| As one of the great culinary capitals of the world, Hong Kong can boast not only a superb native cuisine - Cantonese - but also perhaps the widest range of international restaurants of any city outside Europe or North America. This is due in part to the cosmopolitan nature of the population, but also, perhaps more importantly, to the incredible seriousness attached to dining by the local Chinese.
As well as the joys of dim sum - another Hong Kong speciality - the city offers the full gamut of Chinese restaurants from Beijing to Shanghai to Sichuan ( and many smaller localities). It also offers excellent curry houses from the Indian subcontinent, surprisingly reasonable Japanese Sushi bars, British pub-style food and endless cheap outlets of the noodle-and-dumpling variety, which are often the best value for money of all. However, the big hotels also offer great-value buffet lunches - check local listings for special offers and themed feasts. You'll also find the local Chinese fast-food chains, Cafe de Coral and Maxim's, alongside McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Pret A Manger, Haagen Dazs and KFC. The choice is endless, and all budgets are catered for. Travelers arriving after a long sting in mainland China are in for the gastronomic blow-out of their lives. The places listed below are a mere fraction of the total, with an emphasis on the less expensive end of the market.
Hong Kong sometimes seems to have more nightlife than the rest of China put together. In the pubs and bars you'll sometimes find live music and dancing, but the clutch of restaurant-, bar- and pub-crammed streets known as Lan Kwai Fong remain the heart of Hong Kong's party scene and drinking-culture nightlife. Despite its image as a cultural desert, classical concerts appear increasingly frequently at several venues and there are a number of art, jazz and other festivals year round.
Most of the main English-language films find their way to Hong Kong's cinemas soon after release, and they are usually shown in the original language, sometimes with Chinese subtitles (although the local audience prefers dubbed versions, which usually hit the screen soon afterwards). Some Chinese-language films are also shown with English subtitles.
Breakfast and snacks
All the bigger hotels serve expensive buffet breakfasts with vast quantities of Chinese and European food. For cheaper, traditional Western breakfasts, head for any of the cafes listed, although dim sum with tea or congee is a more authentic way to start the morning. Local chains include DeliFrance, Pacific Coffee, Starbucks, Mix and Pret A Manger, all of which offer muffins, breakfast dishes and sandwiches throughout the day and can be found in most MTR concourses.
Highlights of Hongkong:
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