The kitchen at Bayfare Social is run by Spanish chef Álvaro Ramos, who cut his chops at top restaurants around the world and in Hong Kong, where his most recent stint was as the executive chef at Ovolo Southside’s Komune restaurant. The chef’s fresh approach to casual and social dining at Bayfare Social, which is open for breakfast, lunch, drinks and dinner, makes the restaurant a very exciting place to be.
We visited for dinner, when there was a relaxed and moody atmosphere, with the lights dimmed. There are lots of seating options; marble bars and tall stools surround the tapas section, while traditional tables and chairs are scattered around the dining area. The restaurant has the perfect level of buzz without if feeling loud or tiring. The different sections break up the large space well, and if you can get a table on the intimate terrace, I’d say there is no better place to watch Hong Kong’s famous A Symphony of Lights show.
I also love the way the different sections of the menu are prepared in different sections of the restaurant – for example, there is a seafood area, a section where fresh pasta and paella are prepared, an ice-cream bar and even a butcher’s area, where you can buy meat to take away to cook at home.
We kicked off with the Nikkei bluefin tuna ceviche ($140) with ginger, soy sauce, panca chilli and sesame oil. The meaty tuna really suited the boldness of the additional ingredients – and flavourful it was, yet still a light dish.
Another dish from the “crudo” section of the menu was the sea bass with smoked eggplant and celery ($105). This was very fresh tasting, and I loved the creaminess and subtle smokiness from the aubergine.
From the “deli” section, we choose the kale salad ($70), made up of raw kale, Brussels sprouts, charred broccoli, avocado, ricotta and pistachio. This salad was hearty and tangy, and I think the earthiness of the Brussels sprouts and kale really needed that zing from the dressing. The creaminess of the ricotta was brilliant with the crunchy leaves.
Another stunning salad was the burrata with baby beetroot, heirloom tomatoes, pesto and basil ($160).
Moving on to the “hot tapas” section, the baby squid with farmed egg and padrón peppers ($95) was delicious, as was the braised short rib with XO sauce and picked radish ($120) – you couldn’t ask for more tender, flavourful beef.
Then came the paella of the day ($75 for small or $140 for large). It was really authentic tasting – dry and al- dente rice with lovely, fresh seafood and a rich tomato flavour.
For dessert, I would highly recommend the chocolate tart ($50), served with caramelised walnuts and a very good vanilla ice cream. I also enjoyed the lemon meringue tart ($50), which comes with strawberry sorbet and whipped cream. I think $50 for a dessert and ice cream is an absolute steal, so go ahead and try them all (I would have had I not been so full from dinner).
Verdict on Bayfare Social
Bayfare Social is the perfect jack-of-all-trades restaurant – go there with friends, on a date or even alone for a quick, deli-style meal. The views are spectacular, the service great and the prices amazing. I actually couldn’t believe how reasonably priced everything is, and the portions are mostly really generous. On top of this, you get to come to the Rosewood hotel, which is an absolute delight in itself. I will definitely be revisiting very soon.
5/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, TST, 3891 8732, book online
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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