Mono

Ricardo Chaneton's kitchen at Mono makes its chocolate from scratch, starting from Ecuadorian cacao pods.

Why go

Ricardo Chaneton was born in Venezuela to an Italian mother, with a Colombian grandmother and an Argentinian grandfather. He trained at Quique Dacosta in Spain, where he says Dacosta taught him how to cook fish and how to feel fish and seafood—something he didn't show anyone else.1 He rose to head chef at Mauro Colagreco's Mirazur in France and moved to Hong Kong in 2016 to run the French restaurant Petrus.2 Yenn Wong of JIA Group, who opened Mono with him, had his Italian-Venezuelan heritage in mind when she told him: You have the potential to do something that doesn't exist in Hong Kong that belongs to you.1 Mono opened in late 2019 as a French restaurant and turned to Latin American food within a few months.2 Chaneton put it this way in 2021: I do what belongs to me, which is South American, but with the savoir faire of French cuisine.1 It has held a MICHELIN star every year since 2022 and placed 46th on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2026.8 2

In 2026 the South China Morning Post's 100 Top Tables found duck foie gras, yes, but here served in a taco with a 21-ingredient mole and coffee oil.5 The MICHELIN inspectors say the kitchen serves Danish langoustine with fermented Ecuadorian cacao in a dense shrimp stock to accentuate the crustacean umami.7 Tatler's May 2026 listing found the shellfish pristine, its sweetness layered with different forms of Ecuadorian cacao that bring bitterness, fragrance and depth in measured strokes.3

Hedonist HK, a Hong Kong food blogger, came back for dinner in May 2021 after eating here in the opening week. The Roscoff onion was the favorite dish of the night: The exterior of the onion was almost completely caramelized while the centre was still soft and moist. The mole, cut from 65 ingredients to 21, was made at the table from a trolley and poured over a morel stuffed with foie gras and chicken. The one complaint was the portion of aged monkfish, the house specialty: about a third of what we used to get.4

Mono has 22 seats, ten of them at the kitchen counter.8 Ingrid Paredes of Asia's 50 Best says to sit there. She describes the music in 2026: The rotation of timeless jazz on the sound system is astutely paired to the dining experience, with Chaneton's collection of more than 360 vinyl records – many inherited from his father – bringing warmth and intimacy to each meal.2

Order this / avoid

On the menu: the Danish langoustine with Ecuadorian cacao (Tatler, 2026).3
On the menu: the white sesame sourdough, baked in the house. Tatler in 2026: paired with a rare Catalonian olive oil whose grassy richness lifts the nutty crumb.3
On the menu: the house chocolate, served as a tasting from pod to plate: pulp, nibs, paste, mousse and bonbons (Asia's 50 Best, 2026). Hedonist HK in 2021: Simple but very very tasty thanks to the richness of the chocolate.2 4

What locals & experts say

South China Morning Post, 100 Top Tables (2026): For all the talk of Hong Kong's dining scene being international, quality South American fare is still in short supply – which makes Ricardo Chaneton's Mono singular indeed.5
MICHELIN Guide (2026): The 18-ingredient green mole is silky in texture, striking a balance between aromas, heat and acidity.7
Tatler Asia (2026): The combinations can read curious on paper, yet on the plate, they feel instinctive, almost inevitable.3
Lisa Cam, South China Morning Post (2022): easily one of the most avant-garde venues in Hong Kong.6
Award: MICHELIN one star, every edition 2022 to 2026. Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, No. 46, 2026.8 2

Good to know

Price: the dinner Journey Menu is HK$1,888 a head, read in September 2026. SCMP gives lunch at HK$888 a head and corkage at HK$600 (2026).9 5
Timing: dinner Tuesday to Saturday. The kitchen serves lunch too. Shut Sunday and Monday.9
Booking: online at mono.hk, or call +852 9726 9301.9 6
Ask for: the Monopedia, a booklet on the ingredients behind the menu. Tatler's 2026 tip.3
Guest chefs: the Unplugged series brings in restaurants from abroad (SCMP, 2026).5
Take home: the house sells its olive oil and its sourdough.9
Where: 5/F, 18 On Lan Street, Central.2

Verdict

should-visit — Take a counter seat for Ricardo Chaneton's Latin American tasting menu, cooked with French technique, and finish on the chocolate his kitchen makes from Ecuadorian pods. Dinner is HK$1,888 a head. A returning diner in 2021 found the aged monkfish cut to a third of its old portion.

Mono.