Hong Kong's bar scene has been a fixture of Asia's 50 Best Bars list for over a decade. The Old Man won World's Best Bar in 2019. Coa exports agave-spirit knowledge across the region. The 10 below are concentrated in Central, Soho and Sheung Wan — Hong Kong's three drinking quadrants.
Part of our 50 Best Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
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The 10 best bars in Hong Kong
01 · Hong Kong
Soho
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Hemingway-themed
The Old Man and the Sea is the brief; the execution is detailed and serious. Won World's Best Bar in 2019.
Order: Anything from the For Whom the Bell Tolls riff section
02 · Hong Kong
Soho
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Agave-driven
Jay Khan's mezcal and tequila bar. The agave list is one of the world's deepest outside of Mexico.
Order: Mezcal flight + the Smoke & Mirrors
03 · Hong Kong
Central
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Multi-sensory · Counter
Antonio Lai's room. Multi-sensory cocktail program — drinks that engage smell, taste, texture and sight differently.
Order: Whatever's the latest multi-sensory signature
04 · Hong Kong
Soho
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Dive · Late-night
Soho dive bar that takes drinks more seriously than its appearance suggests. Mid-week DJ programming, late hours.
Order: A whisky highball at 1 AM
05 · Hong Kong
Soho
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Whisky bar · Sgt Major's
Soho whisky-focused cocktail bar. Deep Japanese whisky cellar, classics-led cocktail menu, more atmospheric than the brasher Soho rooms.
Order: A flight of Japanese whiskies
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06 · Hong Kong
Central
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Speakeasy · Through a leather goods shop
Through an umbrella-shop facade in Central. Reservation-friendly, classics-led cocktail program.
Order: A French 75 in the speakeasy room
07 · Hong Kong
Central
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Hidden · Through a fridge
Through a fridge in a wellness storefront in Central. Gin-focused — over 100 gins. A pharmacy theme that fits the wellness aesthetic.
Order: A G&T with their reserve gin
08 · Hong Kong
Kowloon
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World's highest bar
On the 118th floor of the Ritz-Carlton. The world's highest bar. View: outrageous. Reservations essential.
Order: A glass of champagne, looking down
09 · Hong Kong
Soho
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NYC franchise · Late-night
Hong Kong branch of the NYC original. Late-night kitchen, classic NY-style cocktails, the Soho destination after midnight.
Order: Provençal
10 · Hong Kong
Central
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Glassy terrace · IFC view
On top of Prince's Building. The terrace looks directly at the IFC and across the harbour. Bonnie Gokson's room.
Order: A Champagne 75, on the terrace
More HK bars by categoryCocktail, rooftop, hidden gem — the full Hong Kong index.
See the full list
How HK drinks high and low
Hong Kong drinks vertically — Ozone is on the 118th floor; Coa is in a Soho basement. Both are essential. The cocktail bars are clustered tightly in Central and Soho — most are within a five-minute walk of each other. Bars run later than the city's reputation; 2 AM closes are common in Soho.
