Hong Kong's famed Victoria Harbour lit up in bright lights makes for a ravishing view -- there's nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world. The experience is most enhanced by a well-made drink at some of the city's most glamorous addresses. Here are our picks of the best Hong Kong harborview bars:
Sugar: Best new perspective
Hong Kong harborview bar scene newcomer Sugar is probably the most resourceful -- it's located on the edge of a residential housing estate in Quarry Bay where it is rare to find a high-octane cocktail joint with a killer view to boot. Predictably, the joint is getting good business from the neighboring Taikoo Place offices.
While "harborview" typically conjures up the night view of Tsim Sha Tsui lit up by neon lights, Sugar offers a view of East Kowloon where there are less flourescent billboards to spot. The scene is of sparse dots of ocean vessel's serenely floating in the wide harbor with a backdrop of sturdy-looking building blocks and rolling green hills. It's best to visit the loungy outdoor deck before sunset to enjoy the coastline by the soft light of dusk. This way, you can also avoid Sugar's garish pink and purple lighting that becomes apparent once it's dark.
Open until 2am. 32/F, EAST, 29 Taikoo Shing Road, Tai Koo, tel +852 3968 3738 www.sugar-hongkong.com
Felix: The godfather
Felix is the original Hong Kong harborview bar, where you can celebrate the neon-lit panorama of Victoria Harbour all the way to the men's bathroom (it has one of Hong Kong's best toilets). It's become a bit of a tourist trap, with the restaurant serving so-so Pacific Rim cuisine, hit-and-miss service, and a clientele of short-stay visitors armed with cameras, but the place remains an icon and you have to at least know about Felix if you've set foot in the city.
Designed by Philippe Starck, the cheeky, contemporary art feel of Felix contrasts 'starckly' with the colonial grandeur of the rest of the Peninsula Hotel. The bar does decent drinks, although anybody who comes here doesn't bother with much other than champagne. It's an old-school high roller place that bans kids and enforces a strict dress code, but get past the elitism and you're in Hong Kong's most classic harborview bar.
Drinks until 1:30am. No flip-flops, beach sandals and plastic footwear. Men are required to wear full-length trousers and no sleeveless shirts. Children under 12 are not permitted. The Felix elevators are located in the Peninsula Arcade entrance adjacent to Hankow Road. 28/F, The Peninsula Hotel, Salisbury Road, Kowloon, tel +852 2920 2888 www.peninsula.com/Hong_Kong
Aqua Luna: Be the harbor
You can't get much closer to Victoria Harbour than on board the Aqua Luna, a beautifully refurbished traditional Hong Kong junk boat that turns into a bar at night.
This oriental-chic floating bar is Hong Kong's ultimate booze cruise, taking guests for a Prosecco-fueled 45 minute ride along Victoria Harbour. The sailing of choice is the 7:30pm Symphony of Lights cruise. If you want to make a day of it, take the leisurely Aqua Luna 1.5 hour cruise to Stanley on weekends.
Eight daily sailings from 1:30 - 10:30pm; noon cruise to Stanley Market on Saturday and Sunday only. Sailings depart from Pier 1 (Cultural Center) in Tsimshatsui and Pier 9 in Central.
For reservations call +852 2116 8821 www.aqua.com.hk
Cafe Gray Bar: Unapologetically fancy
The crowd is very moneyed, very hip, and unashamedly aware of how pretentious they can be. I mean, this is a place that serves gimlets in miniature martini glasses. But it is a six star hotel bar and the staff are very well trained in the finer skills of hospitality. They'll serve your gimlet in a paper cup if that's what you demand, with a smile that almost looks sincere too.
The design is understated and sophisticated, with tactile upholstery in warm woods, navy and not a touch of chrome or acrylic. A seat by the windows gets a view of the tops of Admiralty's skyscrapers and Tsim Sha Tsui beyond. The best part though, is that the bar food is actually pretty good, such as the polenta fries and crabmeat fritters, courtesy chef Gray Kunz.
Drinks until 1am. 49/F, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, tel +852 2918 1838 www.cafegrayhk.com
Aqua Spirit: Flirting with vertigo
Just being in Aqua Spirit makes us feel sexy. It's all dark reflective surfaces, really difficult to get tables and politely aloof staff. Some regulars like to top off the experience with the signature Aquatini -- a martini with gold flakes.
The harborview here is Huge. A powerful panorama of Victoria Harbour is presented through floor to ceiling windows spanning two stories. Every little detail of nothern Hong Kong island can be seen. It's slightly vertiginous, causing a mild dizziness that goes well with gold flake cocktail-induced tipsiness.
Open until 2am. 29&30/f, One Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel +852 3427 2288
www.aqua.com.hk
Sevva: Central hangout
Sevva's interior is straight out of Vogue Living and the view from the open terrace encompasses Kowloon, Victoria Harbour, Admiralty, and Central -- the neighboring HSBC building is so close you could almost touch it. All this makes Sevva the banker and corporate lawyer's hangout of choice for that magical social space that occurs post dinner and pre club.
Someone's closed a deal -- they'll head to Sevva to toast associates facing the champion view. Someone's lost a court case -- they'll head to Sevva and sink low in the outdoor couches, get drunk and angry on old Bordeaux and rant crazily at the HSBC.
Watch out for disappointing food at Sevva's restaurant and avoid the below par service on ridiculously busy weekends.
Open until 2am on Friday, Saturday, and public holidays' eve; closed Sunday. 25/F, Prince's Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, tel +852 2537 1388 www.sevva.hk
Lobby Lounge: Place to be seen
The InterContinental's Lobby Lounge has an unnerving fish bowl effect. The large windows are the main feature and they look out onto the Avenue of the Stars at street level, so you know the tourists may be looking in at you, maybe they'll take a snapshot, maybe post you onto their travel blog. But tourists are an inherent part of Hong Kong's harborview, and they make the Lobby Lounge a unique place to access Victoria Harbour.
The lounge itself has an impersonal business hotel feel to it, but visit at night and the view of Hong Kong's skyline looms large while the lounge decor recedes. See this video as proof of the Lobby Lounges' harborview credentials.
Drinks until 1am. Hotel InterContinental Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, tel +852 2721 1211 hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com
ToTT: Most overlooked lookout
Causeway Bay has one swanky rooftop respite that isn't talked about much. Ironically, it's called ToTT, which stands for Talk of The Town.
Perched on the top floor of the Excelsior, the restaurant is loved for its champagne brunches (Sunday, 11:30am-3pm) and special occasion dinners, but we love it for its girly cocktails you can enjoy on the roof terrace during one of those clear Hong Kong summer nights.
No sandals, singlets, shorts, or sleeveless shirts. Open until 2am, Friday, Saturday, and public holiday eves. 281 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay, tel +852 2837 6786 www.mandarinoriental.com/excelsior
Read more: Best Hong Kong harborview bars | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/none/best-harborview-bars-380554#ixzz0lo8FwT2a
沒有留言:
張貼留言