March 28th, 2012
Costa is a stylish, contemporary cafe, alluringly located within the ifc Mall flagship of the uber-luxurious Lane Crawford specialty store – the preeminent purveyor of designer fashion and contemporary lifestyle brands in Hong Kong. Discretely situated in a cosy, intimate space- behind a plush red velvet curtain- Costa offers visitors to the ifc Mall an attractive venue for all-day dining. Serving a contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, with an emphasis on a fresh, light and healthy menu, Costa has a concise, innovative assemblage of dishes suitable for brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. Owned and operated by the highly regarded local restaurateurs – the Gaia Group– Costa shares culinary DNA with nearby renowned Italian restaurant- ISOLA bar & grill, and other notable Hong Kong restaurants including Va Bene, Gaia, and Zelo.
The cafe interior is bright and airy, suffused with natural light from the full glass frontage onto its own private outdoor terrace that overlooks Victoria Harbour. Casual, yet stylish, the cafe exudes relaxed chic. An appealing option for a leisurely meal, or just a refreshing after-work cocktail or two, Costa has established an enduring popularity with both the discerning shoppers at Lane Crawford, and also with guests making it a dining destination in its own right.
The entrance to Costa from within Lane Crawford
The entrance to Costa is somewhat discretely positioned near the cosmetics counters of Lane Crawford on Level 3 of the ifc Mall- the prominent red velvet curtain at the front identifying the presence of the cafe. The interior room is a compact space seating approximately 50 patrons- with a bar counter immediately inside the entrance, and table and booth seating along the interior walls. The interior design features a bright contemporary feel with light coloured furnishings, chrome framed mirrors on the walls to create further depth to the space, polished timber flooring, and light timber tables and chairs. “Apple” green coloured leather banquettes add some colour highlight to the room.
The entire facade onto the outdoor terrace comprises full height glass panels, which both flood the interiors with natural light, and provide spectacular harbour views from virtually every seat inside. The covered outdoor terrace is a private space with further table seating for around 50 guests. The panoramic views from the terrace take in a broad sweep from the western reaches of Victoria Harbour, across to the Kowloon skyline, and extending back to the Wanchai waterfront.
Bar counter inside the entrance
The main seating area inside the cafe
The outdoor terrace and tables- overlooking Victoria Harbour and the western Kowloon skyline
Serving staff busy behind the bar counter
The cuisine style at Costa is contemporary Mediterranean- with innovative Pacific Rim influences created by Executive Chef Bryan Hideo Nagao ( ex- Felix Restaurant at the Peninsula). The emphasis is on a light and healthy concept of dining, featuring salads, seafood and pastas. The kitchen serves two menus- an “All-Day Dining” menu, and the A La Carte menu after 6pm for dinner.
The All-Day Dining menu features a range of dishes suitable for Brunch, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner. Some highlights from the menu include 3-egg omelet with taleggio cheese and roasted cherry tomato; smoked Duck Breast salad with beetroot, almonds and baby spinach; Spaghetinni with clams, garlic, chilli, white wine and parsley; and sliced salami plate and melon.
The concise A La Carte menu features a symmetry of selections- seven Starters, seven Mains, and seven Desserts. Starters include Octopus carpaccio, sea urchin and green risotto; and Balik salmon, salmon eggs with green olives, white chocolate, fennel and citrus; Mains highlights include Herb seared Sea Bass, Spanish prawn, scallops and clams; Roasted Beef Tenderloin, wasabi potato and black truffle sauce; and Desserts feature Black Forest cake with sour cherry gelato; Costa’s Signature gelato; and Cheese Platter with mustard fruits and almonds, Taleggio, Parmesan, Ubriaco and Cabreles.
From the All-Day Dining menu- Tuna Salad- with olives, poached egg, green beans and lemon dressing
From the A La Carte Menu- Saikyo Black Codfish- served with shiso gnocchi, calamari and broad beans
From the A La Carte Menu- Bryan’s Suckling Pig- cooked for 12 hours, baby spinach with clams and pancetta
The Drinks Menu at Costa encompasses a carefully curated list of wines, champagnes and sparkling wines sourced from both Old World and New World wineries to match with the dishes served in the cafe. A selection of wines and sparkling wines are available by the glass. Aperitifs, premium spirits, liqueurs and imported beers are all served. Cocktails at Costa include selections of Prosecco Cocktails; Aperitif Cocktails; Costa Martinis; and After Dinner Cocktails. Mocktails, fresh juices, coffee and teas complete the drinks offerings.
The Happy Hour Promotion is offered on weekdays from 3pm, with special prices on selections of wine by the glass, beers, and cocktails. Complimentary chef selection of canapes are served with the drinks.
Cosmopolitan- Vodka, Cranberry juice, Lime juice and syrup
Green Apple Martini- Vodka, Apple Schnapps, shaken with fresh Green Apple from California
Costa Cafe, at Lane Crawford in the ifc mall, Hong Kong
Address: Lane Crawford Level 3, ifc Mall, Central. Hong Kong
MTR: Central station – direct access- 3 minutes walk
Reservations: +852. 2118 7600
Website: www.gaiagroup.com.hk/costa
Opening hours:
Daily 10:00 am ~ 9:00 pm
Happy Hour Promotion: weekdays 3:00 pm onwards- complimentary canapes with selections from Happy Hour Drink List
