Nestled quietly across from The Four Seasons on Wei Hai Lu near Shimen Yi Lu sits Hugo, a newly opened French fine-dining restaurant, brasserie, lounge and bar, and it is sure to be a big hit. Upon entering the 1930¡¯s Spanish designed quarters, I was immediately impressed for within Hugo¡¯s large and welcoming entryway stand two lighted four-story waterfalls that cascade into a river rock pool, centering the restaurant¡¯s main stairway. The grand entryway generates a feeling of awe and excitement, setting the mood for a truly memorable evening.

On my visit I toured of all four stories with Hugo's F&B Manager, Rik Slatius, and to be quite frank, Hugo has it all! The restaurant offers five different indoor dining options consisting of: two private dining rooms (seating 14 people each), a formal dining room (with video and audio capabilities for meetings), two lounge and bar areas, and a brasserie, as well as three outdoor patios. Each space has its own unique and fashionable style with impeccable decor.

As for my meal, I really have nothing but praises. All of my dishes were cooked to perfection, served at the proper temperature, and brought in a timely manner without being rushed. Special notes go to the ¡°Dutch Bitter Balls¡± a traditional Dutch cuisine of delicately fried ox tail served with two mustards (68rmb); ¡°Vitello Tonato¡± a classic Italian salad with marinated veal, tuna mayonnaise, pickles, onions, preserved fennel, capers and parsley (72rmb); and the ¡°Grilled Tuna Steak¡± served with sweet peas, red onions, bean sprouts, bacon, and coriander (118rmb). I also sampled the house Sauvignon Blanc and the Cotes Du Rhone, both of which were excellent compliments to my meal. In addition to the great food and wine, the wait staff is very well trained and knowledgeable about dishes, ingredients, and the origins of the wines, which further enhanced the dining experience.

If you have a passion for fine food and drink, Hugo's vast and diverse menus will certainly tickle your tongue. With five different menus containing a wide variety of options, Hugo¡¯s head chef, Niels van Halen, has something to appeal to the tastes of anyone seeking more than the conventional French restaurant.

The fine dining menu offers a set three course lunch at 288rmb, a set four course dinner at 520rmb, and a set eight course dinner at 888rmb (all set menus are changed regularly). On the a La Carte menu; entree dishes start at 98rmb, main course and specialty dishes start at 168rmb, and the famous French desserts start at 88rmb.

The Liquor menu is quite extensive, with an assortment of cocktails, and a list of top shelf bottles of all kinds. The wine menu is 16 pages long and consists of both new and old world wines from some of the best vineyards across the globe. A sizeable bar/snack menu with many western favorites is also available.

The Brasserie menu is where the chefs explode with creativity, starting the day with traditional French and English breakfasts, as well as Dutch pancakes, and moving on to hot and cold sandwiches of all sorts, to a wide range of hamburgers, to gourmet soups and salads, to traditional and conventional entrees, to a long list of main courses (both French and international), and finally finishing with a tempting line-up of desserts.

Geared as a high-class French restaurant, prices are steep, but prices are competitive to places of similar status and cuisine, and you can fully expect to get what you pay for.

Hugo will have their grand opening at the end of the month.

Address: 289 Wei Hai Lu, close to the Four Seasons near Shimen Yi Lu
Tel: 021-63278828