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Marco De Rossi — former bartender, nightlife writer, has been finding Hong Kong's hidden bars since 2021 · Updated May 29, 2026
Here's the thing about Hong Kong's speakeasy scene: it's gotten big enough that writing a guide to it feels slightly self-defeating. Half the point of a hidden bar is that you had to work to find it. Give someone the address and a note saying "look for the umbrella shop," and you've removed the work without quite removing the pleasure — they still get to walk through the umbrella shop, which is genuinely fun.
So I'm going to give you the information, but I'm going to be honest about what each place actually is and whether the speakeasy concept is doing real work or just marketing. Because Hong Kong has both kinds. Some of these bars are genuinely atmospheric, with cocktail programmes that justify the theatre. Others are trading mostly on the gimmick. I'll tell you which is which.
TL;DR: The best hidden bars and speakeasies in Hong Kong include Foxglove (2/F Printing House, Central — umbrella shop entrance, 1950s jazz aesthetic), Please Don't Tell / PDT (Landmark Mandarin Oriental — phone booth entrance, serious cocktails), Ping Pong 129 (129 Second Street, Sai Ying Pun — gin specialist, discreet door), 001 (Tai Kwun, Central — Hong Kong's original speakeasy), The Green Door (Graham Street, Central — literal green door), and Red Room (K11 Musea, TST — Prohibition theme, hidden within the mall). Cocktails HKD 130–200.
The Bars
I've been to every place on this list multiple times. Some on press trips, most on my own money. The cocktail prices are accurate as of May 2026. The atmosphere descriptions are from memory, which is the most reliable source I have for atmosphere.
The concept is: you enter through a legitimate, nicely stocked umbrella shop on Duddell Street. You push through to the back. You descend into what appears to be a 1950s jazz-era supper club, all dark wood and leather banquettes and framed memorabilia. The transition is genuinely theatrical. And then the question is: does the bar justify the entrance? The answer is yes. Foxglove's cocktail menu is well-researched and well-executed — they carry an impressive selection of rare cognacs and aged whiskies, and the bartenders know how to use them. The jazz soundtrack is real, not Spotify ambient. The food menu works. This is not a bar that got successful on gimmick alone; it got successful because the execution matched the concept. A 50Best Discovery Award bar with good reason.
Address2/F, Printing House, 6 Duddell Street, Central
MTRCentral Station, Exit G, 3 min walk
HoursMon–Fri 12pm–3pm & 5pm–1am; Sat 5pm–3am; closed Sun
CocktailsHKD 140–200; aged whisky from HKD 220
Vibe1950s jazz supper club; intimate booths; smart casual
Book Ahead?Yes — especially weekends; foxglove.hk
PDT originated in New York — the original on St Marks Place is where the phone booth speakeasy concept was arguably popularised — and the Hong Kong outpost brings the same DNA to the Landmark Mandarin Oriental. You find the antique phone booth in the MO Bar lobby, pick up the receiver, and the door opens. What's on the other side is a tight, atmospheric room with serious cocktail credentials. The signature "Benton's Old Fashioned" — made with fat-washed bourbon — is the drink to order on the first visit. The bar programme runs deep into American classic cocktail territory without being reverentially stuffy about it. High-end hotel location, but the vibe is relaxed once you're in.
AddressLandmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen's Road Central
MTRCentral Station, Exit G, 1 min walk through Landmark mall
HoursTue–Sat from 6pm; check for current hours
CocktailsHKD 155–210
VibeIntimate, serious cocktail bar; smart casual minimum
Book Ahead?Strongly recommended — seating is limited
"A good speakeasy is a bar that made a deal with its customers: we'll make the entry interesting, and in return you'll forgive the fact that it's ten degrees warmer than it needs to be. Hong Kong's best hidden bars have kept their end of that deal."
I have a soft spot for Ping Pong because it's a speakeasy that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard. The address is a door on Second Street in Sai Ying Pun that could be anything — the signage is minimal, the exterior gives nothing away — and what's inside is a genuinely excellent gin bar with a strong Spanish and European character. They carry an extraordinary range of gin: Spanish, European, Asian, experimental botanical producers. The gin and tonics are built properly, with the right tonic and the right garnish for each spirit. The atmosphere is cool without being cold — it fills up with a neighbourhood crowd who actually live in Sai Ying Pun rather than with people who came specifically for the experience. That distinction matters. It makes the place feel real.
Address129 Second Street (L/G Nam Cheong House), Sai Ying Pun
MTRSai Ying Pun Station, Exit B, 5 min walk
HoursMon–Wed 6pm–12:30am; Thu–Fri from noon to 1am/2am; Sat noon–2am
CocktailsHKD 130–175; gin & tonic from HKD 115
VibeCool neighbourhood speakeasy; gin specialist; mixed crowd
Book Ahead?Walk-in fine; busy after 9pm on weekends
001 is historically significant: it was Hong Kong's original serious speakeasy, first occupying a space hidden in a fruit and vegetable market on Graham Street, and has since relocated to Tai Kwun — the former police headquarters in Central that has been transformed into one of the city's best cultural spaces. The new location, inside Tai Kwun, leans into the heritage of the building itself: exposed stone, layered history, a sense of place that most bars spend their entire design budget trying to fake. The cocktail programme has evolved over the years and is currently among the more serious in the city. Finding the entrance is genuinely part of the experience — allow a few minutes to locate it within the complex.
AddressTai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Road, Central
MTRCentral Station, Exit D2, 8 min walk uphill
HoursTue–Sun from 5pm; check taikwun.com for current schedule
CocktailsHKD 150–200
VibeHeritage building atmosphere; intimate; cocktail-focused
Book Ahead?Recommended — limited seating; booking via website
The Green Door occupies the former home of 001 on Graham Street, which gives it a kind of speakeasy heritage address. The entrance is exactly what it says: a green door on Graham Street, easily missed, easily walked past. Below street level, the bar creates an atmosphere of subterranean intimacy — low lighting, the sense of having arrived somewhere slightly underground both literally and figuratively. The cocktail list focuses on classic drinks with considered twists. It's not trying to be the most technically ambitious bar in the city; it's trying to be the most atmospheric, and on that score it largely succeeds. The kind of place you'd take someone you're trying to impress on a first date, which is not a criticism.
AddressGraham Street, Central (look for the green door)
MTRCentral Station, Exit D2, 6 min walk
HoursDaily from 6pm; check Instagram for current hours
CocktailsHKD 135–190
VibeUnderground, intimate, moody; good for date nights
Book Ahead?Walk-in most nights; check Instagram for capacity
The Kowloon-side option on this list, and the most accessible for anyone staying in TST or Mong Kok. Red Room is hidden within K11 Musea — one of the more interesting malls in the city — and runs with a full Prohibition-era American aesthetic: jazz age imagery, vintage whiskeys and wines, cocktails inspired by 1920s New York. The theming is more committed than most bars can sustain, but it holds up because the drinks programme is strong enough to justify the commitment. Vintage whiskey selection is serious and priced accordingly. The cocktails referencing the American Prohibition period are more than decorative — they're actually well-researched. Worth the trip across the harbour.
AddressK11 Musea, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
MTREast Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit L3, 2 min walk
HoursDaily from 6pm; check K11 Musea for current schedule
CocktailsHKD 140–195; vintage whisky from HKD 250+
Vibe1920s Prohibition club; plush interior; strong whiskey focus
Book Ahead?Recommended on weekends
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Tips for Navigating Hong Kong's Speakeasy Scene
What to Know Before You Go
- Book ahead for Foxglove and PDT. These are the two places most likely to turn you away without a reservation on a Friday or Saturday night. The others are generally more walk-in friendly, but calling ahead never hurts.
- Dress smart casual at minimum. Flip-flops and sportswear will get you turned away at most of these places. For hotel bars like PDT, lean slightly smarter.
- Budget HKD 500–700 per person. For two or three drinks and something to eat, that's the realistic cost of an evening at any of these bars. More if you get into the aged spirits.
- Go mid-week if you can. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are when these bars are most enjoyable — the regulars are in, the tourist crush is off, and the bartenders have time to talk to you about what they're making.
- The entrance is part of the fun — don't spoil it. If you're taking someone for the first time, let them find the door themselves. Tell them the approximate location, not the exact entrance. The moment of discovery is the whole point.
- These bars change. Speakeasies have a higher turnover rate than regular bars — the overhead of a hidden, often intimate space is harder to sustain. Always check Instagram or Google for current hours and status before making a trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a speakeasy bar?
A speakeasy is a bar with a deliberately hidden or disguised entrance — inspired by the secret bars of US Prohibition in the 1920s. In modern Hong Kong, speakeasies range from bars accessed via phone booths or umbrella shops to venues behind unmarked doors in laneways and building lobbies. The experience is part of the attraction.
Do you need a reservation for Hong Kong speakeasy bars?
Foxglove and PDT at Landmark Mandarin Oriental strongly benefit from advance booking, especially on weekends. Ping Pong 129 and The Green Door operate on a walk-in basis but fill up after 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. 001 at Tai Kwun recommends booking. When in doubt, call or book online ahead of time.
How much do cocktails cost at Hong Kong speakeasy bars?
Cocktails at hidden bars and speakeasies in Hong Kong typically cost HKD 130–200 per drink. Premium options — rare whiskies, aged spirits, elaborate tasting menus — go significantly higher. Budget HKD 400–600 per person for a full evening including two or three drinks and bar snacks.
Is there a dress code at Hong Kong speakeasies?
Most operate smart casual — no flip-flops, no sportswear, no baseball caps. Hotel bars like PDT lean smarter. Ping Pong 129 is the most relaxed. When unsure, err on the side of overdressing slightly — easier to remove a jacket than to be turned away at a hidden door.
More of Hong Kong's Best Bars
From rooftop cocktails to craft beer dives — the full YumChaNow bar guide has every drinking experience in the city covered.
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