1/5 Nuevo This is not a fusion restaurant. No, it’s the good ol’ days of one restaurant, two cuisines, in this case French and Spanish. Paella sits alongside duck confit on the menu but, thankfully, not on the plate. The bread is astounding, cooked fresh and piping-hot in a clay pot. Follow it up with the satisfying tapas, and entrees that include possibly the best mussels in the city. G/F, 9 Star St., Wan Chai, 2529-2300 FINDS For something totally different, try the Scandinavian food at FINDS (the name stands for Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden), which serves excellent fish, game and meat dishes. It’s a chic place decked out in icy shades of blue and white, and the popular bar is busy early and late when local DJs hit the decks. 2/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St., Lan Kwai Fong, 2522-9318 Grissini A fabulous northern Italian restaurant with fantastic service, tasteful decor, top-notch cuisine and peerless wine service. The food is so good it’s hard to envisage anyone leaving the restaurant anything but content. Don’t miss the grissini breadsticks. 2/F, Grand Hyatt, 1 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai, 2584-7933 M at the Fringe A local legend since 1989, when it was one of the first independent European restaurants in the city, M at the Fringe is special from the gold-ink in the reservations book to the plate-lickingly delicious Pavlova. In between, expect fantastic Continental cooking—Mandarin caviar, decadently delicious crispy suckling pig, slow-cooked lamb—expert service, a romantic atmosphere and a truly memorable evening. No wonder local chefs drop by on their evenings off. 1/F, 2 Lower Albert Rd., Central, 2877-4000 Tapeo In a neighborhood already crowded with tapas bars, Tapeo distinguishes itself by being the only one where the dining room is wrapped around the open kitchen. The first thing you might notice is a giant leg of ham of bellota-quality ham. Other tapas (all meant to be shared between two) include prawns, a very tender grilled chicken served on a bed of red pepper and garlic sauce, and grilled lamb with mojo verde. The placemat menus, handwritten descriptions on tiled walls and friendly chef all make for a truly welcoming and casual atmosphere. And it’s probably as close to a friendly local tapas place as we’re going to get in Hong Kong. 19 Hollywood Rd., Central, 9123-6049 Mozart Stub’n The interior of stately wood paneling and crisp white tablecloths make you feel like you’re in old-school Salzburg. The Austrian food hits the comfort button: cheese fondue, cured ham with mushrooms, lamb in rosemary sauce and fantastic mashed potatoes. And the background music? Mozart, naturally. G/F, 8 Glenealy, Central, 2522-1763 Rive Droit Rive Gauche The traditional French food is unquestionably good in this sleek cosmopolitan bar: a “right bank, left bank” duality, hence the name. Try the grilled lamb chop with leek and cream gnocchi, and the pan-fried beef fillet Rossini-style. 2/F, Onfem Tower, 29 Wyndham St., Lan Kwai Fong, 2525-1681
