Fine dining or casual, French restaurants in Hong Kong are alive and well, as recent openings Auor and Terroirs by LQV show

There is no shortage of this calibre of restaurant in Hong Kong. Caprice and L’Atelier du Joël Robuchon are two of the most well-known French fine-dining institutions in town, each with the coveted three Michelin stars. Go down a notch to two stars, and you have esteemed restaurants such as Écriture, Arbor and L’Envol.

The recent opening of Tuber by Italian fine-dining powerhouse Octavo Group, as well as JIA Group’s Estro (serving Neapolitan cuisine) earning a Michelin nod in its first year, might make it seem as if the city’s fervour for French fine dining has died down in recent years. This perceived decline began after neo-Parisian restaurant Belon moved locations in 2020 and lost its previous head chef, Daniel Calvert.

The Covid-19 pandemic played a role in that but, as Belon’s executive chef Matthew Kirkley says: “While the past few years have been challenging because of circumstances out of our control, we had outgrown our original home and the space we have now has allowed us to elevate and push our work even farther.”

Belon’s appeal, however, did not fade for Hongkongers even as it went ahead with its relocation during the first year of the pandemic – a turbulent period for the food and beverage industry. In fact, the restaurant has managed to retain its Michelin star despite a change in chefs – something not always guaranteed.