In the basement of the Landmark Atrium, you’ll find a curious pair of Victorian-esque doors marked “The Waiting Room” and “Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour.” Push the smaller one and it will lead you to an ornate gin parlour, where waiters clad in doctors’ coats are ready to take your order by role play – ask them for a “Doctor’s Prescription” if you need a recommendation.
Shop B31A, First Basement Floor, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central
Located on the top of Lan Kwai Fong, at the end of a nondescript walkway, Stockton is hard to find, but worth the search. Down some stone steps and behind a metal door is a 1920s-style speakeasy narrative of red velvet and wood furnishings, a jazz blues soundtrack and faux-vintage trinkets. Dimly-lit, the original concept was for a whiskey bar, so expect a wide selection of whiskies of the menu, along with other cocktails and bar snacks offered too.
32 Wyndham St, Central
A nightclub in Lan Kwai Fong has a behind-the-curtains secret waiting to be discovered. Currently unnamed, the bar at the back features drinks unfound in the other two bars of the club. Manned by lead mixologist Paulo, the “Lab Bar” or “The Pantry” is a place for bartenders to experiment drinks before they are put on the main menu.
1 & 2/F California Tower, 30-32 D’Aguilar Street, Central
At the reception of boutique hotel The Pottinger, ask for a key to Room 309 and, if you’re lucky, they may provide it. Nestled inside an otherwise-ordinary hotel room, the bar is stylishly discreet, and hosts just 13 guests at a time. The cocktails here are fantastically creative, a favourite being the Crystal Old Fashioned, with redistilled peanut butter bourbon, homemade wood chip bitters and banana concentrate.
3/F The Pottinger Hong Kong, 74 Queen’s Road Central
One of the first few speakeasies to open in Hong Kong, Ping Pong 129 Gintonería occupies a large warehouse-style space in the urban-chic neighbourhood of Sai Ying Pun. A curious red door leads you down a staircase into the former ping pong club, hence the name. The hip hangout is known for its gin cocktails, gigantic ice cubes, and local pop art exhibitions that change every few months.
129 Second Street L/G Nam Cheong House, Sai Ying Pun
Not so much a speakeasy as a tropical escape, Honi Honi is a sunny little pirate-themed bar in Central’s Wellington Street. Decorated with globed lights, bamboo and fish nets, along with a terrace of swaying palm trees and tropical vegetation, the space is ideal for anyone looking to escape the urban jungle. The cocktail lounge boasts the largest rum library in Asia – their signature rum cocktail comes blended with fresh fruit.
3/F Somptueux Central, 52 Wellington Street, Central
Editor
Angela Kwon
