After five years in operation, Sheung Wan hideaway Mrs Pound is closing its doors for the final time on August 25.
The venue, which helped usher in the short-lived but successful ‘secret bar’ trend, became pretty well-known for its fake-locksmith shopfront and fictional backstory. Once you manage to push the right lock to open the door, you enter the teal and hot pink chambers of Mrs Pound, a former burlesque dancer from Shanghai who absconded with her married lover to Hong Kong, where they opened this clandestine joint.
If you haven’t visited yet, check it out before the bar closes. It’s lively and fun and the food and drinks are quality, drawing inspiration from street food cultures across Asia. For example, the Set B ($130), a cocktail made with satay beef fat-washed Chinese kao-liang, dill and earl grey tea syrup, lemon, umami bitters and black pepper. There’s also an excellent happy hour, with cocktails starting from $60 from 5pm to 7pm. Edit: we’ve been informed that the happy hour is no more.
Fear not, fans of bars with fictional origin stories: Mrs Pound might not go the way of the dodo. The owners are currently looking for a new home. Stay tuned to see where the Shanghainese lovers land next.