Top 5 bars in… Hong Kong

Hong Kong is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the foremost bar metropolises, with an ever-shifting cocktail culture that’s attracting the world’s best bartenders.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s brightest cocktail metropolises, as this list of its best bars shows

While New York is known as “the city that never sleeps”, the epithet seems fitting for Hong Kong too. Spend a week in the city and you’ll see it evolve in front of your eyes, with lavish new buildings springing up at a moment’s notice. Like New York, Hong Kong is in a constant state of evolution – the city is forever regenerating itself, and its bar scene is no different. While lagging slightly behind New York and London in terms of setting trends, Hong Kong’s bar scene has developed at a phenomenal rate in recent years, with a number of hot spots now shaking up world-class cocktails.

“Things have changed dramatically over the past decade; ex-pat bartenders have led the way and the HK bar scene is booming now,” says Devender Kumar, head bartender at three Michelin-starred Italian Otto e Mezzo.

Having recently witnessed an invasion of British chefs on the HK dining scene, from Jason Atherton and Gordon Ramsay to Tom Aikens, top mixologists are flocking to the city to prove their mettle. Ondrej Pospichal, former head bartender at London’s Mash, recently moved to the city to work for small batch spirits curator Proof & Company, while Brit Neil Rivington arrived in 2013 to head up the bar at Atherton’s Aberdeen Street Social. Also new to the scene is kooky Scot Joanna Kent, former head bartender at Tom Aikens’ new venture The Pawn, who uses herbs and vegetables grown on the roof of the restaurant in drinks such as Gypsy Juice, made with pisco, carrot, celery, ginger and coconut water.

Boundary breaking mixology

Pushing the envelope in the city is Antonio Lai, Hong Kong’s answer to Tony Conigliaro, who approaches cocktails from a scientific perspective, breaking down ingredients to their chemical elements to maximise the sensory experience, with colour, aroma and texture given the same attention as flavour. Quinary, his cocktail den on Hollywood Road, is regularly voted among the world’s best bars, while The Envoy at the plush Pottinger hotel has guests sipping from blood bags and blue birds.

Chester Grucza of speakeasy Lily & Bloom stresses that the Hong Kong cocktail scene is more evolved than people think. “We’ve been barrel ageing cocktails here for years and we’re starting to see the kitchen and bar working together,” he says, pointing out that the savoury cocktail trend is in full swing in the city.

“I’m experimenting with balsamic vinegar at the moment and recently created an artichoke and thyme G&T, which is served on tap. Cocktail lovers in Hong Kong are very adventurous and keen to try new things – the Appletini era is over. Vermouth is really big here at the moment,” he says, predicting that lower alcohol cocktails will be the next thing to trend in the city.

“Hong Kong is like a kaleidoscope; it’s constantly changing form. There are no barriers to creation now and guest residences from the world’s top bartenders are helping to fuel innovation in the city,” Grucza enthuses. But while the cocktail scene has never been more exciting for consumers, its competitive nature makes the market cutthroat for bar owners.

“It’s a bit of a rat race here – in order to stay ahead of the game you have to constantly reinvent yourself. A bar can be hot one day and old news the next,” admits Juan Martínez Gregorio of “gintonería” Ping Pong.

Flick through the next few pages to discover the best bars in Hong Kong.

Quinary

56-58 Hollywood Rd, Central; quinary.hk

This inventive cocktail bar on Hollywood Road specialises in craft cocktails with a playful twist. Owned by Charlene Dawes, the lady behind whisky bar Angel’s Share and wine bar Tastings, Quinary’s ship is steered by cocktail wizard Antonio Lai, who incorporates his knowledge of food science into the drinks in subtle but effective ways in a bid to stimulate all five senses.

Ping Pong

129 Second St, Nam Cheong House, Sai Ying Pun; pingpong129.com

Aiming to convert Hong Kong into a city of gin sippers is Spaniard Juan Martinez Gregorio via his gin palace Ping Pong in Sai Ying Pun. Hidden behind a red door on a busy street, the bar takes its name from its former incarnation as a ping pong hall. The cavernous space is a gin lover’s delight boasting a back bar heaving with top names.

The Envoy

The Pottinger, 74 Queen’s Road, Central; theenvoy.hk

Another Antonio Lai enterprise is The Envoy, housed in the plush Pottinger hotel in Hong Kong’s Central district. Forget the classics, the rulebook is thrown out here and instead you’ll find signature sips served in everything from blood donor bags and bird-shaped glasses to dinosaur eggs. With Lai at the helm there is substance to the style.

Honi Honi

Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington St, Central; honihonibar.com

Named after a Polynesian greeting meaning “kiss kiss”, Honi Honi brings a bright slice of beach life to the bustling streets of Hong Kong. Although it’s decked out with enough bamboo to feed a panda for life – the interiors may go a bit OTT on the tiki – the cocktails couldn’t be more serious.

Lily & Bloom

LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham St, Central; www.lily-bloom.com

The man to know at Lily & Bloom, a charming speakeasy-style bar in buzzy Lan Kwai Fong, is Chester Grucza, a passionate Pole with a pointy beard. While Bloom restaurant resides on the ground floor, upstairs you’ll find cocktail bar Lily in full bloom with modern twists on legendary classics.