The Best Restaurant Bars in Hong Kong

This Italian fixture in the heart of happening Hollywood Road is a proper sit down restaurant to be sure, but the long, white marble bar and communal tables are where the drinking is best. Each night the place fills up with the city’s movers and shakers who come for the authentic Neapolitan pizzas and regional Italian small plates, and stay for the Negronis and a newly revamped wine list.

Undisputedly one of the best restaurants in Hong Kong—and the only three Michelin Starred Italian restaurant outside of Italy—Otto e Mezzo’s food is nothing short of sensational. But lesser known is its excellent bar where patrons can enjoy small bites and charcuterie alongside excellent old-school cocktails and great wine. Though the restaurant, like so much in Hong Kong, is located in a busy mall, the vibe inside is one of understated elegance. This is a date bar, perfect for a snack and a few drinks before hitting the town.

Billed as an “art restaurant,” Bibo is dripping with contemporary art from headliners like Takashi Murakami and Kaws with some pieces so valuable they require their own dedicated bodyguards. The food, while good, can skew baroque (think “wagyu, topped with foie gras, topped with caviar, topped with gold leaf”), but the drinks and overall experience make it worth a visit. Knowledgeable and helpful bar staff will guide you through the list of excellent cocktails and massive selection of wine and spirits that range from the lesser-known gems to the rare and prohibitively expensive.

Hidden up an alleyway amidst Hong Kong’s sloppiest bar district, this Mexican restaurant has managed to remain a guaranteed good-time spot. The cramped space looks like a run-of-the-mill hipster joint with graffiti'ed walls, hip hop and a rotating roster of specialty tacos. But the bar adds a level of sophistication with its modern cocktails built on Central American flavors like chile, cilantro and tropical fruits. The drinks are spicy and bracingly potent, and the friendly bartenders routinely throw in a few tequila shots on the house.

The bar at Café Gray Deluxe is an ideal spot for a sundowner. On top of the Upper House, Hong Kong’s most exclusive hotel,  Café Gray boasts excellent service, solid classic cocktails and a good wine list, but, most importantly, it’s home to the most city's most show-stopping view of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbor.

With its beautiful crowds, debaucherous theme nights (think Tinder Tuesdays) and all-you-can-eat bao events, this New York transplant has become one of the hottest spots in Hong Kong. While the uninspired dining room offers up fast and loose interpretations of Malay and Singaporean cuisine, the bar serves sophisticated cocktails with an eye firmly on the classics, alongside a selection of raw bar, excellent pork belly baos and sliders. Expect a dimly-lit New York vibe with Wu-Tang on the sound system and expatriate Brooklynites at the door.

Il Milione is a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant in the heart of Hong Kong’s financial district with a clear customer base: bankers and the people they’re dating. Still, when money is no object, this is the place to go for superfluous piles of truffle garnish and one of Hong Kong’s best gin collections. The drink selection includes dusty bottles of pre-war vermouth and continental aperitifs not seen since the days when men wore hats. And while $25 Gin and Tonic may sound over the top, but you do get what you pay for here.