10 Hong Kong Speakeasies You’ve Almost Forgotten About — Now Open!

Aleksandra Milewicz

Last updated 27 Mar 2024

Rediscover Hong Kong’s vibrant nightlife at these hidden bars and speakeasies. Now open again!

Telephone booth, doctor’s waiting room, umbrella shop. Speakeasies in Hong Kong know how to nail a theme and the cocktails are just as creative as the concept and its interiors. Now that the bars in Hong Kong are finally open again, let’s uncover some of these hidden gems!

Hong Kong speakeasies — July 2021

Penicillin
Foxglove
Frank’s Library
Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour
Ping Pong 129 Gintoneria
Please Don’t Tell (PDT)
Hugger Mugger
The Wise King
Stockton
Room 309

1. Penicillin

Penicillin is not just a great place to grab a drink, it’s also one of the most environmentally committed bars in town. Inspired by the farm-to-bar movement, Penicillin is on a mission to become Hong Kong’s first “scrap-less” bar — a bar that produces minimal waste by the end of the night. All cocktail ingredients are locally sourced in Hong Kong and there’s an entire section of the menu devoted to upcycled fermented fruit and vegetables. Red cabbage & passion cocktail, anyone?

Penicillin

Opening hours: 12 PM-2 AM
Website: https://penicillinbar.com/landing/
Address: L/G Amber Lodge, 23 Hollywood Road, Central
Book via: +852 9880 7995

2. Foxglove

Stepping into this bar is like falling headfirst into the rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland — but swap all the tea for booze. Unlike most speakeasies, Foxglove isn’t hiding in a dark alleyway. The old-timey umbrella shop is so out of place among the skyscrapers, you’ll spot it straight away. Come on in to enter the world of fictitious adventurer Frank Minza who will take you on an alcohol-fueled journey through the 20th century: from the Golden Age of cocktails in London to the prohibition era in New York.

Foxglove

Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 12 PM-12 AM, Sun: closed
Website: https://mingfathouse.com/foxglove/
Address: 2/F, Printing House, 6 Duddell St, Central
Book via: reservation@foxglovehk.com

3. Frank’s Library

There’s only one thing better than a speakeasy: a speakeasy within a speakeasy! Find an elevator panel in the depths of Foxglove and you may unlock access to Franks’ Library, a secret bar inside. Continuing the theme of our cosmopolitan explorer Frank Minza (see the description above), the library focuses on one of his favorite countries — Japan. Enjoy drinks inspired by flavors of Japan, like Sakura Blossom, Impossible Highball or Tokyo Drift.

Frank’s Library

Opening hours: Fri-Sat: 6 PM-12 AM
Website: https://mingfathouse.com/franks-library/
Address: Hidden inside Foxglove, Printing House, 6 Duddell St, Central
Book via: +852 2116 2449

4. Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour

If you like your drinks with a dash of storytelling, you have to check out Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour, another whimsical Hong Kong speakeasy. A fictitious physician, Dr Fern has devoted his entire life to studying botanicals and his practice is focused exclusively on treating alignments with gin-based drinks. You’ll have trouble claiming this prescription from your health insurance but it sure is delicious.

Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour

Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 3 PM-10 PM
Website: https://mingfathouse.com/dr-ferns/
Address: Shop B31A, First Basement Floor, Landmark Atrium, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central
Book via: info@drfernshk.com

5. Ping Pong 129 Gintoneria

Walking around Sai Ying Pun, you’d never guess that the unassuming red door leads to a stylish gin bar. Housed in an old ping pong hall, this speakeasy really delivers on atmosphere (and is much bigger than your average Hong Kong bar). Enjoy the cool interiors as you make your way through the extensive gin menu and nibble on some tapas.

Ping Pong 129 Gintoneria

Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 6 PM-11 PM
Website: http://www.pingpong129.com/
Address: 129 Second Street L/G Nam Cheong House, Sai Ying Pun
Book via: +852 9835 5061

6. Please Don’t Tell (PDT)

Located inside the Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Please Don’t Tell is a collaboration with the iconic New York speakeasy under the same name. Just like the original PDT, the entrance is hidden inside a vintage phone booth (head to the mezzanine level of MO Bar to find it). But there is more to this bar than a quirky entrance. PDT has been regularly voted among the world’s best bars with a cocktail menu offering a mix of the original New York location classics and creative Hong Kong-inspired cocktails.

Please Don’t Tell (PDT)

Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 4 PM-11 PM
Website: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/hong-kong/the-landmark/fine-dining/bars/pdt
Address: The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central
Book via: the website

7. Hugger Mugger

Ever noticed the ornate wooden door inside Chaiwala? Hugger Mugger, a British-themed speakeasy hidden within, pays homage to Britain’s cultural legends with an inventive cocktail menu. The Indian dishes on the bar menu are as delicious so give them a try while you’re at it.

Hugger Mugger

Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 5 PM-12 AM, Fri-Sun: 3 PM-12 AM
Website: https://huggermugger.hk/
Address: Basement, No. 43-55, Wyndham Street, Central
Book via: +852 2362 8988

8. The Wise King

Did you know that the birth of tapas is attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, a 13th-century Spanish king? The king was a wise one indeed: he proclaimed that alcohol shouldn’t be served without food, thus starting a tradition of tapas, or small snacks served with drinks. The Wise King continues this delicious legacy with some of the best cocktails in Asia (#28 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021) and, of course, tapas to go with them. Now, who said you don’t learn anything from going to bars?

The Wise King

Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 6 PM-1 AM, Fri-Sun: 6 PM-2 AM
Website: https://www.thewiseking.com/
Address: 25 Staunton Street, Basement in Tsung Wing Lane, Soho, Central
Book via: +852 6258 1344

9. Stockton

Stockton may look like a 19th-century gentleman’s club but there is nothing old-fashioned about the cocktails here. The current drink menu follows human evolution through... the evolution of our tipple. We can’t weigh in on the historical accuracy of the concoctions but we can say they look just as inventive as they sound. If you like flavor combinations unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before, this is the place for you.

Stockton

Opening hours: Mon-Thu: 5:30 PM-2 AM, Fri-Sat: 5:30 PM-23 AM
Website: https://www.stockton.com.hk/
Address: Down A Dark Alleyway, 32 Wyndham St, Central
Book via: reservations@stockton.com.hk or +852 2565 5268

10. Room 309

It’s not easy to up the speakeasy game in Hong Kong but Room 309 came up with yet another creative concept. Head to the Pottinger Hotel reception and ask to check in to, you guessed it, room 309. You’ll get a keycard and only then can you enter the bar. Nicely done! Try one of the Invisible Cocktails: drinks that are completely colorless to remove any preconceived expectations of the taste.

Room 309

Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 4 PM-12 AM
Website: https://www.room309.hk/
Address: The Pottinger Hong Kong, 74 Queen's Road, Central. Pick up your keycard at The Reception on 3/F
Book via: walk-ins only