There’s no shortage of good places to get a drink in Hong Kong. The city is home to some of the best bars and bartenders in the world, after all. But what to do if it’s reaching midnight and you’re still going strong? Fear not. Hongkongers work hard and play hard, and many excellent establishments stay open for discerning customers seeking a quality drink in the wee hours before the sun comes up. Here are the best of them.
RECOMMENDED: Prefer your drinks with a view, try one of Hong Kong’s best rooftop bars.
If atmosphere is something that you’re seeking and Lan Kwai Fong’s more down at heel clubs don’t appeal, then hit up Brickhouse when you’re in the area late on. Open until 2am Monday to Wednesday, and until 4am Thursday to Saturday, the Mexican-style bar’s list of cocktails, pisco sours and extensive range of tequila have led to many regrets the morning after.
A self-proclaimed ‘creative cocktail space’, there’s no menu at J. Boroski, instead, patrons have their drinks tailored to their requests. Strong or mild? Floral? Herbal? Spicy? It’s entirely up to you. The bartenders here remain hard at work until 2am Sunday to Wednesday and 3am Thursday to Saturday. This is a great spot for inventive drinks late, late, late at night.
Never one to close early, this fixture in Central is open until late Monday to Saturday. The arrival of John Nugent as head mixologist has revitalised the drinks menu here. Nugent’s revamped cocktail menu is full of winners such as the Very Old Cow, a feisty mix of Montelobos mezcal, Aperol aperitivo, Punt e Mes, Luxardo Maraschino and Peychaud’s bitters. Things get intense here come the weekend, so be prepared for the bar area to suddenly turn into a dancefloor. You’ve been warned.
With its killer view of the Hong Kong Island skyline, it’s no surprise that the Ritz-Cartlton’s main bar, Ozone, stays open late into the night. It closes at 1am Monday to Thursday, and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. If you can pull yourself away from staring out of the window, the bar’s take on classic cocktails – your martinis, Cosmopolitans and the like – is among the best in the city.
Open till late Monday to Saturday, you can usually get one of Stockton’s typically excellent cocktails at around 3am. It’s no wonder the Wyndham Street haunt has become something of a local institution. The Edwardian-style bar has prospered not only because of its long opening hours, but thanks to a broad whisky collection and a regularly refreshed cocktail menu that constantly features various inventive tipples.
We’ve sipped, slurped and staggered our way through Hong Kong’s finest watering holes – yes, it’s a tough life – to bring you our verdict on the bars and bartenders doing our city proud in 2018.
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