Eight years after it first opened, critic James Suckling's Hong Kong wine bar has quietly reinvented itself. James Suckling Wine Central has relocated to a smaller, cosier two-storey space on Shin Hing Street in Central, trading its old Soho footprint for an intimate room built around a tighter, more personal list of around 350 wines.
In This Guide
What is James Suckling Wine Central?
James Suckling, one of the wine world's most widely read critics and the founder of ratings site JamesSuckling.com, opened his first Hong Kong wine bar under this name in 2018. Per an official announcement carried by Foodie (afoodieworld.com) in May 2026, the concept has now relocated and downsized — both in footprint and in the length of its wine list — to a more intimate room on Shin Hing Street.
"We see our wine bar as an extension of our home in Hong Kong, and we look forward to sharing a glass with everyone who enjoys wine," Suckling said of the move. "The list has about 350 wines — all bottles we like to drink ourselves. Nothing complicated. Just good wine, good food, and good company."
Address, hours and how to get there
James Suckling Wine Central
Full details and our house rating are on the James Suckling Wine Central venue page.
From Sheung Wan MTR Station, take Exit E2 and head up towards the Central mid-levels — Shin Hing Street is one of the steep, narrow lanes that climb from Hollywood Road, and the bar sits on the ground floor of Wah Shin House, about a 5-minute walk from the station.
The wine list and what to order
The relocated bar keeps the format that made the original a fixture of Hong Kong's wine scene: a list built entirely from bottles Suckling and his team actually drink, spanning both Old World (Bordeaux, Tuscany, Piedmont, Port) and New World producers, with roughly 20 wines poured by the glass so you're not committed to a full bottle to try something new.
The kitchen keeps things simple: a cheese and charcuterie selection alongside starters, mains, simple plates and desserts built to pair rather than headline. Signature bites confirmed by Foodie's coverage include the beef tartare with potato chips (HK$138), marinated olives (HK$80) and a grilled cheese sandwich (HK$168).
If you're building out a wider wine crawl, our guide to Hong Kong's best wine bars covers where James Suckling Wine Central sits alongside the city's other serious wine rooms, and our best cocktail bars roundup is a good next stop if you're spending the night in Central and Sheung Wan.
Good to know: the new room is noticeably smaller than the old Soho space, so it fills up quickly after work on weeknights — book ahead via reserve.notadining.com/jswc if you want a seat rather than standing room, especially Thursday and Friday evenings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan your visit
James Suckling Wine Central is open Monday–Saturday on Shin Hing Street, Central — book ahead for evenings.