Now that we’re on our fifth and final instalment of the Wan Chai Date Night Series (see our last one on Sichuan bistro Deng G here), we’re almost sad to say goodbye to this bustling neighbourhood. But before the last adieu, we make one more stop at Fishsteria, a seafood place that opened on Queen’s Road East a couple of years back.

Best for lunch / brunch dates: Fishsteria

A majority of the restaurants we tried for this series (3 of 5!) have had two floors: one for casual drinks and bites downstairs, and another for sit-down dining upstairs. But Fishsteria’s lower floor concept sets itself apart from the others with its unique seafood propositions. Take the Oyster & Caviar O’clock, for example – the downstairs bar has HK$10 oyster ‘happy hours’ from 5 to 7pm everyday!

That day however, we made a beeline for the upper floor to see what fresh catch we could munch on. We were surprised at how spacious and elegant the first floor was compared to the small looking ground floor lobby belying Fishsteria’s true size. The place was packed with lunch hour executives enjoying Chef and Owner Gianni’s sustainable ocean fare.

Set lunch is a three-course affair of HK$238. Selections are varied and hefty, ranging from appetizers Bouillabaisse and Burrata Crab Meat Salad to mains Seafood Paella and Angus Ribeye Steak. If you’re in a hurry, they have lunch downstairs as well for HK$88-128 (Mixed Seafood Linguini!). On weekends, Fishsteria hosts the Crudo Seafood Brunch offering five types of unlimited raw seafood, freshly shucked oysters and dessert for just HK$378. See why we awarded the place best for lunch / brunch dates?

We started with the Whole Sea bass Carpaccio (HK$358), a light paper-thin appetizer drizzled with citrus and topped with olives and capers. Five stars. Next we had a deliciously cooked Dover Sole (HK$368) with fresh leaves and dashes of Mediterranean dip. This was more than enough for us, but if you’re hungry, we’d recommend the larger and richer Pan-Fried Royal Seabream (HK$398), served over chorizo with lobster and foie gras sauce.

By the end of the meal we thought we had no room left for dessert, but the Pistachio and Raspberry Semifreddo (HK$138) changed our minds. It was impressively good – no holds were barred in the making of this serving made for sharing. Pistachio ice cream, crispy flakes, tangy raspberry, gooey chocolate sauce and crunchy peanuts – who knew those ingredients were a match made in heaven? Every single sweet tooth we had was pleased.

Would we come back to Fishsteria? That would be a resounding yes after discovering that the place has more to it than meets the eye.

Fishteria. G/F & 1/F 111 Queen’s Road East Wan Chai Hong Kong. (852) 2343 8111. www.fishsteria.hk

Fishsteria is part of The Caprioli Management group. You can check out their other restaurants in Wan Chai, too:

Giando Shop 1, G/F, Tower 1, Starcrest, 9 Star Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong. (852) 2511 8912, (852) 9683 4900. www.giandorestaurant.com

Giá Trattoria Italiana 1/F, Fleet Arcade, Fenwick Pier, 1 Lung King Street, Wan Chai. (852) 2511 8081, (852) 9683 4900. www.giatrattoriaitaliana.com

Mercato by Giando G/F Fleet Arcade, Fenwick Pier, Wan Chai. (852) 2511 1252. www.mercatobygiando.com

Text by: Julienne C. Raboca