Best Bars In Hong Kong 2018

When it comes to cocktail culture, Hong Kong is offers one of the most diverse and innovative experiences you will find in Asia. With so many new bars popping up you can see why there is always something for everyone. From gorgeous rooftops bars in Admiralty to the speakeasies along Hollywood Road, there are many hidden gems serving some of the most creative cocktails in the world. Whether you’re looking for a classic or something a little more adventurous, you’re sure to find it on this little island that is constantly raising the bar.

Hong Kong is home to a plethora of different types of bars, ranging from hotels bars which are a bit more upscale to hole in the wall dive bars peppered all over the city. However, the city may have a few surprises that you might not be aware of with its large number of speakeasies, which constantly rank as some of the best in the world. With many concept and speciality bars all over the city, there’s something for everyone, ranging from Japanese whiskey bars in Tsim Sha Tsui to multisensory mixology in Central. Here we list some of our favourite bars in Hong Kong.

8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana

This modern Italian restaurant is famous for having one of the best cocktails in Hong Kong as is located in Central. The restaurant bar is quite beautiful and spacious, and carries a number of good classic cocktails as well as opulent takes such as the 8 ½ Caviar Martini which is served with Italian ossetra caviar.

No. 24, Asia’s Best Bar 2018
Top 10, Best Restaurant Bar, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana
Shop 202, Landmark Alexandra,
18, Chater Road,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2537 8859

Back Bar / Ham & Sherry

Back Bar is a small hole in the wall hidden bar located in a back alley in Wan Chai, with an interesting no fuss concept. This adjoining hidden bar is part of Ham & Sherry, an upscale bodega, and has quite a unique and playful cocktail menu. The bar offers a grungy experience for those looking for something that feels very authentically ‘rough’, but don’t be fooled, the drinks are pretty solid. Give the Pickle Rick 666 a try for an interesting take on the Bloody Mary.

Back Bar / Ham & Sherry
7, Ship Street,
Wan Chai,
Hong Kong
+852 2555 0628

Bar Buonasera

Bar Buonasera is a cosy Japanese whiskey bar located in Mody House in Tsim Sha Tsui, and serves a number of Japanese classic cocktails. The bar is an offshoot of its predecessor in Osaka and is located on the 7th floor in quite a small space, but has all the trimmings of a traditional Japanese whiskey bar. They also have a nice selection of Japanese whiskeys, but we’re suggesting to try one of their signatures Dr. Nick for a strong drink with a nice deep punch.

Bar Buonasera
7^th Floor, Mody House,
30, Mody Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui,
Hong Kong
+852 2111 4444

Bar Butler

Bar Butler is situated in Mody House in Tsim Sha Tsui and is renown as one of the best Japanese bars in Hong Kong. Divided into two floors, the 5^th floor serves as a cocktail bar with an ample selection of mixology, while the 6^th floor specialises more as a whiskey bar. You can tell that this is a good Japanese bar as the clientele here is mainly Japanese with a number of locals as its patrons. The wide whiskey selection hails from Japan and all over, and is meticulously attended to with each drink. Do note that there is a minimum spend of  HKD200 per person, so do be prepared. Give the Miene Liebe, a peach and rum cocktail on the 5^th floor a try.

Top 10, Bar of the Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

Bar Butler
5^th & 6^th Floor, Mody House,
30, Mody Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui,
Hong Kong
+852 2724 3828

Club Feather Boa

Club Feather Boa is an interesting hidden bar as it doesn’t advertise, making it an actually rare speakeasy bar. This bar is located on Staunton Street in Central beside the 7-11 and from the outset, you would not be able to tell that it’s even open for business. The bar is decorated like an antique shop which your aunt would shop from but has a strangely warm feel to it. The bar generally serves the airline industry and you are required to hand an identification card to even order a drink. Try their crazy Chocolate-rimmed Strawberry Daiquiri, or the even more confusing Malteser Daquiri. One or two will keep you a happy chappy all night.

Club Feather Boa
36, Staunton Street,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2857 2586

COA

COA is a Oaxaca inspired bar specialising in Mezcal located in Wah Shin House in Central and has won many accolades for its interesting concepts. The industrial aesthetically designed mezcal bar has a wide range of mezcal and tequila on their drink menu, and is known to be quite playful with its approach to cocktails. With interesting drinks such as the Mezcaloteca Pechuga de Chino, a mezcal cocktail distilled with chicken breast, don’t ask, just drink.

Bartender Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Best Specialist Concept, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Most Creative Cocktail Programme, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Best New Bar, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bar Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018 

COA
Shop A, Lower Ground,
Wah Shin House,
6-10, Shin Hing Street,
Central,
Hong Kong
+ 852 2813 5787

Employees Only Hong Kong

Employees Only is a speakeasy bar located on the infamous Lan Kwai Fong, and is an extension from its even more famous New York counterpart. Famous amongst the cocktail community around the world, this speakeasy bar offers up a nice selection of cocktails, but also gives a really nice neighbourhood bar vibe. The bar staff is some of the friendliest you will ever meet, and also make quite a nice selection of drinks. Here however, we wanted to highlight their Bespoke Pilsners for something different.

Best Hospitality Team, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

Employees Only Hong Kong
19, Lan Kwai Fong,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2468 2755

Lobster Bar & Grill

Lobster Bar & Grill is a restaurant bar located within the Shangri-La Hotel in Central and is one of the most beautiful bars you will come across. The design of the place is complete with a nautical theme and is the perfect place to unwind in the comforts of a nice bespoke menu cocktail in its calming turquoise and aquamarine aesthetics. For those looking for a something a little more refined, this establishment hits the spot with its delicate drinks and décor, which is understandable why they’re placed as one of 50’s Asia’s Best Bars. Do head over to unwind listening to live jazz music while you sip on an I’m Owl Right, a yuzu-sherry-rum concoction.

No. 10, Asia’s 50 Best Bars
Top 10, Best Hotel Bar, The Bar Awards Hong Kong

Lobster Bar & Grill
Level 6,
Island Shangri-La Hong Kong,
Pacific Place,
Supreme Court Road,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2820 8560

Old Bailey

Old Bailey is a restaurant and bar specialising in Jiangnan cuisine, and is located in the refurbished Tai Kwun police station. The beautiful aesthetics of the restaurant feels like 1930’s Shanghai with their bamboo motifs and elegant furniture. This restaurant serves up some pretty decent  Mala Xiao Long Bao, but also has quite a unique tea based cocktail selection at their lounge. Give their Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, a keemun black tea bourbon and the One Rice Thousand Gold, a kuki hojicha whiskey for something a little exciting. 

Old Bailey
2^nd Floor, JC Contemporary,
Tai Kwun,
Old Bailey Street,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2877 8711

PDT (Please Don’t Tell)

PDT is a speakeasy located within Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong and is an offshoot of its famous predecessor from New York. The bar’s entrance is located behind a telephone booth in traditional speak easy style and is the best hotel bars you will find on Hong Kong island, according to The Bar Awards 2018. For something a little exciting, give their Benton Old Fashioned, a maple syrup and bacon infused bourbon a try.

Best Hotel Bar, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bar Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Best New Bar, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bartender Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Best Hospitality Team, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

PDT (Please Don’t Tell)
Landmark Mandarin Oriental,
15, Queen’s Road Central,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2132 0077

Quinary

Quinary is a cocktail bar that specialises in multisensory mixology, a beverage take on molecular gastronomy, and is arguably one of the best bars in Hong Kong. The bar is friendly and inviting, with some of the more interesting cocktails you will find in Central. You can see why they won Bar of the Year at the Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018 as well as placing 15 at the 50’s Best Bars in Asia 2018. Do try their Earl Grey Caviar Martini if you would like a bubble tea cocktail or the Lavender Meringue Pie for a sweet dessert drink. However, their also do a pretty good Oolong Tea Collins, so do try that too.

No. 15, Asia’s Best Bar 2018
Bar Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Most Creative Cocktail Programme, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bartender Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

For our review of Quinary see Quinary Hong Kong.

Quinary
56- 58, Hollywood Road,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2851 3223

Stockton

Stockton is a speakeasy bar situated on Wyndham Street in Central riding on a 1900’s London feel. This bar is perfect for the gentlemen who is looking for that British experience, all in the heart of Hong Kong. By constantly winning accolades as one of the best bars in Hong Kong, you should thy their Bajan Housewife, their Barbadian gingery champagne mojito. 

No. 11, Asia’s Best Bar 2018
Best Bar Operations, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bar Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Most Creative Cocktail Programme, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bartender Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Best Hospitality Team, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

Stockton
32, Wyndham Street,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2565 5268

The Old Man

The Old Man is a speakeasy inspired by none other than the old man himself, Earnest Hemmingway, with each drink on the menu is inspired by his work. This very compact bar complete with an artistic rendition of the old man himself on the wall is always filled with people no matter any day of the week and has one of the most interesting cocktail menus in Hong Kong. The drinks are made using all sorts of contraptions such as a rotary evaporator in their re-distilling process and have some of the most unique cocktails on their menu winning them countless accolades such as being the only bar in Hong Kong to place at the number 10 at the World’s 50 Best Bars, number 5 at Asia’s 50 Best Bars, as well as Best New Bar at The Bar Awards Hong Kong. Try their A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, #1933 for their rotavap roast sweet potato rye whiskey, which tastes like balsamic vinegar chips in a glass.

No. 10, World’s 50 Best Bar 2018
No. 5, Asia’s 50 Best Bar 2018
Best New Bar, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bar Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Most Creative Cocktail Programme, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bartender Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Best Hospitality Team, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

The Old Man
Lower Ground,
37-39, Aberdeen Street,
Soho,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2703 1899

The Pontiac

The Pontiac is a bar modelled after an American dive bar located on Old Bailey Street, but don’t think lightly of this establishment. The Pontiac looks and feels like a scene from Coyote Ugly with its rough interior and almost too casual look. However, this dive bar is known to have some of the best drinks in town along with a bar staff that really shows that American hospitality. The ambience is perfect for taking a friend from out of town to an unexpected haunt, while serving some of the best drinks without compromising on quality. For one of their more famous drinks, try The Hobnail, their signature gingery Old Fashioned.

No. 31, Asia’s 50 Best Bar 2018
Top 10, Best Hospitality Team, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Best Hospitality Ambassador, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, The Rising Star Award, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

The Pontiac
13, Old Bailey Street,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 2521 3855

Zuma

Zuma is a restaurant bar imported all the way from London, but serves modern Japanese cuisine. The restaurant bar is not only famous for its food, but also has a wide range of sakes and cocktails to match in quality. This restaurant bar serves an assortment of amazing Japanese cocktails, with the Futaba Gin Fizz coming highly recommended.

No. 31, Asia’s 50 Best Bar 2018
Best Restaurant Bar, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Bar Of The Year, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Best Hospitality Team, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018
Top 10, Most Creative Cocktail Programme, The Bar Awards Hong Kong 2018

Zuma
Level 5 & 6,
Landmark Atrium,
15, Queen’s Road Central,
Central,
Hong Kong
+852 3657 6388

For our related series, see our Best Bars.