Following its recent revamp, Mandarin Oriental is introducing a pizza omakase counter and whisky salon this November. Its culinary team is also behind THE CHATER, a new all-day restaurant at LANDMARK.
Elsewhere, Bar Leone co-founder Lorenzo Antinori joins Rosewood Hong Kong for Bar Camillo, American mega restaurant chain Dairy Queen returns after nearly five decades, and Singapore’s Two Men Bagel House debuts in Sai Ying Pun.
AOAO — Rooftop Restaurant and Bar Reopens in Central
AOAO has reopened on 30 October after redesigning its Central rooftop venue as a dining and music-focused social club. The updated menu borrows from Hong Kong café favourites, with a satay beef sandwich, salt-and-pepper soft-shell crab and sweet-and-sour Ibérico pork among the new dishes. Cocktails are organised into three collections for different moments of the evening. Retro-futuristic interiors, a terrace and live DJ sessions on selected nights shape its late-night atmosphere.
Type: Modern Asian restaurant and cocktail bar
Price range: $$-$$$
Location: 14/F, Manning House, 38–48 Queen’s Road Central, Central
Contact: Website | Instagram
Bar Camillo — New Italian-Inspired Cocktail Bar in Tsim Sha Tsui
Opening on 25 November at Rosewood Hong Kong, Bar Camillo brings together hotel bartenders and Bar Leone founders Lorenzo Antinori and Justin Shun Wah. The Italian-inspired cocktail bar centres on a personalised Negroni ritual: guests select their spirit, garnish and flavour profile before the drink is stirred tableside. Seasonal cocktail lists take cues from different eras of Italian popular culture. Mid-century interiors, intimate seating and an outdoor terrace complete the 50-seat setting.
Type: Italian-inspired cocktail bar
Price range: $$
Location: Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Contact: Website | Instagram
C.C. LOU — New Cantonese and Chaoshan Restaurant in Admiralty
Elite Concepts has introduced C.C. LOU at Pacific Place, focusing on the culinary traditions of Shantou and Canton. Fresh seafood, Cantonese roasted meats and traditional marinated dishes feature alongside dim sum, seasonal set menus and banquet options. The restaurant also caters to business meals and celebrations with private rooms and a bar area. Its broad menu gives diners the choice of a casual dim sum visit or a more elaborate shared Chinese meal.
Type: Cantonese and Chaoshan cuisine
Price range: $$-$$$
Location: Shop 003, LG1/F, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Contact: Website | Instagram
Clarence Wine & Grill — French Fine-Dining Restaurant Reopens in Central
Chef Olivier Elzer has given Clarence Wine & Grill a new home on Wyndham Street after four years at H Code. The restaurant reopened in October with a more relaxed approach to French cooking, emphasising seasonal produce and dishes designed for sharing. Familiar favourites include tuna prepared with spices, duck breast and butcher’s cuts of beef, alongside a varied wine list. The ground-floor dining room makes the new Clarence easier to drop into for lunch or dinner.
Type: French grill and wine restaurant
Price range: $$$
Location: G/F, Win Hing House, 36–38 Wyndham Street, Central
Contact: Website | Instagram
Dairy Queen — Iconic American Ice Cream Chain Makes Hong Kong Comeback
Dairy Queen is returning to Hong Kong after nearly five decades, with four shops planned across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and outlying islands by year-end. Its flagship at One Causeway Bay is scheduled for November, while another branch is taking shape at The ANGLE in Kwun Tong. The remaining two locations are yet to be announced. Expect the signature Blizzard, thick enough to serve upside down, alongside soft-serve cones, milkshakes, parfaits and ice cream cakes.
Type: American ice cream and desserts
Price range: $
Location: One Causeway Bay, Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay; The ANGLE, Kwun Tong; two additional locations in the New Territories and outlying islands
Contact: Website | Instagram
Focazzina — New Italian Bakery and Café in Central
Cafe Deco Group’s Focazzina has joined Central Market with an Italian bakery-and-dining concept that changes pace through the day. Toasted focaccia sandwiches start at HK$74, while evening options include baked Tomino cheese with prosciutto, eggplant parmigiana and sourdough margherita pizza. Those stopping by for something sweet can order maritozzi, the Italian cream-filled buns priced at HK$28 each. The combination of takeaway-friendly baking and savoury small plates makes it a flexible Central stop.
Type: Italian bakery, sandwiches and casual dining
Price range: $
Location: Shops G04–09, G/F, Central Market, 93 Queen’s Road Central, Central
Contact: Website | Instagram
Karun Thai Tea — New Thai Tea Shops in Kai Tak and Tsim Sha Tsui
Bangkok tea specialist Karun is expanding into Hong Kong with planned branches at AIRSIDE in Kai Tak and K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui. Its drinks centre on strongly brewed Thai tea, particularly traditional milk tea prepared to your preferred sweetness. Tea slushies and other speciality tea creations broaden the range, with Thai-inspired desserts associated with its Bangkok stores.
Type: Thai milk tea and speciality tea shop
Price range: $
Location: Shop 220, 2/F, AIRSIDE, 2 Concorde Road, Kai Tak; Shop B101A, B1/F, K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Contact: Website | Instagram
Lola María Wan Chai — Spanish Tapas Restaurant Opens Second Hong Kong Branch
After its Sheung Wan debut, Lola María will start welcoming diners to Gresson Street on 3 November. Founder-chef Edgard Sanuy Barahona has tailored this second Spanish restaurant to Wan Chai, combining familiar tapas with dishes created for the area. Try the slow-cooked egg with chorizo over whipped potato, lobster folded into creamy rice, or a fruit salad featuring produce bought nearby. Other choices include pintxos, cured meats, seafood and fideuà, with weekend brunch offered too.
Type: Spanish tapas and sharing plates
Price range: $$-$$$
Location: Shop A, G/F, Wai Cheong Building, 5–9A Gresson Street, Wan Chai
Contact: Website | Instagram
The Baker & The Bottleman — New British Bakery and Bistro in Causeway Bay
The Baker & The Bottleman is preparing to move from Wan Chai’s Lee Tung Avenue to Leighton Road in Causeway Bay, targeting a mid-to-late November reopening. The British-inspired concept is known for handmade sourdough, croissants and other pastries during the day, followed by seasonal European sharing dishes and natural wines. Its former venue combined a downstairs bakery with an upstairs dining room. The new address, opening date and any menu changes have yet to be confirmed.
Type: British-inspired bakery and European bistro
Price range: $$
Location: Leighton Road, Causeway Bay
Contact: Website | Instagram
THE CHATER — New All-Day Dining in Central
THE CHATER has opened inside LANDMARK CHATER as an all-day dining destination with a menu curated by Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong. Its railway lounge-inspired interiors extend to Platform 1889, an outdoor terrace overlooking Central. Diners can order the hotel’s well-known Hainan chicken rice, miso cod or Aegean pulled pork with pita. Coffee, cocktails and a dedicated bubble tea selection give the restaurant a different role throughout the day, from lunch to after-work drinks.
Type: International all-day dining and bar
Price range: $$
Location: 2/F, LANDMARK CHATER, 8 Connaught Road Central, Central
Contact: Website | Instagram
The Pizza Bar by Daniele Cason — New Pizza Omakase in Central
The Pizza Bar by Daniele Cason arrives at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong on 2 November, bringing the chef’s counter-style pizza omakase from Tokyo. Guests watch pizzas being stretched and baked using dough matured for 72 hours, topped with ingredients selected from Italy and Japan. The tasting experience goes beyond pizza, with cured meats, cheeses, seafood, salads and Italian desserts. Drinks draw on familiar Italian cocktails, reworked with Japanese ingredients, while a private room accommodates smaller gatherings.
Type: Italian-Japanese pizza omakase
Price range: $$-$$$
Location: M/F, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central
Contact: Website | Instagram
The Thistle and The Jade — New Whisky Bar in Central
Mandarin Oriental’s new whisky salon opens on 2 November, bringing together distilling traditions from Scotland and across Asia. A floor-to-ceiling whisky library holds bottles from Japan, Taiwan, India and beyond, ranging from familiar labels to collectible vintages. Guests can choose guided tastings, whisky flights, highballs or cocktails built around different styles of whisky. Designed by Malherbe Paris, the intimate setting also has a private Jade Room and a dedicated cigar lounge.
Type: Whisky bar and cocktail salon
Price range: $$
Location: Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central
Contact: Website | Instagram
Two Men Bagel House — Singaporean Bagel Brand Debuts in Sai Ying Pun
Singapore-founded Two Men Bagel House has soft-opened its first Hong Kong shop on Western Street in Sai Ying Pun. Its hand-rolled, New York-style bagels come filled with combinations such as the Luxe with salmon and cream cheese, 2BAC with bacon and scrambled eggs, and Mars Yard with roast beef, jalapeño relish and horseradish cream. Bagel choices include sesame, garlic and onion, and cheddar and jalapeño, while several flavoured cream cheeses are available separately.
Type: New York-style bagels and sandwiches
Price range: $
Location: Shop A, King’s Hill, 38 Western Street, Sai Ying Pun
Contact: Website | Instagram
Young Master Central — New Craft Beer Taproom in Central
Hong Kong craft brewery Young Master has opened a flagship taproom at BaseHall 01, with its official grand opening celebration scheduled for 6 November. The bar pours ten rotating draught selections, including Classic Pale Ale, 1842 IPA and locally made HIGHERTHAN highballs. Seasonal releases and collaborations add variety beyond the regular beer list. Visitors can also pick up crowlers to take away, browse limited merchandise and try the brewery’s alcohol-free options alongside bar snacks.
Type: Craft beer taproom and bar snacks
Price range: $$
Location: Shops 9A–C, BaseHall 01, LG/F, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central
Contact: Website | Instagram
Header image credits: Focazzina, Dairy Queen, Two Men Bagel House