Spanish Steaks: From Epicurean Group – the team behind Pica Pica – comes Rubia, a brand new restaurant that’s a tribute to Spanish beef. No really – the restaurant took its name from the fact that farmers have a special relationship with the animals they raise and “Rubia” is one of the most common names for livestock.

Look & Feel: With wood paneling, decorative ceiling tiles, and a rather gorgeous bar with walls of booze bottles behind it, Rubia looks like a gussied up version of a classic Spanish tapas bar. It’s almost like walking into a historic spot in Seville, but one that’s been given a heavy dose of 21st century Hong Kong gloss. The downstairs bar area is a great spot for drinks and bites, while the surprisingly small upstairs dining room accommodates a reasonable number of diners with views (kind of) over Hollywood Road from open wood-paneled windows.

On the Menu: Fittingly, the menu at Rubia offers a solid range of bar snacks and drinks. So if you do want to indulge in a tapas moment in true Spanish style, you can order up some Ibérico ham and patatas fritas along with some sangria (or signature cocktails like a Rubia Old Fashioned). Of course, if you’re after a solid meal, you can certainly get that here, too – though you probably won’t enjoy it much if you’re not a devout carnivore.

For starters, you’ll want to order the more-ish padron peppers ($75) then move onto the fresh tuna tartare ($180) and the incredibly belly-pleasing, comfort-food-like huevos rotos (broken eggs with chips and chorizo; $73). Beef is, of course, the specialty, and you can indulge in a rib-eye ($480/250g), tenderloin ($495/250g), or Australian grain-fed Black Angus. The meat’s great, but it’s a little pricy – you probably won’t feel like you’re getting bang for your buck. If grilled meats aren’t quite your thing, try the burgers, or the Black Fideos with Spanish King Prawns ($35).

We were excited about the dessert but it seems like something went awry with the execution. The Warm Cheesecake with Whiskey Ice Cream ($70) used a rather piquant blue cheese that didn’t play well with the peaty whiskey, while the Baked Hot Chocolate Cake with Candied Orange, Hazelnut and Chocolate Cardamom Ice Cream ($70) was fine, was just average.

Great For: A carnivorous meal among friends or happy hour.

FYI: The downstairs bar has a great happy hour deal – be sure to try the Sherry Tonic cocktail.

Check out Hong Kong’s newest restaurants and bars here.

This writeup is a news piece and was not based on a restaurant visit. The Loop HK will update this post once we’ve visited in person.