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Best for classic cocktails – Bar De Luxe

Hidden away 30 floors up at the summit of the nondescript Asia Pacific Centre in Central, Bar De Luxe is a Japanese-style cocktail bar par excellence. Opened in conjunction with legendary bartender Hidetsugu Ueno, Bar De Luxe maintains Ueno-san’s reputation for flawless mixology. The menu is updated regularly but you cannot go wrong with any classic here. Sit at the bar and marvel at the technique on show, or take a seat by the window and enjoy the view from on high overlooking Central.

Best hidden bar – The Poet

Hidden bars is a trend that never seems to die in Hong Kong – over the years the likes of Stockton, The Old Man, Foxglove and many have adopted this secretive approach to building up hype. The Poet, which opened earlier this year, is evidence that the concept is not dying out any time soon. Located on Staunton Street, the cocktail bar’s thoroughly innocuous exterior means you are bound to walk right past it if you do not know it is there. Fortunately, there’s more to The Poet than its surreptitious location. With bar staff taken from 001 (itself an excellent speakeasy) the drinks are always worth your time. Don’t miss the excellent Negroni.

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Best bar food – The Diplomat

Another recent opening, operations at The Diplomat are headed by John Nugent. The American has vast experience and made his name here by revamping Lily & Bloom’s cocktail menu. The drinks menu at The Diplomat is always inviting, and features some of Nugent’s trademarks like his milk punch, but special attention has been given to the food side of things, too. Given the quality of its suckling pig Cubano, black truffle mac and cheese and Wagyu burger, do not be surprised if you spend more time eating than drinking.

Best whisky bar – Mizunara: The Library

If your taste is more for whisky than cocktails, head to Wan Chai. Mizunara is, true to its name, a veritable whisky library, home to one of the most impressive collections in Hong Kong. There are some 800 bottles lining the walls here, a mix of everything from Scottish single malts to rare Japanese drams. Bartender-in-chief Masahiko Endo is, however, an award-winning mixologist too, so if you do fancy mixing things up, you will be getting only the best.

Best ambience – Shady Acres

If you want a place with a good atmosphere to match your drinks, there is only one place to go. Shady Acres’ popularity is somewhat notorious now – the large crowds that regularly spill outside and onto Peel Street have come under fire for breaking social distancing requirements – but such is the price of fame. Yes, you are likely to have to stand, and yes, you will have to be outside, which is not ideal during the Hong Kong summer – the buzz generated here by so many drinkers relaxing and socialising is undeniable. Ryan Nightingale – formerly of Back Bar and Aberdeen Street Social – looks after the drinks, so you will be in good hands.

Best for value – Draft Land

Although the Taipei original landed at 26 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, this Hong Kong offshoot deserves some credit, too. Co-founders Angus Zou and local star Antonio Lai collaborated on the original menu – the entirety of which you can sample since all the cocktails are on tap. This means you need never worry about wasting your money on a dud since you can try before you buy. That aside, many of the drinks are competitively priced and some of the best still cost less than HK$100 (US$13) – a veritable bargain these days.

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Best LGBTQ+ bar – T:me

Although Petticoat Lane might pull in the crowds, if a decent drink in more relaxed surrounds is your thing, head to T:me bar. Tucked away behind Hollywood Road, in an oasis of calm next to Pak Tsz Lane Park, T:me is an LGBTQ+-friendly bar that serves surprisingly good drinks. Its Earl Grey martini compares favourably to the more famous version made just up Hollywood Road at Quinary (even if it lacks the fancy “caviar” you get there).

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