A tempting menu and a fantastic vibe - Stone Nullah Tavern has a lot going for it

The vibe at Stone Nullah Tavern is fantastic - a good buzz that's just noisy enough, helpful servers, comfortable seats and a brief menu that was so tempting that we wanted just about everything on it.

It's an attractive space, too: the French windows were open on the night of our visit to let in the balmy air, and there's lots of wood in the long bar and dining area, which has a glass door revealing activity in the kitchen.

The main menu is divided into beer snacks: raw dishes; pickles; vegetables, legumes and grains; meat; and large plates, including whole chicken for HK$575, barbecued double-cut veal chop for HK$950, and Nantucket clam bake for HK$1,000.

We had the best luck with the beer snacks. Our favourite was the smoked cracklin' (as it's written on the menu) with chilli vinegar (HK$80). Crisp and addictive, the fried pork skin was flavourful enough without the dipping sauce.

Fried artichoke hearts with mint, lemon and bottarga aioli (HK$100) came in a close second, with a few wisps of lightly charred, crisp leaves and the soft artichoke flesh. Tater Tots (HK$80) were a little heavy and under-seasoned, and we couldn't taste the lard in the lardo aioli, but were considerably brightened when dipped in the Sriracha ketchup.

From the other sections of the menu, the SNT street corn with chilli, cheddar, cilantro and butter (HK$110) was overwhelmed by way too much cheese. The green beans with chorizo and fish sauce (HK$90) were tasty, but soggy.