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The Ultimate Guide to Hong Kong for Art and Design Lovers

Discover the inspiring galleries, museums, restaurants, and hotels worth booking ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong 2026

By Dan Howarth
Busy Hong Kong street with tall buildings and a large billboard displaying "Art is vision" with a person silhouette.
Hong Kong Art Basel 2025. Photo: Courtesy of Art Basel

Hong Kong has long served as East Asia’s arts hub, facilitating cultural exchanges between Mainland China and the rest of the world for centuries. This week, the Art Basel Hong Kong fair returns to the city’s Convention Center, March 27—29, anchoring a week’s worth of events and programs that will draw art aficionados and enthusiasts from across the region and beyond. Since the Swiss-based contemporary art fair first arrived in Hong Kong in 2013, a critical mass of concurrent satellite fairs such as Art Central and the Edible Art Fair, gallery exhibitions, and parties has evolved into a full annual Art Week roster.

Beyond the Convention Center in Hong Kong Island’s Wan Chai, Central is the neighborhood where the majority of the Art Week action takes place, while across Victoria Harbour, the waterfront Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon is also home to several participating institutions and venues. Whether you’re in town for the festivities or simply visiting to take in Hong Kong’s thriving art, design, and cultural scenes, this guide is here to help you navigate. 

People walking towards a modern, architecturally striking building with a large overhang and suspended lamps.
Entrance to M+ Museum building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Photo: Courtesy of M+ Museum and Herzog & de Meuron

Museums

In the new West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), the M+ Museum has a staggering collection of modern and contemporary works from local artists and the Asian diaspora, displayed across 33 galleries in a state-of-the-art building by Herzog & de Meuron.

A modern Hong Kong waterfront building with a unique architectural design, set against a city skyline and mountains in the background.
Hong Kong Palace Museum Exterior. Photo: Courtesy of Hong Kong Palace Museum

Close by, the Hong Kong Palace Museum showcases heritage artifacts, including an array of priceless ceramics and antique silks from local collector Chris Hall. Along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the Hong Kong Museum of Art promotes local talent and the city’s cultural legacy via 19,700 items, while across the harbor, the Tai Kwun center hosts live performances, contemporary exhibitions, and family-friendly programs.

Art at Sotheby's Maison, Hong Kong in a modern interior with illuminated wooden staircase and sculptures in dimly lit exhibition space.
Sotheby’s Maison, Hong Kong. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Auction Houses

Before Art Basel arrived in Hong Kong, many residents connected to the global art market through the city’s auction houses. These include the Asian flagships of several international companies—many of which have recently moved into brand new spaces. Sotheby’s Maison now occupies a busy section of the Landmark Chater center, designed with sculptural wood-lined passages by MVRDV; Phillips relocated to a new building next to M+; Christie’s just opened in the Zaha Hadid-designed tower, The Henderson in Central. 

Modern art gallery interior with wooden floors, curved white walls, and various colorful paintings displayed on the walls.
Phillips Asia Headquarters. Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
Art gallery interior with colorful abstract paintings on white walls and wooden flooring.
Installation view of Spencer Sweeney’s recent solo show, “Paint,” at Gagosian Hong Kong. Photo: Ringo Cheung, Courtesy of Gagosian
Contemporary art exhibition with abstract paintings and sculptures in a spacious, well-lit gallery room.
Installation view of “UNBUILT,” with paintings and drawings by Minoru Nomata, a past show at White Cube Hong Kong. Photo: Courtesy of White Cube Hong Kong

Galleries

Global names such as Gagosian, David Zwirner, White Cube, and Hauser & Wirth all have a prominent presence in the city, while Alisan Fine Arts is Hong Kong’s longest-standing contemporary gallery. Many more local galleries can be found in former industrial neighborhoods like Wong Chuk Hang, on the island’s south side, and Sham Shui Po in northern Kowloon. Spaces including Blindspot, Tang Contemporary Art, and Floating Projects are all worth the trip out.

Grand hotel facade at dusk with central fountain, warm lighting accentuating architectural details against a purple sky.
The Peninsula Hong Kong. Photo: Courtesy of the Peninsula Hong Kong
Luxurious hotel lobby with elegant decor, high ceilings, potted plants, and plush seating arrangements.
The lobby at the Peninsula Hong Kong. Photo: Courtesy of Peninsula Hong Kong
Modern living room with a telescope by a window overlooking a cityscape, featuring cozy chairs and a small table with flowers.
Harbour View Suite at the Peninsula Hong Kong. Photo: Courtesy of Peninsula Hong Kong

Hotels

Hong Kong’s Upper House in Admiralty is a favorite among the art crowd and is hosting several private events during Art Week. In Tsim Sha Tsui, the Rosewood Hong Kong—which topped the World’s 50 Best Hotels list in 2025—features elegantly minimal interiors by Tony Chi and hosts the official Art Basel opening party. Nearby, the Peninsula Hong Kong exudes old-money elegance, and The Langham epitomizes sophisticated glamour, while a younger crowd gravitates towards the brand-new Kimpton Tsim Sha Tsui. Here, the suites boast marble soaking tubs overlooking the harbor, and the rooftop Swim Club is the perfect spot for sunset cocktails.

Elegant restaurant interior with red and gold decor, intricate wall patterns, and tables set with white linens and glassware.
Ho Lee Fook interiors. Photo: Courtesy of Ho Lee Fook
An assortment of Chinese dishes on a table featuring sliced duck, pancakes, condiments, and a bamboo steamer basket.
Dinner service at Ho Lee Fook. Photo: Courtesy of Ho Lee Fook

Restaurants

Hong Kong has an incredible dining scene that spans traditional Cantonese to modern Asian and global cuisine, and countless eateries have interiors that are just as flavorful as their food. In Sheung Wan, the modern izakaya spot Yardbird is celebrated for its yakitori, and its new neighbor, Always Joy, similarly serves seasonal Japanese fare in an upscale-diner setting designed by Willo Perron. For authentic Cantonese, Agate at M+ prepares traditional-style dishes with waterfront views, while a more contemporary take on dim sum can be found at Madame Fù Grand Café Chinois, housed within the 1880s colonial police headquarters in Central. Peng Leng Jeng is wok hei master ArChan Chan’s tribute to Hong Kong’s fading dining tradition, where guests gather around tiny tables and chow down under flickering neons. A couple of blocks away, Ho Lee Fook offers Asian-fusion dishes in a high-impact, maximalist space.

Dimly lit, cozy restaurant interior with wooden tables, cushioned seating, and soft wall lighting for an intimate atmosphere.
The Savory Project Interiors. Photo: Courtesy of The Savory Project
Martini glass with ice being filled with liquid from a bottle against a warm, glowing background.
A martini at The Savory Project. Photo: Courtesy of The Savory Project

Bars

The city’s bar scene is equally lively, with a cluster of top watering hotels along Central’s Peel and Staunton Streets. Italian-influenced Bar Leone was ranked number one on the World’s 50 Best list last year (get the olive oil sour), while Kinsman and Sugar King both serve up exceptional craft cocktails in fun, casual spaces.

Innovative tipples abound at The Savory Project, where unorthodox ingredients that emphasize savory and umami notes are celebrated—take Biriyani and Thai Beef Salad as examples. At The Diplomat, vintage liquors and spirits are mixed into cocktails named after notable state leaders and ambassadors. Whisky fans will appreciate 001, where the dark walnut and green marble interiors set the perfect mood for a nightcap.