Get a taste for the outdoors at Harbour City’s open-air restaurants
Harbour City Focus
Al Molo in Harbour City
There’s just something about alfresco dining that screams summer – even more so when your backdrop is one of the most stunning cityscapes in the world. After all, who can resist relaxed open-air brunches accompanied by clear blue skies or early suppers and cheeky cocktails that take advantage of the lingering sunsets during golden hour, just before the darkness draws in?
However sweltering summer gets, you can be guaranteed of one thing – the Hong Kong skyline is always a stunner… and Tsim Sha Tsui’s harbour-side views are definitely some of the best in town.
Luckily for fans of the open-air, alfresco dining options abound at Harbour City, including the newly opened Jamie’s Italian – the second Hong Kong outpost from British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. Featuring a spacious private terrace fitted out with comfortable sofas, potted plants, pontoon lights and umbrellas for shade, this is the perfect spot for diners to kick back and enjoy Oliver’s trademark casual Italian fare.
The second branch of Jamie's Italian in Hong Kong
Alongside Jamie’s favourites such as his famous prawn linguine or “Italian nachos” of deep-fried cheese ravioli, the Tsim Sha Tsui location is exclusively dishing up freshly-made pizzas straight from the restaurant’s open pizza oven; with flavours including the Hong Kong Hot (featuring fennel salami, spicy meatballs, jalapeño chillies and buffalo mozzarella) and the Fresh Seafood, which comes loaded with mussels, squid, prawns and clams, this is exactly the kind of food that relaxed alfresco dining was made for.
Downstairs meanwhile, Al Molo – the New York-style Italian restaurant opened in collaboration with famed American chef Michael White – is located directly on the waterfront, with a cosy terrace that allows for dazzling views of Victoria Harbour. Here, diners can enjoy a breezy weekend brunch featuring unlimited antipasti and dessert buffet bars, delicious homemade pasta, pizza, meat or fish dishes for your main course (including the likes of tagliatelle bolognese, seafood risotto and NY strip steak served with a soft poached egg), and free-flow wine to top it all off. Alternatively, opt for an evening meal to bag some of the best ringside seats in the city for the nightly Symphony Of Lights spectacular that plays across the glittering skyline.
Being in the mood for Asian cuisine doesn’t mean you have to miss out on alfresco dining either. Located on the fourth floor of Harbour City, the Tsim Sha Tsui branch of Maxim’s ever-popular Chinese restaurant House of Jasmine boasts a wonderful outdoor terrace with magnificent harbour-side views. Serving authentic Chinese cuisine made from carefully chosen seasonal ingredients and cooked using cholesterol-free rice oil and strictly no MSG, signature dishes at House Of Jasmine include Boston lobster prepared two ways (a pan-fried claw stuffed with shrimp and a baked lobster tail), marinated pigeon in hua diao rice liquor, grilled whole sea cucumber and crispy barbequed suckling pig. Its relaxed but refined atmosphere plus quintessential Chinese dishes make this a great choice for both family banquets and casual catch-ups –all the more so in the open-air lapping up the refreshing sea breeze. The great outdoors never tasted so good.
Jamie’s Italian, Shop 412, Level 4, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 3958 3333
Al Molo, Shop OT G63, Ground Level , Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2730 7900
House of Jasmine, Shop 401, Level 4, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui; +852 2992 0232