4 gastropubs in Hong Kong for superior bar food, creative cocktails and a friendly neighbourhood vibe
- The Diplomat has excellent cocktails and its wagyu beef burger is just as good, while The Last Resort’s deep-fried three yellow chicken won’t disappoint
- Honky Tonks Tavern’s crispy pizza is perfect with a beer, and the jer jer Buffalo wings at Second Draft will leave you wanting more
“A bar is not a good bar unless it serves good food,” proclaims John Nugent. It’s a bold statement, given that many terrific bars focus on drinks, but one that speakeasy-style The Diplomat – where the American mixologist plies his trade in Hong Kong’s Central business and entertainment district – lives up to.
Ranked 20th in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list for 2021 and voted best new bar on the list, not only has it won plaudits for its excellent cocktails, but fans declare its wagyu beef burger the best in Hong Kong. Such is its appeal that customers come for the burger alone.
“While we are proud of our cocktails and would like you to try one, we want to make sure if you just want our food, you feel incredibly welcome and don’t feel pressured to have a drink,” says Nugent, happy that people will come for either, or both.
It helps that The Diplomat sources top-quality ingredients. Being under the umbrella of hospitality group Leading Nation, the meat for the burgers comes from the same beef supplier in Japan as at Wagyumafia, the meat-focused restaurant in Wan Chai, where a meal will cost upwards of HK$2,000 (US$260) per person for the food alone. Ferran Tadeo, executive chef at Catalan restaurant La Rambla in the IFC tower in Central, oversees the bar’s menu.
The food is “brasserie-style, easy to share and easy to eat with your hands”, says Nugent. “Our burger is simplicity itself, but everything is ingredient-driven. We take the best wagyu beef possible, trim and grind it, then add salt, pepper and egg.”
Served between a house-made sesame seed bun with aioli and American cheddar cheese, the quarter-pound patty is ground just right to deliver heft and chew, before being cooked so it’s charred on the outside, blushing pink in the middle. Paired with a dry martini or Gibson, it’s a culinary match made in heaven.
