Lobby bars are a staple in the hotel world. With countless ground level or first floor watering holes known simply as ‘The Lounge’ or ‘Lounge Bar’ across the globe, it’s hard to differentiate one from another. But Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong’s new edition to its lobby is pretty easy to differentiate because it’s a cut above the rest. Positioned right on the lip of the Wan Chai coastline, this is a hotel sporting exceptional vistas and the view is equally impressive inside. It’s just refurbished its lobby restaurant to a bar and eatery called Mirage. What a transformation.
Gone are the wood-toned café-style tables and chairs of the previous incarnation. Instead, Mirage is an ornate island bar with booth seats and cushioned round tables for larger groups dotted around the space and there are stunning 25ft-tall glass-panelled windows that boast unobstructed harbour vistas. The high ceilings exude an air of serenity and, in contrast to many busy lobby bars around town, this is a place to have a quiet chat over a drink.
So, in good company we test out the cocktail selection by selecting a concoction called I’m Hallucinated ($98). Unlike many fruit-based drinks that range from sweet to saccharine, this rum-based mixture with its citrus and passion fruit notes showcases the dark notes of rum around the mid-palate. For something more playful, we opt for the No Monkey Business ($98). Vodka and Oloroso sherry is combined with caramelised bananas here to produce an easy-to-drink cocktail where the velvety nuttiness of the sherry mixes perfectly with the fruit aromas.
Mirage is airy and elegant, only aided by the stunning views and pleasant-on-the-palate drinks. This lobby delight is a sight for sore eyes for anyone who’s seeking an oasis of calm in the concrete jungle that is Hong Kong.