There’s nothing like holding the stem of a martini glass between your fingertips at the end of a hot and humid day in Hong Kong. The fast pace of Hong Kong city life melts away as you take that first sip on a Friday evening, and the drink pairs even better with a stunning skyline view.
That’s why we’re bringing you the very best that Hong Kong’s Happy Hour can buy! Seven bars! Seven happy hours! That’s a very happy Hong Kong evening for every night of the week!
Pull up a barstool, flag down a bartender and order your favourite cocktail with the help of this cosmo-lover’s comprehensive Hong Kong Happy Hour Guide:
LILY & BLOOM, CENTRAL
Address: 5/F, 33 Wyndham Street, Central
Happy Hour: Monday to Friday 5pm to 8pm, Saturday 6pm to 8pm
Contact: +852 2810 6166
Instagram: @lilyandbloom
Hovering just above LKF, American restaurant Lily & Bloom has long been on the radar for its culinary achievements, but their liquid concoctions are just as tasty. The speakeasy vibe and slick décor make for an intimate evening with close friends.
What to drink: Your first cocktail will set you back just HK$5 and each drink afterwards a measly HK$45! Their ‘Prohibition Hour’ hails back to the days where a single coin could buy you a drink. Pick your tipple from the set cocktail menu, then nibble at the free fries that come with your glass.
CÉ LA VI, CENTRAL
Address: 25/F, California Tower, 32 D’Aguilar Street, Central
Happy Hour: Monday to Friday 3pm to 7pm
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @celavihongkong
If you’re a fan of sunsets and can brave the Hong Kong humidity, visit the classy CÉ LA VI. Feel like a baller in the sophisticated rooftop setting with décor supplied by the Hong Kong skyline! Watch you don’t bump your head on the gorgeous candle lights hanging above the bar.
What to drink: Happy hour includes buy-one-get-one-free on champagne, cocktails, wine and beer. We recommend their refreshing gin cocktails with a dash of twinkling skyscrapers, a steal from only HK$48. That’s life!
CICADA, CENTRAL
Address: 47A Elgin Street, Soho, Central
Happy Hour: Every day 3pm to 7:30pm
Contact: [email protected]
Facebook: Cicada
Oh, a personal favourite from when this cocktail connoisseur’s dream of a bar could be found tucked next to the midlevel’s escalator on Shelley Street. Now moved to a new location on Elgin Street, thankfully the drinks prices haven’t moved at all. The concept is international tapas, and the interior certainly has a colourful Latin theme.
What to drink: Cocktails are buy-one-get-one-free and other Happy Hour drinks start at HK$30. We’re suckers for their Singapore Slings and Moscow Mules!
THE OPTIMIST, WAN CHAI
Address: G/F – 2/F, 239 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
Happy Hour: Every day from 3pm to 7pm
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @theoptimisthk
If you like your glass half full, then head to bar and restaurant The Optimist on Hennessy Road. Both drinks and small plates start from HK$48, including a selection of cocktails, spirits, wine and beer.
What to drink: Sip on prosecco while picking at some aubergine fries, or pair an Old Fashioned with oysters, the choice is yours.
SUGAR, QUARRY BAY
Address: 32/F EAST, 29 Taikoo Shing Road, Quarry Bay
Happy Hour: Monday to Friday 5pm to 7pm
Contact: [email protected]
Central doesn’t get all the fun! If you’re over on the east of the island but still want that cocktail moment with a harbour view, then head to Sugar. Sit out on the beach-style decking, network or mingle with the professional clientele and get an eyeful of that glorious panoramic vista.
What to drink: Happy Hour ‘Sundowners’ start at HK$60, including original cocktails and selected wines. We love the Bubbly Floral: Edinburgh Gin’s Elderflower, prosecco, mango, cucumber and lemon.
THE PONTIAC, CENTRAL
Address: 13 Old Bailey Street, Central
Happy Hour: Monday to Saturday 5pm to 8pm
Contact: +852 2521 3855
Make like the hipsters and head to neo-dive bar The Pontiac to try a few of cult mixologist Beckaly Franks’ signature cocktails. Magazine-cut-out heads and slogans tattoo the walls. Lena Dunham and friends would make this place their local.
What to drink: These cocktails start at HK$50, spirits and wines are HK$40, and beers only HK$15.
STONE NULLAH TAVERN, WAN CHAI
Address: 69 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai
Happy Hour: Monday to Friday 5pm to 7pm
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @stonenullahtavernhk
Stone Nullah Tavern aims to emanate that classic American tavern; your favourite joint in the neighbourhood. The Wan Chai expat working crowd can be seen flocking here of a Friday evening. Jostle for space in this lively jaunt and keep an eye out for the bartender’s bell hanging from a bull’s skull!
What to drink: Stone Nullah Tavern made its name with a ‘Beat the clock’ deal where drinks started at a staggering HK$1 and doubled in price every 20 minutes! Now, they’re taking a more relaxed approach, and for HK$99 you can enjoy free flow beer, wine and house spirits as well as all-you-can-eat fried chicken and bacon.
Of course, no Hong Kong Happy Hour Guide would be complete without a special shout out to HK’s infamous Ladies Nights (Wednesdays in Wan Chai and Thursdays in Lan Kwai Fong)! If your purse strings are a little tighter, drink selected beverages such as vodka mixers for free at most bars in these areas on these nights.
Or, if you don’t want the hassle of crowded bars, grab a couple of beers from 7-Eleven and pick one of the 8 BEST VIEWS IN HONG KONG. Soak up the views from the comfort of your very own unlimited Hong Kong happy hour!
Share your favourite hotspots to spoil yourself with a drink after a long day at work in our Facebook group The Asia Collective – Luxe Travellers with fellow travel addicts!
This travel guide has been contributed by Amy Poulton @amy_pagetraveller of Page Traveller blog.
