up all the late-night holiday parties, you're more than ready to just kick back, let go and relax. So during the one season a year where you have every excuse to treat yourself, throw your diet out of the door and head to one of these festive buffets. Whether you're searching for a classic Christmas roast or craving Japanese food, there's something on this list for everyone. RECOMMENDED: Get naughty with these festive cocktails or get in the mood for Christmas with these Christmas songs we all love to hate.

OCTOBER 2019: As our city’s vibrant restaurant scene continues to evolve at a rapid pace, we’ve made more than a few additions to our list this time around. Most notably, the new-in-town French cuisine maestros at Louise have stormed in to take the coveted top spot, and we’ve also welcomed to the pack visionary French-Japanese fusion eatery à nu retrouvez-vous, laidback Vietnamese spot Chôm Chôm, and down-to-earth noodle paradise, Mak Man Kee, among others. Welcome to the Time Out EAT List, for which we’ve been busy scouring the streets and alleys to bring you the very best restaurants in Hong Kong. As usual, this line-up has been compiled by our ravenous food and drinks editors who aren’t just on the hunt for a delectable bite – although taste certainly doesn’t count for nothing – but also consider the buzziness of the atmosphere, the price (for those on a tight budget, check out our dedicated cheap eats list), and the relevance of the concept in our ever-changing metropolis.  From long-time favourites to newbies, we've sorted everything, from restaurants in some of Hong Kong’s best hotels to the city's most delectable street eats. In short, this is whatever serves the best food in Hong Kong right now. Let’s dig in! Eaten somewhere on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutEatList Looking for more recent openings? Check out our pick of Hong Kong's best new restaurants.

There are so many outstanding Hong Kong bars that it’s hard to decide how and where to allocate your time, money and rapidly diminishing sobriety. Whether you want a fancy cocktail at a speakeasy, a bottle of biodynamic wine, a hazy IPA at a craft beer joint, or something else entirely, there’s something for you in our famously crowded and fast-paced city. We’ve put our livers on the line to deliver you a definitive list of the 51 best Hong Kong bars. Enjoy! Visited somewhere on this list and loved it? Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDrinkList. You can also find out more about how Time Out makes recommendations and reviews bars here.

Escape above the hustle and bustle of the city at these bars with fantastic views and fantastic drinks to match.

As celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme once put it: you don’t need a silver fork to eat good food. In honour of that adage, the Time Out Hong Kong food team has trawled the islands to sniff out the 51 best bites under 50 bucks. This summer, celebrate the noodle vendors, skewer sellers and eggette experts that make Hong Kong such a wonderful place to eat.  RECOMMENDED: Sink your teeth into a spread at some of Hong Kong’s best restaurants.

There are many hidden bars in Hong Kong, did you know? Or are they just so well hidden you had no clue? Well, that’s what Time Out is for. In fact, the whole ‘hidden bar’ thing can sometimes feel like a gimmick or a substitute for actually serving decent drinks. The few establishments like that have given the rest a bad name because some of Hong Kong’s very best bars are ones that are a little secretive and not so easy to find. Read on to discover the best.