Simon L.
Yelp
The Peak Lookout is a "must do" restaurant in HK. Not because it is the best of the best, but because it is right up in The Peak, and has this great heritage and an effortless kitschy cool that visitors and locals alike should experience.
First, to the food. The menu is huge, massive. It's the size of the Sunday Times, just with smaller print! The flavours go right around the world, with western (European and American), SE Asian, curries, Chinese. They even have an oyster bar with the seafood flown in from goodness knows where. This does make it ideal for a group, as there is sure to be something for everyone, but if you are a slow coach like me, it'll take you ages to decide. The food is well prepared, especially the grill items and the curries. These two are particularly good.
The wine list is extensive, as are the other drinks options, but I think they keep fairly small stocks. During one Saturday session with a couple of friends, we drank their entire stock of rose, which did take them about 2 months to replace - we were thirsty!
The service is sort of old school, and a bit formal (but not in a good way). It's also bit difficult to get service on the terrace at night, as it is really dark and the wait staff just don't see you. It's actually better of an afternoon anyway, as you may catch a bit of a view, and sitting outside on a cool day is so nice.
The location is great. Right next to the Galleria and Peak Lookout, but across the road, so that you don't get that busy bustle of these tourist hot spots, but are close enough to jump in a cab or bus home.
I could imagine that in the past it was the envy of the surroundings, and this can be seen in the many historic photos of the site dotted around the restaurant. However, since the Peak's shopping "monstrosities" have grown up, the views on one side are now non existent. The view from the opposite side terrace look south, but it is starting to get a bit overgrown, so many of the tables are losing this view.
Top tip, if you are on the terrace, sit closer to the entrance and not the toilets. The toilets are far away, so this is not the issue, it is the clear area in between the toilets and the last few terrace tables. Diners inside tend to come out to this clear area to smoke, which means they are smoking right next to those end tables.