The Best Bars with a View in Hong Kong

The bar on the rooftop of local celebrity chef Harlan Goldstein’s latest venture Penthouse, 270 was designed to make a splash in the Hong Kong nightlife scene. The drinks are not the focus and it shows, but the bar certainly succeeds as one of Hong Kong’s best rooftop spaces with its sweeping views of the city and the harbor beyond.

This is the place locals take visitors they want to impress. On the top of the curvaceous One Peking Building in Tsim Sha Tsui, Aqua Spirit’s super-modern, east-meets-west décor, massive picture windows and stunning views over Victoria Harbor have made it one of the city's most famous destinations. Though it’s expensive and locals tend to avoid the frippery, a trip to Hong Kong would not be complete without at least one drink at Aqua.

This bizarrely named rooftop bar is a local favorite for laid-back drinks and no-frills fried food. With its potted palm trees, folding tables and Christmas lights atop a ferry pier, Discovery Forest is as casual as any neighborhood pub. The service is equally relaxed and warm and the view of Kowloon lights across the water is tough to beat, especially when coupled with an inexpensive (by Hong Kong standards) bar tab.

Locals will tell you that you must cross the harbor to Kowloon for the best views of Hong Kong’s waterfront splendor. It’s true and it’s best experienced at the eyebar terrace floating 30 floors up in the iSquare mall. Though drinks come with a markup, the setting is so stunning it’s forgivable.

Felix is one of the most famous bars and restaurants in Hong Kong. Perched atop the historic Peninsula Hotel and designed by Philippe Starck, the restaurant and bizarrely appointed upstairs bar feel as if they were plucked from a futuristic airport cafeteria. The views and the service remain among the best in the city.

Who says you need to be on the top floor to get a good view? The ground level Intercontinental Lobby Bar overlooks Hong Kong’s sea-front promenade where ships in the harbor seem to pass right before your eyes as the skyline towers above. Drinks and service are average, but it's the view that you visit for.

No discussion of bars with views would be complete without talking about Ozone, the tallest bar in the world. On the 118^th floor of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the International Commerce Centre (ICC), on a clear night, the thrilling, open-air views at Ozone go for miles. Beware though: the bar's luxe trappings are undeniably ostentatious, but if you want to experience (read: balk at) the new Asia, in all its moneyed glory, a round or two at Ozone is the place to do it.

Red Bar is a run-of-the mill bar and restaurant on the rooftop of the International Finance Center (Hong Kong’s second tallest building), but the rooftop terrace surrounding it is one of the city’s rare strips of public space. Because green space is almost unheard of in Hong Kong, this patch is always full of expats, local teens sand folks catching a lunch hour break overlooking the harbor. Red Bar also operates a small storefront where you can stock up on beers and mixed drinks to enjoy on the terrace.

Located on the roof of the East Hotel in Tai Koo Shing, Sugar offers a unique view of the eastern side of Hong Kong and the new Kai Tak cruise ship terminal. A spacious terrace with lots of tables, this is one of the lesser-known rooftops experiences in Hong Kong, but it still fills up with suits after work as it's the only bar in an area chock full of office buildings.

Perhaps the most famous rooftop bar in Hong Kong, Sevva is the roost of bankers and foreigners looking for the iconic skyline view. They serve dinner, but it’s expensive, so head to the terrace that overlooks Central Hong Kong for a glass of champagne. The crowd skews cheesy, but with its ostentatious show of wealth and air of superiority, it’s an authentic peak into the high-end side of the Hong Kong scene.

An Australian steak house chain may seem like odd destination for Hong Kong, but the views at Wooloomooloo Prime will put all concerns to rest. There are two locations in the city—one in Kowloon and one in Causeway Bay on the island—and both have sensational perspectives of the densely packed city and glittering harbor.