Argo’s Single Origin Negroni (Cacao). Photo: Handout
Source:
https://scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3151620/hong-kongs-best-new-bars-reviewed-argo-four-seasons-hotel Leisure
Hong Kong’s best new bars reviewed: from Argo at the Four Seasons Hotel, to Kyle & Bain and Zzura – are these the classiest cocktails in town?
- Four Seasons beverage ambassador Lorenzo Antinori and local mixologist Summer Lo have made the hotel’s Caprice one of Asia’s Best Bars – how does Argo hold up?
- K&B’s John Nugent revitalised the menu at Lily & Bloom and opened The Diplomat, which made Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021 – but so did Gagan Gurung’s Tell Camellia, and now he’s back with Zzura
The new bar Argo at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, one of three hot new openings reviewed in September. Photo: Argo
Despite all the late nights, loud music and alcohol, Hong Kong’s bar scene doesn’t make nearly as much noise as its dining counterpart. New restaurants arrive pre-baked with hype and the wait for a table feels like the wait for the Second Coming. Bars open more quietly – afraid to wake the neighbours – and it can take an excellent establishment years to garner serious attention.
Argo
An exception to this rule is Argo, which is enjoying immediate success. Demand for seats has been so strong that the bar has been forced to allow bookings (albeit outside peak hours) where none were previously permitted.
Many factors have contributed to this strong start. Argo’s location in the Four Seasons provides an immediate seal of approval, sitting as it does alongside other renowned establishments like Caprice, Lung King Heen and Sushi Saito. The location’s redesign of the former Blue Bar space is also stunning. Nearly everything has changed. The position of bar and seats has swapped, pulling your attention towards the harbour view; the eponymous blue tones have given way to warmer pastel shades; and the visual concept has been updated from that of an anywhere hotel bar to a conservatory accented with plants and taxidermied butterflies.
Adding substance to these surface details is the bar team, headed by Lorenzo Antinori, beverage manager of Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong and beverage ambassador of Four Seasons Asia-Pacific, and local award-winning mixologist Summer Lo. The pair have positioned Caprice as one of the best bars in Asia and their involvement here brings high expectations.
Our first drink to arrive is one of Argo’s signatures, its cocoa-aged Single Origin Negroni (HK$140), which features St George Terroir gin, Cascara vermouth, Hulu Gali cocoa, Campari and smoked jalapeño. Standing head and shoulders above your bog standard negroni, the cocktail delivers on its promise with a subtle cocoa flavour on first sip. It’s incredibly well balanced with a sweet middle ending on a nicely bitter finish, but lacks the punch typical of this type of cocktail, which turns out to be a recurring theme.
The Skynet Old Fashioned’s futuristic name comes from the fact that the base spirit, Glyph Molecular whisky, is not barrel-aged but “born from molecular mapping” that supposed recreates the same vanillin-driven warmth derived from wood sugars. Made also with miso caramel, coconut husk and olive oil, the most noteworthy feature of this reformed classic is its distinct creaminess and the candy aroma on the nose. It’s a pleasant mix but another surprisingly light tipple.
We’re informed the Red Rock Sazerac is already sold out (by 7.30pm) so we move off menu and order a classic Last Word. The cherry comes served on the side, which we appreciate as it allows us to dictate the exact profile of the drink, which arrives precisely as sour and refreshing as we’d like.
There’s much to admire about the drinks at Argo with their inventive ingredients and winning flavours. If they all taste somewhat light, that hasn’t hurt their popularity. If anything, the ease with which you can drink your cocktail at Argo likely appeals to many customers. With its solid cocktails and gorgeous design don’t expect the waiting list to get shorter any time soon.
Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, 3196 8882
Kyle & Bain
Photo: Kyle & Bain
John Nugent has an enviable track record of success. After arriving in Hong Kong in 2017 he successfully revitalised the cocktail menu at the dearly departed Lily & Bloom in Lan Kwai Fong and later opened The Diplomat, which cracked the top 20 of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021.
A cosy 25-seater, Kyle & Bain may be humble in terms of scale but it is Nugent’s most ambitious project to date. Described as a martini bar – a classic concept that has never really found a home in Hong Kong’s neoteric cocktail scene – the small space offers limited room for tools and shelf space. There are no shakers here, either, every cocktail is to be stirred – a deliberate attempt, Nugent says, to get away from certain ideas provoked by James Bond about what a good martini really entails.
The Tuxedo #2 is one of the establishment’s offerings in this area, made with London dry gin, dry Vermouth, Maraschino and a lick of absinthe. Bracing without turning our lips blue, this martini is chilled to the ideal temperature and is wonderfully smooth with a subtle sweetness.
Sticking with the classics, we order a gimlet next. This version features gin, Genever, Mastiha, salad cordial, aniseed and “truffled lime”. The truffle hits our nose but thankfully doesn’t move to the tongue and overpower the other flavours present. Full of savoury notes, there’s a satisfyingly long finish.
The Old Alliance is a potent mix of London dry gin, Talisker 10 Year whisky, white Port, pear eau de vie, honey, salt and garnished with a baby pear. The many flavours involved wash over our tongue in successive waves resulting in an incredibly layered drink. Anyone worried about the cocktail’s kick can take small bits of the pear to help mellow the experience.
The stylish bar area at Kyle & Bain, Hong Kong’s dedicated martini bar. Photo: K&B
Kyle & Bain is a rarefied experience. It won’t have the mass appeal of The Diplomat and its Irish Coffee, but there’s plenty to appreciate in this small space. Nugent’s winning streak continues.
Shop 7, G/F, The Galleria, 9 Queen’s Road Central, Central, 2133 1137
Zzura
Big Fig cocktail at Zzura. Photo: Handout
Gagan Gurung is a busy man. Having seen his tea-focused cocktail bar Tell Camellia break into Asia’s 50 Best Bars, the industry veteran has helped to launch not one but two concepts this summer. First came Barcode, the cafe/dessert shop/bar hybrid on Glenealy, Central, and now comes Zzura.
The latter has taken over the old home of Angel’s Share and The ThirtySix, above Hollywood Road. Now a “Middle Eastern speakeasy”, the space has been completely transformed, with guests greeted with the interior of a colourful Bedouin tent upon arrival. Middle Eastern arches and water fountains complete the look further in.
The bar team Gurung has put together has a wealth of experience and includes Princebir Singh (formerly of Zuma), Santosh Gurung (former head bartender of On Dining Kitchen & Lounge) and Matthew Law (ex-Dr. Fern’s).
Inside Zzura, a modern “Middle Eastern speakeasy”. Photo: Handout
Their Saffron Milk Punch (HK$130) is an attractive combination of rum, pineapple, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, masala tea and clarified milk. Served in a long-stemmed glass, the drink has a velvety texture and a satisfying long finish.
The ingredients pair pleasingly, the spices providing a warm edge without overpowering either the fruit notes or the alcohol – quite an accomplishment given the often overwhelming flavour of cinnamon.
The Date Me Fashioned (HK$130) is solid but a little more pedestrian. The date-infused rum adds extra sweetness, but otherwise, this is a little too close to a standard old fashioned to truly stand-out. The Big Fig (HK$120), made with 12-year-old Scotch, home-made fig jam, lemon and egg white, is another winner though. The whisky is smoothed by the addition of the jam, resulting in an easy-to-drink spin on a classic sour that has all the flavour of Scotch but none of the abrasive fire.
2/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central, 2639 9155