If you’re in the mood for Japanese food, head on over to Arigato’s (G/F, Shop A, 77 Wyndham Street, 2526 5551), a refined and warmly lit restaurant
with smooth wood panelling and an impressive red and black glass bar along the front window. Select from more than 50 wines and 30 types of sake to accompany dishes ranging from the seafood salad of tuna, salmon and shrimp ($110) to a Wagyu beef entrée cooked with teriyaki sauce ($295).

Head to The Priory (75 Wyndham Street, 2522 2628) for some snazzy snacks and cocktails starting at 4pm and closing at 2am on weeknights and later on weekends. Despite the name, this is no retreat centre, but an evening hotspot to relax, enjoy a few drinks and listen/dance to some cool tunes.

La Mer Brasserie (1/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, 2523 0200) is a
stunning seafood restaurant and grill offering a contemporary spin on the
traditional French brasserie. The seafood bar’s offerings range from shellfish to sashimi and here you can also find unique drinks like the Sea Anemone made of melon liqueurs to be enjoyed in the art deco and mosaic surroundings.

Recently opened to the general public after originally only serving hotel guests, Azure (29/F, Hotel LKF 33 Wyndham Street, 3518 9330, www.azure.hk) boasts views any restaurant would die for. With vast windows overlooking the harbour and an open-air terrace that puts you right in the centre of the Hong Kong skyline, this penthouse restaurant offers an elegantly relaxed experience for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Two private rooms, a pool table and a resident DJ on Friday and Saturday from 10pm-2am add a down-to-earth intimacy to this ‘lofty’ place. The restaurant recently launched its new summer menu.

Try FINDS (2/F LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, 2522 9318, www.finds.com.hk) bar and disco for some summer Scandinavian and Asian cuisine, and check out the new casual menu with an array of scapas, or Scandinavian tapas, you won’t find anywhere else. Bringing a piece of Scandinavia to Hong Kong, FINDS is a great place for a relaxing dinner, some exciting nightlife, or any excuse to spend some time on the outdoor terrace. It features not only bar and wine menus, but also a cigar menu.

Yun Fu (Basement, 43-55 Wyndham Street, 2116 8855, www.aqua.com.hk) is a restaurant unlike any other along Wyndham Street; specializing in the food of Chinese ethnic minorities, specifically Tibetan cuisine. Yun Fu is an underground and serpentine, dungeon-like space blending starkly modern décor with touches of ancient China. It also boasts a circular bar in a circular room, a main dining room, and two private dining rooms. Signature dishes include the roasted whole duck marinated in Chinese tea leaves and herbs ($438), and wok-fried fish fillet with golden salty egg yolk ($288).

For western-style seafood and wine in a restaurant that feels like a cross between a casual sidewalk café and an artsy, sparsely-decorated dining room, check out Frog Face Fish. (43-55 Wyndham Street, 2869 8535, www.frogfacefish.com). This restaurant is known for quality seafood that’s “always fresh and never frozen.” A voucher for a 2-for-1 dinner offer redeemable on Tuesday nights at Frog Face Fish or partner restaurant Zest can be printed off their website.

Tivo (43-45 Wyndham Street, 2116 8055, www.aqua.com.hk) advertises itself as a “dining bar” and might be best described as a classy/funky hangout spot bursting with music and people noise. With a DJ starting at 10:30pm Wednesday-Saturday and a menu featuring pizzas like the Margherita and Volcano popular for their traditional Italian style. On July 1, Tivo will open at 6pm for a Handover Celebration party, and from July 8 will be open for brunch and dinner, with a new brunch menu.

Head to the Pickled Pelican (G/F, 43 Wyndham Street, 2868 6026, www.igors.com) for a beer or some Scotch whisky to go with a meal of
traditional English pub food. Relaxing in this English-style pub among the leather couches, wood paneling and brass accents, you’ll appreciate a lively ambiance still just quiet enough to make it easy to hear the person sitting across from you.

Zest’s (57 Wyndham Street, 2526 7993, www.zest.hk) light décor gives this small restaurant an atmosphere that’s intimate yet airy; walls raked to look something like windblown sand make this small space feel bigger than it is. Currently Zest is promoting a limited-time summer menu of fine Australian
cuisine with main dishes ranging from $165 to $245. Go for lunch 11:30am-3pm or dinner 6pm-11pm, and check out the relaxed ground floor bar while you’re there.

Even Gunga Din’s (LG/F 57-59 Wyndham Street, 2523 1276, www.gungadins.com) atmosphere feels spiced. This cozy basement spot for fine Indian cuisine offers lunch Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm and dinner seven days a week 6pm-11pm. Boasting specialties like lamb or chicken tikka flavoured with brandy, Gunga Din’s tenders a flavourful dining experience without the bustle some of the others along Wyndham Street seem to thrive on.

Bloomer’s (1/F, 63 Wyndham Street, 2530 0968, www.bloomers.com.hk) general manager and musician Freddy T. wants you to think of his lounge bar as a “fun house” – like something out of the movies. Recently opened, Bloomer’s looks like a chic New York jazz club with images of such greats as Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong lining the walls. With a happy hour Monday to Friday from 4pm-9pm, a live band that plays nightly from 9pm-2am, a full bar and a selection of catered food from every nearby restaurant you can think of, this is the place to head for after a long day at work. Go for international musicians on Sunday nights. $100 cover.

Hakka Yé Yé (2/F Parekh House, 63 Wyndham Street, 2537 7060, www.yeyegroup.com) is a brand new addition to the gang of Wyndham Street restaurants. A place for traditional Hakka cuisine, its signature dishes include Yé Yé duck served in clay pots and crispy pork nuggets. The Yé Yé glutinous rice wine (served hot) is becoming increasingly popular; a must-try for any
traditional-with-edge enthusiast. Hakka Yé Yé also takes pride in its interior furnishings – a modern and simple, yet traditional Hakka setting with pictures of houses and people from a Hakka village in Hing Ling, Guangdong, adorning the restaurant walls.

The bottles of Bacardi 151 that line bar 65 (G/F 65 Wyndham Street, 2804 6333) announce this evening hotspot as the best seller of the drink in all of Hong Kong. With black leather walls, a few white tables, and a mix of ice-blue and neon-red lighting, 65 serves lunch in the pm, but only snacks at night. Look for staple dishes like the Singaporean laksa ($68). It closes around 1am weekdays, 3am on weekends.

Goccia Ristorante and Bar’s (73 Wyndham Street, 2167 8181) upstairs
dining room is classy casual with a large outdoor terrace that can be reserved for functions ranging from birthdays to wedding receptions. Goccia boasts an outdoor pizza oven and offers whole-wheat pizzas (something a lot of
restaurants don’t make), and is known for its fresh seafood. The executive and sous chefs come from Italy. Popular for its extensive wine list featuring wines from around the world, Goccia is most famous for its range of Italian wines - sold by both the bottle and glass; a glass of wine here ranges in price from $68-$165. The bar downstairs is billed as primarily a place for wine and
champagne, though it serves everything. A DJ provides music on Wednesday-Saturday nights.

Divino (73 Wyndham Street, 2167 8883) next-door to and in partnership with Goccia offers casual dining with its famous wine selection. A small terrace at the back of this wine bar and restaurant is fringed by greenery and is somewhat quieter than the rest of the establishment. Divino is coloured a red that’s enhanced by the tasteful and impressive displays of wine bottles in the bar area and around the restaurant. Go for the unique ‘DiVino Aperitif Moment’ between 6pm and 7:30pm every day, the restaurant providing a selection of small complimentary dishes. Then at around 7:30pm, the chef serves a
complimentary ‘daily surprise’ to whoever is present.

Wagyu bar and restaurant (No 3, G/F, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, 2525 8805) is known for its quality steak but also for its menu variety. A relaxed dining environment open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Wagyu
serves customers from 8am-midnight, and longer on weekends. More than a spot for a good beef dinner, this is also a popular brunch destination and it’s easy to imagine a relaxing morning here with coffee and a paper, people-watching as passers-by stroll down Wyndham Street. Wagyu’s bar enhances this restaurant’s air of comfortable sophistication

Prive (The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, 2810 8199, www.prive.hk) is a “members-only” club that tries to feel warm and inviting… once you get past the gang of not-so-warm-and-inviting guards that mill about by the entrance. Once you’re inside, though, you can relax at one of the tables in the alcoves recessed along the side when you’re not on the dance floor or at the bar,
mingling with Hong Kong’s in-crowd.