If you're looking for a classy place to catch some live jazz, Salon de Ning is the spot to hit up!…read more In TST, you don't have too many other choices except for Ned Kelly's (and sometimes the Hyatt bar). Ned Kelly's isn't necessarily the type of dark, intimate environment for jazz if you're on a 1-on-1 date so Salon de Ning takes the cake in this aspect! If you've been to some old school jazz bars in Shanghai then you are familiar with the particular ambiance these type of places give off! Salon de Ning is built off of that and you can feel it the moment you walk in with their dark lighting and decor. There are plenty of seats on any given weeknight though I do suggest making reservations just in case it is booked out. I've walked in most of the time just sporadically and have always scored a good seat. Sometimes it is a nice couch off in the corner, other times we are at just right upfront at just a few feet away from the jazz band. Don't expect too much on their cocktails. Yes, the prices are very steep (it is The Peninsula after all) but you're paying more for the environment (and brownie points if you're on a date). I suggest going more for their whiskey based drinks as they do a good job on those. The other typical cocktails aren't mixed together very well. I've seen a number of great performers here and on my last visit, there was an awesome duo from LA (SoCal represent!) that had both the performance and vocals on point. Service is awesome here and they are much more attentive than usual (I am sure you're already used to the subpar service you'd typically receive in HK). And they will be happy to move you to a different part of the lounge if you ask! Grab a drink, soak in the music and relax!

Salon de Ning is an uber-cool bar in the basement of the Peninsula Hotel in TST. It is based on a…read moreShanghainese 1930s speak-easy, and it certainly does exude that style the minute you walk in. It's dark, plush, art-deco France meets Chinese chic. In fact, it's so dark in there, that I would be afraid to see it with the lights up, just in case I was sitting in something sticky. The main bar area surrounds a stage and small dance floor, and has a number of private alcoves jutting off in all directions. Depending on which table you have managed to reserve, booking is nearly always essential here, you may find yourself either sitting on the tallest spiky stool, or the most comfortable and luxurious sofa. It's a bit of a gamble, but I'm sure you can request to sit in particular areas at time of booking. All around the bar is art-work, antique furniture, and historical haute couture clothing, so if your G&T is no good, you can at least drink in the view. The bar menu is quite extensive, but also quite pricey. They are not the best made drinks in the world, but perfectly passable. I would have hoped for better given the price tag, but alas no. My impression is that one comes here for the kudos, and not to have a decent long island ice tea. There is also nightly entertainment. At the time of writing, it is a very classy Florida based jazz band. The staff are very pleasant, and have a wonderful effortless politeness about them. They are the antithesis of HK service, in that they are calm and quietly spoken. Note, there is a smart casual dress code...

I went here for tea time and it was GREAT. The tea was…read morefantastic and they give you sugar and cream on the side so you can make the tea anyway you like it. The deviled eggs were my favorite savory dish and the pandan(?) cake was my favorite pastry. The cocktails were also unique. I got the Milo one - which is SO Hong Kong and reminds me of my childhood. The service was also great. I didn't expect this place to be super classy, but I felt dressed down and still got good service :)

This is absolutely my type of spot. Cute, modern, stylish, a…read morehidden surprise in a touristy spot. The cocktails have a clean presentation & unique spark to them. Notes you wouldn't think would go together, do. Cases in point: Birds of a Feather drink - Who would think to put fruit preserves, fruit tea, & scotch together, with the concoction remaining smooth & not at all over-powering? It tasted like juice with a slight hint of smoke. The smoke taste dissipated as I consumed more of the cocktail. Dinosaur - Dude. I was waiting for the ice ball to melt. I started poking it with my straw, a bit malleable. Then, I dove into it with my spoon. Discovery? The Milo ice ball is iced malt. Wth? How amazing is that? The drink is a dessert masterpiece that was hard for me to take down. Sinful, yet sickingly sweet. Worth it though. I enjoyed the Envoy. I envy this place because it isn't back home...

Behind a phone booth in a bar that's in a hotel... coolness…read more This one gets initial points for the coolness of getting into a phone booth -- kids, this is what we used in the old days to make phone calls when we were away from home and wanted to talk to someone. There was no such thing as "texting." -- the process with the keypad and curtain/door entryway is nice and sets the stage. The interior of this bar is pretty small, as it should be, IMO. The bar is well stocked and they have a nice selection of drinks and food on the menu. Since we'd just come from a large banquet, we weren't in the mood for food, but this looked to be a place where you could get some good stuff to go with your drinks. I had a "Shark," which has butter-infused rum. After reading that, I *had* to try it. It had an interesting creaminess and a finish of browned butter. The drink was a bit on the sour side, but the creaminess almost balanced it out enough for me. It was a drink that I enjoyed, but would probably try something different next time. I tend to prefer more spirit-forward drinks that are less sour, but wanted something different since I'd just had that at the previous place. The decor is interesting here: a rabbit with a double-barreled shotgun? I'm not sure what that is about, but it gave us something to look at :) Our server was attentive and helpful and the drinks didn't seem to be more expensive than the drinks at the outer Mo Bar. I'm a fan of speakeasies, although, these days, it is hard to find many that are actually *quiet* ... I think that is a lost part of the whole concept, which is a shame since I think that part of the experience makes it even more of a contrast to the noise of your typical bar.

Originated from New York, PDT has entered the hidden bar scene in HK a year ago. It is located…read moreinside MO Bar of Oriental Mandarin, The Landmark - it is NOT hard to find. You can't miss the eerie telephone booth at the top of the stairs lol. Decided to come here for an intimate NYE countdown with a bunch of friends, and to enjoy a couple cocktails before we venture off for the rest of the night. We had a bit of a whirlwind, chaotic situation in the beginning... miscommunications with waitresses at MO Bar regarding reservations and pricings... plus it is NYE, everything gets chaotic anyway. But looking past that, the experience inside PDT was fantastic - our server was very friendly and courteous :) I really enjoyed the Evening Star cocktail, the one with the starfruit! It was light, sweet, and easy to drink - a plum and sake based cocktail :) The Old Fashioned was pretty dang strong too. We also ordered waffle friesss... OMG, best fries ever, when you are tipsy lmao. Not recommended for large groups... the booths are small and very limited. We were a group of 5 and we were comfortable. The other table had like 8 people... good luck there. I don't think you can make a reservation, it is first come, first serve. It is a nice place take someone on a date tho ;) Overall, 4.5 stars - minus that little blip with MO Bar waitresses. smh.

The Pontiac / Central (Hong Kong) -- This was such a great find for Jamie W and me. We decided to…read morestay in Central on Hong Kong Island because many of the trendier eateries are here. So are the gay bars. Although just a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel, the last block on Old Bailey Street was a bit of a climb. We started hearing Shania Twain, a far cry from the K-POP blaring everywhere else. When we saw the rainbow flag out front and the sea of brassieres hanging from the ceiling, we knew this must be the place. There were just three people at the bar and two behind it, both English speakers. Our particular barkeep was from Curaçao even though she sounded like a Texan. The vibe was casual and quite chill, and we were impressed by the manga menus. The name refers to the Native American tribe, not my dad's 1968 Pontiac Catalina. Wanting time to peruse the menu, we ordered our standby, a couple of HK$98 Espresso Martinis (photo; https://yelp.to/8pnmgyoiM6). Quite smooth with just a hush of sweetness that had us tapping our feet to classic Dolly Parton. We were ready to order their artisan signature cocktails for our second round. Jamie went for the HK$98 Killswitch, a particularly potent mix of tequila, Ribena Jamaica, lime, fenugreek tincture, and soda, it was a margarita with a third leg. I went more refined with the HK$98 London Calling, a clubby blend of Strawberry Pimm's, ruby port, petite verveine, basil, and soda (photo: https://yelp.to/8OhUsNESX4). What a lovely drink on a balmy night in Hong Kong. COCKTAILS - 5 stars...very thoughtful about their mixes AMBIANCE - 4 5 stars...just the right mood for two tired gay Americans SERVICE - 4.5 stars...very friendly TOTAL - 5 stars...great to find this boozy oasis in HK...oh and did I mention it's ranked #33 on the esteemed Asia's 5O Best Bars list? RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

a very friendly queer lesbian bar it feels welcoming the…read moremoment you sit down the bras hanging from the ceiling adds a touch of whimsy the signature drinks are delicious

This place has the ambience and appeal for folks who are nostalgic about Hong Kong culture -- the…read moreneon lights are cute, and spells things like "foreigner medicinal tea" (back-handed way of saying beer). Plus the Chinese name of the place alludes to the phrase "so fucking good". Turns out, the food and the beer selection is pretty damn decent too! The menu is actually quite big, and represents the east-meets-west vibe of Hong Kong. For example, you'll find Iberico ham here in the form of char siu atop a bowl of rice and adorned by Japanese onsen egg; or braised Napa cabbage in a creamy French-style sauce with local fried shrimp. I came here with my mum, who prefers more traditional Chinese food as she's lactose intolerant, and we still had a great time. On top of that, they have a decent selection of draft and bottled beer, with a lot of local brews represented. They also have very interesting non-alcoholic choices -- again, great for non-drinking parents or friends. The lighting can be a little bit dark for some folks, but as long as anyone needed visual support has a phone with a flashlight, or a friend, reading the menu should be ok. This is absolutely the kind of place I'd chill at with a bunch of good friends.

65 Peel is great place to go for craft beer and Cantonese style gastropub food. They have about ten…read morebeers on tap and offer bottled beer both from international brewers and local craft brewers. I enjoyed the food and the beer was also pretty good. Food: 3.75 stars Beer: 3.5 stars Environment: 4 stars Service: 3 stars Overall: 3.5 stars Recommendations: crab rice ball, signature ipa I ordered the char Shui rice with spa, crab rice ball, and the fried chicken and washed it down with a flight of beers. The flight of beers costs 140 hkd and you get a choice of 200ml servings of four beers. The char siu is sous vide and was really tender. The taste was a bit on the light side and wish it had a bit more of the bbq flavor. The rice was also really nice. However not a fan of the spa egg and the canard liver which seemed a bit out of place. The fried chicken and crab rice balls were both good. I liked the crab balls better and they had a nice crispness and the crab flavor shines through. Fried chicken is a substantial portion and this could be a main if that is all you are eating. The chicken is tender and has a nice crunchy exterior.

Down a short candle lit alley, up a flight of stairs and through a heavy door, you'll find this…read more1930's style speakeasy with a "secret" door to a hidden cigar room, and lots of quirky furnishings. Try their signature old fashioned, and a scotch egg. Both excellent. The service is friendly and top notch. Very enjoyable, quiet bar.

One of my favourite after work meetup bar. You have to walk down a dimly lit walkway and up some…read morestairs. It really is a hidden gem. Even on a Friday night, it is quite easy to get seated. You can call in and make reservations. Once inside, the decor is musky, dungeon but also classy at the same time. Their menu is playful which is a fun read every time. The thing I like most is that the presentation of every cocktail I've ever ordered has never failed to impress. The food here is also surprisingly good. Highly recommended!

Cosy, chill and hip bar, secretly tucked away bar on Peel Street. Specializes in Craft beer but has…read morea pretty decent selection of cocktails and recently, whiskey. Great place to come for a chat with friends on weekday nights, and gets pretty happening come weekends, so come earlier. The drinks are cheap, they have $50 drink deals Mon- Weds and the crowd is pretty fun and friendly. Good go-to place for pre-drinks or the actual party when your crew all arrives.

We needed a place to chill while waiting for a table at nearby Ho Lee Fook and Bobby's was the…read moreperfect spot. It doesn't take itself seriously (I mean, their craft beer list on the wall includes a height chart that has both world leaders and dictators' heights) and the bartender that evening knew how to chat us up and keep us off our phones. Cocktails are strong and they all cost $100HK, which makes everything easy peasy lemon squeezy. Since our table became available 50 minutes earlier than expected, we were unfortunately forced to down our drinks quickly so we could get our spot. What a way to get a buzz ASAP! Next time, we'll stay a little longer and perhaps try their beer selection!

Was looking for a little break for the hustle and bustle so found Bar Butler which is in a building…read moreup a few floors (5th). It feels like the Japanese bars I've seen on tv with the bartenders wearing dress shirts and vests. They also practice a few Japanese traditions like greeting you when you arrive and leave. The menu itself has a lot of common cocktails. I decided on some standards ones like a paper plane and then an old fashioned. I liked the paper plane more maybe because it was sweeter and tangy-er due to the actual make up of the drink. The old fashioned used several different bitters which was unique but didn't necessarily transform the drink too much. Snacks are provided as you sip your drink. I feel the bartenders are pretty solid though and can make drinks just by highlighting what you like. Would give it a visit. Very local and off the touristy track.

One of our favorite nights in Hong Kong was visiting Bar Butler, a classic Japanese whiskey bar…read more The people working here (3 men all dolled up, including suspenders) were super expert in their selection and recommendations, making the experience very illuminating and interesting. The space is definitely small. It can get crowded, so try to hit it early or on the later side. We got to try some excellent whiskies, many of which are not available in the States. You could tell there were some regulars who were visiting, too, as they had very deep conversations with the bartenders about their latest supply. Higher end but not bonkers prices. There was a minimum, but it wasn't hard to hit. Swanky and beautiful interior. All around elegance with jazz in the background. We were immediately transported!