City Hall Maxim's Palace

Countless Sunday mornings have I flung myself in a cab and asked for CITY HALL! QUICK! in fractured Cantonese - everyone, even us poor expats, understands that a mere difference in seconds can only too easily multiply into additional agonizing minutes in the inevitable queue that forms, almost as the hallowed doors of Maxim's Palace are opened each day. No reservations are taken but savvy locals capitalise on the flimsiest of excuses to ply the restaurant captains with festive gifts of mooncakes during the Lantern Festival and laisee packets in the Lunar New Year, all in hope of currying sufficient favour to be earn the privilege of one day being discreetly ushered past the hordes of hungry hoi polloi. 

I always try to bring out-of-towners here, and not once have I had a bad review. Aside from filling up on the amazing repertoire of delicate Cantonese dishes, there's a certain joy in watching cart after cart making the rounds and winding their way tantalisingly toward you. Each one, heaped to the brim with mouth-watering bite-sized pieces of heaven, is manned by an elderly Chinese lady who will cheerfully display the contents of each bamboo steamer. They even speak a little English! Add to this mix enormous crystal chandeliers, floor-to-ceiling views of Victoria Harbour, plus the sheer satisfaction of simply having made it through the doors, and you'll come to the same conclusion as you waddle ever-so-slightly back into the bright sunshine, sporting a new, and rather prosperous belly - this is surely one of the best ways to start a day in Hong Kong.

Super large bustling room overlooking the harbour. Lots of tourists but lots of locals too. Sometimes there's a queue but it  moves pretty fast. And a range of tasty food from the normal fare to more exotic stuff.

A final tip - if you have a layover in HK airport you can easily take the train into town, lunch here and get back to the airport as it's near the station.