Top 10 Hong Kong Whisky Bars

Hong Kong’s a funny place; more English than the rest of China, but still pretty far from English. Its culture celebrates the golden days of the British Empire, but prides itself on its own identity.

Their love of all things British and their natural propensity to never do things by halves means that their whisky bars are some of the best around. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best of them, and we’re pretty confident you’ll enjoy all of them.

1. ANGEL’S SHARE

This recent opening offers over 100 whiskies, including a discontinued 15- year-old Bowmore Mariner and highly interesting Japanese whiskies, such as the 15-year-old Ichiro’s Malt Folks Bottling from Japan’s now-defunct Hanyu  distillery. The main star of the show, however, is the full-sized oak barrel in the centre of the bar with 180 litres of single cask 20-year-old Macallan 1990.

2/F, Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. +852 2805 8388

2. B.A.R. EXECUTIVE

This is a seriously no-nonsense whisky bar. So serious that you need an appointment to visit. Once you make it in, the whiskies do not disappoint. While there’s a vast array, another indicator of the bar’s dedication to perfecting the whisky experience is its introduction of perfectly spherical ice cubes. Designed to minimise surface area, these optimise the ice’s chilling/diluting impact.

27/F, Bartlock Centre, 3 Yiu Wa St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 2893 2080

3. THE CHINNERY

A little island of calm on the first floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, The Chinnery has the feel of a refined old world gentleman’s club. For those keen to try a range of flavours, there are flights from the 120 single malts available, but with its nooks and armchairs, The Chinnery caters equally for those who want to sit and enjoy the peace with a newspaper and their favourite whisky.

1/F, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2825-4009

4. THE PAWN

This beautiful 19th century building houses a fantastic whisky collection with gently eccentric British Regency charm. While primarily a restaurant, the bar is home to 10 Islays, nearly 20 Highland malts, 15 Speysides, a Glen Flagler from 1973, as well as blended whiskies. With cigars like the 1988 Davidoff Dom Prignon, there are also some pretty good whisky-cigar pairings.

62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, +852 2866-3444

5. CHIN CHIN

Chin Chin maintains the relaxed lounge atmosphere of The Chinnery but adds local Chinese character through a retro- Chinese style bar with a dramatic backdrop of stacked Chinese cupboards. A live band plays English, Cantonese and Mandarin classics. The 80-strong whisky collection features gems such as a 30-year old Balvenie and 1968 Glenfarclas, while an outdoor terrace offers fantastic views over busy Tsim Sha Tsui.

Lobby Level, Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, +852 2311-7722

6. THE BLCK BRD

“No sports. No TV screens. No karaoke. No DJs. No service charge. No ‘mixologists’. No riff-raff. No dress code. Absolutely no f*cking jazz.” That, in the patron’s own words, is what doesn’t go on in The Blck Brd. What does happen, instead, is undivided attention between the barman and your drink, and then you and your drink. They are particularly proud of their Bourbon selection and the team hosts informal tastings of different houses.

6/F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2545 8555

7. THE CANNY MAN

Hong Kong’s only authentic Scottish bar is located in the basement of the Wharney Guang Dong Hotel. There is a genuine sensation of being transported to a completely different continent as you settle down with one of the 180 single malt whiskies, including rare Gordon Macphails and a couple of nice Macallans.

B/1 Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, 57-73 Lockhart Road, Wanchai Hong Kong, +852 2861 1935

8. TOKORO

Set in the Langham Place Hotel, new whisky bar Tokoro has a stunning wall of whisky gleaming invitingly behind the bar. A really innovative feature is its 48 “crystal lockers” for clients to lock away their favourite whisky.

555 Shanghai Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852 3552 3388

9. THE WHISKEY PRIEST

Casual and sometimes hectic, the Irish sports bar ambience here lends itself to working your way through their impressive selection of whiskies in a jovial and sociable way. The drinks list includes a solid selection of Scotch and Irish whiskies.

12 Lan Kwai Fong, Central,Hong Kong, +852 2869 0099

10. NANA BANANA

A Thai restaurant with a secret, well, more than 200 secrets, including Macallan dating back to the 1950s. Amazingly, these gems are relatively cheap. “This is not commercial,” explains owner Mike Smith. “It really just gives me a good reason to drink my own whisky, because no single person could get though all of that.”

Shop 6, 117 Lockhart Rd., Wan Chai Hong Kong, +852 2520 0397