In the heart of Lan Kwai Fong, yet another new bar has opened – but one which sports a ‘homely’ motif. Launched by the owners of Privé, Casa (which means house in Spanish) has certainly gone for the relaxed, high-end market. And it clearly wants to give customers a feel of being at home. Well, that only applies if your home happens to be an antiquated-yet-classy apartment which sports traditional décor and furnishings.
The problem with Casa, however, is that upon entering you want it to have a Spanish touch. And it just doesn’t. There is tapas available but little else screams Castilian. We were disappointed about this lack of a Spanish vibe, particularly after the name promises much. However this doesn’t make it a bad bar. On the contrary, there are many luxurious plus points to Casa.
The venue boasts a 4,000sq ft area, complete with a private outdoor terrace, primarily for the smokers. It’s plushy, it’s chilled and the upmarket clientele, mostly sat in quiet groups on the Friday evening we visited, seemed to enjoy the lazy ambience. There is a hallmark of quality stamped onto the space, with lavish décor – ornaments include a gramophone and a beautiful antique mirror – juxtaposed with candlelight and dim lilac neon lighting from the bar area. And our favourite fitting has to be the tropical fishtank built into the wall. After a few cocktails you’ll lose yourself in those tranquil depths...
When we graced Casa, there was a fantastic acoustic guitarist crooning out Creed and Oasis covers, enhanced perfectly by an excellent sound system, adding to the relaxed atmosphere. The sofas, mostly leather, hugged us as we watched the performer, but the place is so chilled it’s hard to imagine it becoming noisy and lively during a late Saturday night. But judge that for yourself.
Casa’s food is good. We sampled the momos, a generous helping of pork dumplings which come with a hot sauce ($98), and it whet our appetite for refreshing cocktails. And they are fab. We recommend the Dynamite, a vodka-based drink which is perfect for summer with its cucumber and mint edges ($90 – but it’s two-for-one during happy hour). Also tasty were the Passion and Perfection, with its apple and basil base ($90), and the classic Caipirinha ($85). Oh, and the table-bowl of tasty nuts, which comes free, is a great touch too.
The toilets were clean and chic, the staff were friendly and the whole place felt like a little slice of luxury (despite the outside wall which hardly looks appeasing – you have to get inside the door before you see the real Casa). All told, it’s a great bar for a group of friends to meet up, relax, chat and drink some kick-ass cocktails. However, don’t expect a Spanish theme and don’t expect to find a space which is much different to the scores of other bar venues dotted around LKF and Central.
Happy hour 6pm-9pm