EATING
Budget
Pork chop bun, the Chinese hotpot, ta pin nou, dim sum (including the well-loved steamed buns stuffed with pork, char siu pau), galinha Portuguesa and bacalhao (oven-cooked chicken and salt cod respectively). There’s good food-hunting to be had along the Rua do Almirante and roads off it, as well as Rua do Cunho, in Taipa village (queue at Dom Galo for Macanese food in a colourful setting).
In Coloane, try the Portuguese Sunday buffet at Pousada de Coloane above Cheoc Van beach, and pasteis de nata from Lord Stow’s Bakery. The Venetian food court offers a gastronomic journey from Morton’s of Chicago to Maxim’s de Paris, via India, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Argentina, while the Food Colosseum at City of Dreams is the place for ramen, sushi and tempura.
Splashing out
Head for the hotels. The Altira alone has four top options: Ying is a super-stylish take on Cantonese food - and dining décor, with its carved glass panels and shimmering gold cord screens. Kira with its tepanyaki tables and sake cellar is the more contemporary of two Japanese restaurants, the second being the only branch outside Tokyo of the legendary Tenmasa, traditional, with tatami rooms, rippling water, birdsong, kimono-clad staff, private chefs and ingredients – water and eggs included – imported from Japan. There’s fine Italian at Aurora along with Hermès cutlery and possibly the largest wine collection in Macau.
La Paloma at Pousada de Sao Tiago serves Spanish food in a romantic setting. Try a tasting menu (lobster paella, peppers stuffed with bacalhau, pork with plums and apricots, buñuelos of warm chocolate and cava).
Horizons at the Crown Tower (in City of Dreams) sets out to redefine the steakhouse experience. Views across Taipa, and very cool, sophisticated décor in a spacious setting have that covered. And the food’s good too. Michelin-star awarded Chef Tam oversees the two Chinese restaurants here. Lung Hin, they say, ‘offers the ultimate in oriental culinary indulgence for the discerning connoisseur’. Signature dishes include stir-fried superior shark’s fin, king crab bouillon and golden imperial bird’s nest with matsutake mushrooms in ham broth. Treasure Palace is renowned for exquisitely prepared dim sum and seafood. Try the crispy goose taro, bean curd shrimp roll, lily flowers and drunken baby pigeon.
HOTELS
Altira Macau
The Chinese name for this hotel is Xin Hao Feng, meaning cutting edge, and it’s spot on. There is nothing flash or ostentatious about its design. Instead, as a harmonious whole it’s simply gorgeous throughout. The 38th floor lobby sets the scene: the staff work against floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of calm water, slim bridges and the casinos of Macau. It’s a view shared by the infinity pool in the award-winning spa a few floors below, and the spacious rooms. As well as four exceptional restaurants (with private rooms catering to the VIP high rollers drifting up from the discreet gaming suites between the first and fifth floors) Altira has what is perhaps the best bar in Macau. Avenida de Kwong Tung Taipa +853 2886 8888, altiramacau.com
Pousada de Sao Tiago Relais & Châteaux
Unusual for being small and historic, this boutique hotel is an absolute gem. Accessed by stone steps through a cool, stone tunnel, it climbs steeply up via a series of terraces (one with a small shaded pool, another with tables and umbrellas) on the site of the 17th century Fortaleza da Barra, sections of which still remain. Azulejos tiles, personal service and Portuguese wines add to the laid-back, European ambiance.
The rooms are contemporary: tastefully extravagant with leather floors, silk-lined walls and private steam rooms in bathrooms tiled in burnished shells. Private balconies are the place for watching boats shifting stuff over breakfast, while the Cascata Bar with its etched mirrors and crystal shades makes a dazzling spot for a sundowner. A flick through the breakfast menu – macaroni in soup with oxtail for the Macanese, satay chicken for Hong Kong visitors, and toast for Westerners – gives an indication of the lengths to which a hotel in Macau needs to go to accommodate the gastronomic needs of its regulars. When it comes to dinner – this despite Macau’s Portuguese heritage – the specialty is Spanish. Praia Grande Bay (close to the A-Ma Temple), +853 2837 8111, relaischateaux.com/saotiago
Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16
Sofitel mixes and matches cool, French sophistication with outre opulence in true Macau style. The sleek rooms, particularly the Club suites, which share an exclusive lounge high above the bustle, are calm oases, and the outdoor pools are the place to spend summer in the city.
The gigantic crystal ball suspended over the entrance, the massive marble lobby and Le Rendezvous, the glittering Art Deco bar, are a hint of the glamour and decadence to be found in The Mansion at Sofitel. This semi-detached block caters principally to high-rollers, honeymooners and the filthy rich, with rooms to suit all tastes from Eternal Glamour with its white carpets, mirrors and ice bucket beside a huge Jacuzzi and Black Galaxy (black marble, 60in TV in the private karaoke room) to similarly huge but fresh and modern duplexes with stripped floors and Philippe Starck chairs. The VIP casino and rooftop restaurant (open to all) were due to open at the end of last year. Situated on the waterfront of the inner harbour, Sofitel overlooks the warren of streets in the historic heart of Macau. Rua do Visconde Paco de Arcos, +853 8861 0016, sofitel.com
The Westin Resort Macau
And now for something different! Designed to serve the interests of those looking for a very different Macau experience (children, for example), the Westin offers traditional holiday fun for all the family. Terraced up a mountainside on the southeastern tip of Coloane, it looks out over its pool area to Hac Sa beach at the front and at the back, if you take the lift to the eighth floor, opens onto an 18-hole golf course. There are jogging trails through the hills, tennis courts and a driving range, too.
Despite all that, it’s a nice, airy, restful place where it’s possible to linger over a buffet breakfast on the cafe terrace before stretching out on your private terrace lounger with the papers. Once recharged, Taipa and Macau’s historic centre are just five and 20 minutes away respectively. The hotel runs regular shuttles and the concierges are superb. Hac Sa Beach, Coloane, +853 2887 1111, westin.com/macau
For information and reservetions on Hard Rock Hotel, Crown Towers and Grand Hyatt Macau, see cityofdreamsmacau.com
GETTING TO MACAU
The easiest option is the Turbojet from Hong Kong International airport, which sails every 15 minutes, 7am-midnight daily, and takes about 45 minutes. Tickets: £10-£21 (Super Class). Before clearing immigration at Hong Kong International Airport go to the Ferry Transfer Desk located on the Arrivals level. Passengers should arrive 60 minutes before ferry departure to have documents checked and purchase ferry tickets. Hong Kong +852 2859 3333, Macau +853 8790 7039, turbojet.com.hk
WAY TO GO
British Airways flies to Hong Kong from London Heathrow. Join the Executive Club and earn up to 14,948 BA Miles when you fly First to Hong Kong. Visit ba.com where you can also find great-value holidays and Avis car hire.
Read more about what to do in Macau
