How…? / What…like? - for experiences
 
Sometimes there is not very much difference in use between these two question forms when we are asking about people's experiences:
 
How was your exam? ~ Fine. I think I did OK.
What was your exam like? ~ Fine. I think I did OK.

 
What was your holiday like? ~ Not wonderful. The hotel was awful.
How was the weather? ~ Pretty grim. It rained every day.
 
We can also incorporate an -ing clause into What's it like? when enquiring about experiences:
 
What's it like, living in Girona? ~ It's all right. Girona's quite a lively city
What's living in Griona like? ~ Brilliant. Girona's got a lot to offer.
 
A similar construction is possible with How…?:
 
How was it, working for Richard Branson? ~ Excellent. He's a very generous employer.
 
When enquiring about food that has been prepared or eaten, we tend to use How…?, although both forms are possible:
 
How were the cakes you made for the children's party? ~ I don't know, but they were all eaten.
How was your steak? ~ Delicious. Very juicy and beautifully tender.
 
Note that a waiter can only use the How…? form when asking about your order:
 
How would you like your steak? Rare, medium or well done?
 
How…? / What…like? - for appearance
 
Here the How…? form is sometimes associated more with positive features and the What...like? form more with neutral or negative features:
 
How do I look? ~ Fantastic! That outfit really suits you.
What does she look like? ~ As if she hasn't bought any new clothes in the last twenty years.
 
I took Andrew with me to the sports club because I wanted to show him what the tennis courts were like.
 
How…? / What…like? - for health and character
 
Here there is a much clearer distinction in use. How…? refers to a person's health or mood and What…like? to a person's character:
 
How's Bob today? ~ Very tired, I would say. He was out all night at Tricia's party.
What's Bob like? ~ Very sociable. He's the life and soul of any party.
What's his wife like? ~ She's serious and shy. I've never seen her smile.
 
We also have the expression What are you like! which we can use if we think someone's behaviour is surprising or silly:
 
I was up at 4.30 this morning to listen to the dawn chorus. ~ What are you like!
 

Hallo bbc, ich bin jetzt erst nach Hause gekommen - und möchte mich doch viiiielmals für die vielen Beispiele bedanken!

...und "What are you like" in bbc's letztem Beispiel heißt auf deutsch: "(Sag, mal,)wie bist denn DU drauf?" oder "Was ist denn mit DIR los?" - das könnte ja vielleicht einen Engländer interessieren..