A local’s guide to eating, drinking, shopping and sightseeing in West Kowloon

Hong Kong is a foodie’s paradise, and you’ll certainly find plenty to tempt your taste buds in West Kowloon, from contemporary East-meets-West fine dining at Pano to seasonal Chinese at Moon Lok Chinese Restaurant. Further afield, you’ll find the famous preserved beancurd at Liu Ma Kee, a family-owned preserved beancurd shop that has been in the business since 1905. You'll also find Michelin-acclaimed restaurants (try Mak Man Kee Noodle Shop, where the noodles are made fresh every day with duck eggs, giving them a light, springy texture) and other cheap eats (Australia Dairy Company is a favourite with its legendary scrambled eggs).

Need to quench your thirst after all that feasting? Rest Coffee Gin does speciality coffees by day and customised tipples made with its 80 gins by night. Venturing further? Ozone – Hong Kong’s highest bar, up on the 118th floor of the International Commerce Centre – shakes up expert cocktails alongside dizzying views, while Terrible Baby has a grand outdoor terrace and specialises in sustainable tipples served up in an artsy setting.

Giving new meaning to the phrase ‘the high life’, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong reaches 118 floors above the ICC, with five restaurants (two of them Michelin starred, Tin Lung Heen and Tosca di Angelo). If you are seeking an artistic experience instead, Tung Nam Lou Art Hotel draws on Hong Kong’s colonial past, blending Western and Chinese elements and infusing old-world charm. Eaton HK offers sleek, modern rooms and a Michelin-starred Cantonese eatery, Yat Tung Heen. If the office calls, there’s even a co-working space. To pair your boutique stay with serious luxury, try the W Hong Kong, where you’ll find bright, colourful digs and an indulgent spa.

Hong Kong may be known for its flashy designer malls, but step into the streets for more interesting buys. Spend a few hours at the famous Temple Street Night Market perusing traditional arts and crafts, catching casual buskers performing Cantonese opera, and consulting fortune tellers. Nearby, the Jade Market is the city’s destination for jade, pearls, and gems. For souvenirs with more backstory, try the Other Shop. The collection here spans books, flowers, gifts, and accessories, all with the aim of bringing joy to daily life. If you’re of a literary bent, though, Kubrick is a nifty café stocking an impressive range of books by global talents.

As Hong Kong’s bright new cultural hub, West Kowloon has plenty of exciting experiences to unearth. It starts with the spectacular Hong Kong West Kowloon Station itself, one of the largest underground stations in the world, above which the Sky Corridor and Sightseeing Deck echo the lapping of the waves of Hong Kong Harbour. M+, the city’s hotly anticipated new museum, opened in late 2021 to house a stunning collection of 20th and 21st-century visual culture that encompasses paintings, architecture, video games, moving image and more. If your tastes run to live shows, the Xiqu Centre hosts performances and workshops with a focus on Chinese opera and theatre. Nearby, Freespace is a more intimate setting for international dance, music, and theatre shows. For a taste of local culture, Yau Ma Tei’s Tin Hau Temple is worth a visit. Said to have been built in 1864 to honour the Chinese goddess of the sea, it was once a must-visit for local sailors.