The Italian mixologist has a winner on hand—as expected.
When we heard Lorenzo Antinori had opened a new drinking spot in Hong Kong, we knew—even before we found the place off the beaten path—that this was not going to be a dive bar. Hiking up to Bridges Street in that odd area between Sheung Wan and Central on a balmy evening (there is no other kind for the next six months), a chilled yuzu Negroni awaited on a platter—lighter than the classic, perfect for the season.
A relaxed, unpretentious venue serving fine bites and bubbles, Bar Leone certainly does not look or have the feel of the mixologist’s past gigs when he worked at The Savoy, or his long tenure with the Four Seasons group (where he led a winning trifecta—Charles H, Caprice, and Argo—to fantastic press and critical acclaim). Bar Leone is the sort of affable bar you’d find walking down cobbled streets of Rome (where Antinori is from), off tourist-heavy detours and distractions.
It’s a quintessential Italian bar, really—warm, inviting, and of a certain vintage (funny, because the bar opened just this past June)—with archival pictures, signage, and accoutrements studded on wood-panelled walls and cosy booths. Bright sunlight segues into a warm glow as stellar bar snacks are doled out of hand-painted ceramics filled with piattini and spuntini, small dishes and snacks ripe for the picking.
Read the entire feature here at Robb Report Hong Kong.
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