(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- This review was originally published on Oct. 17 as part of the Hong Kong Edition newsletter.
Bâtard, the popular Sai Ying Pun restaurant known for its fine French food and wine selection,
relocated a few weeks ago and boy, did it get an upgrade.
It's the main restaurant of the members-only
Club Bâtard, which includes two other eateries (Le Clos, Hop Sze) and a bar (OBE), in the heart of Central. Specifically, it's in the century-old
Pedder Building, which many will
remember as the site of
Abercrombie & Fitch's former flagship store in Hong Kong.
After hearing so many people rave about the place, I finally got to go on a
recent Tuesday with one of my banking sources. We both ordered the business set lunch, which was HK$780 ($100) per person. Our total bill came to just over HK$2,000, after adding a couple of coffees, sparkling water and an extra entrée. I can see now what the hype was all about.
Only a few spots for membership, out of 1,200, are still
available,
a representative said on Wednesday. It's
HK$128,000 for individuals to join and HK$480,000 for a corporate membership.
The vibe: The club, named after the famed Bâtard-Montrachet vineyard in France, is adorned with plenty of rosewood and the colonial-style decor exudes a luxurious feel. But the highlight was the impressive three-story wine cellar, which has a staircase connecting all of Bâtard's
F&B venues.
Who's next to you:
It was the usual business crowd. People were dressed in business attire or smart-casual wear. The room was fairly full with only a handful of unoccupied tables. And nearly all of the diners were enjoying wine.
Can you conduct a meeting here?
Yes. It's a large space with high ceilings, so the tables have a good amount of space in between. The music wasn't too loud. But if you want a cozier setting, there are a couple of private rooms
that overlook the kitchen.
What we'd order again: Barring dietary restrictions, the signature roast chicken is a no-brainer. The entire cooked fowl is beautifully presented before being cut up and served. The golden-brown skin was perfectly crispy and the meat succulent. Though the restaurant also recommends other poultry like the Babarie duck, diners usually go for the chicken, according to the staff.
We didn't order wine, but we did get to sample
a delightful 1982 Saint-Emilion -
a 1982! Needless to say, its collection of wines and champagnes was impressive. (Editor's note: We will seek to do a more thorough review of Bâtard's
wine in a future edition of this newsletter).
Need to know:
The restaurant is located on the second floor of the Pedder Building, which is also home to Jimmy's Kitchen (check out our review). Only members can book at Bâtard, though they can invite guests. It's open daily for lunch from 12 p.m. to
3:30 p.m., and dinner from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
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