La Paloma isn't the easiest place to book because it's so popular. And it's not the easiest place to find: although the official address is on Queen's Road West, the entrance is on Wilmer Street. Things were quiet when we arrived on a rainy weeknight, but the space filled quickly.

From the list of specials, we ordered the chorizo con jerez Tio Pepe (HK$75), which disappointed because we couldn't taste any sherry. But the meal improved immensely after that.

Kingfish tiradito with avocado and green chilli sauce (HK$72) was tart and refreshing. Stuffed baby squid with lobster sauce (HK$78) had tender squid and a light, flavourful filling. Bikini mallorquin (HK$60 for four) was a delicious toasted cheese sandwich with spicy sobrasada and Mahón cheese, but paled next to the air baguettes (HK$68 for four). I almost didn't order them because I've eaten air baguettes at El Bulli in Spain, but these were different: instead of being filled with air, the delicate, cracker-like, bacon-wrapped crust had a warm, liquid cheese filling. We were told to eat it in one bite, and although it was a large mouthful, it was manageable.

For our mains, the signature la Paloma (HK$398) — roasted pigeon with foie gras, wild mushrooms and Pedro Ximenez — was very good. The leg was slightly tough, but the breast was rare, tender and moist. We liked the arroz a la cazuela (HK$328) — seafood and Iberian pork juicy rice with vegetables — but, in retrospect, we realised we should have tried one of the three paellas that everyone around us was ordering and which looked and smelled fantastic. A salad of tomatoes, pickled chillies and crispy pork belly (HK$58) was satisfying with plenty of meat, and the pickled chillies were delicious.