9 of the best negroni bars in Hong Kong, from Soho’s The Wise King serving up a Nutella-flavoured concoction, to Mexican-inspired Coa that tops Asia’s 50 Best Bars list

Sep 16 , 2021

A negroni at Artesian bar at The Langham, Hong Kong. Photo: Handout

Two-Michelin-starred Duddell’s kicked off Negroni Week 2021 with its opening party, while Smoke & Barrel is hosting a special Negroni Week BBQ Brunch

Caprice at the Four Seasons Hong Kong serves a Truffle Negroni, while American-style cocktail bar The Diplomat is renowned for its miniature-sized versions

A cocktail widely celebrated for its balance of sweet and bitter flavours, together with its powerful punch, a negroni is a deceptively simple proposition. Equal parts gin, Campari and sweet red vermouth, served with ice and either a sliver of orange peel or a slice of orange, it was supposedly invented just over a century ago at the behest of French General Pascal-Olivier de Negroni. The drink that bears his name is celebrated with a range of special events around the world during Negroni Week, which runs from September 13 to 19, starting on Monday morning – always an excellent time for a cocktail.

DarkSide’s Waning Crescent cocktail. Photo: Handout

An initiative backed by Campari, the maker of one of the main ingredients, it’s at least a charitable endeavour, having raised more than US$3 million for a range of causes since it was inaugurated nine years ago.

So if you’re feeling suitably bittersweet, here are some of the best places to find the classic concoction in Hong Kong.

Duddell’s

Negroni Week kicks off in the swish surroundings of Duddell’s, which hosted The Negroni Week 2021 Opening Party: Italian Affairs on Monday, raising funds for Teens Key, an NGO helping young women and girls. The art-festooned, two-Michelin-starred Central restaurant is perhaps a slightly curious choice, given that there’s no negroni on its main cocktail menu, but we’re sure they do a good one – they do a good everything.

The Wise King