Hong Kong’s Hippest Bars: For the Perfect Summer Cocktail

BY MARK LEAN

Like a flaming wok, the air in Hong Kong practically crackles with heat and energy. Experience this in the flesh by brushing pass the throngs of people on streets and snaking alleys. Space is a premium commodity in the former British colony, as are the views from highly prized vantage points on misty hilltops and dramatic sea-facing cliffs. This definitely isn’t middle-of-the-road suburbia.

The island’s vibe is a mix of Manhattan cool and Chinese smarts, the latter of which has created one of the world’s most thriving economies. For new arrivals in town who’d like an idea of top spots to soak up a cocktail or two whilst rubbing shoulders with the Prada-wearing cognoscenti, here are a few suggestions.

Big on space, jaw-dropping wraparound views of Victoria Harbour, and unique interior design, the 10,000sq.ft lifestyle destination SEVVA (pronounced “savour”) also features a much talked about bar. Owner Bonnie Gokson has enlisted the skills of acclaimed mixologist, Joseph Boroski, who featured in the television series Sex and the City, to create east-meets-west cocktails with a stylish twist (prices start from HKD$120) that Hong Kong’s versions of Carrie Bradshaw and friends will love.

Sip on a fresh sugar cane juice, lemon and vodka concoction aptly called Straight to the Head on the fashion runway-like outdoor deck area, the setting for many a magazine photo shoot. Or try the indulgent White and Dark Valrhona Chocolate Martinis, creating a sweet, velvety end taste that quite suitably complements the million dollar views.

At the Japanese restaurant and bar Zuma, the Oriental outpost of Rainer Becker’s famed London restaurant, one would expect sake to be the drink of the evening. But if you step up the spiral staircase to the glass and steel environs, you might be pleasantly surprised to discover a range of utterly refreshing Bonseki Cocktails. Roughly translated as “summer garden”, the Bonseki maximises the use of the summer’s fruit du jour – lychee – which is blended with mint, and invigorated with Prosecco.

Recently transformed into party venue with a DJ spinning from Thursday to Saturday nights, the lounge bar looks out to the bustling Central district, attracting both fashionistas from the nearby Harvey Nichols and off-duty sharply-suited-with-tie-undone investment bankers who are known to hunt in packs.

As an impressionable 18-year-old, one of my fondest memories of Hong Kong is arriving at the old Kai Tak airport early one morning and being whisked away on a junk trip by a hedonistic older cousin. On clear days and with the sun’s rays bouncing off the water, boat excursions such as these would be one of the best ways to take in the harbour view. Another favourite activity would be skinny-dipping in secluded bays with a bottle of beer in hand. But, I digress.

Visitors on a short trip to Hong Kong who prefer a more conventional option might like to consider a trip on the Aqua Luna, an old school red mast junk that operates from Pier 1 by the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui and 9 Pier at Central. (Prices start at HKD$150 and are inclusive of one complimentary cocktail.)

Then there’s Feather Boa (38 Staunton Street, Hong Kong), a discreetly tucked away bar in the arty, expatriate-populated enclave of Soho (South of Hollywood Road) that lacks signage and is extremely popular with in-the-know locals from the media industries. The tiny space with its Euro-accented decor was once an antiques store, until the owner Stella, a pretty Chinese lady with a London accent, decided to test her cocktail-making skills to great success.

The bar operates officially on a members only policy (but smile sweetly, and you’ll most likely be allowed in). The bar’s famed Strawberry and Chocolate Daiquiris, by now Hong Kong institutions in themselves (HKD$76 each), are potent to say the least – perfect drinks not just for the summer.

Helpful hints:

1. Dress well. Or at least give an impression of dressing well. Appearance matters.
2. Bar staff in Hong Kong have both personality and elephant-like memory.
3. Generous tips are almost always rewarded with equally generous shots of alcohol and the possibility of free drinks at a future date. It’s a karma thing.
4. There are no standard measures of alcohol, so be nice (not rude) to the bar staff (see point two).
5. At the end of your evening, make sure you have the Cantonese translation of the name of your hotel. Taxi drivers are eager to please – and honest – but your inebriated Western accent might prove difficult to comprehend.

However HK Culture does not end here, remember to check out these great books.
: Gweilo: Memories of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth
: Living and Working in Hong Kong by Rachel Wright
: A History of Hong Kong by Frank Welsh