What’s in store for Hong Kong’s dining scene in 2025? F&B leaders from Caprice, Petrus, Bar Leone and more look forward to a vibrant year after lessons learned from a changeable 2024
It’s been a challenging year for many of Hong Kong’s restaurants, but top chefs see flexibility and creativity as the ways forward
If sharing a common hope is a powerful recipe for positivity, then the Hong Kong F&B industry appears set for a good year ahead. Interviewed individually, yet sharing collective experiences in the city, these professionals all speak of similar hopes. And, although they have experienced challenges this year and are keen to look forward, taking stock of 2024 is playing a key role in their shared outlooks and approaches to 2025.
Guillaume Galliot, executive chef at Caprice, began the year in an optimistic mood. “In January, we brought together 26 renowned Michelin-star chefs for a four-day event,” he says. It sold out and was one of the high points of the year.
Galliot adds that while Caprice continued to do well during the year, there was a noticeable shift in the dining landscape and spending patterns. The restaurant began to experience slower days, but the team made good use of them by working on new dish and menu concepts.
Uwe Opocensky, executive chef at Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, and its fine-dining restaurant Petrus, also noticed a change in customer patterns and spending habits. “From a business perspective, we need to be much more flexible and proactive in this market, particularly with social media playing such a big role,” he comments.
Caprice introduced one of its new concepts in June, the Caprice Refined Power Lunch, a three-course menu of signature dishes appealing to guests who want speed but do not want to compromise on three-star Michelin service, technique and quality. The result has been “a great success”. The pivot and the thought process behind it, contemplating what it means to be a fine-dining restaurant in the current landscape, is now informing Galliot’s outlook going forward.
Flexibility through creating unique and special experiences that drive variety in dining options and business success is also behind Opocensky’s view for 2025. Amid all the challenges of 2024, he says, new possibilities have also arisen that serve as lessons for moving forward. “We can’t just offer set menus and fixed prices, and we need to have lower entry points for fine dining,” he says. “I also hope we can create a vibrant dining scene that thrives on resilience and adaptability by developing strong local supplier relationships and embracing consumer preferences for sustainability.”
Antonio Oviedo, co-owner and chef at 22 Ships, is another restaurateur who – after analysing what worked for his concept this year – is talking up the idea of flexibility and a more approachable experience for guests. “We created dynamic menus with diverse options, allowing guests to customise their experiences,” he explains.
Vicky Lau, owner and chef at Tate Dining Room and Mora, is also cautiously optimistic for 2025. She says that for continued success, adaptability is important and it is vital to enhance offerings continually.
