Central

This vibrant cocktail bar uses ingredients from Hong Kong’s neighbors across southeast Asia and the Pacific. You might get a cumin-cucumber drink inspired by India, for example, or try Australian whiskey and wattleseed. Or, of course, ask for something distinctly Hong Kong, with black sesame, salted plum, and jasmine tea.

The cocktail program here is focused on fruit spirits, and the signature cocktails make good use of strawberry eau de vie, plum brandy, and coconut pisco. Drinks are balanced and refreshing (and creatively presented), service is warm, and the bar itself is warm and modern—all herringbone floors, contemporary seating, and geometric architecture.

If you aren’t looking for Penicillin, you’ll miss it, but this teensy cocktail bar is one of Hong Kong’s best. The bartenders focus on innovation (which they’ve translated into the space; notice the scientific, lab-like surroundings), and they’ve designed a closed-loop model that eliminates food waste and minimizes their carbon footprint. People love the pisco sour, which tastes like White Rabbit candy. Ask the bartenders about their fermentation masterclass, which runs most weekdays.

This gallery on Hollywood Road, right in Central’s main drag, hosts masterfully curated exhibitions featuring a global roster of artists. While their exhibitions often highlight pan-Asian artists, the curation often has a French lens. (For example, an exhibition of Myonghi Kang’s paintings in dialogue with Gustave Courbet and Paul Cézanne, all in a gallery inspired by the Musée de l‘Orangerie.) The owners are a father-son duo of former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin and art collector Arthur de Villepin.

If you’re in Central on a hot and humid day, stop here for a bottle of fresh-pressed sugarcane juice; it’s light and sweet. The shop is family-owned and in its fourth generation, still making sugarcane juice the traditional way on an antique machine.

In a landmark Bauhaus structure originally home to Hong Kong’s first wet market, Central Market reopened in 2021 and is now full of restaurants, coffee and snack vendors, and small shops, like a bulk candy stand, several toy stores, and a spot for vegan and plastic-free home goods. Visit the open-air courtyard on the lowest floor, where you can lounge with your egg waffles and listen to live music.

This luxury consignment shop on Hollywood Road stocks vintage items from legacy designers—Gucci crossbodies, Bottega Veneta mules, etc.—as well as more recent finds, like almost-new Ulla Johnson knits and barely-worn Zimmermann party dresses. If you’re looking for something in particular or shopping for an event, the sales associates are eager to help and know the collection well.

Designed to evoke American speakeasies, the Diplomat feels cozy and warm, serving vintage whiskeys and vodka cold brews in a dimly-lit space. There are only a few tables in the main bar, but if you press a button on the back wall, a door opens, revealing a secret room with banquette seating and a DJ booth. The Diplomat is more bar than restaurant, but they’re known for hearty pub food, including an especially good bacon cheeseburger.

Argo, on the ground floor of the Four Seasons, is regularly named one of Asia’s best bars. The bar itself is inspired by conservatories and terrariums, and it's very cool—but it’s the cocktail menu that really shines. The bartenders’ narrative focus changes regularly: They’ve centered Asian botanicals threatened by climate change (like honey, cacao, and coffee), classic Hong Kong flavors (XO sauce and pu-erh), and ingredients that work symbiotically in circular agriculture (ginger lily, granite, sweet potato, and bamboo). The menu is so intentional it reads like poetry, and the drinks are well-balanced. The bar snacks are great, too: spicy olives, ruffle chips, and egg waffles with dipping chocolate.

Bambino, tucked just off Hollywood Road, is where to cozy up on a mellow night: It’s warmly lit and intimate with a friendly atmosphere and good music. (Notice the record collection on the wall, with everything from the BeeGees to Daft Punk and Cigarettes After Sex). They serve a full dinner menu—Italian classics, like pesto gnocchi and beef tartare—but you’ll notice plenty of guests come to pluck a bottle of wine off the wall to split with a friend. The house cocktails are impressive, too.