2018 is looking to be a strong year for Hong Kong’s F&B scene with so many new restaurant openings in the first month alone – FRANCIS in Wan Chai being one of them. The neighbourhood hangout opened its doors on January 22 in the up-and-coming St Francis Yard section of Wan Chai (just down the road from Pici). 

The airy 30-seater concept celebrates Tel Aviv’s vibrant food culture with curated wines and an inspired menu of mezes. As soon as I heard about it, I immediately booked a girls’ dinner to get the 411. Tel Aviv is one of my favourite cities in the world for many reasons, and the cuisine stands out in my memory as the best of any trip I’ve ever done. (Read: 10 Reasons Why Tel Aviv Should Be Your Next Holiday)

Refreshingly, FRANCIS is not ‘just another brand’ adding to the roster of some big dining group. It’s the first venture for a trio of young entrepreneurs led by James Ward, former manager at successful venues Aqua, Zafran and The Ocean in Repulse Bay. His partners are Israeli-born chef Asher Goldstein and sommelier Simone Sammuri.

Goldstein, a native of Tel Aviv, crafted a seasonal menu of shared plates using organic produce in addition to fresh seafood and vegetables. In fact, the night we came we dined meatless: Baked Halloumi with pomegranate molasses and wild oregano (HK$120), Smoked Carrots with almond and spiced honey (HK$90), Cauliflower with yogurt and tarragon (HK$80) and Raw Tuna with kohlrabi, anchovy and tomato (HK$140). 

If I were to go back, I would try the Hummus (HK$80), Falafel (HK$50) and Sweet Potato with paprika and feta (HK$90); they ran out of the latter when we were there. For dessert, we had a delicious modern take on the Palestinian knafeh, a crispy pastry with melting mozzarella inside topped with orange blossom and pistachio (HK$80). This one was definitely one of my favourites at Shuk Ha’Carmel.

Word of warning: I was eating with a girlfriend and neither of us has much of an appetite, but we had to order at least five plates between the two of us (dessert included). We had to shell out around HK$450 each in the end (counting the wine), which is no small price to pay for only half-filling our stomachs. 

What should you expect at FRANCIS? Refined versions of your Tel Avivian classics in tiny portions. The wine selection, on the other hand, is altogether another matter: the vintages are excellent and you can get a bottle of red from HK$180.

FRANCIS is definitely a great place to catch up with friends over casual bites and drinks (we loved the vibe!), but for a sit down dinner I would recommend eating somewhere else (first). Shalom!

FRANCIS G/F, 4 & 6, St. Francis Street, Wan Chai (852) 3101 9521 hello@francis.com.hk www.francis.com.hk facebook.com/francishkrestaurant/ instagram.com/francishongkong/