Japanese-style cocktail den Bar De Luxe has moved from the 30th floor of Asia Pacific Centre to their new H Code location in Pottinger Street. Known for its authentic Ginza flavour and experience, the bar was brought to Hong Kong in 2017 by legendary bartender Hidetsugu Ueno, founder of the famous Tokyo bar Bar High Five. The new venue now sits on a 1700sq ft spot that can fit 120 guests (standing) which is bigger than their old space.
The bar’s ceiling and lighting fixture is inspired by the skeleton of Japanese oil-paper umbrellas called wagasa
Influenced by traditional Japanese designs blended with western contemporary elements, the bar's interior features fresh and modern aesthetics compared to it's old 'gentleman's bar' setup of leather chairs and wooden furniture. The bar features a shōji inspired element – a traditional Japanese wooden sliding door, panelled with translucent paper – using raw timber blended by a royal green tile to accentuate the details. The bar's new setup highlights a striking ceiling and lighting fixture inspired by the skeleton of Japanese oil-paper umbrellas called wagasa, an essential accessory for Japanese tea ceremony and kabuki theatre. The new address is no longer perched on a sky-high floor, but its new seventh-floor spot presents an open view of the metropolitan city through its floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Behind the bar (from left): bartenders Melo Leung, Ivin Hui, and Matthew Lai
Mixologist Ivin Hui travelled all the way to Japan to train under Mr Ueno's guidance and is now heading the team of bartenders in Bar de Luxe. The menu, which is the highlight of the bar, still carries cocktails created from the same meticulous Japanese mixology that Bar de Luxe guests have been used to. To celebrate Bar de Luxe's reopening, its top bartenders prepared five special cocktails to welcome guests to their new abode.
Cocktails on the new menu include Gratitude, a cocktail crafted by Ivin using Japanese whiskey, cherry liquor, yomogi liqueur, oolong tea, lemon and garnished with eustoma petals; Centaurea, an earthly cocktail made by bartender Matthew Lai using Scotch, yomogi liqueur, and Fernet Branca; Syriacus, an aromatic cocktail made by Kelvin Kung using bergamot liqueur, gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon, and yuzu honey; Winter Sunset, a mulled-wine crafted by Desmond Wong using rum, wine, cloves, and cinnamon; and gin-based Abode of Snow made by Melo Leung using mandarin liqueur and Darjeeling black tea.
Winter sunset
Centaurea
Bar de Luxe is located on 7F Low Block, H Code, 45 Pottinger Street, Central and is open from Saturday to Sunday 12pm to 6pm. Drop by for a tipple or order bottled cocktails for delivery or takeaway. For enquiries, visit bardeluxehk.com or contact 3706 5716.