G/F, 40 Staunton Street, Central
Tel: 2522 8329
The vibe: the newest addition to SoHo's thriving bar scene is sandwiched between the popular Staunton Street bars Varga Lounge and Barco. Named after Hong Kong's horizontal location on the globe, Latitude 22 has taken the place of the nautical-themed Anchor's Point, and its warm, wooden interior is dominated by a broad, J-shaped bar. It's inviting enough, but won't win many style points for its fairly garish artwork and grey velvet sofas and stools.
The drinks: a fairly standard selection of wines, cocktails and beers. With no signature cocktails to try, we went for the caipirinha (HK$58), and were pleased to discover it incorporated Brazilian cachaca instead of white rum, which is usual in Hong Kong. A sweet but slightly salty blend of the traditional Brazilian liquor with sugar and lime, it hit the spot on a hot night. The only wine that caught my companion's eye was the average Kanonkop Estate rose,(HK$62 a glass), and she wondered if the bar was going to offer a single ros? should it not be the best it could find? Still, elsewhere on the wine list are impressive drops such as the Louis Latour chardonnay (HK$86) and the McGuigan Shiraz (HK$122). Beer drinkers will be pleased to see four on tap, including the increasingly popular Kronenbourg Blanc, whose velvety citrus notes have made it the beer of the summer as far as we're concerned.
The verdict: Latitude 22 has been open for only several weeks and is still ironing out a few kinks - the music selection needs a little work, for example, and the owners are waiting for the tapas menu to come on stream. But once it's up and running, Latitude 22's cosy environment and friendly service should help secure its own crowd of regulars. t
