Beloved Hong Kong icon Jimmy's Kitchen is reopening in the Pedder Building in Central, close to a century after its move from Shanghai to Hong Kong in 1928. Featuring a casual dining lounge, cocktail bar, crudo bar, main dining rooms, and a private dining room, the institution is led by executive chef Russell Doctrove, who has been tasked with preserving the restaurant's charm while adding a contemporary twist. Seen as the epitome of dining sophistication back in its heyday, the menu at Jimmy's Kitchen reflects its decades of history, such as the chicken supreme Kiev—which was a favourite of Russian emigrés from its original location in Shanghai—as well as the famed Madras curry, which originally began as a staff meal by Jimmy's Hong Kong-Indian chefs. Designed by Hernan Zanghellini, the new interiors combine classic materials with a contemporary look and feel, reflecting the restaurant's journey as it prepares for its centennial birthday.

Jimmy's Kitchen
M/F, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong; +852 2526 5293, instagram.com/jimmyskitchenhk

Another stalwart of the dining scene that's been brought back from the ether is Lin Heung Tea House. First founded in 1889 in Guangzhou, the dim sum institution shut its doors in August 2022 but has now been restored to its former glory in its original Sheung Wan location—with a few updates. The new owners have elected to give the aged interiors a light touch-up all the while preserving the same menu of nostalgic dim sum that's pushed around in traditional trolleys by many of the same team before its closure; though the ground floor entrance now sees the addition of a tea bar serving modern, hand-shaken teas to keep up with the times. Lines are long to snag a table here but for good reason—the patina here is something that can't be replicated.

Lin Heung Tea House
G/F, 160 Wellington Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong; +852 3491 5855

Yet another longstanding culinary establishment that's been revamped this month is The Mistral. First opened in 1981 in the basement of the Harbour View Holiday Inn, this Italian restaurant remained underground for 42 years—even as the hotel was rebranded as the Intercontinental Grand Stanford. The restaurant itself was renamed Theo Mistral by Theo Randall, after the British celebrity chef in 2018, though when his agreement with the hotel ended last year, the restaurant began its move to a new, light-filled home on the first floor that takes full advantage of the views of Victoria Harbour. Italian cuisine remains at the fore, with a semi-buffet lunch, free-flow brunch, and seasonal à-la-carte menus offered throughout the year. Pastas are the pride of the kitchen here, while a comprehensive cellar of Italian wines is sure to keep diners happy.

The Mistral
1/F, Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, 70 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong; +852 2731 2870, hongkong.intercontinental.com/dining/the-mistral

Named after the cycle of life, Ciclo is a newly launched restaurant in Causeway Bay that offers a brand of Italian-Japanese fusion cuisine replete with moody interiors and a cocktail programme. Styled along the theme of a modern Zen aesthetic, the restaurant is led by a duo of head chefs and turns out signature dishes like the Hokkaido uni and lobster arancini, and drunken crab pasta. highlight the chefs' culinary craftsmanship. To wash it all down, guests can choose from a range of house cocktails based on ingredients such as sake, coriander, basil and pandan.

Ciclo
4/F, Oliv, 15 Sharp Street East, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 5501 0697, ciclo.hk

At this newly opened Wagyu specialty restaurant in Central, it's not just any Wagyu that makes the cut. True to its name, Wagyu Kappo Oda only serves premium black Wagyu beef from Kagoshima, specifically sourced from the award-winning Oda Chikusan farm which boasts over 50 years of experience in raising Japanese black cows—to this end, the cattle are fed with an original feed that blends 12 different ingredients that are free from hormone agents and antibiotics, and they're raised in a stress-free and healthy environment to boot. Helming the 13-seat omakase-style counter is executive chef Tomiya Yu, who serves a procession of Wagyu delicacies such as sashimi, charcoal-grilled bites and sukiyaki that take advantage of the beef's unique marbling.

Wagyu Kappo Oda
Shop 2A, 1/F, Manning House, 48 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong; +852 9849 0112, odafarm-hk.com

Kalguksu (Korean knife-cut noodle soup) is the star of the show at this new Wan Chai eatery, which is already attracting lines out the door for its flavour-packed bowls. Starting from just HK$68 with three side dishes, noodle bowls on offer include chicken, clam, bone broth and yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) noodles. Those looking for something more nourishing can also dig into their rice soup options, with toppings like Naju beef, Busan pork, and Daegu spicy beef.

Seoul Noodles
68 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; instagram.com/seoulnoodles_hk

MARCH

Best known for helming Chinesology in Central, chef Saito Chau proves he's not just a one-trick pony with the opening of Mue Mue in Tsim Sha Tsui, an expansive Thai restaurant with Chinese inflections. Derived from the Thai word for 'hand', Mue Mue covers 7,000 square feet with indoor and alfresco dining, with a number of private rooms too. The menu spans signatures like crispy chicken in tom yum marinade, Wagyu beef cheek in puff pastry with red curry, and royal Thau tom yum kung soup, while Mue Bar offers a number of twists on classic cocktails using Thai botanicals.

Mue Mue
Shop 302, 3/F, Mira Place, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; +852 9833 0788, muemue.hk

After two years, popular Sai Ying Pun restaurant Casa Cucina has moved to new environs in Causeway Bay, marking an evolution in its brand of cicchetti-inspired dishes by chef-owner Anthony Cheung. An alum of Amber and Jean-Georges, Cheung's cuisine focuses on seasonal ingredients and handmade pasta, with old favourites like morels pappardelle and new additions such as a cheesy Welsh rarebit making the new menu. At HK$498 per head, the signature sharing set menu offers a comprehensive lay of the land, best accompanied with picks from the sizeable cocktail menu.

Casa Cucina
Shop C & D, Riviera Mansion, 59-65 Paterson St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; +852 2152 0556, casacucina.hk

Having variously been a women-only bar and a VIP lounge over the years, XX Bar has now revamped to become a cocktail bar open to the public—regardless of gender. Featuring rare aged spirits, fine wines and seasonal cocktails within a lush setting draped in ultramarine and complete with views of the harbour, XX Bar is a luxurious affair owing to its name, which stands for excellence and exclusivity. 

XX Bar
Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong; +852 3891 8732, instagram.com/xxbarhongkong

Chef Thitid "Ton" Tassanakajohn of Bangkok's Le Du, currently ranked first in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023, seems to be everywhere since his win, and aside from opening Niras in K11 Musea last year, he's recently expanded his reach to New Town Plaza in Sha Tin with the launch of Here Thai Market, where he designed the food menu alongside chef Man Wai Yin of Chef Man restaurant in Bangkok. Featuring Cantonese-influenced Thai cuisine alongside staples like boat noodles, skewers and wok-fried noodles with the option of adding abalone and fish maw, Here Thai Market also serves coffee from Luen Ngen Coffee, a Thai coffee brand that was originally founded in 1968.

Here Thai Market
Shop A216, 2/F, New Town Plaza Phase III, 18 Sha Tin Centre Street, Sha Tin, Hong Kong

Named as one of the 100 most highly rated restaurants in all of Japan by Tabelog, famed Tokyo curry restaurant Caligari has opened its first overseas outpost in Entertainment Building in Central. The eatery, which first opened in Tokyo's Akihabara district, is also the two-time winner of the Kanda Curry Grand Prix in 2019 and 2023; curry fanatics regularly queue for signature dishes like the curry tonkatsu, minced Wagyu croquettes and Tatsuta chicken breast set, all made with curry utilising ingredients imported from Japan, and featuring spices such as fennel, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and mustard seeds.

Caligari
Shop F, 2/F, Entertainment Building, 30 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong; instagram.com/caligari_hk

FEBRUARY

Found on the pool and spa floor of the Island Shangri-La, Ming Pavilion offers a decidedly different take on Chinese dining. The cuisine might be Hokkien, but the surroundings are lush, with plenty of jade tones, foliage and rattan furniture to evoke a tropical getaway. On the pass is chef Jack Lam Yeung, whose take on contemporary Hokkien dishes extends to the likes of Xiamen ginger duck, aged Yongchun vinegar jellyfish terrine, sweet and sour lychee pork and more. Complementing the culinary proceedings is a tea service by in-house tea sommelier Tiffany Chan. 

Ming Pavilion
Address: Level 8, Island Shangri-La, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong; shangri-la.com

Ever packed at its Central location, cocktail taphouse Draft Land has opened up its second Hong Kong location on Tang Lung Street in Causeway Bay. The same industrial looks prevails here, with the centrepiece being the wall of 20 taps serving pre-batched favourites like the Guk Bou and Oolong Tea Collins, as well as new exclusive libations like the Yuwasabi and Watercress Honey.

Draft Land
Address: Shop D, G/F, Soundwill Plaza II - Midtown, 1-29 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

The third and last venue to open in Singular Concepts' sprawling nighttime entertainment complex The Trilogy, Ella is an intimate jazz speakeasy dedicated to the soulful tunes of its namesake, Ella Fitzgerald. Bathed in warm, low lights and featuring sky-high views of the Central cityscape, the space is anchored by a grand piano from which a rotating curation of the city's jazz talents belt out well-loved compositions. Cocktails here skew classic, with the Roasted Boulevardier a particular highlight.

Ella
Address: 26F, The Trilogy, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central, Hong Kong; instagram.com/ellaxoxo.hk

New from the Lubuds group is Charcoal Bar, a harbourside restaurant centred around open-fire cooking. Octavium alum Bjoern Alexander is the brains behind the cuisine here, with signatures like charcoal-grilled local eel, lychee wood-grilled tiger prawn, lychee wood-smoked op rib, and a crispy rice cake combining Chinese cured sausages with parmesan and Acquerello rice. Cocktails, wine pairings and a view of Victoria Harbour complete this winning combination.

Charcoal Bar
Address: Shop OT G62, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; instagram.com/charcoalbar_hk

The newest watering hole on Central's Staunton Street is Socio, a cocktail bar from spirits professional Amir Javaid and the team behind Finding Daisy. Belying its small footprint, Socio's drinks menu has globe-spanning ambitions, with "single-origin" cocktails that hone in on the unique botanical and spirits landscapes of locations from around the world. Celebrating Australia, the Anise Myrtle combines its namesake aromatic with blackberry, coconut soda, pomelo vermouth and wattleseed; while the Kome doffs its hat to Japan with notes of wasabi, melon, sake, elderflower and miso.

Socio
Address: 17 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong; instagram.com/socio.hk

Uogashi Nihonichi, a Japanese fresh fish specialist from Tokyo, expanded its presence in Hong Kong with a vibrant new standing sushi bar in Central Market, following its debut at Airside, Kai Tak. Embracing its fish-market heritage, this second location offers a lively atmosphere with affordable Edomae-style sushi and premium seafood. Rice bowls, including Wagyu beef with uni and king crab options, are available at lunch alongside sushi and deluxe omakase sets that highlight seasonal seafood delicacies. The Central Market branch, part of a planned expansion across Hong Kong, combines time-honoured Japanese cuisine with a unique dining vibe, complemented by a selection of premium sake and Japanese whiskeys.

Uogashi Nihonichi, Central
Address: G12, G/F Central Market, 80 Des Voeux Central, Central, Hong Kong; instagram.com/uogashinihonichi.hk

JANUARY

Opened in Rome for 65 years and in The Royal Garden for 31 years, Sabatini has expanded to a gilded new home in IFC, designed by Steve Leung Design Group with plenty of rooms large and small to accommodate all manner of dinner congregations. Chef Marco Livoti, previously of Sake Central and Rosita, heads the classically-oriented Italian menu here, which includes plates like homemade bigoli in Veneto-style duck ragu, New Zealand scampi carpaccio with Oscetra caviar, and dry marinated Wagyu beef with horseradish mayonnaise and wild rocket. 

Sabatini
Address: Shop 4008, Level 4, ifc mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong; instagram.com/ifcsabatini

You might have seen the mustachioed, Tricolore-wearing celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini on social media, and now you can try his bistecca as well with the opening of Carna in the new Mondrian Hong Kong, featuring atmospheric spaces designed by Joyce Wang. Panzanese steak, anyone?

Carna by Dario Cecchini
Address: 39/F, Mondrian Hong Kong, 8A Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; book.ennismore.com

The reincarnation of Sup1, a cult French-Cantonese bistro that opened in the early 2000s, 2Sup (‘twenty’ in Cantonese in reference to the new address) brings back founder Vincent Wong’s penchant for mixing various cultural influences in lip-smacking dishes alongside budget-friendly wine pairings.

2Sup
Address: 20 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong; instagram.com/2suphk

Ex-Grissini head chef Marcello Scognamiglio has opened a modern Neapolitan trattoria with ex-Zuma restaurant manager Felix de Arriaga, bringing easygoing dishes such as pizza nel ruotino and braised yellow chicken in a claypot to a space that evokes the rawness of the streets of Naples.

Trattoria Felino
1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; instagram.com/trattoriafelinohk

Intimate and decadent, the new bar at Regent Hong Kong is rendered in Art Deco and vintage accents, with harbour views to boot. With rare spirits and a cigar lounge in tow, this is one cocktail den to while away the hours.

Qura
Address: Lobby Floor, Regent Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; hongkong.regenthotels.com