Top 5: Hong Kong Bars with a ViewBy Sophie Coughlan
Considered as one of the most dramatic cityscapes in the world, Hong Kong boasts an array of vistas to gawp at for even the most seasoned of travellers. Tourists and locals alike are spoilt for choice between the sparkling waters of Victoria Harbour, the vast skyscrapers that light up in candy colours at night, the beach-fringed coastline or the imposing terrain-covered mountains. Here are five of our best bars with a view that serve as the perfect backdrop for cocktails – whichever way you’re looking.
1. For the Bragging Rights: Ozone
What: Highest bar in the world? Don’t mind if we do. Worth going, even if just to get one up on that annoying person in the office who spends most of Monday morning boasting about their ‘swanky’ weekend trip to Sushi Samba. Ozone may not be the easiest place to locate due to extensive building works going on in the surrounding area, but if you get a clear day it’s worth the journey for the spectacular view of Victoria Harbour. Perched on the 118th floor of the Ritz Carlton hotel, you’re guaranteed an ear popping experience on your way up in one of the three (leather) lifts you have to take to reach the hotel’s summit.
Drink: Feeling flush? Clear your Sunday plans and go for the Dom Pérignon Brunch – hello, free flowing champagne, wagyu beef burgers with foie gras ganache and white pearl oysters (just a cool £75 a dozen).
Address: 118/F, The Ritz-Carlton, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road, Kowloon
2. For Cheap Cocktails: Sugar Bar
What: Want to know what’s better than a rooftop bar with killer views? A rooftop bar with killer views and a happy hour, that’s what. From 5-7pm Monday to Friday, this is the place to go if you’re looking to get the best bang for your Hong Kong buck.
Drink: Not just for weekday happy hour Hong Kong hipsters (yes, they’re a thing), Sugar Bar is a pretty popular place to see and be seen – just head over to EAST Hotel’s 32nd floor and join the stylish set sipping on one of their delicious Sakura Spritzers. Girly cocktails not for you? Not to worry; act like a rapper and recline on one of their day beds while ordering a whisky and cigar as you admire the view over Tai Tam and Quarry Bay.
Address: 32/F, East Hotel, 29 Taikoo Shing Road, Tai Koo
3. For Panoramic Views: Lobby Lounge at The InterContinental
What: It’s a well known fact that the best bars with impressive views are located in swish hotels. The Lobby Lounge at The InterContinental is no anomaly – it arguably boasts the most breathtaking of vistas in all of Hong Kong, despite its surprising ground floor location. Guest entering the hotel will be blown away by panoramic, 360 degree view of the city’s skyline and the famed Avenue of Stars, despite the somewhat sterile feel of the Lobby Lounge during the day (expect an afternoon tea tourist crowd).
Drink: Make a 7pm booking to nab the best table with a view, and smugly sip the aptly-named and delicious Hong Kong Skyscraper as you watch the daily Symphony of Lights.
Address: The InterContinental, 18 Salisbury Road,Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
4. For the Insider Knowledge: TOTT’s
What: Ironically named Talk of the Town (ToTT’s to the locals, natch) is somewhat of a hidden gem, not generating the same sort of widespread notoriety as some of its competitors. Confusing grammar aside, the restaurant and bar is a hotspot for exhilarating views of Victoria Harbour and a mix of indoor and outdoor dining, perched atop the Mandarin Oriental’s Excelsior on the 34th floor.
Drink: Order the Miss Kitty to culturally fit in like a local (who can resist the heady mix of sake, orange blossom, rose and peach?) and graze on some of their delicious rich mushroom and truffle cheese spring rolls if you’re feeling peckish.
Address: 34/F, The Excelsior, 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
5. For the Light up Chairs: Sevva Terrace
What: Owned by Hong Kong style icon and ‘Queen of Cakes’ Bonnae Godson, Sevva’s Taste Bar is an impressive place to perch with a drink, offering guests a slice of harbourside or bankside views with their cocktails. Famed for its close up views of the HSBC building as well as its green living wall, this is one of the best addresses in Hong Kong to enjoy a tipple (if you can squeeze through the throng of bankers to the terrace).
Drink: With the drinks menu dreamed up by Sex & The City mixologist Joseph Boroski and Bonnae’s to-die-for cakes (the Marie Antoinette cake is a must-try), this is every girl’s dream drinking hole. Bull Shots are on the menu for the boys – beef consommé with vodka and spice, anyone?
Address: 25/F, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Hong Kong
