The Optimist is a Spanish restaurant and bar, spread over three levels, serving authentic cuisine in a space that is, unusually for Hong Kong, particularly relaxed and comfortable. The menu owes much to the asador, a grill where meat, seafood and vegetables are cooked rustically over hot coals or wood, following a centuries-old tradition. The staff are energetic, proactive and highly knowledgeable, and the rate at which the tables fill up, and stay filled, is testament to The Optimist's excellence. All in all, this is one of the most exciting restaurants in Wan Chai, and has very few rivals in the whole of Hong Kong.