Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros

With more than 25,000 French citizens living in the city, the bistro is booming in Hong Kong

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Jean-Pierre, Soho

Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros - glamorous bistro dining at Jean-Pierre on Bridges Street

This art deco-style French bistro in Sheung Wan is an energy-filled space and perfect for group dining. The menu is crammed with bistro classics, guests are invited to tuck into indulgent renditions of steak tartare, escargots de Bourgogne, pâté de foie de volaille, steak frites and sole meunière, with accompaniments like haricots verts and gratin dauphinois. On the pud menu there’s crème caramel, profiteroles, mousse au chocolat and a tarte de Saint-Tropez. The vibe is a buzzy rendition of Paris in the 1920s and 30s, the golden age of bistro dining. As with all Black Sheep restaurants, expect great service and attention to detail.

Jean-Pierre, 9 Bridges Street, Central; 2154 6101.

Read more: Here's what we thought of Jean-Pierre

Chouchou, Wan Chai

Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros - dine indoors or on the terrace at Chouchou

Bringing a “laid-back twist to classic French dining”, Chouchou’s kitchen is led by executive chef Cédric Tsia whose Hong Kong career credits include Mandarin Oriental’s Amber and Louise by Julien Royer. The restaurant celebrates authentic Gallic flavours in a warm and unpretentious setting with cocktail bar, dining area with open kitchen and an outdoor terrace. Menu highlights include tartare de boeuf, raviole de crabe, tournedos Rossini (beef tenderloin topped with seared foie gras) and sharing plates like canard à l’orange and traditional tourte française with black truffle, Comté cheese, Parisian ham and potatoes encased in puff pastry.

Chouchou, Shop 8, 1/F J Residence, 60 Johnston Road, Wan Chai: 8432 6216.

LALA French Bistro, Soho

Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros - the vol au vent is the star of the show at LALA

LALA French Bistro recently opened in the city’s popular Soho district with laid-back brasserie fare. Founders Franckelie Laloum and Michael Larkin have created a menu that draws on Laloum’s years of experience in France whilst giving dishes light Asian twists. LALA’s point of difference is its Vol au Vent Lala. Last seen on a 1980s party buffet, the vol au vent has been deliciously resurrected by the LALA team as a generous round of crisp pastry filled with tasty morel mushrooms floating in a thick, rich gravy. This, along with the praline pastry on the dessert platter, makes LALA more than worth the trip.

LALA, G/F Lyndhurst Building, 23-29 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central; 5200 3915. 

Read more: Here's what we thought of LALA French Bistro

A Poêle, Quarry Bay

Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros - heartwarming French dishes in Quarry Bay

A Poêle recently opened in Quarry Bay offering “honest French cooking”. Large French doors let the sunshine in, setting the scene for a dining experience full of warmth. The menu boasts all the bistro classics, think French onion soup topped with gruyère cheese, escargots, beef tartare and steamed mussels. Heartier mains include beef cheek bourguignon and steak frites with classic French pepper sauce. Or try the impressive seafood platter. Pear tarte tatin, crème brûlée and an assiette de fromages top the pudding menu.

A Poêle, Shop 514, G/F, Hing On Mansion, 5 Tai Yue Avenue, Taikoo Shing; 2446 1598.

Le Colvert, Sai Ying Pun

Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros - duck décor and duck dishes at Le Colvert

Le Colvert, meaning ‘the mallard’, is a homage to all things duck. It is making its mark on Hong Kong’s French bistro scene serving a classic - but hard to find - dish, canard à la presse. Normally the preserve of fine-dining institutions, pressed duck is something of a culinary spectacle - which is why it is so difficult to come by - whereby the duck’s juices are pressed out tableside and added to a rich sauce which is served with the meat. More duck dishes include duck omelette, crispy confit duck leg and a duck tasting platter with duck breast, foie gras and gizzards confit. Le Colvert imports meaty, free-range ducks from Challans in southwestern France. 

Le Colvert, Shop 3, G/F, 321 Des Voeux Road West, Sai Ying Pun; 9548 6555.

Roucou, Soho

Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros - pull up a chair to explore the diversity of cheese

Not strictly a bistro but worthy of note if you're looking for an evening of French-influenced casual dining, Roucou is a French/Japanese hybrid bistro, intriguingly described as a cheese omakase bar. Expert fromager Jeremy Evrard showcases cheeses in inventive formats from a convivial bar with an eight-seat omakase-style counter. As well as cheese boards, Evrard serves hot plates like melted open artichoke sandwiches with a puff pastry base and a gooey Brie de Meaux and mushroom dip. Diners can pair bites with Japanese-inspired cocktails. In a neat touch, cheeseboards are made from repurposed wood from trees felled during Hong Kong typhoons.

Roucou, 28 Aberdeen Street, Central; 9603 6591.

Marmo Bistro, Tsim Sha Tsui

Hong Kong's tastiest French bistros - don't miss the tarte tropézienne at Marmo Bistro

Despite its setting in one of Hong Kong’s top tier hotels, Marmo Bistro leans to a more relaxed dining experience. The focus is simple, authentic cooking using fresh ingredients in modern renderings of classic French plates. For that reason, the menu is short, with just 18 dishes and five sides. Our cosy tasting included an oozing gratinée à l’oignon, sole meunière, côte Ibérique and a very good tarte tropézienne, all deliciously presented. Further recommendations include the fricassée de poulet, parsley risotto with frog legs and a refreshed take on the French Riviera summer classic, thon à la Niçoise.

Marmo Bistro, G/F Rosewood Hotel, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; 3891 8888.