Affordable fine dining in Hong Kong? It’s possible – restaurants may be getting more expensive, but not all
- As ever more restaurants open in Hong Kong, we’re seeing menus pushing upwards of HK$1,500 – US$200 – a head, but it doesn’t have to be this way
- There are a growing number of high-quality restaurants with fine food and smart service for HK$600 and under, such as Roganic and Cornerstone
When Shane Osborn opened Cornerstone in 2019, its main courses were priced below HK$200. This was excellent value given the restaurant’s location in central Hong Kong and its food quality, with many ingredients sourced from the same suppliers as his lauded refined dining restaurant Arcane.
But the sharply rising costs of labour, produce, wine, insurance and utilities – to name a few things – forced him to increase prices, with mains now between HK$250 and HK$300 (US$32 to US$38).
However, its prices – with no service charge levied – are still very fair, according to the Michelin Guide’s inspectors, with Cornerstone being the only Western restaurant in the city to be awarded a coveted Bib Gourmand for affordability as well as quality.
Blame it on the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, or extreme weather, but inflation is a hot-button issue for businesses, consumers and governments globally right now. For Hong Kong’s hospitality industry, it’s another blow to a sector barely recovering from social distancing restrictions and border closures.
At the upper end of the spectrum, you’re spoiled for choice, with talented chefs turning out superb French, Japanese, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, and even Latin American haute cuisine.
