Le Loup

When hunger howls, head to Le Loup and wolf down some European and western dishes as if the moon were full – you soon will be. Let your instincts guild you is the esoteric motto of this restaurant in the burgeoning dining district of Tai Hang, easily accessed from either Causeway Bay or Tin Hau stations, and our instinct is that Le Loup’s Sun Chun Street premises are a hidden gem awaiting joyous discovery by people with friends. If you want the ambience of Provence married to ingredients from Switzerland, France, and Australia of all places, right in Hong Kong, sign up here.

Since Tai Hang’s 90s renaissance, the area has become something of a hotspot for new and innovative restaurants in Hong Kong. The valley opens out onto Causeway Bay – it's also serviced by Tin Hau station – but this leafy neighbourhood is far from the madding crowd. Exploring quiet byways like Sun Chun Street can offer up some fantastic dining gems, and Le Loup is one of them, serving European and western delicacies from an unprepossessing, old Chinese-style shophouse. The menu is simple and rustic, the service is impeccable – this is a place that deserves the patronage of intrepid foodies.

Begin your meal at Le Loup with a snack of garlic bread, Irish potatoes with cheese, deep-fried oysters, or fried cheese. Next up are the soups: simple spinach, warming pumpkin, or a luxurious and eminently French lobster bisque. Other European small bites include the Spanish Iberico ham with melon the blue mussels or clams in a white wine sauce, and the pan-seared foie gras with red wine sauce. Curious mains include the pan-fried whole sole with oats or the rigorous cuts of US Kurobuta pork, Angus ribeye, or rack of lamb with spicy gravy. A great option for Hong Kong diners making their first trip out to Le Loup’s Tai Hang restaurant is the set dinner for two that’s perfect for a romantic rendezvous.