Le French May
Hong Kong has a growing number of French restaurants ranging from neighborhood bistros to fine dining eateries at 5 star hotels. Keep reading for a short list of the city’s most popular.
Hong Kong’s most popular French restaurants are mostly located in 5 star hotels. Two on our top 10 list are located in high-end shopping malls, and two are stand alone eateries.
Hong Kong’s French expatriate community has practically tripled over the last decade. With the arrival of so many French nationals, the number of French restaurants in the city has also grown.
French histros and cafes are starting to pop up in such neighborhoods as SoHo and Sheung Wan on Hong Kong Island.
An excellent French restaurant – ChocoDuck – has even opened on one of the city’s Outer Islands, Cheung Chau.
Some of these restaurants have been opened by chefs that were brought to Hong Kong by 5 star hotels, who decided to open their own eateries when their contracts expired.
Others were opened by entrepreneurs who came to Hong Kong for the express purpose of opening a restaurant here. Hong Kong is increasingly seen as the Land of Opportunity for ambitious young Frenchmen.
Best French Eateries in Hong Kong
1. Amber – (2 Michelin stars) 7/F, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 2132-0066 .
- “I would say this was in my top two restaurant experiences of all time! Amazing food and presentation, the price is quite high for this experience though. I strongly recommend the degustation menu,” The Ollster, Hong Kong.
2. Pierre – (2 Michelin stars) 25/F, Mandarin Oriental, Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 2522-0111.
- “After meals on previous nights at Nobu, The Steakhouse, and Atelier de Joel Robuchon, I had the short tasting menu at Pierre, and it was by some margin the finest overall experience (see my reviews for those establishments). My five courses were all well-presented, fresh, and embodied harmony of ingredients and cooking methods rather than show-off recipes,” Manny Gonzales, Whistler, Canada.
3. Caprice – (2 Michelin stars) 6/F, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 3196-8860.
- “If you need to celebrate – enjoy great French food, and are in Hong Kong: this is the place. The cheese board is Fantabulous (can’t figure out how they do it) – the dishes are excellent. You can’t believe that the view is HK Victoria Harbour, rather than the Rhone in Lyon or the Seine in Paris,” Alain Wanderings, London, England.
4. Gaddi’s – 1/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisburg Road at Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 2920-2888.
- “From the moment we were welcomed in Gaddi’s we felt at home, and special. The staff were all immaculate in their uniforms and extremely polite. The choices on the menu were typically French and, after a small enquiry, we were presented with a taster dish that was not even on the menu. Delightfull!” Lisa B., Perth, Australia.
5. Spoon by Alain Ducasse – (1 Michelin star) Lobby Level, InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 2313-2323.
- “The food was excellent, and the service (by Sabine and Ralph) was astonishing. Of course, the view is beautiful, but the experience comes from what happens on and at your table. Not only a good explanation at the served foods, but also a very good advise on the wines. It is not cheap, but it is fully worth it,” Peter van Donge, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
6. Amigo Restaurant – Amigo Mansion, 79A Wong Nei Chung Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 2577-2202.
- “The mainly French menu is comprehensive enough to cater for all tastes and easy to navigate. The wine list is extensive, but slightly less easy to navigate. Portion size is well judged, service attentive without being too obvious, and food delivery time was very well spaced,” Steve and Kay Surrey, Surrey, England.
7. Restaurant Petrus – 56/F, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 2820-8590.
- “We booked online the night before (very convenient as most other gourmet restaurants didn t answer late). Great views on harbour from 56th floor. Food was tasty and great service by Sunny. Great value for money at weekday lunch,” Nicolas N., Hong Kong.
8. ChocoDuck Bistro – G/F, 3 Kin San Lane, Cheung Chau, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 5111-8084.
- “The food was some of the very best we’d tasted in Hong Kong. The 60hr slow roast beef rib I had was tender and falling off the bone. My wife and daughter both went for the Lamb rack and it was cooked to perfection. We’ll definitely be adding this restaurant to our future visits back to Cheung Chau. So many other dishes to try!” Aidan H., Hong Kong.
9. Le Dome de Cristal – 2-3/F, The Galleria, 9 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 2116-4688.
- “We went for a birthday dinner, 9 of us, and were totally blown away! The restaurant was immaculate, the service attentive but not in the way, and the manager was entertaining and informative. We had a 6 course dinner with champagne pairing and we are all still talking about how good the food was, 5 days later! I think this might be one of Hong Kong’s hidden gems,” Jacqueline V., Hong Kong.
10. Epure French Fine Dining – Shop 403, Level 4, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 3185-8338.
- “We went to the 8 courses Tasting Menu with the wine pairings. From the starter to the desserts, it was a real culinary experience. We really enjoyed the Foie Gras Chaud and the Canard Challandais, perfectly cooked and very tasty. The sommelier was very professional and the wine pairings menu was perfect. Overall the service was good and with smile,” Eric S., Singapore.
It would be nice to see more independent restaurants on this list.