Comptoir holds an open fronted corner on Forbes Street in Kennedy Town, a French wine bar that has anchored the neighbourhood for more than a decade. Foodie magazine calls it a fixture of the area's eating and drinking scene, and the corner stools are made for a glass and a slow look at the street.
Who would love it: wine drinkers who want French bottles and tapas in a relaxed corner room. Who would hate it: anyone after cocktails or a loud late night, since the pace here is conversation and pours.
The corner is the draw. The open front opens onto Forbes Street, so a perch at the bar comes with people watching and the easy mood of a room that has settled into its block.
The wine list runs deep on France. Comptoir pours by the glass and the bottle, and the upstairs tasting cellar holds more than 100 French bottles, which is the citable detail that sets it apart from a casual wine stop.
The food is built for sharing. Plates such as clams a la Basque, beef tartare and five spice duck confit round out the wine, so a glass turns into a longer table without much effort.
The upstairs room changes the visit. The private tasting cellar suits a group or a guest new to French wine, with the depth of the list giving the staff room to guide a tasting.
The neighbourhood role is clear. After more than ten years on Forbes Street, Comptoir reads as the local wine room rather than a destination, which keeps the crowd loyal and the service warm.
The hours suit a long day. Comptoir opens late morning and runs into the evening across the week, which covers a weekend brunch glass as well as a wind down after work.
Asking the bar pays off with the list. With a cellar this size, telling the staff a region or a style gets a better match than guessing, and they are happy to pour toward a preference.
The tapas and wine pairing is the move. A few shared plates alongside a glass of French red is the most direct way to read what the room does best.
Timing helps on weekends. The corner fills for brunch and again in the evening, so a quieter glass is easier to find on a weekday or in the early afternoon.
Comptoir suits wine drinkers, brunch tables, and anyone after French bottles in a relaxed corner. Compare the hidden cocktails at The Wilshire Bar in Kennedy Town and the craft beer and whiskey at Alvy's in Kennedy Town, then read the full guide to the best bars in Kennedy Town, browse more Hong Kong wine bars, and see the wider Hong Kong bar guide.
Sources: Foodie magazine guide to the best restaurants in Kennedy Town (updated June 2026); the bar's official site comptoir.hk; Instagram (@comptoirhk); Uncover Asia Kennedy Town bar guide.
