The 10 best places for a drink during Hong Kong Art Week, from The Pawn to Dragonfly
- Whether it’s a place to be seen, somewhere to impress arty types or a hidden gem to get away from it all, there is a bar for everyone
- Cocktails on tap, artisanal ice, tequilas and mescals, served in an art deco setting, a vintage hotel bar, an old pawnshop or ping pong parlour – take your pick
The glitterati of the art world will descend on Hong Kong this week. And alongside the many events going on during Art Week, their calendars will also be filled with pre- and post-event tipples.
But don’t just step into any bar – such high culture demands appropriate surroundings. Here are 10 of Hong Kong’s hottest bars that should be on any art lover’s itinerary this week.
For seeing and being seen
Hong Kong is by no means big, but anyone who has some networking to do during Art Week needs to stay close to the Convention Centre. Nearby, there are two hotspots.
The Pawn
This is an obvious choice for Art Week, with an old-world colonial setting that spills out onto an airy terrace and spacious rooftop. It’s here that you’ll find all the pre- and post-convention dwellers, alongside the many hangers-on.
62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, tel: 2866 3444
Sake Beya Masu
There’s something about Japanese spirits and the intricacies of the art world that just go hand in hand, and Masu is where the city’s sake connoisseurs congregate, making it a good choice for a quick sip between gallery visits.
1 Sun St, Wan Chai, tel: 2525 2355
For impressing arty friends
Every Art Week, you’re learning new things. Where once you went for the big names – the Murakamis, the Banskys, the Hirsts – you now aim for the emerging and the underground. If you also value those qualities in bars, we have two just for you.
Dai Bing
The second venture from the owners of speakeasy favourite Ping Pong 129, Dai Bing is a self-proclaimed bar/art space. Home to Hong Kong’s first artisanal ice production facility, it focuses on long-drink cocktails and features a rotating series of up-and-coming local and regional artists on display.
52 Bonham Strand West, Sheung Wan, tel: 9838 4438
Dragonfly
Like that tiny Alfred Sisley impressionist painting your parents unfortunately owned, Ashley Sutton’s latest is small, but gorgeous – a beautifully opulent space inspired by 19th century art nouveau pioneer Louis Tiffany. Drinks appropriately pay tribute to genius, including Monet’s Teapot and Madam Marie, alongside such gout inducing dishes as foie gras and short ribs.
Shop 10, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central, tel: 2777 2633
For secret dealings
“Nobody must know”, your gallery owner friend whispers, and while you’ve almost swiped the Jeff Koons off that boorish, culture deficient billionaire, you need somewhere quiet and for that final handshake. Check these two out.
COA
Nearly impossible to find in the NoHo area (north of Hollywood Road), COA’s focus is on under-appreciated Mexican spirits – tequila and mescal, mostly – and its dark, industrial setting allows drinkers to escape the attention-seeking art crowds, while kicking back with a well-crafted cocktail.
6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, tel: 2813 5787
The Sea
The sister cocktail bar of The Old Man (get the Hemingway reference?), The Sea opened just this month. Inside its rustic interior you’ll find chic cocktails on the same level as the original, alongside techniques as sous vide and fermentation. Kick back and drift away, darlings.
2 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 2307 0030
For a late-night celebration
You’ve made it – you’ve secured that long lusted for Warhol. It wasn’t cheap – it never really is – and now deserve an appropriate late-night celebration. These two venues will help you get the party started.
Ignis by Linx
Indulgence at its finest, Ignis is Lan Kwai Fong’s latest ode to Epicureanism, a two-level venue in California Tower that’s the ideal location to spoil yourself. Former Bo Innovation chef Mark Sin serves up incredible dishes in the restaurant, and you can later head downstairs to its late-night club level, featuring an ever-revolving list of DJs.
1 & 2/F California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central, tel: 2623 0298
Mudita
Taking over the space formerly occupied by hot club Fly, Mudita has found a good formula for Hong Kong. It’s a chic, relaxed club where cool cocktails and great tunes combine in a chilled-out setting. It’s the ideal spot to celebrate your win.
24-30 Ice House St, Central, tel: 2810 9902
To get away from it all
You’ve had enough – it’s been a solid week of arty stuff and the endless small talk and egos are starting to do your head in. You need a solid drink in an unpretentious spot, far from the madding crowd. Here you go.
Draft Land
Where do you go for a cocktail without all the BS? Draft Land, the Taiwanese concept blending a beer bar mentality with the finest of the mixed drink world. With all drinks pre-made, stored in kegs and served on draft, it’s the least pretentious place in the city to order the bourbon-and-brandy based Saratoga.
63 Wyndham St, Central, tel: 2711 8809
Terrible Baby
You’d never catch an art fiend dead on the “dark side” of Kowloon – which makes it the perfect place to escape. Terrible Baby is all the way out in Jordan, tucked upstairs at the Eaton Hotel, with a vintage aesthetic, live bands and DJs, and an airy terrace, all adding up to the ideal art-world antidote.
4/F, Eaton HK, 380 Nathan Rd, Jordan, tel: 2710 1866
