The city of Hong Kong usually comes to mind when we speak of the modern metropolis: Beautiful lights, towering skyscrapers, trendy and interesting areas offering extraordinary gastronomic experiences, and a melting pot of diverse people and cultures that add to the richness and uniqueness of the city’s DNA. Every bit of Hong Kong’s traditional and modern influence converges into what makes it a captivating place to visit—both for newbie tourists and seasoned travelers.
Among the highlights of Hong Kong’s metropolis offerings is its bustling nightlife, which offers a memorable experience for entertainment, meeting new people, or simply chilling out. While mainstream bars may also be fun and full of high spirits, the best places for a truly immersive experience of Hong Kong’s nightlife are speakeasy-style bars—the ones hidden from plain sight, located in discreet areas, and discovered by stumbling into them while you’re wandering around the city.
Now, whether you’re searching for a place with good food, trying new and exciting drinks, or enjoying a night filled with music, lights, and endless fun, there will certainly be a hidden gem among Hong Kong’s bars that’ll surely captivate and excite your senses. To help you further enjoy diverse dining experiences while exploring the city’s vibrant nightlife, you can score a bona fide visitor-exclusive HK$100 Dining Voucher to selected bars and restaurants after 6 p.m.
To claim your Hong Kong Night Treats dining voucher, check out designated online portals or visit the Hong Kong Tourism Board Visitor Centres in Hong Kong International Airport and redemption counters in Kowloon, Hong Kong West Kowloon Station, and Causeway Bay. Book your trip to Hong Kong now and explore its vivacious bars and hangout spots!
With that said, here are some of these hidden gems that might offer a tasteful bar experience for you:
001
As Hong Kong’s very first hidden bar, 001 paves the way for the city’s other speakeasy-style spots. Reopened inside the historic Tai Kwun, 001’s hidden entrance leads to a cozy space with colorful interiors, soft suede booth seats, Jazz Age geometric wall and ceiling patterns, and an impressive whiskey collection to indulge in. With a cocktail menu that changes seasonally, this hidden gem offers something new on your every visit.
The Green Door
Drawing inspiration from Alice in Wonderland with the idea of suddenly being transported into a magical world, The Green Door lets you stumble into an enjoyable Hong Kong nightlife experience once you find its entrance hidden in plain sight along the wet market stalls of Graham Street. To quench your thirst, the bar offers a selection of cocktails with wonderful twists that leave a unique and delightful feeling to all who visit.
Room 309
Every floor in The Pottinger has a maximum of six rooms, so in essence, Room 309 shouldn’t exist—but that’s what makes this speakeasy-style even cooler. Presented as an imaginary space within the hotel, Room 309 actually sits next to The Envoy, another Lai establishment. The bar presents a collection of classic cocktails with exciting twists—and one of these twists is that they all appear transparent. One of the must-try examples of this is the Deep Sea Martini, which is made with re-distilled Oolong tea blended Scotch whisky, Cinzano Bianco, and homemade kombu tincture.
Mizunara: The Library
Keep your eyes peeled for this hidden gem tucked away inside a nondescript commercial building in Wan Chai, which features over 600 bottles of whiskies from Japanese, Scottish, American, and Irish distilleries. Aside from various whisky cocktails on its menu, the bar offers carefully crafted custom mixes with your preferred whisky for a personalized drinking experience—although you better prepare your budget, because the luxurious drinks here are definitely on a pricier scale.
25:00
Clock in some hangout time at 25:00 (Twenty Fifth Hour), a speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked above Stanley Street’s Luk Yu Tea House—which is one of Hong Kong’s oldest restaurants. In theme with its name, the bar serves cool cocktails inspired by the concept of time and offers an inventive drink selection with a seasonal cocktail-testing menu.
PDT (Please Don’t Tell)
With a name that perfectly fits its speakeasy-style setting, PDT hides at the back of MO Bar in the Landmark Mandarin Oriental and offers access to its entrance through a mock phone booth. Since its foundation, it has established itself as one of the city’s best hidden bars—mainly thanks to its well-thought-out cocktail menu with a wonderful mix of flavors that please the New York and Asian palates.
Zzura
A hidden oasis located on the second floor of Amber Lodge on Hollywood Road, Zzura is inspired by the Sahara desert and features signature cocktails with Middle-Eastern flavors crafted by Tell Camellia’s Gagan Gurung. Unlike the typical dimly lit style of speakeasies, this bar’s interiors lean more towards clean, minimal, and polished earthy hues with contrasting pops of green and orange on the furnishings for a cozy and casual hangout feeling.
Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour
Don’t let its door entrance dressed as a doctor’s clinic fool you; Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour is actually a bar that houses over 200 premium gins from all around the world. Founded by the same team behind Hong Kong’s famous bar Foxglove, this nightlife spot serves an array of seasonal creative cocktails that’ll surely tickle your taste buds.
A.P.E (A Perfect Escape)
Via the official A.P.E. page
If you’re looking for a hidden bar to unwind, the intimate whisky space A.P.E. (A Perfect Escape) is for you. Hidden inside Esc coffeeshop in Tin Hau, A.P.E is founded by the same people behind InterContinental Grand Stanford’s 1920s-style Tiffany’s New York Bar. Thus, you can expect the same high quality and carefully curated whiskies from different independent bottlers and distilleries. However, A.P.E’s drinks offer a more affordable price point and its space features a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the Tiffany’s New York Bar.
Heya
Via the official Heya page
Meaning “room” in Japanese, Heya offers a no-fuss sake drinking experience on the fourth floor of Winner Commercial Building on Lockhart Road, Wan Chai. This cozy little nook offers over 20 labels of sake, which are best paired with light bites and their ever-changing Cantonese-style soup. But to personalize your night drinking and dining experience, you may also bring your own food without paying extra.
To find out more on what’s hot and the vibrant nightlife activities in Hong Kong, visit www.discoverhongkong.com
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