Is Hong Kong’s fine dining scene finally on the road to recovery? From Central foodie hub Forty-Five to new restaurant openings from Anne-Sophie Pic and David Toutain, things are looking up – at last
- Few industries suffered more than F&B during the pandemic, but new openings like Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic, David Toutain’s Feuille, Manav Tuli’s Leela and Cardinal Point in Forty Five point to a robust recovery in process
- Hong Kong’s bar scene continues to impress with fresh and funky offerings like Avoca in Tsim Sha Tsui, Jardine House hang-out Artifact and SoHo’s The Savory Project – while Coa is the toast of the city after topping Asia’s 50 Best Bars for the first time
With the pains of the pandemic finally in our collective rear-view mirror, 2023 will be remembered as the year that Hong Kong came out of its shell. This was welcome news in particular for the city’s F&B industry. Battered by relentless restrictions – not least 945 days of a continuous mask mandate – restaurants across the entire industry were affected, from cheap Lan Kwai Fong bars to high-end establishments.
The casualties appear countless – the iconic Jumbo Kingdom closed early in the pandemic, popular plant-based food pioneer Mana couldn’t keep going in the face of seemingly unending restrictions, and even Rech by Alain Ducasse waved goodbye despite its celebrity chef backing and recognition from guides – including 100 Top Tables and Michelin. After 16 years, celebrity hang-out Sevva will close in May 2024.
Certainly, many restaurants that closed had issues that predated Covid-19, but even with Hong Kong’s reopening, the legacy of the pandemic has remained in F&B, where staff shortages are still critical. Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, estimated last year that there was a shortfall of more than 60,000 workers in the sector.
It’s too early to gauge where we’ll be when the next instalment of 100 Top Tables drops a year from now, but from our vantage point in early 2024, the first green shoots of recovery have broken through. Big developments have opened – including at Kai Tak, where Airside has brought a raft of new dining concepts to the neighbourhood.
Most impressive, though, has been Forty-Five in Central, where Cardinal Point has proved a hit among so many Hongkongers wanting to sip their drink in front of a gorgeous view – and of course, there is Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic. The new restaurant by “the most decorated Michelin-starred female chef in the world” was an important signifier that Hong Kong is once again open for business and, moreover, remains a global player.
But it’s not just the big names who have been active. Smaller concepts have opened over the past 12 months, and this year’s edition of 100 Top Tables is decorated with many new openings that have impressed.
