The Friedel-Crafts reaction of (1R)-8-phenylmenthyl glyoxylate with variously substituted furans was found to be efficiently promoted by SnCl(4) or magnesium salts with high diastereoselectivities. MgBr(2) performs especially well under simple, undemanding conditions, giving both high yields and high diastereoselectivities (>90%). The reaction afforded chiral substituted furan-2-yl-hydroxyacetic acid esters, compounds of potentially high synthetic interest. [reaction: see text]