Central: The Ultimate Guide

There may be tonnes of shops lining the streets of Central, but don’t get distracted – we think the food options here are truly the gem of this neighbourhood. 

As one of the world’s most Michelin-starred cities, you can expect to truly treat your palate in Hong Kong. Central is home to Ando by chef Augustin Ferrando Balbi, who pays tribute to his life experiences in both Spain and Japan. Chef Ricardo Chaneton serves up a reinterpretation of Latin American cuisine presented with French technique at Mono, while chef Paulo Airaudo blends Italian cuisine with Asian flavours at Noi, accompanied by his favoured musical choices and interior decor as well. 

Tsim Sha Tsui’s time-honoured Sabatini Ristorante Italiano has recently opened in Central’s IFC mall and is well worth a visit. Magistracy Dining Room is housed in one of Hong Kong’s oldest surviving court buildings and offers up British and European fare, along with a garden space dedicated to gin and tonics.

Hongkongers do love their Japanese fare, and some fantastic restaurant options from the Land of the Rising Sun include the Michelin-starred Ryota Kappou Modern, the intimate Sushi Fujimoto which specialises in Edomae-style sushi, as well as the playful teppanyaki haven Crown Super Deluxe. 

For modern Chinese food, look no further than the contemporary Ho Lee Fook, Grand Majestic Sichuan for fantastically tongue-numbing dishes, elevated dim sum at Duddell’s, and art-inspired deconstructions of Chinese cuisine at Bo Innovation. Otherwise, a trip to Lung King Heen is sure to wow all tastebuds with their delicate dim sum and perfectly prepared seafood dishes. If you like to romanticise the old Hong Kong of days gone by, then go to Luk Yu Tea House and Tai Ping Koon, both nostalgia-filled restaurants that look and taste like a blast from the past.

When it comes to Hong Kong food, we must also mention the classic fare belonging to our dai pai dong open-air eateries. These are a far cry from being glamorous (or even comfortable) establishments, but they do offer a taste and experience that is truly local and fast disappearing. There’s nothing that screams Hongkonger like sitting elbow-to-elbow with strangers at Sing Kee and wolfing down a bowl of instant noodles topped with spam and a sunny-side-up egg. Otherwise, queue up at Sing Heung Yuen for their comforting tomato soup macaroni options, and grab a signature pantyhose milk tea to go from Lan Fong Yuen.

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With plenty of award-winning drinking spots and bartenders in town, Hong Kong’s alcohol-loving crowd is absolutely spoilt for choice when it comes to finding a good tipple or five. For quality libations, head to Argo in Four Seasons Hotel, which boasts innovative cocktails, friendly bartenders, and an eye-catching display tower in the centre of the bar – they were crowned Bar of the Year at the Time Out Bar Awards 2023 as well as ranking on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. Other great options include Bar Leone by award-winning mixologist Lorenzo Antinori with their no-fuss revivals of classic cocktails, and Jay Khan’s The Savoury Project which features food-inspired cocktails that emphasise savoury tastes.

While in Central, you have to make the most of our fantastic city views, and what better way to do so than on a stylish rooftop bar? Our picks include the al fresco terrace at Cardinal Point which offers a fantastic vantage point from which to enjoy festive fireworks; and The Trilogy space in H Code, consisting of rooftop bar Wav, the Keyz nightclub, and jazz bar Ella, a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald offering live performances and classic drinks. 

Should you be in the mood for dancing, then grab your besties and head on over to The Iron Fairies on the top of Pottinger Street, a bar that’s often packed with revellers and designed to resemble an ironsmith’s workshop with thousands of butterflies hanging from the ceiling. Shanghai-style cabaret bar Maggie Choo’s is right round the corner, tucked behind the façade of an antique shop. Otherwise, there’s always party vibes at Quality Goods Club, a basement restaurant bar created by the fantastic minds behind The Pontiac, The Shady Acres, and Honky Tonks Tavern.

Hong Kong also has plenty of hidden or speakeasy-style bars, and the best of these are all dotted around Central for those in the know to find. 001 is the OG hidden bar in town which has moved from its Graham Street location to Tai Kwun after a decade. Artifact Bar is located among the many gourmet options of Basehall 2 and features an all-star team of bartenders, while Lockdown provides Prohibition-era elegance cheekily hidden behind an entrance marked by a toilet.

There are also hidden bars in two excellent hotels: grab a key card to access Room 309 of The Pottinger, and locate the phone booth in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental’s MO Bar to get into Please Don’t Tell – the second brand of the famous New York bar. Meanwhile, Foxglove hides behind the façade of a posh umbrella shop (and conceals yet another speakeasy secret in its depths: Frank’s Library), and the intimate 25:00 serves up unique cocktail tasting menus above Luk Yu Tea House.

Relative newcomers to Central’s drinking scene include Dead Poets, which daylights as a barbershop; Bambino with its good wine list, fantastic bites, and DJ nights; and Cantonese bar concept Kinsman, which incorporates local ingredients and flavours into their well-crafted cocktails..

For more boozy options, check out our top bar picks in Central.

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Central has no dearth of shops to make your wallet quake in fear. From blisteringly expensive pieces at global fashion houses to dinky little upstairs shops that stock adult products, you can most likely find anything you’re thinking of buying in Central.

Firstly, the major malls in this neighbourhood are IFC and Landmark. The latter is actually comprised of four buildings interlinked via covered walkways, namely Landmark Atrium, Landmark Alexandra, Landmark Chater, and Landmark Prince’s. The Landmark malls mostly house high-end boutiques, haute couture fashion, and luxury lifestyle brands, while the IFC has a mix of pricier stores and more affordable options for the everyday consumer.

Apart from appealing to modern tastes, Central also offers plenty for old souls. If you’re ever in the market for a quality bespoke suit, then make an appointment at W.W Chan and Sons, one of the earliest Shanghainese tailoring houses to open in Hong Kong back in 1960. For more old-school vibes, pop into Officine Universelle Buly, a French apothecary that sells beautiful dressing table staples like perfume, creams, oils, and combs – a visit to this shop transports us straight into the pages of Patrick Süskind’s novel Perfume. Nostalgic music lovers will need to spend a day rifling through Stone Cold Records for their jazz and funk vinyls. 

Some other retail options worth checking out in the area include sports and intimate apparel from Aerie, which is an offshoot of American Eagle; Imageplayground for film cameras; Absolute Vintage in PMQ with their locally designed eyewear; and Kowloon Soy Company, a home-grown condiment brand that’s had a store in Central since the 1960s.

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As an area that was very British-dominated back in our colonial days, Central has plenty of historical buildings. A good number of these now exist as revitalised landmarks that serve as arts and culture hubs while paying tribute to Hong Kong’s history. PMQ, or the former Police Married Quarters, is home to several floors of small stores and studios for local art and boutique products. There are always pop-up events, markets, and festivals taking place here as well, so keep an eye out. 

Tai Kwun, which used to be the Central Police compound and Victoria Prison, is arguably one of Hong Kong’s best revitalisation projects, and is now an art and culture venue, live performance space, and heritage site that houses several fantastic F&B options. Meanwhile, the latest in historic buildings to be given a new lease of life is Central Market, a wet market turned cultural hub that now contains various dining and shopping venues from sustainable lifestyle products to knick-knack stalls featuring local designers. Some of the original Bauhaus architectural elements have been retained, including the building’s grand staircase.

If you’re already at Central Market, then you might as well also hop onto the Central–Mid-Levels escalator. This is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, servicing the southern (and increasingly hilly) part of Central and bringing commuters from – you guessed it – Central to Mid-Levels. From the escalators, you can stroll along the covered walkways through the IFC and straight out to Central Harbourfront. This is where you can catch a ferry to one of our many outlying islands, check out the waterfront event space for current happenings, go for a spin on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, or stroll along the promenade to soak in our world-famous view of Victoria Harbour.

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The Mandarin Oriental is an absolute Hong Kong institution, with its opulent Asian-inspired decor and excellent dining establishments, while its contemporary sister, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, is located a five-minute walk away and boasts a lighter colour palette without losing any of the extravagance. The Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is linked to the IFC complex, which means it offers superb transport convenience to both the MTR and the ferries – as well as a stunning harbour view. On the border of Central and Admiralty lies The Murray, a former government office block that has since been transformed into one of the city’s most aesthetically pleasing hotels. But don’t let these hospitality grande dames keep you from exploring a more petite option such as The Pottinger, a boutique hotel boasting thoughtful touches to the city’s heritage, including monochrome photos of an old Hong Kong by acclaimed photographer Fan Ho.

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