Swire Hotels Expands its Restaurant Portfolio with The Continental

Swire Hotels is pleased to announce the opening of its new restaurant, The Continental, occupying the free-standing building on Level 4 at Pacific Place designed by Thomas Heatherwick and with interiors by David Collins Studio.  The Continental’s menu draws its inspiration from the grand cafés of Europe and will feature a variety of European classic dishes from breakfast through lunch and dinner to late night drinks and snacks.  The menu includes an extensive seafood selection from oysters, raw tuna and prawns to whole Lobster Mayonnaise.

Other signature dishes include Griddled Scallops with Chestnut Purée, Shiso and Lemon; Steamed Grouper with Clams and Seaweed Butter; Chicken and Goats’ Cheese Mousse with Olives; Cedar River Farms Beef Carpaccio, Shaved Foie Gras, Watercress, Fig Jam and Sour dough Toast and Half Rack of Australian Lamb, Black Pepper and Garlic from the Josper Grill. There will also be a Plat du Jour featuring daily changing specials.

Rowley Leigh, British Chef, Restaurateur and Food Writer is the chef Consultant of The Continental.  Rowley is one of the founding fathers of modern British cooking.  Over the past two decades in London, he has been acclaimed as one of the UK’s most outstanding and celebrated chefs heading iconic restaurants such as Le Café Anglais, Kensington Place, and Le Poulbot after an apprenticeship at Joe Allen and Le Gavroche.

The Continental’s interiors have been created by David Collins Studio, the team behind The Wolseley and The Delaunay in London and Scarpetta in Miami.  The Continental evokes the refined elegance and sophisticated charm of Europe’s grand cafes. The bar welcomes guests at the entrance with its marble-top bar and intimate table groupings.  Upon entering the restaurant, a series of expansive windows oversee the surrounding greenery which complement the private booths line either side.  Throughout the Continental, white marble contrasts against coloured glazed ceramics, while textured oak panels, antique bronze detailing and the signature green accents add warmth to the scheme

The restaurant opens at 7:00 am from Monday to Saturday and from 10:30 am on Sunday.

The Continental will follow Swire Hotels’ sustainable dining principles, sourcing food from sustainable origins and using local ingredients where possible. “I was brought up with a French style incorporating other elements into recipes where I’d take one out and put something else in. It’s a lot French, a little Italian and a British sensibility. Everything I do is a response to the best ingredients and I just try to do justice to them,” said Chef Leigh.

“The Continental is our second stand-alone restaurant owned and managed by Swire Hotels.  With the experience and culinary expertise of Rowley Leigh, we are confident that the restaurant will offer authentic and high quality cuisine to our guests,” said Brian Williams, Managing Director of Swire Hotels.

The Continental follows the successful launch in November last year of Plat du Jour, the French bistro in Hoi Wan Street in Taikoo Place and PUBLIC in One Island East also opening this month.