You would expect good food from people who greet each other by asking, "Have you eaten well today?" And in Hong Kong, you get it.

But dining in this vertical city can be tricky. Some of the best bites can be found in divey noodle shops. Restaurants are often hidden in office towers or shopping malls, and there is a dearth of good restaurant guides. (Zagat plans to launch its first Hong Kong-Shanghai-Beijing edition in late April.) Then there's the nature of Chinese cuisine, which traditionally revolves around large groups and shared dishes.

With a little intel, however, a business traveler can eat gloriously well—and often with a spectacular view. The city has a diverse range of dining options, from regional Chinese (Cantonese, Chiu Chow, Pekingese, and Shanghainese among them) to Italian, French, Japanese, and about anything else you might desire. In recent years, Hong Kong has attracted its fair share of celebrity chefs: Alain Ducasse (Spoon), Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (Nobu), and Joël Robuchon (L'Atelier) are all here. Many of the best restaurants can be found in the Central district of northern Hong Kong Island, or in Kowloon's Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood. Both offer dramatic views of the harbor and skyline.

You might even forget you're alone.

Central: Luk Yu Tea House
24-26 Stanley Street
2523 5464

Tucked away on a side street near the bottom of the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, Luk Yu dates back more than 60 years. The dim sum is standard but satisfying, the service efficient but brusque. With its dark wood paneling, lazy ceiling fans, stained glass, and cozy booths, however, Luk Yu offers a charming, colonial-era ambience that's hard to find. It can be jam-packed during peak lunch and dinner hours; off-hours, when you can slide into a cozy booth and slowly work your way through the menu, are more pleasant. The dinner menu offers a greater range of options, including duck, prawns, tripe, and bird's-nest soup.

Dress: Casual
Prices: Inexpensive
Reservations: Recommended
Close to: Four Seasons Hotel, Exchange Square


Central: Lumiere
3101 Podium Level 3, I.F.C. Mall
2393 3933

Located in the I.F.C. mall, next to the International Finance Center, this Sichuan bistro and bar shares a dramatic space and harbor views with Cuisine Cuisine, its Cantonese sister restaurant. Lumiere is more casual and inviting, with a long cedar bar where you can dine. Chef Ronald T.L. Shao serves up inventive cuisine, putting Latin American twists on traditional Sichuan dishes—a spareribs starter on cucumber pedestals, a chicken dish studded with vibrant red peppers. There are also contemporary cocktails and more than 120 wines from around the world. Try the Bordeaux-style Chairman's Reserve from Grace Vineyard, considered China's best winery.

Dress: Smart casual
Prices: Moderate to expensive
Reservations: Recommended
Close to: Four Seasons Hotel, Exchange Square, Star Ferry


Central: Mak's Noodle
77 Wellington Street
2854 3810

Perhaps the city's most famous wonton and noodle-soup joint, Mak's still looks like the kind of place adventurous travelers dream about stumbling upon, its steamy windows promising savory delights within. Inside, the restaurant is small, clean, and bright, and you can join the crowd slurping away in anonymous abandon. The menu is simple: soup with dumplings, soup with noodles, or soup with dumplings and noodles—all for less than $5 a bowl. The flavors are fresh, and English menus are available.

Dress: Casual
Prices: Inexpensive
Reservations: Not taken
Close to: Escalators, Central Market, Exchange Square