Central has a new spot for a proper night out that doesn't involve shouting over a DJ. Take 5, a live jazz and cocktail bar tucked inside Avalon at H Queen's, opened in early July 2026 with a rotating calendar of live sets, a five-cocktail menu built around jazz standards, and a genuinely low-key room to enjoy them in.
In This Guide
What is Take 5?
Take 5 is a new live-music and cocktail bar hidden inside Avalon, the newly opened restaurant at H Queen's in Central. Designed by Hong Kong studio Unite Unit, the room is deliberately intimate — a deliberate counterpoint to the bigger, louder clubs a few streets away in Lan Kwai Fong. The name nods to two things at once: the Dave Brubeck Quartet's jazz standard "Take Five", and the musician's slang for a short break between sets.
That dual meaning sets the tone. This isn't a club with a jazz theme bolted on — it's a genuine live-music room, with a stage built for a rotating cast of performers rather than a DJ booth. For anyone tired of Hong Kong's disappearing live-music venues, Take 5 is a rare recent addition rather than another closure.
What's on the cocktail and food menu?
The drinks list is short and deliberate: five signature cocktails, each named after a jazz standard, priced at HK$110. They're the work of Sandeep Kumar, who trained under bar icon Giancarlo Mancino and previously helped steer The Wise King onto Asia's 50 Best Bars list.
- Misty — cocoa-washed tequila, mango, calamansi, passionfruit and jalapeño
- Skylark — butterfly pea gin, Luxardo maraschino and violet
- Green Dolphin Street — aged rum, pistachio shrub, citrus and a ricotta foam
- Four — rye whiskey, absinthe, Mancino rosso vermouth, vanilla and Heering cherry
- Angel Eyes — vodka, olive oil, roasted coffee, kopi vermouth and cacao
Culinary director Jarrod Verbiak has built a short menu of elevated bar snacks to match: a chilled prawn cocktail with horseradish sauce (HK$188), kettle chips with French onion dip (HK$78), and house-smoked maple-glazed bacon (HK$88).
What's the music policy?
The live programme is curated by Skip Moy, a jazz guitarist and audio production specialist who also oversees the room's sound design and background playlists between sets. Depending on the night, the small stage hosts anything from toe-tapping jazz groups to singer-songwriters and touring international acts. There's no fixed weekly residency published yet, so the most reliable way to check who's playing before you go is Take 5's own Instagram account, @takefive.hkg.
Address and visiting details
Take 5
Take 5 sits one floor up inside Avalon at H Queen's, a short walk from both Central MTR and the Central-Mid-Levels escalator. As a new venue, opening hours and a fixed live-music roster haven't been formally published beyond the launch details — check Instagram or call ahead before making a special trip.
Good to know: H Queen's is a gallery and dining tower, so Take 5 shares the building with several restaurants and art spaces — worth combining with an early dinner or a gallery stop before heading up for the live set. For more of the neighbourhood, see our guide to Lan Kwai Fong and our round-up of Hong Kong's hidden bars and speakeasies. For more live-music options citywide, see our guide to the best live music venues in Hong Kong, and for the city's top-rated cocktail rooms, our list of Asia's 50 Best Bars in Hong Kong.
Frequently Asked Questions
A rare new address for live music in Central
Take 5 pairs a genuine rotating live-music calendar with a tight five-cocktail menu built around jazz standards — a welcome addition in a city that keeps losing venues like this. Check the Instagram before you go, and make a night of it with dinner downstairs at Avalon.