It’s getting late, you’re just leaving the office, you’re looking for a place to unwind, and most of the IFC has shut down. Fortunately, Zentro Bar & Eatery (Shop 2022, IFC, 2899 2221) is at its liveliest later in the evenings. Malaysian head chef Patrick Wong cooks up specialties like his country’s Ha Meen, Penang style (entrée $85, tasting portion $68) and spicy Assam Laksa, Penang style (tasting portion $75, entrée $90), alongside a range of Continental and Asian dishes. Happy hour is from 4-9pm and the bar is open Monday-Saturday 12 noon-1am, Sunday 1-9pm, but there’s no final call so stay until you’re ready to leave.

VIA QUADRONNO’s airy café and restaurant (Shop 1015, IFC, 3188 0111) is known for pasta dishes like the spaghetti ai fruti di mare with mixed seafood in lobster tomato sauce ($178) and homemade beef bolognese and porcini lasagna ($138), as well as such unique dishes as the sandwich made with avocado, shrimps, tofu, and walnut ($68). Go there for good espresso and a signature tiramisu. It’s open Monday-Saturday 8:30am-11pm, Sunday 11:30am-11pm.

Step into Le Gouter Bernardaud (Shop 2028-29, IFC, 2295 3955) and enter a Parisian tea salon. Dishes here are served on the Bernardaud porcelain that is this restaurant’s namesake. Le Gouter Bernardaud boasts 22 kinds of French tea like the popular melange oriental (pot for one $45, pot for two $70), and supremely rich Valrhona hot chocolate ($45), alongside Parisian macaroons and French artisan chocolates. A good selection of tartine sandwiches is made with imported, dense poilane breads ($95-$135). The set lunch is $140-$180 and afternoon tea is served Monday-Friday 2-6pm. Otherwise it is open Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-8pm.

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LIAN viet ∙ thai ∙ bar ∙ bistro (Shop 2004, IFC, 2521 1117) is popular for its classic Vietnamese dishes like raw US beef soup with rice sheet noodles ($85), and other specialties such as braised ox cheek in red coconut curry with potatoes, peanuts, purple basil and French bread ($165). Go to LIAN for its nightly southern hemisphere wine gala, where 12 wines are available for unlimited tasting from 6-8pm and 8-10pm ($188 per person). LIAN is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-3pm lunch, 6-10:30pm dinner; Saturday-Sunday 11:30am-11:30pm.

The lines to get into REI SUSHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT (Shop 1103, IFC, 3188 1900) start early – tables require reservations, but the open sushi bar welcomes walk-in diners. Enjoy the harbour view with set lunches ranging from $158-$298 and an extensive a la carte menu of sushi, sashimi, and other specialties like the grilled oysters with miso paste ($60) and sautéed pork with kimchi sauce ($98). The REI spicy roll ($110) is a unique combination of tuna, crab roe, spring onion, and spicy sauce. Seventy kinds of sake are on hand, with 300ml bottles ranging from $150-$300 and 720ml bottles from $350-$1,800. REI opens daily for lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, dinner 6-10pm.

Union Bar & Grill (Shop 1009, IFC, 2295 1808) serves American food ranging from grilled Norwegian king salmon ($180) to grilled flatbread pizzas ($60-$78) to smoked BBQ USA baby back ribs ($132 half slab, $198 full slab). Candles hang from the ceilings of this darkly wooded interior. Union gets crowded at lunchtime so a reservation is recommended. It is open 11am-11pm Monday-Thursday, 11am-midnight Friday and Saturday, 10am-11pm Sunday.

If you’re looking for a quick, inexpensive meal to break up your day of shopping or hard work at the office (or the hard work of shopping), stop into can.teen (Shop 1081, IFC, 2167 8665) for sit-down dining or take-away (12 noon-2pm). Menu items change daily but BBQ pork, duck, chicken, and cuttlefish are always offered (one meat with rice $27, two meats with rice $30). The roasted goose ($32 with rice) is unique to can.teen, as is the harbour view. Hours are 7:30am-9pm Monday-Saturday, 9am-9pm Sunday.

Harlan’s (Shop 2075, IFC, 2805 0566) serves a menu of international European cuisine in an atmosphere “classy but never formal” and with beautiful harbour views. A wood-stone pizza oven prepares pizzas like the Ringo and Tat made with salami, pepperoni, sausage, capsicum, olives, Spanish onions and cheese ($178). Other popular dishes to look for include the 24-month aged Parma ham, with sweet melon and white truffle honey ($158) and foie gras apple sorbet and port wine fig jus ($178). A hotspot for business lunches, Harlan’s is all the more popular for its tailor-made tasting menus, featuring seasonal dishes, that can be pre-ordered or crafted upon arrival. The doors are open daily 11:30am-10:30pm.

You get a great view of the harbour from every table at Sichuanese bistro Lumiere (Shop 3101-07, IFC, 2393 3933), which serves fusion food and is known for specialties like Sichuan hot and sour soup ($70-$85) and authentic poached chilled oil with fish ($150), Angus beef tenderloin ($230), or Mongolian mutton loin ($180). Sichuan-style dim sum is available, as are vegetarian offerings. The martini menu features specialties like cucumber and pomelo martini ($85) and, during the daily happy hour from 5:30-8:30pm, you can expect complimentary Asian-inspired tapas. Visit any Monday-Sunday for lunch from 12 noon-2:30pm or dinner 6-11pm. The bar is open from 5:30pm-2am. Reservations are required.

Connected to Lumiere is modern Cantonese restaurant Cuisine Cuisine (Shop 3101-07, IFC, 2393 3933), offering the same phenomenal harbour view from a refined space that feels somewhat like a grand ballroom with its sizable floor, gold accents, and classical music playing in the background. Abalone dishes range in price from $100-$3,880, bird’s nest is offered in both sweet and salty varieties ($150-$538), and dishes like the double-boiled superior shark’s fin soup in young coconut ($428) are recommended. It is best to make a reservation a day in advance. Private rooms are available both here and at sister restaurant Lumiere. Cuisine Cuisine is open for lunch Monday-Saturday 12 noon-2:30pm, Sunday 11am-3pm; dinner 6-11pm Monday-Sunday.

Lei Garden (Shop 3008-11, IFC, 2295 0238) has become famous for its menu of traditional Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant boasts that it is one of the most traditional restaurants in Hong Kong, the first Lei Garden outlet opening more than 30 years ago. Traditional dishes like deep-fried Chinese fritters with syrup are hard to come by nowadays, and double-boiled tonic soups and seafoods range in price from $198-$238 for two persons. Lei Garden recommends the double-boiled sea whelk soup ($198 for two) to westerners. The restaurant is also known for desserts like their version of chilled mango sweetener with grapefruit and sago ($24). It is open daily from 11:30am-2:30pm for lunch, 6-10:30pm for dinner.

Tasty Congee & Noodle Wantun Shop (Shop 3016-18, IFC, 2295 0101) has a faithful following for, unsurprisingly, its wantun noodles and congee. A self-proclaimed “expert”, Tasty Congee & Noodle has been preparing these dishes for over 60 years since it first opened in Causeway Bay. The house specialty wantun noodles in soup ($26 small, $34 large) is served alongside an extensive congee menu ranging from $36-$200. Customers love the traditionally prepared assorted meat Guangzhou-style congee ($36). Food critic Chua Lam called Tasty’s stir-fried noodle with beef ($68) the best in the world. Sit-down and take-away dining are available: look for the chopstick wall built of over 100,000 pieces of black and gold chopsticks. Tasty opens daily between 11:30am and 11pm.

Go to ISOLA bar + grill (Shop 3071-75, 4011, IFC, 2383 8765) for the fantastic harbour view and al-fresco dining on the third-floor patio terrace and for the southern Italian cuisine. Organic salads ($78-$198) are made with imported cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and arugula. Pasta is handmade on the premises and stone-baked pizzas prepared with Italian mineral water are light and crispy. Try the popular pizza with Parma ham, diced tomato, mozzarella, arugula, and Parmigiano ($198). Isola restaurant serves lunch 12 noon-2:30pm, afternoon tea 3-5pm, dinner Sunday-Thursday 6:30-11pm, but to 11:30pm on Friday and Saturday. Signature drinks at fourth-floor Isola bar include the IsoBar mojito ($108), made with fresh mint. The bar serves drinks, pizzas, bar snacks and desserts from 3pm-1am weekdays and to 1:30am on weekends.

Can’t decide whether to eat or shop during your lunch hour? Head to Café Costa (Shop 3025-26/3031-66, IFC, 2118 7600) located inside Lane Crawford, and do both. There you’ll find a harbour view and al fresco dining in a casual atmosphere. Set lunch is available from 11am-3pm ($218 for two courses, $238 for three), but Café Costa serves its full a la carte menu all day long. It is especially popular for its international fare and all-day breakfast. Café Costa’s chef recommends the Caesar salad ($88; $148 with smoked salmon or grilled chicken) to which he gives a “California touch” by using lighter olive oil in the dressing. Keep an eye out for brand-new dishes soon to be added to the menu, like penne pasta with pesto, olive, sun-dried tomato, and cubes of smoked salmon ($158), as well as pancakes (about $128) on the all-day breakfast menu. Coffee and tea are served 10-11am, lunch 11am-3pm, afternoon tea 3-6pm Monday-Friday, 3:30-6pm Saturday and Sunday. Dinner may be had from 6pm-late, doors close at 9pm.

Japanese restaurant Inagiku (Level 4, Four Seasons Hotel, 8 Finance St, Central, 2805 0600) likes to think it brings ‘a touch of Zen’ to its dining experience, also complete with harbour view. Executive Chef Shinji Morihara hails from the restaurant’s Tokyo branch, and prepares the tempura for which it is famous with a secret sesame oil blend. Go there for sushi, teppanyaki, sashimi, kaiseki, and the chance to eat at a tempura counter. Summer set lunches are now being offered on weekends, starting at $350 per person, and include an appetizer, sashimi, sushi, a grilled dish, noodles, and dessert. Inagiku is open 11:30am-3pm for lunch, 6-11pm for dinner.

On the fourth floor of the IFC mall, you’ll also find a complex of Harlan G outlets:

H One (Shop 4008, IFC, 2805 0638) is a visually stunning maze of four private dining rooms overlooking Victoria Harbour. A team of chefs prepares international gourmet meals in the open kitchen, concentrating on Thai and Indian cuisine. Specialties include the tandoori chicken in claypot with creamy rice ($198), buttered garlic giant king prawn seasoned with mild Indian spices and grilled in the tandoori oven ($280), and stir-fried imported clams with chilli paste, garlic, and hot Thai basil ($168). Desserts and breads are made fresh and customized daily from 11am-10pm. The set lunch is $268 and is served from 12 noon-2:30pm, while dinner is from 6:30-10:30pm.

G Bar (Shop 4009, IFC, 2234 7739) presents an alternative to the fine dining of H One, but with the same menu – a chic indoor bar and elevated tables create a more casual setting (but with the same great views). Two months ago, G Bar also obtained the permit allowing them to serve guests who prefer to remain outside on the couches of the outdoor patio, a popular option for smokers, who can puff away while eating. Go for drinks like the Mr G, made with Belvedere vodka, Chambord wild raspberry liqueur, and pineapple juice with a hint of orange ($120). Vintage champagne-and-wine and champagne-and-sparkling menus offer glasses ranging from $98 Sacchetto Prosecco Brut to $368 Krug Grande Cuvee. G Bar has a resident DJ and visiting DJ every week; expect hip-hop and house music Thursdays and Fridays. The restaurant serves lunch here from 12 noon-3pm, the bar is open from 4pm-1:30am and dinner is served from 6:30-10:30pm, alongside bar snacks.

The Box (Shop 4010, IFC, 2234 7738) is Harlan G’s event space, and offers an international buffet lunch from 12noon-2:30pm when it’s not rented out for private functions. The buffet runs at $198 a person Monday-Friday, and features Italian pastas, Thai seafood, Indian curries, and prime meats. On Saturdays and Sundays, $268 gains you access to the additional oyster bar. Call ahead before going to The Box for lunch, to make sure the buffet isn’t pre-emptied by a private party. If you’re interested in booking The Box for your own celebration, plan on reserving it at least a week in advance. Dinners generally require a $45,000 minimum, lunches a $15,000-$20,000 minimum for a minimum of 25 persons, a maximum of 800. The Box affords access to the same harbour views and outdoor seating as G Bar.