Top 10 Spanish restaurants in Hong Kong

Along with the influx of top Iberian wine, Hong Kong is welcoming an armada of Spanish eateries. Here, Rupert Millar lists his top 10 venues for all things paella, tapas and Tempranillo.

Spain commands a surprisingly large share of wine imports into Hong Kong and is growing steadily year-on-year (see pages 38-41 for more details). Spanish food is equally finding a firmer footing in Hong Kong, with jamón Iberico and paella popular additions to many-a-“Western” dining experience. Spanish wines, as in the UK, stand poised to capitalise on the popularity of its cuisine and there are many excellent restaurants offering fun and exciting Spanish pours. Unfortunately, the relative lack of knowledge about Spain on the part of many local diners is evident, some very fine restaurants bulking out their lists with safer touchstones from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Italy and Australia.

Click through for 10 of the best Spanish restaurants in Hong Kong..

Catalunya – Morrison Hill, Wan Chai

Part of a Spanish franchise that kicked off in Singapore, Catalunya Hong Kong’s launch in spring 2013 was hot on the heels of the new wave of Spanish venues in the city. Surviving Hong Kong’s on-trade scene is no easy business but a start-up team featuring chefs and other staff who were veterans of El Bulli and El Celler de Can Rocar no doubt helped. The by-the-glass list is almost exclusively Spanish (unless you’d like a glass of Krug) and covers Cava, Sherry, and reds, whites and rosé from Rías Baixas, Priorat, Alella and, appropriately, Catalunya among others. The Spanish side of the list is impressive and is broken down into the country’s “Atlantic”, “Continental” and “Mediterranean” climates – with the requisite regions and grapes you’d expect from each. International wines, of which there is also a fine selection, are broken down by style. There is an especially good selection of reds and fans of Pingus, Vega Sicilia, reserve and gran reserva Rioja from Muga, Rioja Alta, Viña Tondonia et al have much to choose from.

El Caido – Hollywood Road, Central

A slightly strange addition as this Spanish-Italian hybrid isn’t entirely Iberian in nature. Nonetheless, ignore the Italianate “cicchetti” and tapas in the form of many variants of pork and dried fish dishes paired with tomatoes, washed down with cocktails and Sangria should do the trick. A bright, easy-going venue in Hong Kong’s Spanish line-up, the wine list isn’t much to speak of (think Spanish cocktails and beer instead) but as there’s no corkage one can always bring your own bottle of Tempranillo or Albarino to set the scene.

FoFo by el Willy – Wellington Street, Central

Another migrating Spanish franchise, this time from the original “el Willy” restaurant that opened in Shanghai in 2010 under the watchful eye of Barcelona-born Willy Trullas Moreno. The Hong Kong branch is overseen by fellow Catalan, Alex Martinez Fargas. Although sticking to “classic” dishes such as Iberico ham, also expect a contemporary touch (or rather “twist”) from the menu with things like scallop cerviche or beef cheek with banana & passion fruit crispy roll. An extensive and once again overwhelmingly Spanish wine by-the-glass list (with six sherries no less), the “premium wine” section only has cru classé Bordeaux and some white Burgundy. Vega Sicilia & co do feature in the Spanish side of the list (and very good it is too) but it seems a shame not to promote Spain’s top wines alongside the French heavyweights, particularly as in terms of price and Parker points (which are listed), Spain’s value and the evident esteem in which the wines are held rings out loud and clear.

Ham & Sherry – Ship Street, Wan Chai

A Jason Atherton venture (along with 22 Ships just down the road), Ham & Sherry is the archetypal Sherry bar that London has come to know and love. The walls are covered in blue-glazed tiles and the emphasis is on light bites of traditional Spanish food and copas of en rama Sherry and other well-sourced Spanish delights. A good place for a quick weekend early-evening supper before delving further into the burgeoning delights of Wan Chai.

Iberico & Co – Shelley Street, Central

Yet another Central hang-out, Iberico is another Hong Kong veteran having survived its opening year this summer. Part of the Enoteca group, Iberico is dedicated to serving pan-Iberian dishes and is strident in its desire not to be “just another Spanish restaurant”. The wine list is not overly long but almost completely Spain/Portugal dominated, alongside a few Chilean and Australian interlopers. Many of the whites can be bought by the glass and carafe and there is a section of “Superlative Reds” that is 100% Spanish and features Vega Sicilia, Valdemar, Marques de Murrieta, Paco Garcia, Navajas and other others.

Olé – Ice House Street, Central

If being a year old is a mark of maturity in Hong Kong restaurateuring, imagine what 16 makes you? Olé is the Spanish restaurant that helped pave the way for the others. Founded in 1998 by Carmelo Lopez who moved to Asia in the 1970s, the restaurant is a Mecca for those who crave – or at least nostalgically remember – Spanish restaurants with yellow walls, glazed terracotta tiles and other bits of assorted pottery placed in wall niches. Don’t let that fool you though – the food and wine list are entirely Spanish, again bar a couple of Champagnes. Rioja and Ribera del Duero are the only two regions given any special mention on the menu, but there’s Sherry, Cava, Priorat, Terra Alta, Toro, Somontano, whites and rosés to choose from. Little frippery, just Spanish.

Plaza Mayor – Moon Street, Wan Chai

A Madrileño hang-out in the more interesting part of Wan Chai already alluded to, Plaza Mayor certainly looks as close to a Spanish tapas bar you can get without visiting the country. Opened in 2011 as the craze for tapas really got going, it now boasts a sister venue in Sai Kung. Plaza Mayor is best for ham, manchego, paella, tortilla, a glass of something cold and wet and mulling when you might feasibly be able to go back to Spain.

QUEMO – Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai

One of Elite Concepts portfolio, Quemo is a different Spanish venue in that its main feature is barbacoa – Spanish barbecues. Reputed to also have some of Hong Kong’s best paella, Quemo also boasts a couple of porron, wine pitchers where the liquid is literally poured into an open mouth from as great a height as you dare, so don’t wear anything white. The menu features lots of ham, and even chorizo “lollipops” and “pregnant” tomatoes. Look at as well for its “Jamgria” weekend lunches where jamon and Sangria are free-flow all lunch time for just HK$250 a head.

22 Ships – Ship Street, Wan Chai

Big sister to Ham & Sherry just down the road and another Jason Atherton tapas joint, 22 Ships isn’t as full-on Spanish as its relative but is, nonetheless, very Iberian in flavour. It started life with the intention of “offering the most comprehensive Sherry list in Asia”, which it does rather well, with over 15 Sherries covering all the major styles, Gonzalez Byass’ Fino Palmas range and limited edition Sherries from Osborne & Co sourced from el Bulli’s cellar. The wine list has a strong Spanish core but a large smattering of other European wines as well.

Vasco – Aberdeen Street, Sheung Wan

The newest addition to the Spanish dining scene, opening at the newly renovated Police Married Quarters (PMQ) site on Aberdeen Street in Soho – apparently the hippest part of town in every city of the world. Very much a fine dining venue, with a recommendation that it is not a good idea to bring along children under 11 and “full table participation” being required with the tasting menus, Vasco does come across as a bit serious. So is the wine list, which is a temple to wine in general and not just Spanish. The white and sparkling selection pales a little when compared to the quite staggering array of Champagne on offer, but redeems itself with a superb selection of reds featuring a lot of aged wines which is certainly one of Spain’s strong points when it comes to the on- and off-trades. As with some other venues listed, it’s a shame not to see a Spanish restaurant really try and focus on Spanish wines – the Bordeaux, Burgundy and Barolo lists have clearly been lovingly curated but one can only hope that diners are given the chance to try some of Spain’s best offerings rather than plumping for something they’ve had before.