Did you know that France has the lowest rates of adult obesity in Europe? According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, only one in 10 people is obese in the country and nearly 40% of their population is considered overweight.

It’s a paradox that in a country of meat lovers, few French people are fat or obese.

Ever wondered how to eat like a French? People in France enjoy sweets and salty snacks, just like the rest of us, but depriving themselves of eating until they starve is unacceptable.

French people prefer buying their food locally from farmers' markets and avoid manufactured goods. For instance, French snacks, like croissants, contain full fat which is healthier compared to low-fat products.

With a bevy of dining places popping up around Hong Kong, we’ve listed a few French restaurants in the region for your next gastronomic trip.

BELON

BELON is a Michelin-starred neo-Parisian restaurant in Hong Kong, using the region’s best ingredients prepared with exceptional French culinary techniques.

The restaurant is popular for its open kitchen design with four seats lined up, where diners can watch the chefs flawlessly prepare their meals.

If you’ve been to France, you’ll know that French people adore beef or meat dishes because of its world-class cattle market. For meat lovers, Belon serves Wagyu Striploin with Pommes Anna, brimming with rich flavour and glazed with honey and soy sauce reduction.

Other French main courses available at BELON are Maine lobsters with asparagus and Vin Jaune, wild Brittany St. Pierre with clam and courgette, and stuffed Australian quail with walnut and cassis. To view BELON’s complete French menu, visit its website.

Location: 1F, 1-5 Elgin Street, SoHo, Central, Hong Kong

LaVache!

LaVache is a Parisian entrecôte steakhouse in Hong Kong famous for their steak frites or steak paired with French fries.

It is true that French people love to eat a combination of meat and potato dishes, hence the most traditional way of serving steak up until today. This brasserie amped up their steak frites coupled with organic green salad, USDA Prime ribeye, and a pot of La Vache’s secret sauce.

The restaurant can be found in the neighbourhoods of SoHo, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Admiralty. To complete your French dining experience, we recommend trying its Tarte Tatin baked with caramelised Gala apples and flaky puff pastry base, lemon meringue tart, strawberry rose custard, and mango coconut cake, among others.

Location: 48 Peel Street, SoHo; 12 Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; and Shop 007, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Terroirs by LQV

A new French touch to Central’s dining and wining scene is Terroirs by LQV, a new electric wine bar and lounge standing on Lyndhurst Terrace in celebration of French wines and artisanal producers of cheese, breads, and snack meats. French-run Hong Kong-based LQV Group import more than 2,000 bottles of wines to cater to every white, red, and rose drinker, with more than 300 bottles priced below HK$500.

Terroirs' strong menu offering features fine quality ingredients all imported from artisan producers and independent producers. We recommend pairing your wine choices with the pissaladiere and pate en croute for a welcome flavour of north-eastern French pork and foie gras. The artisinal cold cut platters and cheese boards suit well for fresh tangy and salty bites when sipping your wine glasses!

Location: 3/F, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

Bistro du Vin

The Bistro du Vin, located at the western end of Sai Wan, is another Parisian-style bistro in Hong Kong.

The restaurant is known for its signature dish, a famous Marseillan stew called – bouillabaisse, which is perfectly paired with toasted baguette slices and a bottle of wine. It serves traditional French meat dishes, homemade patés, rillettes, and stews, but if your taste buds are craving for something new, you may luxuriate in its lobster linguine, confit duck with lentils, and grilled Turbot with lemon, to name a few.

Location: 39 Cadogan St, Kennedy Town, Sai Wan, Hong Kong

ODELICE

Established in 2012, Odelice was the brainchild of passionate owners (Julien and Joyce) who met in London and brought forth this casual French dining place from Paris to Asia.

This restaurant in Hong Kong serves traditional French cuisine with Asian influences and Parisian recipes at a reasonable price.

You may catch its weekly promo every Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday from 5.30 PM to 10 PM (last order is at 9 PM). Every Monday, you can enjoy an extra-large whole lobster for HK$368, while a free flow of mussels is offered every Tuesday for HK$258 per person. Finally, you should not miss out on Odelice’s steak with unlimited fries worth HK$198 only per person. You may check out the complete sets of menu on the Odelice website.

Location: 2 Landale St, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

café ÉPURE

Drinking wine during dinner is a staple on every French table. They drink wine with their meal and should be sipped slowly to enjoy each other’s company – and not to get drunk.

Café ÉPURE is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong where you can savour delicious gastronomic foods in French style. Moreover, the restaurant prides itself for its luxurious cellar collection of vintage wines such as fourth-generation Château Haut-Bailly with Véronique Sanders, Champagne Bollinger, R.D. 1982, Meursault Les Narvaux-Dessours, Clos de la Roche, Dom, Pauillac Château, and more.

Location: Shop 403, inside Epure, Level 4, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Le Bistro Winebeast

Le Bistro Winebeast is a modern French restaurant in Hong Kong that specialises in different kinds of wine that’ll please “everyone’s palate and budget.”

The bistro serves France’s Domaines and Châteaux for regular wine dinners, including a welcome drink and a four-course menu hosted by the owner or ambassador.

For an exquisite French dining experience, we recommend trying Winebeast’s signature dishes: Polmard beef Tartare served with toasted bread (HK$208), Pithiver of pigeon and foie gras, French puff pastry, fennel marmalade, veal jus (HK$428), confit duck leg, grilled mushroom, mashed potato (HK$368), and apple crumble, cinnamon, raisin, vanilla ice cream (HK$128).

Its menus are seasonal or change every six weeks to feature the best and freshest tasting dishes (and wine, of course!) to satisfy your cravings depending on the weather. Nevertheless, Winebeast has permanent signature French-flavoured dishes that you should try every time you visit..

Location: G/F, Newman House, 35-45 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Metropolitain

Looking for a French restaurant with a relaxing atmosphere? If you’re nearby Aspen Court in Sai Ying Pun, you can find this bistro in the neighbourhood inspired by the iconic metro stations of Paris.

Some of the classic dishes it offers includes beef tartare, onion soup, and homemade tarte tatin. Metropolitain is open daily from 11 AM to 12 AM and from 9 AM to 12 AM on weekends and public holidays.

For takeaway, you can order via their delivery partners, Deliveroo and Foodpanda, from 11 AM to 9:30 PM.

Location: Aspen Court, 46 High St, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong

Gaddi’s

Founded in 1953, this Michelin-starred restaurant in Hong Kong epitomises the “modern interpretation of French classics” led by well-known culinary maestro Albin Gobil.

Gaddi’s is the top of mind when it comes to European and Japanese cuisine prepared in a modern French style, served in a luxurious dining room of The Peninsula Hotel (take the dedicated elevator from The Peninsula Arcade entrance adjacent to Nathan Road).

Some of the French dishes it offers are the highly recommended blue Brittany lobster with Romesco sauce, Hokkaido scallops, Kaviari Kristal caviar, French peas “à la Francaise’’, Noilly-Prat, Boston lobster, Australian black truffle, textures of corn, Perigueux sauce, and more.

Gaddi’s is open every Tuesday to Saturday from 12 PM to 2:30 PM (lunch) and from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM (dinner). Guests are encouraged to wear business casual or elegant attire when dining.

Location: 1F, The Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road, Hong Kong