Hong Kong's bar industry has been hit hard by the ongoing outbreak as their premises have been ordered shut for months starting in April and again in July.

While it is a necessary measure in the city's fight to contain the pandemic, the devastating impact on the bar community has caused some well-loved facilities to close their doors permanently.

Over the past months, we have seen the Caribbean themed bar Rummin' Tings closed its doors, Hong Kong's longest-running live music venue, The Wanch, ceasing operations of their Wan Chai bar, and six-year-old Mong Kok beer joint, The Ale Project will have its last operation on September 7, 2020.

The government is still not allowing bars, pubs, and nightclubs to reopen; hopefully, the daily decrease in the number of infections in the city will eventually relax more social distancing restrictions and finally allow more venues to go back in business.

While we wait for city nightlife to come alive again, a lot of our favourite neighbourhood bars have rebranded as cafes or restaurants, opening earlier, serving lunch, and catering food before the closing hours.

Here's a list of bars in the city with catering permits that have reopened for business. Most of these venues offer takeaway and delivery so you can still support them from the comforts of your home.

RECOMMENDED: Want to try some new bites in the city? Check out our September lineup of newly opened restaurants in Hong Kong.
Get a tipple or two from these bars in the city

1. The Diplomat

News | Drinking

As a result of the latest social distancing regulations, The Diplomat has amended its opening hours to 12pm to 10pm on Mondays through Saturdays and is temporarily rebranding as The Diplomat Café.

The change goes beyond the name though, as the bar is shifting the focus from its extensive drinks menu to its pub grub offerings. The venue serves up refined versions of pub and tavern staples.

Highlights include Cubano made with suckling pig ($170), the Croque Madame made with day truffled egg yolk ($140), and even the king of Western comfort food – truffled mac and cheese ($90). While dine-in service will be available during opening hours, customers can order takeaways until 10pm.

You can even pick up some of The Diplomat’s signature cocktails-to-go packaged in individual wax-sealed bottles.

The bar is also launching a house signature American pale ale on September 20; purchase a ticket for a slot in one of the two scheduled sessions that will include an all-you-can-drink beer and all-you-can-eat BBQ – served by soon to open new American BBQ smokehouse Smoke & Barrel.

Takeaway orders can be placed by messaging The Diplomat via Facebook or Instagram.

2. The Pontiac

Bars and pubs | Soho

Last July 21, American-style dive bar, The Pontiac reopened as a cafe serving coffee, cocktails, and bites daily, but closed again temporarily on July 28 due to the ongoing surge of infections in the city. Since August 28, they have once again opened their doors and now serve customers daily from 11am to 10pm.

Enjoy the bar's daily happy hours from 3pm to 6pm or takeout their signature Hobnail cocktail ($350) available in 500ml bottles. If you bring back the bottle, they will slash $50 off on your next order.

You can also taste The Pontiac cocktails at newly opened Spanish-Japanese fusion restaurant, Andō in LKF. Complementing chef Agustin Balbi's Andō tasting menu are three signature cocktails crafted by The Pontiac's Beckaly Frank – The Hobnail, P.O.G.D., and Bad Dream Mama.

Mocktails will also be available in servings of the Truth Hurts, made with grapefruit, housemade falernum, fresh mint, vanilla, cinnamon and pink Szechuan pepper, topped with soda. Guests who dine at Andō will also receive a complimentary welcome cocktail or mocktail to start their meal.

3. Foxglove and Dr Fern's Gin Parlour

News | Eating

Foxglove and Dr Fern's Gin Parlour have also reopened offering lunch and happy hour. Foxglove's head chef Tony Hung prepared a lunch set for two ($388), and a Chef's Recommendations set menu ($216 per person) that come with a starters trio, soup, as well as a dessert. Patrons can order for dine-in or takeaway.

They are also bringing back their popular Mad Men Hour during open hours, offering guests a chance to sip on house mixers, craft beers, house wines, Mad Men Hour cocktails, and a selection of The Lost Distillery whiskies.

At Dr Fern's Gin Parlour, the bar is promoting healthy eating with their new vegetarian menu ($60) – available for both dine-in and takeaway – consisting of Gardein chicken and pumpkin with rice, shiitake mushrooms and braise tofu with rice, or eggplant with minced OmniPork.

The bar is also bringing back the Gin O'Clock happy hour with G&Ts available for $64 per glass. Though, if you prefer to enjoy your drink at home, you can also get it for takeaway with a 20 percent discount.

Foxglove is now operating from 12pm to 4pm on Mondays to Saturdays. To make a reservation, call 2116 8949 or email reservation@foxglovehk.com. Dr Fern's is open from 12pm to 6pm on Mondays to Sundays. You can email to make a reservation at info@drfernshk.com, or call 2111 9449.

4. The Daily Tot

News | Drinking

The Daily Tot, the newest bar on Hollywood Road, is finally open and serving lunch, tea, and rum cocktails from Tuesdays to Sundays, 1pm to 10pm. Managed by Gerry Olino, former head bartender of Dr. Fern’s Gin Parlour, patrons can look forward to tasting signature rum cocktails that highlight rum's versatility from classic recipes to new twists.

For people who want to escape working from home, head to this Caribbean-inspired bar because they are also offering free wi-fi connection so that you can plug-in your laptop and work from there. Book a reservation via Whatsapp at 5226 9382.

5. Blue Supreme

Bars and pubs | Craft beer pubs | Sheung Wan

For your beer cravings, Blue Supreme, one of the best craft beer bars in the city, is open for dine-in and takeaway on the corner of Tung Street and Upper Lascar Row. They open by 12pm with dine-in service extended until 8.30pm. Call or message 5998 3088 via Whatsapp to order delivery or drop by for takeout and enjoy 30 percent off on beer and wines.

6. James Suckling Wine Central

Restaurants | Soho

If you are hankering for some fine wine, James Suckling Wine Central is open for lunch and happy hour and even extended their operations until Sunday.

Try their new Marie’s homemade frittata with recommended pairings for sparkling wines, Tuscan, and Piedmont wines, and enjoy their special revamped lunch menu of five different burgers: organic chicken, organic beef, fish, Impossible vegetarian burger, and the new addition, Texas bison burger.

The bar also extended their happy hour from 3pm to 5.30pm daily; order wines for only $60 per glass.

7. Room 309

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Central

Room 309, famous for their clear cocktail menu, is back in business and open daily from 3pm to 10pm. Following the bar's successful Five Flowers Tea Dry Gin release in collaboration with Two Moons Distillery, Room 309 is once again offering this floral-herbal gin starting on September 7, 11am at the bar's online shop. The gin will only be available in 309 bottle releases, so make sure to grab one before they run out.

8. Quinary

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Soho

Antonio Lai’s multisensory cocktail bar has also resumed operations and is open to the public from Tuesdays to Sundays 1pm to 10pm serving bar bites and lunch.

You can also support the bar by purchasing e-vouchers through Save Hong Kong F&B alliance, a platform supporting over 600 bars and restaurants in the city greatly affected by the ongoing crisis.

Vouchers are available for $600 and $1,300 and may be used for dine-in at The Quinary. Vouchers will have a three months validity from the date of purchase.

9. The Old Man

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Sheung Wan

One of our favourite bars in the city has also reopened its doors. Open daily from 3pm until 10pm, patrons may head here for cocktails, but every order must come with food items to adhere to the current catering venue regulation.

They are no longer offering their delivery, and takeaway bottled cocktail service, but you can still order The Old Man's spirit-forward Little Wax Puppy through Metabev as part of the Laiba bar in a bottle Hong Kong collection set ($599) featuring five other cocktails from the city's top bars.

10. Coa

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Sheung Wan

Agave spirits drinkers can rejoice as our favourite Mexican-inspired bar is also open in their Sheung Wan watering hole. Order your favourite cocktails and dig-in on the bar's food offerings. Coa also launched their new online shop to cater to your home imbibing needs.

The shop offers Coa's Arette Artesanal Blanco Tequila ($1,400), La Paloma De Oaxaca in cans ($118 to $2,112), tepache inspired La Niña Fresa beer ($160), and other agave spirits.

You may also support Coa through the ongoing Metabev auction of limited edition Jose Cuervo 250 Aniversario Tequila with a special appreciation workshop with Jay Khan. The bidding is currently at $28,000, place your bid before September 30

11. The Wise King

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Soho

Staunton Street's The Wise King is also open for business and have launched their new Wise Bites menu that includes tasty hummus dips.

The bar is still catering their bottled takeaway cocktails which includes King's Negroni, Washed Negroni, Jamon Old Fashioned, Brined Rickey, Cafe Mambo, Pickled Margarita, and N.I.P Distilling bottle collaboration, The Mandarino Negroni. The cocktails are available for 500ml ($500) and 750ml ($598) bottles.

Order their cocktail bottles through Instagram or Facebook.⁠

Watch out for their Negroni menu as the bar gears up for Negroni week on September 14 to 20.

12. Bar De Luxe

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Central

One of Central's top Japanese bars, Bar De Luxe, is open on Mondays to Wednesdays from 12 pm to 8pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 12pm to 10pm.

Currently offering a curated food menu, you can order your favourite tipple and enjoy bites from their food menu.

Their cocktail takeaway and delivery service are still ongoing, and they've just added a new Yuzu Mitsu cocktail, using Two Moon's gin mixed with yuzu and honey liqueur. All cocktails are freshly made daily upon order, call 9615 2311 or 3706 5716 to order.

13. Terrible Baby

Bars and pubs | Jordan

Head over to Kowloon side and enjoy the fresh breeze with food and cocktails at Terrible Baby's open terrace dining. From 3pm until 10pm daily, take advantage of their two-hour free flow promotion when you order a meal combo at $270.

14. The Wilshire

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Kennedy Town

11 Westside's cocktail bar, The Wilshire is also open for business serving patrons daily from 5pm to 9pm. Guests can order any of 11 Westside's food offerings and enjoy it with cocktails at The Wilshire. The bar also offers The Wilshire-at-home takeout menu offering bottled Negronis, Martinis, and Manhattans, each cocktail available in three variants at $80 per bottle, $200 for three, and $540 for all nine.

15. 001

Bars and pubs | Cocktail bars | Central

Hidden cocktail bar 001 is open from Wednesdays to Sundays, serving up tasty food and refreshing cocktails from 2pm to 10pm. They recently added new cocktails to their menu and it includes a white Negroni twist, Shizu Samurai made with yuzu sake, gin, shiso liqueur, and Lillet Blanc. Dine-in for some afternoon snacks and order their grilled truffle cheese sandwich or charcuterie platter and pair it with any of their cocktails, if you order for seconds they will slash 50 percent off on your next drink (only available from 3pm to 6pm). They still offer takeaway and delivery so contact the bar via WhatsApp 6629 5975 to place your orders.

16. Think Wine

Bars and pubs | Wine bars | Soho

For food and wine pairing, head to Soho wine bar Think Wine, now operating from 12 pm to 10pm daily. Enjoy a two-course ($148) or three-course ($188) menu and order any of their available wines to pair with your meal. From 12pm to 4pm until September 20, you can get a 20 percent discount if you dine-in and share your story on social media.

17. Coffee Analog

Restaurants | Cafés | Sha Tin

A must-visit for whisky buffs. This cool new cafe in Prince Edward turns into a whisky den at night. Enjoy hand drip coffee brews or a double ristretto – highly concentrated espresso coffee – in the morning and sip on drams of whisky once the bar opens at night. The whisky bar is run by online liquor retailer Malt Cask, so expect drams of independently bottled whiskies (That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Duncan Taylor, Douglas Laing, and many more), limited-edition releases, and other brands that will tickle any whisky enthusiast. The cafe-slash-bar doesn't provide much food on the menu aside from the regular homemade mystery cake that changes depending on what is available for the day


Other bars that have reopened in the city

Honi Honi Tiki Cocktail Lounge, Whisky & Words, Caprice, The Shady Acres, Tell Camellia, Ping Pong 129 Gintoneria, The Globe, Stockton, Sake Central, The Envoy, Second Draft, Tai Lung Fung, Draft Land, and Gishiki Lounge have reopened with varying opening and closing hours. Visit their social media pages to get updates on current promotions and operating hours.