CLOSED - Bar review: Seafood Room, Causeway Bay – high rise, high priced
Opened by Dubai’s Bulldozer Group, best known for ‘luxury’ dining options, the new bar offers a stunning view of the city and a wide selection of good, if expensive, drinks
The vibe: the first Hong Kong venture from the Bulldozer Group, which operates luxury outlets in the Middle East and Russia, Seafood Room bills itself as a high-end bar and restaurant perched at the top of Causeway Bay’s new Tower 535.
Magnificent chandeliers and an aquatic theme mark the interior.
An outdoor terrace and rooftop lounge offer spectacular harbour views and the interior has magnificent chandeliers, a sprinkling of modern art and an aquatic theme reflected in glass tanks of live seafood and a blue-green colour scheme. Service and attention to detail are impressive.
The Spectre - pretty but pointless.
The drinks: from the signature cocktail list, Spectre (HK$158, Appleton’s V/X rum, reposado tequila, fresh pineapple, lime juice, honey cinnamon syrup, Angostura bitters) came in a tiki glass with half a lime and a lump of sugar balanced on top – the waitress flamed the sugar to caramelise it and explained that it should be mixed into the drink. This proved impossible to do as the glass was too packed with ice (there wasn’t anything to mix it with, either) – pretty but pointless. The drink itself was nicely balanced, with the fresh lime and pineapple coming through well.
The Red Square – complex and elegant.
Red Square (HK$158, Kraken spicy rum, Campari, Fernet-Branca, Cynar, orange bitters) was complex and elegant, with the different bitters harmonising well and spicy after-notes from the rum.
While the drinks are well made, most signature cocktails are on the sweet side. If that’s not your thing (or you don’t want to pay the whopping HK$158 price tag) there are classic cocktails and martinis for HK$138, beers (HK$98 for draft, HK$88 for bottled) including Czech and local brews, and a happy hour deal (called the Sunset Hours) which offers a limited choice of reduced price drinks with a free canapé thrown in.
The abstemious are well catered for, with a range of exotic teas, fresh juices and mocktails. The Basil and Grape Lemonade (HK$88, basil leaves, lemon juice, cane sugar, green grape, soda water) was tart, refreshing and fragrant with fresh basil. The Deep Sea (HK$88, blue curacao syrup, lychee juice, lemon, blueberries, soda water) was less interesting apart from the intense turquoise colour.
Seafood Room is plush and the attention to detail impressive.
The verdict: an oasis of luxury in Causeway Bay, Seafood Room is well worth checking out for great views, a plush ambience and quality drinks – if you can afford them.
