Whether you’re looking for contemporary and innovative approaches to fusion cuisine or fine dining classics done right, you’ll find options a plenty in the city. These are Hong Kong’s best French restaurants. 1. Arbor Fusing premium ingredients from Japan with French gastronomic techniques in his dishes, chef de cuisine Eric Räty has struck the right balance of refinement and flavour. It also doesn’t hurt that his restaurant is sited in the heart of Central with sweeping views of the city. The tuna enveloped in a thin pancake is an elegant Japanese-inspired dish, served with three condiments: horseradish, ponzu jelly and red rice cream. The lobster is a favourite too, not only for the presentation that is a work of art, but for the carefully cooked crustacean submerged in a deep rich lobster bisque sauce with a jalapeño foam adding a welcome spicy kick. 25/F, H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central, Central The 13 best Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong, from Sushi Saito to Zuicho 2. Bâtard Sat within The Fine Wine Experience, Bâtard is a wine lovers’ paradise where great food and some of the best wines in town are available. Walk past the wine cellar to a cosy dining area. With floor-to-ceiling windows and high ceilings, the space has a sophisticated air. The restaurant is named after the grand cru vineyard Bâtard-Montrachet in Burgundy, and serves fine wines at retail prices. The menu fuses French comfort food with fine dining flair. Highlights of the menu include terrine of duck foie gras and rillettes glazed in Madeira and cocoa, while Bâtard’s signature roast chicken with warm pilaf rice is the stuff of legend, with the rice soaked in fragrant chicken fat. Shop E, 165-166 Connaught Road West, Sai Ying Pun 3. Caprice With three Michelin stars, Caprice is one of the dozen or so establishments in Hong Kong that offers the quintessential combination of spectacular harbour views, outstanding dishes and impeccable service. With crystal chandeliers, leather armchairs, art deco paintings and an open kitchen, the ambience is one of refinement and unabated quality. Chef de cuisine Guillaume Galliot puts a contemporary twist on traditional French fare resulting in such dishes as hot and cold onion soup, Brittany blue lobster roasted in butter with Paimpol beans, raspberry and olive sauce. The cheese platter is one of the city’s finest and is best sampled with a top-notch dessert wine. Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central 4. Écriture Serving contemporary French cuisine with a Japanese twist, two-Michelin-starred Écriture is in fact named after a series of paintings by Korean artist Park Seo-bo. The interior has geometric shapes with soft colours and textures, a symmetrical copper ceiling, black hardwood tables and white chairs. Why are the best desserts not sweet – according to the Chinese palate? Executive chef Maxime Gilbert’s seasonal selections showcase ingredients from artisanal producers. There is a choice of tasting menus or à la carte, with dishes such as slow-cooked turbot with dashi-poached foie gras, caviar tart with Hokkaido sea urchin, and kabu purée in a buckwheat tart shell and beurre blanc. There is an extensive wine list. 26/F, H Queens, 80 Queen’s Road Central 5. Épure With gilded screen doors, forest murals and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a garden terrace, the interior of Épure whisks you away to the south of France. But this terrace overlooks Victoria Harbour, where guests can dine alfresco or enjoy pre-dinner drinks with the city’s billion-dollar view. For dinner, choose from eight or 10 courses (one a seasonal menu, the other a chef’s signature). Vegan dishes and à la carte are on request. Signature items include classics such as A4 Wagyu tenderloin and lobster, a selection of artisan cheeses and Grand Marnier soufflé. We recommend the wine pairing. Shop 403, Level 4, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui 6. Gaddi’s Welcome to Gaddi’s, Hong Kong’s first ever fine dining restaurant, an iconic spot where the private lift, blue and gold carpeting, chandeliers, signature tableware and live band are all part of the establishment’s old school charm. Under chef de cuisine Albin Gobil, the one-Michelin-starred restaurant offers à la carte or a degustation menu for dinner, with dishes like Jerusalem artichoke velouté with scallop and black truffle pudding and Bigorre ham, and Burgundy quail, baby artichoke barigoule, herbs tortellini and Laphroaig whiskey jus. The chef’s table is a real treat as guests dine in the kitchen itself, with a specially tailored menu. 1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui 7. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Three-Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon has two areas: L’Atelier and Le Jardin. L’Atelier is modern, with red high seats around an open kitchen. To the back are sofas and armchairs overlooking a garden and the city’s skyline. L’Atelier is known for its innovative tapas-style dishes, such as langoustine carpaccio with citrus dressing, sea urchin and crispy waffle, and Sologne Imperial caviar over a crispy poached egg. Are tea cocktails taking over Hong Kong’s bars and restaurants? Contemporary fine dining at Le Jardin features Maine lobster spaghetti with coral emulsion, and free-range quail with foie gras and mashed potatoes. Both areas provide à la carte or set menus. Wine connoisseurs will love the wine list. Shop 401, 4/F, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central 8. L’Envol L’Envol is a modern French fine dining restaurant by chef Olivier Elzer. The 64-seat restaurant is arranged across two salons, filled with natural light, and divided by a floor-to-ceiling stone and glass screen to create more intimacy. Banquette seats around marble tables overlook the open kitchen. The seasonal menu features a mix of Asian and French ingredients, which includes signatures such as Hokkaido sea urchin, gamberoni prawn and crunchy fennel, as well as roasted red deer loin served with salsify guanaja chocolate 70 per cent sauce. Naturally, to end there is a cheese selection, chocolate trolley and some delicious desserts. 3/F, The St Regis Hong Kong, One Harbour Drive, Wan Chai 9. Le Bec Fin This is the best French restaurant that few people know about. At the helm is Ishiba Masaki, who brings with him experience at Tokyo’s Michelin-starred Kikunoi and the flagship restaurant of La Bombance, much-loved in Hong Kong. The French-style cuisine with Asian twists is masterfully prepared, with characteristic Japanese attention to detail and refined execution. The quaint venue offers a choice of two, three or four courses at very reasonable prices, as well as an omakase dinner experience. The French onion soup is one of the best in town and the Spanish red prawn pasta is not to be missed. Diners can choose to opt for a Wagyu steak sandwich too. Shop 8, G/F, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point 10. Odyssée Perched on the 101st floor of the International Commerce Centre, the tallest building in Hong Kong, Odyssée naturally offers some of the best views in town. Then, on top of that, at the helm is chef Aurelie Altemarie, a L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon alum, whose level of expertise shines through in each of her creations. Where to eat in Hong Kong in June, from Agora to Yat Tung Heen The menu changes monthly but there are a few exquisite items that are recurring. We loved the Brittany abalone, black garlic with lime caviar and butternut, as well as the Bresse pigeon from Maison Mieral with turnips, Corsican clementine and spiced jus. For dessert, you cannot go wrong with the soufflé. Shop A, 101/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui 11. Restaurant Petrus Restaurant Petrus is the gold standard for classic French fare in Hong Kong. The traditional decor features heavy drapery, crystal chandeliers and marble columns, while the windows give unobstructed views of the Hong Kong skyline. Executive chef Uwe Opocensky uses a creative approach to dishes that highlight seasonal ingredients. Dinner features three- to five-course tasting menus with dishes such as Japanese uni in chawanmushi with fennel and bouillabaisse jelly, and Brittany blue lobster with preserved fig, chervil root and Swiss chard. The wine cellar is one of the best in town and boasts more than 20,000 bottles, with a focus on Bordeaux. 56/F, Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty 12. Tirpse Mixing Japanese fastidiousness and French joie de vivre has resulted in a hybrid style that tells a number of world-class restaurants in Japan. Among these is Tirpse, which received a Michelin star in record time: within two months of opening. Now there’s an elegant Hong Kong branch in K11 Musea, long on wood elements, with black marble and copper finishes, and panoramic harbour views. The set menus are filled with seasonal dishes like lobster with fermented honey and turnip, as well as pigeon with Alpine garlic and chorizo. Dessert is exquisite, with surprising combinations like pear, salted lime and green chilli. Wine pairing is also recommended. Shop 219, 2/F, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .