(HONG KONG, 25 AUGUST 2025) - Chef Luca Marinelli has opened the doors to Salon des Refusés, where each night is a celebration of Cuisine du Soleil, showcasing raw and radiant bounty from the coasts of southern France and Northern Italy, brightened only with light and vibrant produce harvested from the land or reeled in from the salty waves.
(HONG KONG, 25 AUGUST 2025) - Chef Luca Marinelli has opened the doors to Salon des Refusés, where each night is a celebration of Cuisine du Soleil, showcasing raw and radiant bounty from the coasts of southern France and Northern Italy, brightened only with light and vibrant produce harvested from the land or reeled in from the salty waves.
Each morning, Chef Luca and his young protégé Chef Gabe Chan trawl the aisles of Ap Lei Chau’s seafood market, searching for the day’s best catch. What they find sets the tone for that night’s menu, ensuring no two evenings at Salon des Refusés are ever the same.
As guests enter through the seafoam green door on Bridges Street, they are taken on a journey that unfolds like an unhurried stroll along the coast, each plate a discovery yet to be made. Whether dining up close and personal for an a la carte date night, watching the chefs in action at the six-seat bar counter, or taking their seat in the plush banquettes and candlelit mahogany tables of the dining room for full curated experience among friends, “In Chef Luca’s Hands” (888) per guest, all guests will have their experience captained by Chef Luca himself from the moment they enter to the moment they leave.
Tasting plates for sharing are plated for two or three bites, never enough to weigh guests down, but offering plenty of flavour to spark conversation and curiosity. Throughout dinner, the aromatic herbs, vegetables, fruit, flowers and seasonings found in sun-kissed gardens from Milan to Marseille further reveal the soul and terroir of the region. From the sweetness of mandarin oranges to the zesty edge of oregano, the fresh, grassy notes of zucchini to the herbaceous and woody fragrance of thyme, they sing of a sense of place.
While all experiences will offer something different, the perfect date night for two begins with a selection of four snacks to share, such as a shimmering rice vinegar-rinsed Iwashi (208) on toast with aioli, confit Japanese fruit tomato and Cantabrian anchovies, providing an astonishing wave of umami, and the simple but sublime Cod Tarama (108), a delicate mousse of cod roe with French radish and toasted crouton. They may then follow that with sheets of briny Hokkaido Uni (308) served on warm brioche, brightened with lime and seaweed butter; and the crispy Prawn and Squid Fritti (128), a seaside classic elevated with piquillo pepper dip.
A selection of three elegantly prepared raw dishes is recommended, such as Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio (208)that melts on the tongue, brushed with Calabrian chilli oil and dressed with confit tomatoes and Andalusian olives; fatty, delicate Kinmedai (168) served with preserved Meyer lemon and mango vinegar; and a charred Shima-Aji (188) with salsa verde and Taggiasca olives, dressed with Japanese river fish sauce for extra umami.
Guests should round out their meal with one to two larger plates from the hot and pasta section, such as Hokkaido Scallops (228) seared until bronze and topped with a crown of salty-sweet Sicilian pistachios; and the confident Pasta “alla Chitarra” (248) featuring Adriatic baby squid with ‘nduja, roasted tomato and piquillo pepper sauce.
As a final sweet finish, evenings at Salon des Refusés are best concluded with dishes like Torta “Aurora” (88), a celebratory Milanese classic with crème pâtissiere or a Strawberry “Caprese” (118) with fresh berries and strawberry sorbet. Lastly, Chef Luca’s minimalist take on the beloved Pâte de Fruits, featuring the flavours of mandarin and Campari, marks the perfect crescendo to a warm evening.
Introducing Chef-Patron Luca Marinelli
Hailing from Varese, just north of Milan, Chef-Patron Luca Marinelli fell in love with the art of making the simple special and sharing it with others from an early age. Learning the ins and outs of the kitchen alongside his mother eventually led him to culinary school where he studied under Gualtiero Marchesi, Italy’s culinary maestro, at the prestigious ALMA S.R.L Scuola Internazionale Di Cucina Italiana.He soon found himself on the line under the mentorship of Chef Mauro Uliassi, a titan whose beachside Uliassi today holds three stars, who taught him how pristine seafood needs little more than sea and sun to shine. Stints followed at Savini in Milan’s Galleria, Circeo’s Il Tordo Matto and Spain’s Cenador de Amós before Hong Kong, a haven of morning seafood markets and late-night dining stalls, called to him, bring with him only a suitcase, the scent of salty air still clinging to his coat and a passion to share what what the the sun, the sea and a lifetime of learning have given him.
“The Mediterranean is the most beautiful sea in the world and every night we show, and tell, our guests how it defines us and our mission,” says Chef Luca.
He adds that his own Salon carries special weight, given those who came before: “The original Salon des Refusés united history’s rejected artists, castoffs of the Paris art establishment who went on to become legendary in spite of — or perhaps, because of — the rejections they encountered. As chefs, we end up falling in love with these ‘no’s’ - because they keep us hungry.”
Quietly driven as a chef but without ever falling into the trap of preciousness, Luca remains raw, honest, ever so slightly rough around the edges, but still immensely refined. The definition of a hands-on Chef-Patron, he almost imperceptibly conducts evenings at Salon des Refusés, proudly embodying the innate sense of hospitality felt across his homeland.
Atmosphere and Decor
Along the coasts of France and Italy, you cannot help but have salt in your hair and sun on your skin, but a cool linen shirt transforms the evening with the feeling of refined idling in St. Tropez and Cap Ferrat. This gently rugged contrast defines both Chef Luca’s personality and his restaurant, where he is proudly as present in the front of house as he is in the kitchen.
Guests enter the Salon on Bridges Street and immediately discover the intimate dining room designed in blue and turquoise seaside tones by Melissa Collison. The space is warmly candlelit, with dark wooden tables, plush velvet banquettes and an array of seaside touches, from clamshell wall sconces and decor pulled from the deep.
The grand open bar is the star, featuring an elemental metallic finish where guests can pull up a chair for an up-close dinner at eye level with Chef Luca and Chef Gabe while they prepare the evening’s feast. With just enough room to dine with up to three or four friends at a time, the stage stays set for connection.
Drinks
The nightly changing menu at Salon des Refusés is matched by a highly approachable wine-forward programme which reflects the same terroir of Italy and France, mirroring the kitchen’s spirit of discovery: curious, coastal and unpretentious. Alongside a few benchmark Champagnes and crisp Mediterranean whites, the list leans into lesser-known gems, a mix of off-the-radar bubbles, whites, oranges, rosés and easy-drinking reds that offer serious character without the trophy-price markup, striking a deliberate balance with the premium seafood on the plate and letting guests explore more than one glass (or bottle) without hesitation.
Each evening’s flight is tuned to the day’s catch, so the wines evolve in lockstep with the menu, tracing a bright arc from the first shimmer of crudo to the final lick of pasta and caviar.
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For more information, please contact COMPANION
Alex@companioncommunications.com
Dominique@companioncommunications.com
Address
9 Bridges Street, Hong Kong
Opening Hours:
Hours: from 6pm
Open Wednesday to Sunday, including public holidays
About Salon Des Refusés
Each night is a showcase of Cuisine du Soleil, featuring raw and radiant bounty from the coasts of southern France and Northern Italy, brightened only with light and vibrant produce harvested from the land or reeled in from the salty waves. As guests enter through the seafoam green door on Bridges Street, they are taken on a journey that unfolds like an unhurried stroll along the coast, each plate a discovery yet to be made. Whether dining up close and personal for an a la carte date night, watching the chefs in action at the six-seat bar counter, or taking their seat in the plush banquettes and candlelit mahogany tables of the dining room for full curated experience among friends,all guests will have their experience captained by Chef Luca himself from the moment they enter to the moment they leave.
About Black Sheep Restaurants
Founded in 2012 by Syed Asim Hussain, Black Sheep is Asia’s most compelling hospitality movement with over 50 restaurants built on connected storytelling and a deep love for the people, places, times and memories that inspired them. At the intersection of art, culture, innovation and hospitality, Black Sheep crafts narrative-driven experiences that have revolutionised the hospitality industry in Hong Kong, the city it calls home, and abroad.
A catalyst for the future of hospitality, Black Sheep is community-focused and committed to doing work with a social conscience that will make a positive impact on the world. By choosing to collaborate with others who dream big and by approaching their work with joy and optimism, Black Sheep crafts memories for the guests in the dining room and for those who are part of its journey and has woven itself into the fabric of hospitality’s future.
Black Sheep has time and time again established itself as a pioneer in the field of service, defining its own brand and rules of hospitality. Its collective work has received notable recognition from some of the world’s leading culinary awards, including MICHELIN Guide, Asia’s 50 Best and La Liste.