Bar review: Tonic in Mong Kok is an oasis of classy drinks
Tonic’s house-made horseradish vodka adds a welcome kick to standard cocktails
The vibe: the top level of the Langham Place mall is home to several restaurants and to Tonic, which is part of the Cafe Deco Group and has a sister bar on Wyndham Street in Central. The place isn’t strong on style – seating is outside rather than inside the bar area, lighting is functional and music unobtrusive. However, there’s plenty of room to sit in comfort and the painted faux sky (think The Venetian) is fun.
The drinks: the list of signature cocktails is short and original without being outré. The most unusual offering is an intensely flavoured house-made horseradish vodka – serious horseradish (or wasabi) fans will love it, others should abstain.
Served in a glass which looked like the Starship Enterprise, the Suzdal (horseradish vodka, crème de violette and cucumber) was fierce yet refreshing, and the horseradish also worked well in the Tonic Bloody Mary, alongside the conventional Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and celery salt.
We challenged the staff by asking for classic margaritas which weren’t on the drinks list, and were more than happy with the result; you know it’s a good margarita when you don’t realise how potent it is until you’re halfway through. We also tried the Bellini (peach schnapps, peach purée and prosecco) which had plenty of peach from the schnapps, although the purée wasn’t obvious.
All the drinks we had were HK$98 plus 10 per cent – excellent value for their quality. If you want to make the most of your money there’s 30 per cent off standard drinks during happy hour which also offers special deals on food and wine.
The verdict: a rare oasis of well-made, classy drinks in this area and a good place to relax and chill out after fighting your way through the Mong Kok shopping crowds.
Tonic, Shop 7, Level 13, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mong Kok, tel: 2972 0019; Open: 3pm-1am (Friday, Saturday and the eve of public holidays until 2am). Happy hour: Monday to Friday (except the eve and day of public holidays) 3pm-8pm.
