These new bars are rocking Hong Kong’s F&B scene
Lockdown
Just when you thought it was safe to leave the house again, ‘lockdown’ is back.
Paying tribute to Hong Kong’s pandemic years, bar founders Agung and Laura Prabowo have launched Lockdown, a bar that also draws parallels with America’s prohibition era in the 1920s and 30s.
Agung and Laura have a raft of successful Hong Kong drinking holes under their belt, including The Old Man, Penicillin and Dead&. The small, independent cocktail bars are multiple-award winners and Penicillin was recently ranked at 26 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023.
Lockdown offers an ‘intimate’ setting for 30 and boasts the world’s first rotating bar station, no less.
The menu of 17, hand-crafted cocktails has been divided into two sections, Re-mastered Forgotten Classics and Vintage & Antique Cocktails. Prices start at $120 per cocktail.
A food menu is yet to be revealed; in the meantime bar snacks including Koji fried chicken, piri piri-style chicken skewers and pulled pork tacos are served by neighbouring Penicillin.
Lockdown, G/F 27 Hollywood Road, Central.
Qura Bar
Qura’s heart beats with the spirit of ‘The Curator’, an intrepid explorer searching for rare and vintage spirits. This new bar opened within the reimagined Regent Hong Kong last month and offers so much to get excited about.
Come here for the carefully curated collection of rare and vintage spirits from around the world, and stay for the elevated bar menu of classics such as ‘Catch of the Day’, Baby lamb shoulder “Aveyron”,’ and a luxurious Lobster linguini.
Designed by Australian-based BAR Studio, Qura Bar offers interlinked bar and dining lounges and a cigar space, centred around a backlit rose quartzite bar. Each space offers Regent Hong Kong’s signature ‘framed views’ looking out across Hong Kong’s spectacular Victoria Harbour.
Bar Manager Gennaro Pucci proudly creates a cocktail experience that reflects the search for rare and vintage spirits sourced from auctions and private collections across the globe. Moreover, cocktails are entirely customisable; every single bottle in the bar’s collection is available by the pour.
Highlights of the collection include the ‘Uniting Nations #3,’ a rare blend of Japanese and Scottish whisky traditions, and the historic ‘Ferrand Distilled Before 1914,’ offering a taste of pre-World War I craftsmanship.
Lobby Floor, Regent Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Crushed Wine Bar
Wine retailer Crushed Wines has now opened as a wine bar in trendy Sai Ying Pun.
This is a further extension of the brand; sister establishment Brut! lies just across the road.
The constantly-evolving wine list at Crushed Wine Bar is curated by South African wine connoisseur Leigh-Ann Luckett, including a by-the-glass suite of pours featuring one sparkling, five whites, five reds and three ‘skin contacts’ (pinks and oranges). Downstairs, informal small plates and sharing dishes are available to complement the three- or five-glass wine flights. What to try? Recommended is a plate of braised leeks with almond and garlic puree paired with the Luddite Saboteur white, or perhaps a peanut butter pie with Guthrie Family Wines Heirloom Grenache.
Meanwhile, upstairs there’s a more formal sit-down restaurant. Restaurateur Camille Glass has put together a produce-driven menu channelling French-American comfort food, such as Roquefort mac and cheese or scallop risotto with Sumac beurre blanc. Dine-in bottles start at $260 per bottle, with a wide selection of wines available.
The wine bar is open Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 11pm, with a 3pm start on Saturday afternoons.
Crushed Wine Bar, Shop A, G/F, 6-8 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun.
The Mansion
This part cocktail bar, part late-night retro cabaret bar has opened on SoHo’s Wyndham Street.
A menu of modern cocktails is served to marble tables beneath 400 candle-inspired LED lights, busily creating electronic artwork as you sip. Risque art designs and a gold entrance complete the sparkly vibe.
DJs take to the decks as the evening progresses and on Thursday and Saturday nights dancers perform for the crowd from 9.30pm onwards.
The signature cocktail menu starts at $150 per cocktail and features twists on classic drinks like Pina Colada, sparkling mixes and vodka-based drinks. A selection of Pintxos are available to soak up the alcohol; choose from cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, eggplant rolls, Spanish omelette, grilled prawns and more.
The Mansion will also be collaborating with Hong Kong-based artists. This month it has partnered with Aya Mingazova and Kailing Lo, presenting a series of art installations under the theme ‘horses and women’.
The Mansion, G/F 77 Wyndham Street, Central.
