TL;DR: Salisterra at The Upper House in Hong Kong has transformed its private dining room into the Chef's Room, a ten-seat intimate experience led by culinary advisor Chef Ricardo Chaneton. Bookings are limited and demand is already high, making this one of the most compelling new dining propositions in the city right now.

What Is the Chef's Room at Salisterra?

Hong Kong, 2025. Salisterra, the acclaimed restaurant perched atop The Upper House in Admiralty, has quietly redefined what private dining means in this city. The venue has reimagined its former private dining room as the Chef's Room — a deliberately intimate, ten-seat space where the boundary between kitchen and table effectively dissolves. This is not a roped-off corner of the main restaurant; it is a dedicated, curated environment where every detail has been considered with surgical precision. For a city that has seen countless tasting menus and chef's tables come and go, the Chef's Room feels genuinely different in its ambition and execution.

At the centre of the experience is Chef Ricardo Chaneton, Salisterra's culinary advisor and one of the most quietly influential figures in Hong Kong's fine dining scene. Chaneton, who previously helmed the celebrated Mono restaurant, brings a South American-European sensibility that has always felt distinct from the city's dominant Cantonese and Japanese fine dining traditions. In the Chef's Room, he has the freedom to push further — presenting a menu that shifts with the season, the market, and his own creative instincts on any given evening. Guests are not simply eating; they are participating in an ongoing culinary conversation.

What Makes the Chef's Room Experience Special?

The format is structured around a bespoke tasting menu that evolves regularly, meaning no two visits are identical. Chef Chaneton and his team work directly with the ten guests throughout the evening, explaining the provenance of ingredients, the reasoning behind technique choices, and the cultural references embedded in each course. This is not theatre for its own sake — the explanations are substantive, the ingredients are sourced with genuine rigour, and the cooking itself is technically accomplished. The intimacy of ten seats means the kitchen team can give a level of attention that is simply impossible in a larger dining room.

The room itself reflects the broader aesthetic of Salisterra — warm, considered, with sweeping views that remind you exactly where you are in Hong Kong. Wine pairings are available and are handled with the same care as the food, drawing on a cellar that skews toward natural and biodynamic producers from Europe and South America. Pricing sits at the premium end of Hong Kong's private dining market, consistent with the calibre of the experience on offer.

• Seating capacity: 10 guests maximum per session
• Format: Bespoke, evolving tasting menu by Chef Ricardo Chaneton
• Wine pairing: Available, with natural and biodynamic selections
• Price range: Premium tier, consistent with Salisterra's main dining room positioning
• Booking: By reservation only — advance booking strongly recommended

Chef's Room at Salisterra

📍 Level 49, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

🗓 Opened: 2025

🌐 Website | 🗺 Google Maps

Why Does the Chef's Room Matter for Hong Kong Dining?

Hong Kong has no shortage of chef's table formats, but most operate as an add-on to an existing restaurant — a few seats near the pass, a slightly different menu, the same kitchen energy. The Chef's Room at Salisterra is architecturally and conceptually separate from the main dining room, which changes the dynamic entirely. There is no ambient noise from other tables, no sense that you are watching the restaurant operate around you. The focus is entirely on the ten guests and the food being prepared for them. This kind of deliberate separation is rare, and it justifies the premium positioning without hesitation.

The move also signals something broader about where Salisterra is heading under Chaneton's culinary direction. The restaurant has always occupied an interesting position — not purely European, not fusion in the lazy sense, but something more personal and harder to categorise. The Chef's Room gives that vision a dedicated stage. For regional diners flying into Hong Kong from Singapore, Tokyo, or Bangkok, this is the kind of booking that warrants building a trip around.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Chef's Room at Salisterra?

The Chef's Room is a newly reimagined ten-seat private dining space at Salisterra, located in The Upper House in Hong Kong's Admiralty district. It offers a bespoke tasting menu experience led by culinary advisor Chef Ricardo Chaneton, operating separately from the main restaurant.

Who is Chef Ricardo Chaneton?

Ricardo Chaneton is Salisterra's culinary advisor and a prominent figure in Hong Kong's fine dining scene. He previously led Mono restaurant and is known for his South American-European cooking style, which draws on his Venezuelan heritage and classical European training.

How do I book the Chef's Room?

The Chef's Room operates by reservation only and is limited to ten guests per session. Given the limited capacity, advance booking is strongly recommended. Reservations can be made through Salisterra's official website or by contacting the restaurant directly.

Is the Chef's Room menu fixed or does it change?

The tasting menu at the Chef's Room evolves regularly based on seasonal availability, market produce, and Chef Chaneton's creative direction. No two visits are guaranteed to be identical, making it a compelling reason to return.

How does the Chef's Room differ from a standard chef's table?

Unlike most chef's table formats that simply place guests near the kitchen within the main dining room, the Chef's Room is a fully separate, architecturally distinct space. This eliminates ambient restaurant noise and allows the kitchen team to focus entirely on the ten guests present, creating a more immersive and personalised experience.