In Hong Kong’s neon cityscape, the steep streets of Soho conceal a vibrant cocktail scene. More than just a collection of great bars, it’s a liquid anthology of the city’s famous late-night spirit. This world also has range – from intimate, quirky, multisensory experimentations and immersive escapes to Asian flavour revivals and cavernous spaces where music sets the vibe. These six selected bars take you on a journey revealing artistry, escapist narrative and sensational concoctions served in a glass. As Hong Kong’s nightlife scene bounces back, sip, savour and take it all in.
Bar Leone
The world’s best bar finds a home in Soho, Hong Kong. Crowned The World’s Best Bar and The Best Bar in Asia for 2025, Bar Leone by Lorenzo Antinori, an award-winning Italian bartender, is the hottest ticket. This now-famous cosy spot is a tribute to the unpretentious, convivial neighbourhood bars of Rome, particularly Trastevere. The refreshing focus is on a low-intervention approach that celebrates classic craftsmanship, quality ingredients and seasonality.
Antinori is on a mission to revive the authentic bellini, served in a small tumbler with a fluffy cream top, just as it was at Venice‘s Harry’s Bar. Impeccable cocktails draw you in, but warm service, a welcoming atmosphere and legendary mortadella sandwiches create a magical neighbourhood vibe where simplicity and soul reign. Expect queues at weekends.
15 Bridges Street, Central; barleonehk.com
The Green Door
For a true speakeasy adventure, ascend the Mid-Levels Escalator and hunt for a green door near the market stalls of Graham Street. The mastermind behind this secret enclave is award-winning mixologist Arlene Wong, who wanted to transplant an intimate, vibey but upscale New York feel to Hong Kong.
The dimly lit, cavernous bar reminds us of an underground cistern with arches, pillars and plush leather booths. A creative cocktail programme is a playful twist on the classics, with every drink named after a woman: “Anastasia”, for example, is a sublime rusty nail riff with double-cask Scotch and Korean soju. The atmosphere is electric, fueled by a hip crowd and hipper music. A fabulous late-night destination in Soho.
LG Floor, Welley Building, 97 Wellington Street, Central; @thegreendoor.bar
Iron Fairies
Designer Ashley Sutton’s fantasy world is a bewitching playground of magic and rhythm. A famed establishment in the city’s nightlife scene, Iron Fairies’ mystical design evokes an Australian underground mine. The cavernous space is a spectacle of vintage brass, wrought iron and thousands of suspended butterflies and fairy figurines.
But it’s much more than visual theatre. A dynamic hub for live music and global sound, the candlelit space is filled with (almost) nightly performances by the house band and DJs, with mixes ranging from Afrobeat, Latin to hip-hop and K-pop. Deliciously creative cocktails ramp up an infectious party energy. This is the spot to lose yourself in the moment.
LG Floor, 1-13 Hollywood Road, Central; theironfairies.com
The Quinary
Science meets the senses here, under the direction of champion mixologist Antonio Lai. The Quinary is a pioneer of Hong Kong’s multisensory cocktail movement – preconceptions are challenged through texture, aroma and even sound, making it seriously popular with local F&B insiders for years. The long bar extends into a working lab showcasing rotary evaporators used for redistilling bespoke spirits.
Its legendary Earl Grey caviar martini is a signature that helped define modern mixology in the city. The Quinary is also well feted: being named in Asia’s 50 Best Bar eight years in a row gives serious kudos. Walk-ins only, but worth it every time.
56-58 Hollywood Road, Central; quinary.hk
Kinsman
Under the creative direction of editor and drinks expert Gavin Yeung, this unique bar is anchored in old-world Hong Kong charm via vintage canteen styles: red booths and chequered floors in an intimate tribute to a lush, bygone Hong Kong era. In a setting that looks like a Wong Kar-wai film set, playful menus celebrate and revive traditional indigenous Cantonese spirits for the modern drinker. Each cocktail tells a story of local heritage reinterpreted. Operating on a walk-ins-only basis from evening until late, Kinsman is for those seeking a taste of Hong Kong’s liquid history, crafted for today.
G/F, 65-65A Peel Street, Central; singularconcepts.com
Gokan
Gokan crafts a complete experience where cocktails, food and service reach perfect harmony. Japanese mixology star Shingo Gokan has brought to Hong Kong a bar dedicated to engaging all five senses. The spot is located on historic Ice House Street (home to the city’s first ice storage), and the cocktail menu is an adventure divided into five flavour profiles: sweet, sour, spicy, bitter and savoury.
Gokan’s dedication to precision, perfection or “shokunin” (mastering one’s craft), connects everything on offer: the spicy Sichuan-inspired “Mapo Mary” and refreshing “Watermelon Koffeezz” are standouts. Blurring the line between bar and bistro is an exceptional menu of Japanese bar bites and izakaya-inspired dishes – a complete and unforgettable Hong Kong destination.
Shun Ho Tower, 30 Ice House Street, Central; @gokan.hk
Jing Zhang is a London/Portugal/Asia-based editor and journalist. Previously the global editor-in-chief of Jing Daily, fashion editor of South China Morning Post and editorial director of Prestige Hong Kong, her work has also appeared in Time Magazine,The Hollywood Reporter and Harrods Magazine
