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Ashley Sutton is on a roll. After making his Hong Kong debut nearly two years ago with Ophelia, he has since opened successful establishments&nbsp;J.Boroski, Iron Fairies and Yojimbo in partnership with Dining Concepts. It looks like the man has got a winning formula to answer the often-fickle tastes of 852 denizens. Let&#8217;s take a look at his latest venture&nbsp;Dear Lilly, which Gafencu&nbsp;visited last week on its soft opening.
<figure id="attachment_33663" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33663" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-33663 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Interior_1-e1519875017287.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="420" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Interior_1-e1519875017287.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Interior_1-e1519875017287-200x120.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-33663" class="wp-caption-text">Dear Lilly features Sutton&#8217;s characteristic intricate designs, this time a floral wonderland of old photographs, vintage perfume bottles and antique typewriters</figcaption></figure>
<h3>The Setting</h3>
Dear Lilly&#8217;s glass-walled saloon replaces the former&nbsp;Zentro Loft on ifc mall&#8217;s rooftop. We were first impressed by the stunning view as we approached the spot, and then inside, by the the elaborate interiors. It was a bit difficult to reconcile the two at the beginning, as both compete for your attention with equally-matched charm.
Sutton obviously tapped his romantic side when coming up with the theme here: prints of love letters from times gone by serve as placemats to your meal (ahem, Dear Lilly).&nbsp;Countless bouquets of dried flowers take up the whole ceiling space.&nbsp;You can even make like Alice in Wonderland climbing into a super-sized jewellery box: that&#8217;s the effect you get when getting into the intimate booths housed inside the heart-shaped steel structures. (Fun fact: It apparently took Sutton over two years to recreate his cousins&#8217; old metal jewel boxes large enough to fit people into).
<figure id="attachment_33666" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33666" style="width: 467px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-33666 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Interior_16-e1519876350228.jpg" alt="" width="467" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Interior_16-e1519876350228.jpg 467w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Interior_16-e1519876350228-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-33666" class="wp-caption-text">Trinkets hang from the kinetic ceiling at the bar</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Eat and drink</h3>
We began with cocktails: all pretty as a picture, but some teetering dangerously on the sweet side. 1920s French tipples are the stars of the show here, featuring spirits and liqueurs the likes of&nbsp;lillet blanc and swizzled calvados.&nbsp;
Food – contemporary European cuisine&nbsp;– was surprisingly well executed compared to the fare at Sutton&#8217;s other bars. The&nbsp;Tuna Poke&nbsp;(HK$138) won our palates with its laudable mix of sweet onion vinaigrette, avocado and scallions. The 12-hour&nbsp;Slow Cooked Octopus&nbsp;(HK$128) and honey-glazed&nbsp;Prime Beef Short Ribs&nbsp;(HK$138) are also excellent starter choices.
Vegetarians won&#8217;t feel left out with Dear Lilly&#8217;s textured&nbsp;Curly Kale Salad (HK$128) and wholesome&nbsp;Mezze Platter (HK$178). The former comes in a rainbow of guilt-free ingredients: quinoa, dry seeds and red radish with orange vinaigrette. The latter features delicious Middle Eastern staples: hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki, falafel, marinated olives, and grilled halloumi with pita bread.
<figure id="attachment_33667" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33667" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-33667 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/New-Zealand-Lamb-Cutlets-_1-e1519877354982.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/New-Zealand-Lamb-Cutlets-_1-e1519877354982.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/New-Zealand-Lamb-Cutlets-_1-e1519877354982-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-33667" class="wp-caption-text">Dear Lilly offers both a set lunch and an a la carte menu; the set lunch is available as either a two or three-course meal.&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>
Of the mains, the unanimous favourite was the&nbsp;Wild Mushroom Risotto&nbsp;(HK$178) of black truffle and parmesan. Personally, however, I loved the&nbsp;Puttanesca Pappardelle&nbsp;(HK$188) as I have a weakness for anchovies. If you&#8217;re&nbsp;really hungry,&nbsp;don&#8217;t hesitate to get the hefty&nbsp;Grill Cornfed Chicken&nbsp;(HK$168) at seriously good value.&nbsp;
<h3>The verdict</h3>
Sutton and Dining Concepts decided to make a gamble when they prioritised aesthetic over potential profitability in this ambitious project – a rare and brave decision in Hong Kong&#8217;s cutthroat F&amp;B scene. Rather than packing the space with as much dining area as possible, they decided to go with outrageous design elements that aligned with the artist&#8217;s vision. Bravo, we say to that.
Dear Lilly definitely got the right mix in for the food menu, but we&#8217;re afraid so much going on might detract from the nuances that would otherwise be highlighted. The drinks, meanwhile, need a bit more refining; cocktails look beautiful, but taste-wise, the team could use a hand from the folks at J.Boroski. Other than that, we can&#8217;t complain; rather, we&#8217;ve made a note to come back and check it out in daylight. We certainly want to see the place again in all its light-washed glory.&nbsp;
<a href="http://www.diningconcepts.com/restaurants/Dear-Lilly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dear Lilly</a>, Shop 4010, Podium Level 4, IFC Mall, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong.&nbsp;
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Words: <a href="http://www.morenatravels.com">Julienne C. Raboca</a>

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Dear Lilly opens on IFC mall rooftop after success of Ophelia, Iron Fairies