Restaurant in Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Book early. The award stack justifies it.
Andō is one of Hong Kong's most decorated tasting menu restaurants, holding a Michelin star, Black Pearl diamond, and a World's 50 Best Asia ranking of 41st (2025). Chef Agustín Ferrando Balbi's Argentine-Japanese fusion is genuinely singular in Central. Book four to six weeks out minimum — this is near-impossible territory — and take the wine pairing.
If you're comparing Andō against Ta Vie for a special-occasion tasting menu in Central, Andō edges ahead on sheer award density and cross-cultural originality. Ta Vie plays a more restrained Japanese-French game; Andō brings a distinctly personal Argentine-Japanese fusion that you won't find replicated elsewhere in the city. That said, booking Andō is significantly harder — treat it as a near-impossible reservation and plan accordingly.
Andō sits on the first floor of Somptueux Central at 52 Wellington Street, Central , squarely in Hong Kong's fine-dining corridor. The kitchen is guided by chef Agustín Ferrando Balbi, who grew up in Argentina, trained through Buenos Aires and the United States, then spent five years in Japan before opening in Hong Kong. The restaurant name itself reflects that layered identity: a reference to his surname Ferrando, a Spanish present participle for ongoing action, and the Japanese phrase for "peaceful east."
The result on the plate is a tasting menu that moves between Spanish structural elegance and Japanese ingredient precision. Tatler Asia named Andō among its Leading 20 Restaurants in Hong Kong for 2025, describing the experience as "Spanish elegance meets Japanese precision in a dining experience full of quiet surprises." The credential list is substantial: Michelin one star, Black Pearl one diamond (2025), World's 50 Best Asia's Leading Restaurants ranked 41st (2025), La Liste Leading Restaurants at 78 points (2026), and Opinionated About Dining ranking it 27th in Asia (2025). For food and wine explorers tracking the Asia-Pacific tasting menu circuit, Andō appears on essentially every list that matters.
First visit: treat it as the full tasting menu experience. The sommelier's wine flight is closely calibrated to the kitchen , this is one of the stronger pairings programs in the city, and skipping it on a first visit means missing a significant part of what Andō is doing. The White Star recognition from Star Wine List (published April 2023) signals the wine program is taken seriously as a standalone credential, not just an add-on.
Second visit: if you can secure a return booking, it's worth asking the sommelier about specific bottles outside the standard flight. Andō's wine program is designed for that kind of conversation. The signature caldoso rice dish, known as "Sin Lola" in homage to chef Balbi's grandmother Lola, is the anchor dish across visits , it's the clearest expression of what makes this kitchen distinct from the Japanese-French and French Contemporary alternatives elsewhere in Central.
Third visit or beyond: consider timing around any menu evolution. Andō's concept is personal and ongoing by design, so the menu shifts as the chef's influences develop. Regulars report that returning across seasons gives a meaningful sense of how the kitchen is moving.
Reservations: Near impossible to secure without significant advance planning , book a minimum of four to six weeks out, and expect popular dates to be gone further ahead than that. Use the restaurant's official booking channel via the Jia Group website. Location: 1/F, 52 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. Dress: Smart casual at minimum; the room and price point suggest business casual or above. Budget: Price range not publicly confirmed in available data, but the award tier and Central location place this firmly at the leading end of Hong Kong's fine-dining bracket , budget accordingly and factor in the wine pairing if you intend to take it.
If you're building a Hong Kong fine-dining itinerary around Andō, the city's broader scene offers strong context. Amber and Caprice sit at the leading of the French Contemporary tier. Forum is the reference point for serious Cantonese. For a broader view of where to eat, drink, and stay, see our full Hong Kong restaurants guide, our full Hong Kong bars guide, and our full Hong Kong hotels guide. If you're extending beyond dining, our full Hong Kong experiences guide and our full Hong Kong wineries guide are worth a look. For a lower-key coffee or pastry stop in the same neighbourhood, Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon Hong Kong at ifc mall is a short walk away.
For international context on what a tasting menu at this award tier looks like globally, Atomix in New York and Alinea in Chicago are useful reference points. Le Bernardin in New York, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, Emeril's in New Orleans, and 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong round out the global peer group worth knowing if you track this tier of restaurant.
Go in expecting a full tasting menu built around Argentine-Japanese fusion in a fine-dining Central setting. Andō is not a la carte , the experience is structured around the chef's menu. Budget for the wine pairing; it's closely integrated with the kitchen and skipping it means missing a significant part of what Andō delivers. It holds a Michelin star, Black Pearl diamond, and a World's 50 Best Asia ranking, so the format and price are in line with that tier.
Bar seating information is not confirmed in available data. Given the intimate, structured tasting menu format, walk-in or bar dining is unlikely to be the standard mode. Contact the restaurant directly before assuming bar access is available.
Four to six weeks minimum for most dates; longer for Friday and Saturday evenings. Andō's award profile , Michelin star, World's 50 Best Asia #41, La Liste 78pts , puts it in the near-impossible booking tier. If you have a fixed travel date, make the reservation before you book your flights.
For a comparable tasting menu with different influences, Ta Vie is the closest peer , Japanese-French, similarly decorated, slightly more restrained in concept. 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana is the right call if you want Italian fine dining at the same price tier. For serious Cantonese at a lower price point, The Chairman is worth a booking. If you want French Contemporary with strong wine credentials, Amber is the benchmark. Feuille is a newer French Contemporary option at a slightly lower price point if availability is easier.
Yes, directly. The tasting menu format, wine pairing program, and intimate setting make it well-suited to celebrations. The award credentials give it the kind of weight that makes a special occasion feel appropriately marked. Just don't leave the reservation to the last minute , near-impossible availability means late bookings frequently miss out.
Smart casual is the floor; business casual or above is more in keeping with the room, price point, and award level. Avoid overly casual clothing. If in doubt, err toward smart.
The tasting menu is the format , there is no meaningful a la carte choice to navigate. Within the menu, the caldoso rice dish known as "Sin Lola" is the signature: a tribute to chef Balbi's grandmother and the clearest expression of his Argentine-Japanese approach. Take the wine pairing; the sommelier works directly with the kitchen and the pairings are designed as part of the experience, not an afterthought.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andō | Near Impossible | — | |
| Ta Vie | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana (Hong Kong) | $$$$ | Unknown | — |
| Feuille | $$$ | Unknown | — |
| The Chairman | $$ | Unknown | — |
| Neighborhood | $$ | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Andō is a tasting-menu-only format built around chef Agustín Ferrando Balbi's Argentina-meets-Japan culinary perspective. The signature dish, 'Sin Lola' — a caldoso rice dedicated to his grandmother — is the clearest expression of that vision and worth ordering attention around. With a Michelin star, a Black Pearl 1 Diamond (2025), and a #41 ranking on World's 50 Best Asia (2025), this is a room where the credentials match the format. Pair the food with the sommelier's wine flight; the two are designed together.
Bar seating details are not confirmed in available venue data. Given the intimate, tasting-menu format and the level of demand — book four to six weeks out minimum — walk-in or casual bar access is unlikely. check the venue's official channels via their Jia Group website to confirm seating options before planning around it.
Book a minimum of four to six weeks out; popular dates fill faster than that. Andō holds a Michelin star, a Black Pearl Diamond, and a #41 Asia ranking for 2025 — demand is not slowing. If you have a fixed travel date, book the day your window opens.
Ta Vie is the closest like-for-like alternative for a personal, chef-driven tasting menu in Central, though Andō has a denser award stack in 2025. Amber and Caprice sit at the top of Hong Kong's French fine-dining tier if you want European classical technique over fusion. The Chairman is the call if you want Cantonese cooking at a high level without a tasting-menu format.
Yes — it is one of the strongest special-occasion cases in Hong Kong's Central corridor. The intimate setting, a tasting menu built around a single chef's personal story, a closely matched wine flight, and back-to-back appearances on the World's 50 Best Asia list (#41 in 2025) make the booking easy to justify. For large groups, verify private room availability directly with the restaurant.
Dress code details are not specified in venue data, but Andō's profile — Michelin-starred, intimate, Central Hong Kong fine dining — places it in the same tier as venues that expect polished attire. Business casual at a minimum is a reasonable assumption; confirm directly with the restaurant if you have concerns.
The format is a set tasting menu, so ordering is largely taken care of. The dish to pay attention to is 'Sin Lola', the signature caldoso rice that represents Balbi's Argentine heritage. The sommelier's wine flight is developed alongside the kitchen rather than independently, making it the practical pairing choice here rather than ordering by the glass.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
