Hot Hong Kong openings: October

Tivo

Grilled octopus with banana blossom salad

Nestled in bar-strewn Wyndham Street lies tivo.  Reopening with a new menu and cocktail list, tivo offers contemporary Italian-style bites, morriroing its hip sister restaurant in Kennedy Town.

Boasting chandeliers made out of silver spoons, an eye-catching long bar and mirrored walls, tivo caters to weekday lunchers for only HK$128 for two courses including grilled calamari salad followed by Australian ribeye and three courses for HK$148 including passionfruit cheesecake.

There’s also Club 55, serving up different drinks every day such as Martini Monday, Wine Wednesday and Prosecco Friday and best of all there’s free aperitivo and antipasti bar running every day from 5-8pm.

tivo, 43 Wyndham Street, Central; 2116 8055

Mamasita Cantina

After the surprise exit of Harlan Goldstein earlier last month, ZS Hospitality Group has now taken over full ownership of the four restaurants in 8 Lyndhurst Terrace with Mamasita’s Cantina being the latest opening.

Offering Mexican street food and a Cuban-inspired bar, (complete with Cuban cigars), Mamasita’s Cantina  combines an buzzing Latin atmosphere with over 80 premoum spsirts including 19 ages rums, 21 types of Tequila and 10 types of Mezcal.

Go for the fish tacos, Acapulco ceviche and vegetarian enchiladas.

Mamasita’s Cantina, 5F-6F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central; 2896 6118

Mirage at Renaissance Harbour View

James Tamang’s Lost in Translation cocktail, using bacon fat washed bourbon

Following a four-month makeover, the Renaissance Harbour View has revamped its Lounge Bar which has now reopened as Mirage.

Designed by AB Concept, Mirage also has a 25 foot high ‘island’ bar covered in greenery – in stark contrast to the five star hotel’s location in Hong Kong’s urban jungle district of Wan Chai and offers panoramic views over Victoria Harbour and brand new cocktail list created by manager, James Tamang.

Cocktail highlights include, Lost in Translation – Tamang’s take on the Whisky Sour and a concoction of bacon fat washed bourbon, citrus and sweet spices and then Monkey Business which uses caramelised banana mixed with vodka and Oloroso sherry.

Mirage, Renaissance Harbour View, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai; 2802 8888

Soul Food

Black Sheep Restaurant’s latest venture is in collaboration with Soul Food in Bangkok which serves up fresh, uncomplicated Thai street food.

Following its summer pop-up, Soul Food is now firmly fixed in SoHO and open for dinner from 6pm.

Try the smoked duck and shiitake mushroom larb and Kanom Jeen, a fresh noodle dish served with curry hailing from Central Thailand.

Soul Food Hong Kong, 26-30 Elgin Street, Central; 2177 3544

M Bar at Mandarin Oriental 

Fresh with a new beverage team headed up by Hong Kong legend Agung Prabowo, formerly of the Lobster Bar, M Bar offers stunning views of Victoria Harbour and seasonal treats from head chef, Pierre Gagnaire.

M Bar also specializes in rare, small batch spirits from around the world concluding Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Kentucky Bourbon to Anty Gin from Cambridge.

Prabowo has created an ‘East Meets West’ cocktail menu, paying homage to the classics with his house-made infusions, including The Union cocktail’s small batch Havana Club Union Rum paired with effervescent Tonka beans, and house made bitters sourced from local dry fruits, as well as Rock and Rye which is inspired by the iconic Whiskey Sour.

M Bar, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road, Central; 2825 4002

Apinara

Pacific Place’s restaurant offering seems to be undergoing somewhat of a renaissance of late, with the opening of Operetta and the news of the forthcoming Commissary from JIA Group reaching our ears.

Its latest addition, Apinara, is a joint project between co-founder of Nara Thai in Bangkok Narawadee (Yuki) Srikarnchana and Pearl Shek – co-founder of Isono in PMQ and offers many of the popular dishes from Nara exported to Hong Kong.

Menu highlights include Tom Yum Kung with own home-made seafood broth, yellow curry soft shell crab, and Phad Thai Diet, with shredded papaya noodles with prawns in phad thai sauce.

Apinara, Shop no. 205, Level 2, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, 3107 1888