Thanks to an impressive makeover, Hong Kong's Central district — the glam heart of the city, located between Connaught and Queen's Roads — is once again attracting attention. Interconnecting walkways link its four luxury malls (the Landmark, Alexandra House, Prince's Building and Chater House) with the recently launched Four Seasons and Landmark Mandarin Oriental hotels, so power shoppers won't scuff their Jimmy Choos. (For those who prefer to arrive by car, a new valet service is available on Queen's Road.)
High on the list of must-stop shops for shoe fanciers is the new Roger Vivier boutique (Landmark, 15 Queen's Rd.; 011-852-2810-8690), the first outside France. The Belle Vivier silver-buckle pumps, which the late French designer created for Catherine Deneuve to wear in the film Belle de Jour, remain the top pick. Vivier's countryman Bruno Frisoni now gives the classic shoes a modern twist. Grab them fast; the shop sells out quickly.
Also not to be overlooked is Harvey Nichols (Landmark; 011-852-3695-3388), the U.K. department store's first Asian branch. Gentlemen should keep an eye out for Kilgour's traditional Savile Row tailoring. For the ladies there's the contemporary styling of Giambattista Valli and Barbara Tfank.
Turn the corner for Kou (Fung House, 19-20 Connaught Rd.; 011-852-2530-2234), a lifestyle boutique created by Louise Kou, who was the managing director of Escada Asia before she established her own company. Peruse the Asian-style silk loungewear in the plush penthouse showroom, whose furnishings — including silver bowls, beveled-mirror console tables and Chinese dinnerware — are also for sale.
When it's time for a break, step into the Landmark Mandarin Oriental (15 Queen's Rd.; 011-852-2132-0188; mandarinoriental.com). You needn't be staying in one of its 113 guest rooms (at 540 square feet on average, among the largest in space-starved Hong Kong) to book a treatment at the state-of-the-art Oriental Spa (011-852-2132-0011) or have cocktails in Adam Tihany's gorgeous two-level MO Bar.
Ever a gourmet's city, Hong Kong is known for outstanding hotel restaurants. The Four Seasons, whose rooms offer stunning views of the city's skyline, Victoria Harbour, Kowloon and the Peak, honors the tradition with its elegant French resto, called Caprice (8 Finance St.; 011-852-3196-8860). The kitchen is overseen by chef Vincent Thierry, straight from his post as sous-chef at three-Michelin-starred Le Cinq, at Paris's venerable Four Seasons George V.
Over in Kowloon, another hotel chef is creating culinary magic, at Gaddi's (Salisbury Rd.; 011-852-2315-3171), the Peninsula Hong Kong's gourmet French restaurant. David Goodridge, who most recently worked at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, has a superb understanding of fresh produce. Down the street, the InterContinental Hong Kong's new Steak House wine bar and grill (18 Salisbury Rd.; 011-852-2721-1211) offers top-grade aged Australian wagyu as well as grain-fed beef from Argentina, Australia and Canada.
The sexiest hotel dining room? Opia (1-5 Irving St.; 011-852-3196-9100), in the Philippe Starck-designed Jia boutique hotel in Causeway Bay, wins hands down.
If excellent hotel restaurants are a Hong Kong staple, supping at speakeasies is the city's latest trend. Reservations are essential at these private establishments, which often seat only a handful of parties. Devotees wait as long as two months for a table at Xi Yan (Hang Wai Commercial Bldg., 231-233 Queen's Rd. East; 011-852-9020-9196), where chef Jackie Yu serves a prix-fixe menu consisting of more than twelve courses of refined Chinese dishes infused with other Asian flavors. After you've spent all day exploring the city, it's wonderful to linger over an intimate meal.
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