Bar review: Commissary in Admiralty – friendly staff, needs more atmosphere and less ice

The vibe: on the top level of Pacific Place, conveniently next to the taxi rank, Commissary’s concept is casual drinks and dining with a Southern California flavour. An outdoor terrace is a plus, if not on the rainy night we were there.

Restaurant review: Commissary in Admiralty – a slice of Southern California in Hong Kong

Indoors, the style is strictly utilitarian, with bare wooden tables and chairs, and there’s not much atmosphere – it feels more like a canteen than a restaurant. However, the young servers are friendly and willing to help, and if the ambience isn’t five-star, at least the prices aren’t either.

The drinks: from the list of signature cocktails, we started off with the Caramel Apple Sour (HK$100, Tanqueray, apple, lemon, salted caramel liqueur and egg white). Well-balanced and refreshing, the salted caramel added an unusual note. The slice of dried apple drizzled with caramel makes a pretty garnish – just be sure to eat it at the end, as it’s far sweeter than the drink.

The Downtown Derby (HK$90, Bulleit bourbon, blood orange, honey and grapefruit bitters) was pleasant if unexciting, with the vanilla from the bourbon coming through nicely.

Just because a bar is “American” doesn’t mean you have to fill every drink with ice – of what we tried, only the Caramel Apple Sour escaped this problem.

From the range of Bloody Marys we tried the Bloody Californian (HK$105, Ocho Blanco tequila, avocado spice mix and tomato juice), which was served with a couple of nachos on top alongside the usual stick of celery. While undoubtedly spicy, the drink was one-dimensional and was packed with so much ice that by halfway through it was like drinking water.