Is Hong Kong’s bar scene the best in the world? There have been so many new openings, and now city is hosting Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards
- After a rough few years when draconian Covid-related restrictions led to a drain on talent, Hong Kong’s bar scene is looking better than ever
- A slew of summer openings, from SoHo to the airport, and the city’s hosting of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards, are successes to raise a glass to
They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and this seems to apply to the dining scene in Hong Kong.
After years of Covid-related restrictions and the inevitable fallout from them, the city is ready to get things done, and perhaps the most striking development this year has been the acceleration of its drinks scene.
If the recent amping up of guest chef stints in restaurants is any indication of what we can expect from the bar borders being flung wide open, then I hope you have your hangover prevention pills ordered in bulk.
The awards night won’t happen until July 18, and in a twist of fate this has given some of the biggest names in Hong Kong’s bar industry a chance to launch their long-awaited projects and get travellers and Hong Kong residents acquainted with them.
The same goes for the Gibson 2.0, which seems to switch up pearl onions for leeks and peppers.
Bar Leone (11-15 Bridges Street, Central), a short skip from PMQ, is his homage to the drinking dens of Rome.
It will offer a range of classic drinks – Antinori explains his project as “a neighbourhood bar that you can come back to again and again”.
“We are taking a step away from the current trends and proudly keeping it simple, allowing guests to fully understand the ingredients that go into a cocktail,” he says.
Expect cocktails such as the Leone martini, which combines Tuscan Ginepraio gin, Marsala secco, orange blossom and an olive.
Antinori also wants to bring back the Bellini, served in a small tumbler just as it would be at Harry’s Bar in Venice where the drink was invented.
I had the fortune of previewing Bar Leone this week, and can say that the snacks – fat, house-smoked olives, mortadella-stuffed pizza and chicken liver with peach vermouth jelly – are good enough reason to prop up the bar.
The Olive Oil Sour is made with an old-fashioned milkshake machine that helps to emulsify the cocktail, which features base spirits of whiskey, oloroso sherry and rum, finished off with a dusting of fresh orange zest.
While the official opening date is yet to be announced, we’re told that diners who book at The Merchants or Kaen Teppanyaki on the floor below are welcome to have a pre- or postprandial drink there.
I’m also excited to see more from The Green Door Bar (LG/F, Welley Building, 97 Wellington Street, Central) which has taken over the space that was once the iconic 001 speakeasy, off Graham Street in Central.
The underground den has had a refresh and now feels more futuristic, while cocktails lean towards the classics – a trend that seems to be in line with a post-pandemic world that has us looking at what’s important and worth keeping.
The venture is something that feels like the cherry on top of the cake for outgoing travellers – a proper cocktail bar at the new Sky Bridge at Hong Kong International Airport. And, in case you were wondering – yes, they’ll be doing cocktail flights.