This speakeasy is difficult to find, but once in you won't be disappointed
Hong Kong, with it's spider web of streets and speakeasies, is home to the best dirty martinis I've ever had.
Asia
Don't miss out on the headlines from Asia. Followed categories will be added to My News.
On a Friday evening, the Mo Bar on the ground floor of the Landmark Hotel is pumping with a mix of the city’s elite and trendy young things as tonight’s DJ is about to crank up the noise. But there is one bar which outdoes even the dashing Mo for style and exclusivity: PDT bar.
PDT - standing for Please Don’t Tell - is so cool that it doesn’t need to advertise itself with a front door. Instead, entry is hidden in a mock telephone box upstairs at the rear of Mo Bar where patrons have to dial a number to get in.
HONG KONG: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE SIDE TRIP YOU NEED TO DO IN HONG KONG
HONG KONG TOUR: CURSES AND LOCAL FOOD
Once inside, PDT has the intimacy of a speakeasy with leather booths, brick walls, dark wood ceiling and no windows. So much effort has gone into creating this small intimate space and it is the spot everyone is talking about. PDT has just been voted Hong Kong’s best hotel bar. It is so popular that reservations can only be made a week in advance to give everyone chance to experience it.
This is serious cocktail heaven and mixologist Adam Schmidt pours what is the best dirty martini I have ever tasted. The bartender has moved here from New York and the original PDT bar and he reflects the style of the place, intimate and chatty with panache. While I went for gin, a friend went for whisky and downed a “Bad Hunter” prepared with Chivas Scotch, Fernet Hunter, lemon juice, dragon’s eye and Moët.
Like the ambience, the food has also been tried and tested in New York with a few Asian twists like the okonomiyaki-style tater tots topped with kewpie mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce, shredded nori, bonito shavings & scallions.
They needed another cocktail to wash them down.
The writer travelled as a guest of Cathay Pacific and the Mandarin Oriental.
WHERE TO GO
PDT, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, PH: 2132 0188
MORE
For more travel news and inspiration sign up to Escape’s newsletter.
11 rules to know at Japan’s biggest attraction
It’s Japan’s most popular tourist site but these insider tips will help you see it while avoiding the crowds. Here’s what to know before you go.
Country I swore I’d never go to
This destination was never on my list of places to go — but it turns out I was completely wrong. This is the surprising reason why.