• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

CHINATOWN Map Bar

2861 3588; 78-82 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai;

noon-2.30am, happy hour noon-6pm; MTR Wan Chai (exit C)

The kitsch Chinese Brothel theming may sound a tad over the top, but fear not: this is nothing like one of the nearby go-go bars. The soft lighting and large red lanterns actually combine to make this one of the more relaxed Wan Chai watering holes. It’s busy but seldom frantic, and the service from cheongsam-wearing waitresses is swift and friendly.

* * *

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS

Wealthier drinkers in Hong Kong have long been eager to splash out on fine wine, but more than ever wine has become the white-collar drink of choice here. Restaurants increasingly trade on their wine lists, hiring sommeliers in ever-greater numbers, while the number of wine shops has grown markedly in the last few years.

This is thanks, in part, to the government’s decision to remove all taxes on wine imports, giving the city’s wine industry something to cheer about. While some grumble that not all those savings seem to have been passed on to shoppers and drinkers, prices have been creeping down and there are excellent deals out there during happy hour in the bars, and lately also in the bottle shops, which have been forced to price more keenly thanks to a sluggish economy.

One of the most exciting new developments for wine lovers is the arrival of new bars offering tastings of premium wines using new ‘enomatic’ technology that permits them to open a bottle and preserve the contents indefinitely. It means that tasting a seriously rare (and expensive) wine is possible without completely bankrupting yourself. You create a tab by handing over your credit card in exchange for a smart card, which you use to operate the wine dispensing machines, which can deliver a few millilitres for an inexpensive taste or a full glass once you’ve made your choice.

Want to sample the finest wines known to humanity? Hong Kong is the place to do it.

Try…

Tastings ( Map; 2523 6282; Basement, Yuen Yick Bldg, 27 & 29 Wellington St, Central; noon-late; MTR Central exit D2) Down a narrow side street just off Wellington St, Tastings offers about two dozen wines from its enomatic marvels, including some seriously high-end reds. Good service and advice are on hand.

Watson’s Wine Cellar ( Map; 2537 6998; Lower Ground fl, 1-13 D’Aguilar St; MTR Central, exit D2) More centred on sales than a place to socialise, Watson’s enomatic machines enable you to try wine before you head into the attached shop to buy. Knowledgeable staff will assist in the shop, but leave you to get on with the machines and tastings in the cellar itself.

…Then Buy

Les Q ( Map; 2466 8463; St Francis St, Wan Chai; MTR Central) French wine is the passion of Les Q’s manager and ex-sommelier, hence the focused selection of it here.

Margaret River Wine Shop ( Map; 2575 6770; Ground fl, 3 St Francis St, Wan Chai) Excellent Australian wines from the Margaret River region, expertly chosen and recommended by the knowledgeable owner in this ever-smarter corner of Wan Chai.

Oliver’s the Delicatessen ( Map; 2810 7710; 2nd fl, Princes Bldg, Central; MTR Central) A good, well-located alternative to specialists such as Watson’s, this foodie haven offers a solid selection of fine wines and champagnes.

Ponti Wine Cellars ( Map; 2810 1000; Basement, Alexandra House, 16-20 Chater Rd, Central; MTR Central) Sells premium and boutique wines from around the world.

* * *

MES AMIS Map Bar

2527 6680; 81-85 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai; noon-2am Sun-Thu, noon-6am Fri & Sat, happy hour 4-9pm; MTR Wan Chai (exit C)

This easy-going place is in the lap of girly club land. It has a good range of wines as well as a Mediterranean-style snacks list. There’s a DJ from 11pm on Friday and Saturday. There’s also another branch in Tsim Sha Tsui ( Map; 2730 3038; 15 Ashley Rd; noon-2am Sun-Thu, noon-3am Fri & Sat, happy hour 4-9pm).

OLD CHINA HAND Map Bar

2865 4378; 104 Lockhart