Café
M Bar
Hong Kong-Central
May 11, 2018
With the Captain’s Bar below and the M Bar on top, the old Mandarin Oriental is topped and tailed with two charismatic destinations. Certainly M Bar is best sampled at night as the views from the 25th floor over the harbour and out towards the east of Hong Kong glimmer with illuminated skyscrapers and shipping. Inside the heart-shaped bar is the central point around which hotel guests and those who can’t afford a room with a view congregate; the low lighting and pink glow from under the bar providing an intimate atmosphere. The style is a slicker, after-hours version of the discreet Chinese décor of Man Wah restaurant next door. It’s Michelin-starred treats can be sampled at the bar by ordering the dim sum menu that changes with the season. Late night bites come in the form of “light bite bento boxes”, but the limited options like the mini burgers and cheese selection should be seen more as decent fodder rather than inspiring nibbles. Some cocktails are seasonal, but bar staff know what they are doing with hardy perennials like Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and signature offerings including the fruity flavoured, drink with a name like a Happy Valley racehorse, “Leave It To Me Cocktail No.2”.
